Cycling 318 — the road from Chengdu to Lhasa
The real Sichuan–Tibet Highway, ridden one day at a time: 2,150 km, 20 days, and a dozen passes above 4,000 metres. Each stage in the game is a real place on the G318 — here’s the whole road.
Guides: the passes · the seasons · the bikes · lakes & rivers →
Out of Chengdu
Roll out of the Sichuan basin on flat, easy roads, then watch the first real mountains close in — the cloud sea of Mount Erlang and the iron-chain bridge over the Dadu River.
Setting Out · Chengdu
The Rain City · Ya’an
Mount Erlang · the Cloud Sea
The Dadu River · Luding Bridge
City of Love Songs · Kangding
Onto the Roof
Crest Zheduo Pass, the First Gate of Kham and your first climb above 4,000 m, then settle onto the high grassland — Litang, the world’s high city, and the twin Sister Lakes.
Zheduo Pass · the First Gate of Kham
Gaoersi Pass · Gongga in Sight
Two Passes · the High City of Litang
Sister Lakes · the Long Drop to Batang
Into Tibet
Cross the Jinsha River into Tibet and take on the giant passes: Dongda La at 5,130 m, the 72 hairpin bends down to the Nu River, and the turquoise of Rawu Lake.
The Jinsha River · Into Tibet
Dongda Pass 5130 · Zogong
The Yuqu River · Bangda Grassland
Yela Pass · the Nu River 72 Bends
Anjula Pass · Rawu Lake
Glaciers & the Green Deep
The plateau softens into glacier valleys and deep forest — Midui Glacier, the Parlung Tsangpo, the sea of trees at Lulang, and the snow pyramid of Namcha Barwa.
The Home Stretch
Follow the gentle Niyang River, climb the last great pass at Mila La, and freewheel into Lhasa — the Holy City, and the Potala Palace at the end of the road.
Questions about the route
How long is the ride in Cycling 318?
Twenty in-game days, one stage at a time, tracing the whole ~2,150 km Sichuan–Tibet Highway (G318) from Chengdu to Lhasa. You ride at your own pace, a few minutes at a time, and can pick up again from your farthest point.
How hard is the G318 route from Chengdu to Lhasa?
It crosses about a dozen real passes above 4,000 m, topping out at Dongda Pass (5,130 m), with long daily climbs — one of the great high-mountain cycling roads. Cycling 318 keeps the real climbs but takes off the pressure: no timer, no fail screen, and a roam mode that lets anyone finish any stage.
What is the highest pass from Chengdu to Lhasa?
Dongda Pass (Dongda La) at 5,130 m, crossed on day 11 — the highest point on the whole route. In all you climb about a dozen passes above 4,000 m, including Zheduo Pass (4,298 m) and Mila Pass (5,013 m).
How far is it from Chengdu to Lhasa, and how many stages?
About 2,150 km across 20 stages, from Chengdu at around 500 m to Lhasa at 3,650 m, finishing at the Potala Palace.
What are the seasons like along the route?
Cycling 318 has all four seasons, and each reshapes the road: spring brings the Nyingchi peach blossom and rhododendron, summer the green grasslands and horse-racing festivals, autumn the golden poplars of Xinduqiao, winter snow and prayer-flag red. You can switch season freely.
Is Cycling 318 free to play?
Yes — free to download, with no ads and no subscriptions. Every stage unlocks by riding; optional cosmetic bikes and outfits only change how you and your postcards look, never the gameplay.
What landmarks do you pass on the 318?
Highlights include Mount Erlang’s cloud sea, the Luding iron-chain bridge, Zheduo Pass, the Sister Lakes, the Nu River 72 Bends, Rawu Lake, Midui Glacier, the snow pyramid of Namcha Barwa, and the Potala Palace in Lhasa — every stage is a real place on the road.