Chengdu is where most foreign visitors start their China self-drive adventure. At 500 m altitude, it is the perfect place to acclimatise before heading west on G318, the famous Sichuan-Tibet highway.
1. Why start from Chengdu
Chengdu offers more road choices than any other Chinese city: G317 north via Seda, G318 west via Kangding and Litang, the Ya'an-Xichang highway south, and the Ruoergai grassland loop. About 60% of our long-distance western trips start here.
Spend two days in Chengdu first: Kuanzhai Alley, Jinli, the Panda Base, Wuhou Shrine. Do not fly in and immediately drive to Kangding - one German guest did this and spent the night with altitude headache.
2. Shuangliu vs Tianfu airport
Chengdu has two airports. Shuangliu (CTU) is 16 km from downtown; Tianfu (TFU) is 50 km southeast. We deliver cars to both. At Tianfu we leave one hour earlier so the car is waiting when you collect your bags.
Pickup takes 20 minutes: meet in the parking lot, walk around the car filming existing scratches, sign the English contract, pay deposit, receive your temporary Chinese driving licence. We leave a rescue phone card on the dashboard.
3. Prices and cars
Same rates as Lijiang: VW Lavida/Jetta 260 RMB/day, deposit 3,000, unlimited km. Tank 300 SUV 400 RMB/day, deposit 5,000, 300 km/day. For G318 we recommend the Tank 300 - not because 4WD is needed (the whole road is paved), but for ground clearance on occasional rockfall sections, boot space, and a higher driving position.
4. First day in Chengdu
Do not drive west on day one. Pick up the car in the morning, buy supplies in the afternoon (oxygen bottles 30 RMB at the pharmacy, sunglasses, SPF50, a warm jacket for the 4,298 m Zheduo pass), and eat hotpot in the evening. Stay overnight in Chengdu.
5. Sample G318 rhythm
Day 1: Chengdu to Kangding (270 km, 5 h) via the Yakang expressway and Erlangshan tunnel. Stop at Luding Bridge (10 RMB). Sleep at 2,560 m. Day 2: Kangding to Yajiang (140 km, 4 h) over Zheduo pass, stop at Xinduqiao. Day 3: Yajiang to Litang (135 km, 3 h) over the Gao'ersi pass. Day 4: Litang to Daocheng Yading (150 km, 3.5 h).
6. Restrictions for foreigners
Once you cross Batang into Mangkam (Tibet), you need a Tibet permit and a guide. We arrange the Tibet permit 20 days in advance. If you only go as far as Litang or Daocheng Yading (Sichuan side), no Tibet permit is needed. Do not follow local cars onto side roads into restricted border areas.
7. Common questions
Q: Can I pick up in Chengdu and drop in Lhasa? A: Yes, but one-way fees are high because we send a driver to bring the car back. Message us for a quote.
Q: 24-hour pickup? A: Yes, even for red-eye flights.
Q: Total Chengdu to Lhasa distance? A: About 2,100 km, normally 7-10 days.
8. Book with us
We are Yunnan Province International Travel Agency (Group), with outbound qualification and a 1.6 million RMB quality deposit. We have run the Chengdu-G318 route for 5+ years. Message WeChat qxzj7557 (WhatsApp +86 137-5915-5671) with your dates and group size for a firm quote.