Mount Gongga Accommodation

Located in the eastern side of Tibet, Mount Gongga also known as Minya Konka is the highest mountain beyond the mighty Himalayas. Mount Gongga is one of the mountains Tibetans consider it to be sacred and once even considered it as a ‘golden crown where God of Thunder rests’. Even though it is not as popular as the Everest or the Himalayas Mount Gongga has attracted niche mountaineers from all around the world. Since the time it was scaled and explored in the 1900’s very few have successfully reached the summit of this mountain. Mount Gongga Scenic Area was founded in 1996 and covers a wide area of about 10,000 square kilometers. It is considered as one of the largest scenic areas in China.

Mount Gongga Campsites Map

The scenic area consists of glacier parks, plateau lakes, waterfalls, lamaseries, hot springs, and beautiful forests. This scenic area is also known for housing an impressive 400 species of animals and 4,800 varieties of plants. Apart from perennial snow caps and challenging climb, Mount Gongga is also known for its glaciers and ice clad waterfalls which is active all around the year. Some of the must visit attractions in the scenic area are Mugecuo Scenic Area, Yanzigou Scenic Area, Haliuogou Valley.

Where to Stay while Visiting Mount Gongga?

While planning to visit or trek Mount Gongga there are certain places that you can use as a starting point or a base before starting the trek. Kangding is one such place which will be a welcome relief from the busy and metropolitan cities of China.

Kangding is the capital city of Ganzi Tibetan Prefecture of Sichuan Province. Some of the hotels you can stay in are Kangding Airport Hotel, Kangba Hotel, and Gesar hotel and there are a lot more. Only few hotels have free Wi-Fi. If you want to save some bucks it is best to stay in hostels. They are cheap and comfortable. Some of the recommended hostels in this area are Yongzhu Hostel, Zhilam Hostel, and Black Tent Inn.

Gongga Magic Hot Spring Hotel

Moxi is another town south of Luding that is close to Mount Gongga and Haliuogou Glacier Park. It is 70km from Kangding making it much closer to Mount Gongga and it is 304km from Chengdu. There are restaurants along the main road like Bingchuan Hotel, Xinfei Hotel, and Hailuo Hotel. Another place where you can stay en route to Mount Gongga is Xinduqiao. It is located to the west of Kangding and is located in a sort of intersection Danba, Mount Gongga and Kangding. Many choose this place as pit stop mainly because this small place is also called as the ‘paradise for photographers.’ The beautiful forests, colorful trees, and the amazing view of Mount Gongga are some of the reasons why photographers go there. There are plenty of guesthouses and hostels in Xinduqiao like Muya Backpackers Inn, Xiankelai Guesthouse, and Xinkangzhu Hotel. Apart from serving as a base or starting point or a pit stop before travelling to Mount Gongga Kangding, Moxi, and Xinduqiao also have some local attractions that can be explored and shopped.

Accommodation along the Mount Gongga Hiking Route

There are plenty of campsites where you can pitch your tents while hiking around Mount Gongga. Most of the campsites have flat surfaces and even running water close by sometimes. The starting point for most of the hikers will be House of Duoji. Most of the hikers make their final preparations here. The owner of this place not only offers accommodation and food, he also provides help in booking horses, guides, vehicles, and other stuffs that hikers need to make this summit.

Below is a list of campsites—in no particular order—where you can stay while climbing. Choose the campsites depending on the route you take to the summit as there are multiple routes and multiple itineraries.

Gexi Grassland - 3,400m (3 hours from Laoyulin)
Gongga Temple - 3,750m (probably the only place in the course of this trek where you can sleep in beds)
Shangriwuqie Campsite - 4,350m
Zimei Pass - 4,500m (accommodation available)
Moxi Campsite - 4,100m (located at the end of the valley)
Gongga Basecamp - 4,050m
Panpanshan Campsite - 5,500m (located in Lower Riwoche Valley)

7 Days Mt. Gongga Trekking Tour - Classic Minya Konka Trekking Tour

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These are just some of the campsites. There some campsites at 5,300m, 5,900m (in the northwest ridge), 6,600m (in the summit slope.). Most of the campsites are flat and have easy access to water, it is advisable to keep your food covered as Yaks have a good sense of smell and might come sniffing around your tents at night. They like to eat anything with salt. But, worries not Yaks don’t disturb humans a lot and mostly keep away from humans. There are no deadly insects to worry about and other animals that wander about in Mount Gongga are wolves and snow leopards that don’t come near the campsites.

Accommodations in Other Attractions near Mount Gongga

As mentioned above there are many other attractions apart from the mountain in the scenic area. All these attractions are easily accessible from nearby towns and have decent, comfortable accommodation options. The most visited and popular attractions near Mount Gongga are Haliuogou Valley and Glacier Park, Yanzigou Scenic Area, and Mugecuo Lake. Haliuogou Valley starts at an altitude of 2,800m and rises up till 6,000m, Yanzigou Scenic Area starts at an altitude of 1,480m and rises up till 4,000m and Mugecuo Lake is at an altitude of 3,700m.

Accommodations in Haliuogou Valley

You can stay in Moxi Town which is the closest town for you to prepare for a trip to Haliuogou Valley and Glacier Park. Even though it is a small town there are adequate places to stay here. There are hostels, hotels, and guesthouses you can choose depending on your needs and how much you are willing to spend for accommodations. You can also stay inside the scenic area. There are three base camps. There are many spa and resort type of hotels in the first two base camps. There are normal hotels in the third base camp. The third base camp has the best views of the valley.

Hailuogou Mingzhu Park Hotel

Accommodations in Yanzigou Scenic Area

The whole scenic area rises from Moxi terrace and hence the closest accommodations you can find are in Moxi town. You can also stay in Xinxing Town. The red rock beach is the most popular attraction in Yanzigou Scenic Area. There are low altitude glaciers, virgin forests, and pretty scenery.

Moxi Town Hotel

Accommodations in Mugecuo Lake

There are no accommodations near the scenic area as of now. But you can stay in Kangding. Kangding has stay options for all kinds of price range. It is less than an hour from Kangding and many tourists cycle to the scenic area. Once you reach the scenic area there is a park bus that takes you to the lakes and other attractions in the scenic area. Mugecuo is one of the five alpine lakes in the scenic area. There are also great views of mountains from this scenic area.

Kangding Hotel

When you plan to visit Mount Gongga there are a whole lot of other things you can explore and do. So when you plan ensure that you have a comprehensive itinerary that covers all the above mentioned places.