Xinduqiao Town Guesthouse Campground — G318 Kangding-Litang Plateau Basecamp

Xinduqiao sits at roughly 3,460 meters in a wide pastoral valley that photographers and overlanders alike treat as a mandatory stop. Several guesthouses in town — including the well-known Xinduqiao Photography Base guesthouses — offer fenced compound parking suitable for overlanding rigs, basic dorm or private rooms, and a courtyard where you can actually work on your vehicle. It’s not manicured. Power can be intermittent. The altitude will slow you down. But it’s real infrastructure after a rough push from Kangding, and the views across the valley at golden hour are legitimately world-class.

Access from Kangding is via G318 over Zheduo La (4,298 m) — paved but frequently icy or snow-closed October through April. Fuel is available in Xinduqiao town. Cell signal (China Mobile) exists in the valley but drops in the pass. Confirm guesthouse compound access on arrival; pricing and capacity vary by season and negotiation.

G318 plateau basecamp before the big climb.