阿坝藏族羌族自治州

Why this place

Aba is the Tibetan and Qiang prefecture in northwestern Sichuan, and it contains two of the most extraordinary landscapes in the country: Jiuzhaigou's terraced lakes of turquoise and jade, and Huanglong's travertine pools descending a valley. Both are UNESCO sites.

What to see

• Jiuzhaigou — a valley of more than a hundred lakes, each a different colour, with waterfalls between them
• Huanglong — thousands of natural travertine pools stepping down a hillside
• The Qiang villages of Wenchuan and Lixian, with their stone towers
• Mount Siguniang and the Four Girls' Mountain, for the highest peaks in the region
• The Zoige grasslands in the north — high, empty plateau country

What to eat

• Tibetan and Qiang food: yak meat, butter tea, tsampa and the local highland barley
• Wild mushrooms and the Sichuan pepper of the mountain villages

How to plan

Three days: Jiuzhaigou one full day, Huanglong one day, plus a travel day. Allow more if you want Siguniang or Zoige.

Best time

October (autumn colours) and April–May; winter is cold but the lakes stay unfrozen and it is much emptier

Practical tips

• Jiuzhaigou caps daily visitor numbers — book tickets online days ahead, and note that the park is at 2,000–3,000m
• The plateau road can close with snow in winter; check conditions before committing