Songzhou Yun Tea Horse Caravan (Songpan Branch)「松州云茶马帮(松潘店)」

Review

To be honest, horseback riding in Songpan was originally completely not in our itinerary.

After that day’s sightseeing, our chartered driver told us that since we were in Songpan, we could try the high-mountain horseback riding here, which is quite different from riding in typical scenic areas. Our kid also likes horseback riding, so we decided on the spot to try Songzhou Yun Tea Horse Caravan.

Only after arriving did we learn that their horseback riding is charged by route and distance, with Camp 1, Camp 2, Camp 3, and Camp 4.

The closest route seems to be 98 yuan for about 20–30 minutes of riding; the more common one is 198 yuan for less than an hour; if you want to go farther into the mountains, there are also Camp 3 and Camp 4, priced roughly from four to five hundred up to five or six hundred yuan, and the time is longer.

Here’s a money-saving tip: before going, you can first open ** and search for “Songzhou Yun Tea Horse Caravan”; they seem to have ** group-buying coupons. We saw it could be about a dozen yuan cheaper. It’s not a huge amount, but saving a bit is still saving a bit—you can search before buying tickets.

Once I actually got on the horse, I realized this experience was completely different from our previous horseback riding.

Last year we also rode horses once in Yunnan, just going around a big lake and flat ground in a loop, which felt pretty ordinary.

But here in Songpan, you really ride a horse up into the mountains!

From the foot of the mountain, the horse winds its way up the whole way, climbing constantly. I estimate it climbs one or two hundred meters in elevation. Some sections are quite steep, and even on horseback I felt the horse was working really hard.

But precisely because you’re riding in the mountains, the whole experience is completely different.

Along the way there are streams, grasslands, yaks, and alpine meadows. In the distance are rolling peaks, plus the clouds of the western Sichuan plateau. Riding slowly into the mountains really gives you a bit of the feeling of “walking the ancient Tea Horse Road.”

Especially when you reach a high point and look back, the view suddenly opens up.

This feeling cannot be compared to seeing scenery from inside a car, nor can it be experienced by riding a horse in a flat loop. You are really on horseback, gradually moving from the foot of the mountain into the highlands and meadows.

So this experience actually turned out to be a big surprise for me.

It was originally just a last-minute recommendation from our chartered driver, but in the end it became one of the most memorable parts of our Songpan trip.

But there is one thing I still want to remind everyone about.

Going up is great, but going downhill is a little thrilling.

Because some sections are quite steep, first-time riders or people who are more timid may feel a bit nervous. However, there are staff members leading the horses the whole way, so it still feels quite safe. Just follow the staff’s instructions.

The only thing we slightly regret this time is that we didn’t ride far enough.

At first we thought an hour would be about right, but after really riding in, we realized the deeper you go into the mountains, the more beautiful the scenery becomes.

So next time if I have the chance to come back to Songpan, I actually want to choose a longer route and ride for 1–2 hours to really go deeper into the alpine meadows.

If you come to Songpan, besides the usual sights like Huanglong, Mounigou, and Songzhou Ancient Town, and if you happen to like natural scenery, I really recommend trying the high-mountain horseback riding here.

What attracts me most is not the “horseback riding” itself.

It’s—riding a horse and slowly walking into the mountains of western Sichuan.

This feeling is actually hard to fully capture in photos or videos; you really have to ride once yourself to know.

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Visit details

• Address: No. 59, Group 1, Yaogou Village, Jin’an Town（进安镇窑沟村1组59号）
• Rating: 4.5 / 5
• Average spend: ¥200 per person
• Published: September 2, 2026
• Original record: View this review on Dianping

Photos