5 Days Luxury Tibetan Nomadic Camping Retreat at Norden Camp
Idyllic Vacation Beyond Words
Idyllic Vacation Beyond Words
"Welcome to Norden! A place between worlds, a place where Nomadic tradition dances with contemporary culture, ancient past evolves into a mindful future and a raw wilderness awakens the peaceful spirit, and a place where the journey begins upon arrival."
This is the sincere greeting from the Norden Camp’s founders - a Tibetan nomad Yidam and his Tibetan-American wife Dechen who are aiming to share the unknown splendors of Tibetan nomadic life with the outside world. So they founded Norden Camp, a wonderful nomadic-styled, luxury glamping camp.
Located on the winter pasture on the Sangke Grassland at 3,200 meters in altitude in Gansu Province, Norden Camp offers not only priceless natural luxuries like fresh air, Himalayan fed river water, vast grassland, rising snow peaks, but also back-to-earth camping experience with all the services, food and comfort more traditionally associated with 5-star luxury resorts. It also provides a rare opportunity to experience the authentic culture of Tibetan community. Only the lucky travelers have the rare opportunity to stay several nights at Norden Camp, as it is only operated in May~October and rooms are limited. You'd better book ASAP!
Day 1 Lanzhou - Norden Camp Arrival (D)
Lanzhou airport/train station pick up then transfer to Norden Camp
Today is free for you to take a flight or train to Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu Province. Upon arriving at Lanzhou airport or train station, you will be welcomed by our local staff, then transfer to Norden Camp by a private car. Norden Camp is located about 250 km away from Lanzhou city. It usually takes about 4~5 hours to get to Norden Camp. The rest time after arrival is free for you to relax.
Lanzhou arrival idea: you can easily find domestic flights from Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzheng, Chengdu, etc. to Lanzhou. Lanzhou can also be reached by high speed trains from Beijing, Xian, Chengdu, Zhengzhou, etc.
Tsepa Tent Home (accommodate 4 people)
Day 2 Sangke Grassland Visual Feast and Horse Riding (B, L, D)
Today's highlight: Sangke Grassland, Horse Riding, Lungta Cooperative Visiting
Wake up to the gurgling sounds of the river and birds singing at the camp. Your restaurant is already ready to serve your breakfast. You will be impressed by the milk which is rich in nutritional value and reduced lactose content, produced by local yaks who graze in areas teeming with medical plants.
Today you are going to explore Sangke Grassland’s natural landscape and enjoy some nomadic experiences. You will be provided rare opportunities to ride a Tibetan horse on the grassland and enjoy the breathtaking views of the surrounding hills, mountains and vegetation, also join local nomads from the Lungta Cooperative, and experience their daily lives by herding and riding yaks, and sharing traditional Tibetan dishes. The rest time is free for you to relax and have fun around the camp.
Lunch and dinners are provided at the camp.
Day 3 Tibetan Labrang Monastery Visiting (B, L, D)
Today's highlight: Labrang Monastery
Enjoy your breakfast at the camp. The rest time before lunch is free for you to have fun. After lunch, you will be taken to visit Labrang Monastery, one of the most influential Tibetan monasteries in the world. It is also famous for having the most complete Tibetan Buddhism teaching system in China. The monastery is large in scale and magnificent in architecture style, enshrining a lot of huge Buddha statues and various exquisite sculptures, murals and magical instruments. Its pilgrimage corridor has over 2000 prayer wheels, as the longest of its kind in the world. In the southwest corner of Labrang Monastery, there is an ancient wooden bridge. Walking crosses the bridge and walking up to the hill, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Labrang Monastery and surrounding.
After the monastery visit, get back to your camp to have dinner and rest.
Day 4 Free Day (B, L, D)
Relax on your own or join activities you are interested in
You may need some personal time to explore things you are interested in or just want to lay down to enjoy the peaceful time here. So we won’t arrange any programs today. There are many experiences that Norden Camp offer, such as sauna, picnic, Norlha visiting (watching weaving, sewing, felting, product development and the outlet areas), etc.
Day 5 Departure (B, L)
Send you to Lanzhou airport/train station
Farewell to the Norden Camp holiday! You will be escorted to Lanzhou to catch your flight/train back home or to the next destination. Looking forward to seeing you again in Norden Camp in the future.
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one double-bed room or tent.
2. This price is subject to change according your traveling season, group size, hotel class, room type, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1=RMB 7.00. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.
Hi dear Vivien,
our journey is about to end. We are on our way to Guilin airport. It has been an awesome trip indeed. Each destination was well chosen and everything went smoothly. I am super happy for my sister and me to be able to experience such a wonderful travel through the most stunning landscapes in China. Thank you for the perfect organization. And thank you for the nice gift we got in Guilin. Really appreciate it.
My sister with her fan. We also got a beautiful stamp and ink. Thank you very much!
Francesca
Hi Vivien,
just want to record our thanks to you for your good planning, coordination and arrangement for our recent holidays to Dali, Lijiang and Xianggelila. The tour guides and drivers were warm and friendly and we felt safe, and enjoyed the trip very much.
All the best to you.
Janet/Richard/Claire
Hi Phoebe,
1. Yes - questions were promptly addressed to my satisfaction. Excellent service overall.
2. The local guide is knowledgeable and has good command of English. He's also patient, considerate, and takes good care of his customers.
Hee
Hi Samantha,
Sunrise was very nice and checked us in to a nice room at 8:30 am. It’s been a while since we were in Shanghai, and it is a wonderful, clean city that’s very vibrant. It has been sunny and warm the last four days.
Jordan
Dear Wing Zeng,
My family and I have now arrived safely back at home in Bangkok. We had a wonderful time on the cruise, and we would like to thank you very much for assisting us on the whole process, from booking the cabins to arranging transportation from Jingzhou to Maoping port. We are very impressed with your service.
As for your questions, here is my response:
1A: Wing Zeng always responds to our emails very promptly. At the beginning when I planned to book the cruise, Wing Zeng has been very patient to respond to all my questions about the cruise itinerary and the cabin types. I am very happy with her service.
2A: With Wing Zeng's help, our tour arrangements were very smooth. Our family travel with one senior and one small child, so we were very careful about transportation to and from the port. On the day of embarkation, Wing Zeng helped us book a van transfer directly from our hotel in Jingzhou to the port, which made the embarkation process very smooth and enjoyable.
3A: Definitely. I highly recommend your service to anyone who wants to take the Yangtze cruises.
4A: I'm very satisfied with your service. Our travel consultant is very helpful and professional.
5A: It would be nice if you could give a little warning that the water level in Chongqing might be too low around this time of year. Originally, our cruise was scheduled to end at Chongqing Chaotianmen port. But because of the low water level, we had to disembark somewhere else and took a 2-hour drive to Chaotianmen. The cruise arranges the transfer smoothly and it worked out fine in the end. But if this is something that happens usually around this time of year, it would be nice to be given a little warning beforehand.
Sira
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Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.
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The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.
If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.
Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.
We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.
The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.
There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.
All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!
Tsepa Tent Home (accommodate 4 people)
Duplicate Tsepa Tent (accommodate 2 people)
Shing Cabi Home (accommodate 4 people)
Horse-back journey on Sangke Grassland
Local Tibetan and their yaks
Family reading time at Norden Camp
Labrang Monastery is one of the most influential Tibetan monasteries
Buddhism debating in Labrang Monastery
Enjoy leisure time at Norden Camp
Milk is one of the specialties of Norden Camp's kitchen
Delicious Momo in Norden Camp
Norden Camp is located in Xiahe County, Gansu Province. The nearest airport is Xiahe Airport which only operates a few flights from Chengdu, Xian, Yinchuan, etc. One can take a flight or train to Lanzhou city(can be reached from all major cities in China) first, then drive to Norden Camp. We will send a private driver to escort you.
There are 13 tents and cabins in total including Tsepa Tents, Tsepa Tents Suite, Tsepa Tents Home, Shing Cabin Suite, Shing Cabin Suite, etc. All accommodations, including tents, have wooden floors and comfortable, quality bedding and private bathrooms. Please specify your preferred room types in your inquiry.
Your hotel fee includes breakfasts, lunches and dinners at the camp. All meals are cooked with local fresh ingredients with an exceptional mix of Tibetan and European cuisine. Chefs are well-trained.
Norden Camp is only open between May and October. May is comfortably warm with temperatures of 12-16°C. Wildflowers cover the landscape in June, July and August when days range from 15-25°C. Fall arrives in September with temperatures of 6-12°C. October’s crisp, clear 10°C days give way to considerably cooler nights.
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