Kham Tibet

The Land of Warriors

The Kham region of Tibet is located across the Chinese provinces of Sichuan, Tibet, Qinghai, and Yunnan. Kham is known for its verdant grasslands, craggy mountains, and pure rivers. The most famous Tibetan horse festivals, such as the Litang Horse Festival and Yushu Horse Festival, take place every summer in Kham, where Tibetans compete and show off their riding skills. Tibetans from Kham have a reputation for being as loyal as they are tough. Many carry traditional swords and walk with a swagger, but are quick to invite you into their yak-hair tents for a cup of butter tea.
Kham is best for travelers interested in seeing wild Tibetan animals in their natural habitats, attending horse festivals, circumambulating holy Mt. Kawa Karpo, staying with nomads, visiting small monasteries, camping, and bird watching in the forests.

Planning a Kham Tibet Journey

Kham is one of the most rewarding regions for travelers who want deep Tibetan culture beyond the usual route. The journeys are longer and more remote, but the rewards are extraordinary: Derge and its printing house, Ganzi, Litang, Yushu, Larung Gar, Yarchen Gar, Dzogchen, Pelyul, Danba and the mountain roads linking Sichuan, Qinghai and Yunnan. Kham is especially strong for monastery visits, nomad landscapes, village life and high plateau photography.

For private itineraries, see our Kham Tibet tours. If you prefer to join a scheduled departure, check our Tibet group tours. Useful related guides include the Chengdu Travel Guide, since Chengdu is a major gateway to Kham and to flights onward to Lhasa.