A private seven-day journey through northwest Yunnan: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La, Meili Snow Mountain and the Yubeng valley, beginning and ending in Lijiang.
Four of the days are on foot, about 44 kilometres in all. Distances and times are a guide. The route stays in Yunnan. It does not enter the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Mountain trekking
Starts and ends in Lijiang
Dates are flexible and arranged on request
A reference group of 10 travelers
There is no public price. Ask for a quote for your dates and group.
Video
Itinerary
After you land in Lijiang, a local member of the team meets you. A private vehicle then drives to the Tiger Leaping Gorge area, through the high country of northwest Yunnan and the Jinsha River valley.
The day is for arrival, the drive, and rest. No extra walk is planned. Overnight at a guesthouse in the gorge (Yunlu Shanju, the name supplied by the operator). Accommodation is subject to final confirmation.
Breakfast
Not included
Lunch
Not included
Dinner
To be confirmed
Transport
Lijiang Airport → Tiger Leaping GorgePrivate Transfer
Places along the way
Attraction
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Location
Yunnan · Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a deep cut made by the Jinsha River between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain. On this first day it is the end of the drive from Lijiang, not a scheduled walk. The afternoon is for arrival and rest at a guesthouse in the gorge area.
After breakfast, walk the high trail through a well-known section of Tiger Leaping Gorge. The path looks over the Jinsha River and the peaks around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain. The operator’s guide for this walk is about 3 kilometres, about 2.5 hours, and roughly 2,400 to 2,700 metres. Treat those figures as a reference.
A private vehicle then continues to Shangri-La, with time in Dukezong Ancient Town. Overnight at the hotel named by the operator, Xianggelila Dajiudian, in Shangri-La. Accommodation is subject to final confirmation.
Breakfast
Included at the accommodation
Lunch
Not included
Dinner
To be confirmed
Transport
Tiger Leaping Gorge → Shangri-LaPrivate Transfer
Places along the way
Attraction
Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail
Location
Yunnan · Tiger Leaping Gorge
The high trail is the upper path along Tiger Leaping Gorge, used for the short walk on the second morning. It looks over the Jinsha River and the peaks on either side. The operator’s guide for this section is about 3 kilometres and about 2.5 hours, between roughly 2,400 and 2,700 metres. Those figures are a reference.
Attraction
Dukezong Ancient Town
Location
Yunnan · Shangri-La
Dukezong is the old town of Shangri-La, reached after the drive from the gorge. It is a Tibetan town in northwest Yunnan, and its lanes show something of local Tibetan life. The visit is how the day ends in Shangri-La. It is not an extra activity beyond this route.
After breakfast, visit Songzanlin Monastery. A private vehicle then drives toward Feilaisi by way of Benzilan, with the bend of the Jinsha River along the road.
If the weather is clear, the peaks of Meili Snow Mountain can be seen from the Feilaisi area. That view is not guaranteed. The day stays in Yunnan and does not enter the Tibet Autonomous Region.
Overnight at Gaoshan Biezhuang in Feilaisi, in a mountain-view room, as described by the operator. Accommodation is subject to final confirmation.
Breakfast
Included at the accommodation
Lunch
To be confirmed
Dinner
To be confirmed
Transport
Shangri-La → FeilaisiPrivate Transfer
Places along the way
Attraction
Songzanlin Monastery
Location
Yunnan · Shangri-La
Songzanlin Monastery is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery on the edge of Shangri-La. The morning visit comes before the drive toward Meili Snow Mountain. It is one of the larger monasteries in this part of Yunnan. The stop is a visit only, and the night is not spent here.
Attraction
Jinsha River Bend
Location
Yunnan · Benzilan
The Jinsha River Bend is a wide turn of the river, seen from the road near Benzilan on the way from Shangri-La to Feilaisi. It is a viewpoint on the drive, not a walking stage. The road stays in Yunnan. Whether the bend is clearly visible depends on the weather that day.
Attraction
Meili Snow Mountain
Location
Yunnan · Feilaisi
Meili Snow Mountain is the range on the Yunnan side of the provincial border. From the Feilaisi area, the peaks can be visible when the sky is clear. Clear weather is not promised, and this journey does not cross into the Tibet Autonomous Region. The night is in Feilaisi.
If the weather allows, there is time for sunrise at Meili Snow Mountain before leaving Feilaisi. Light on the peaks cannot be promised. A private vehicle goes to Xidang, and a local scenic shuttle continues into the Yubeng area.
The walk to the sacred waterfall passes through high forest and mountain paths. Snow peaks, forest, and the gorge are visible when the weather is clear. The waterfall also has a place in local Tibetan religious practice. The operator’s guide is about 12 kilometres, about 6 hours, and roughly 3,000 to 3,650 metres.
The night is in Lower Yubeng, at Muchen Shanshe, the guesthouse named by the operator. Accommodation is subject to final confirmation.
Breakfast
Included at the accommodation
Lunch
Not included
Dinner
To be confirmed
Transport
Feilaisi → XidangPrivate Transfer
Xidang → YubengLocal Shuttle
Places along the way
Attraction
Meili Snow Mountain
Location
Yunnan · Feilaisi
On this morning Meili Snow Mountain is the sunrise viewpoint above Feilaisi, before the drive to Xidang. Golden light on the peaks is a weather-dependent sight and cannot be promised. The range remains on the Yunnan side of the journey, and the drive leaves for Yubeng afterward.
Attraction
Yubeng Village
Location
Yunnan · Lower Yubeng
Yubeng is the village in the valley below Meili where the trek is based for two nights, in Lower Yubeng. It is reached from Xidang by a local scenic shuttle, then on foot toward the waterfall. The house used here is confirmed with the operator before you travel.
Attraction
Yubeng Sacred Waterfall
Location
Yunnan · Yubeng
The sacred waterfall is a fall in the Yubeng valley that also has a place in local Tibetan religious practice. The walk from the village is the first of the longer Yubeng days: about 12 kilometres and about 6 hours, between roughly 3,000 and 3,650 metres. The path has to be open on the day.
The day is the walk to Yubeng Ice Lake, through high forest and the area around Xiaonong Base Camp, then on to the lake. When the weather is clear there are views of the lake and the Meili peaks. After a rest, the same path leads back to Yubeng village. This is the most demanding day on foot.
The operator’s guide is about 15 kilometres, about 8 hours, and a highest point around 3,980 metres. These are reference figures only. Overnight again at Muchen Shanshe in Lower Yubeng. Accommodation is subject to final confirmation.
Breakfast
Included at the accommodation
Lunch
Not included
Dinner
To be confirmed
Places along the way
Attraction
Xiaonong Base Camp
Location
Yunnan · Yubeng
Xiaonong Base Camp is a camp area on the trail between Yubeng village and the ice lake. The ice-lake day passes through this stretch of high forest before the lake itself. It is part of the walk, not a separate stop added to the route.
Attraction
Yubeng Ice Lake
Location
Yunnan · Yubeng
Yubeng Ice Lake is a high lake in the Meili area and the aim of the longest walking day. The guide is about 15 kilometres and about 8 hours, with a highest point around 3,980 metres. The lake and the peaks depend on the season, the weather, and whether the trail is open.
After breakfast, walk through Ninong Gorge. The path is mostly downhill, beside a mountain river and through forest at changing elevations. The operator’s guide is about 14 kilometres, about 6 hours, from roughly 3,200 metres toward 2,000 metres. The exact line depends on the weather and on which trails are open.
A private vehicle then returns to Shangri-La for the night, at the same hotel named for day two, Xianggelila Dajiudian. Accommodation is subject to final confirmation.
Breakfast
Included at the accommodation
Lunch
Not included
Dinner
To be confirmed
Transport
Ninong Gorge → Shangri-LaPrivate Transfer
Places along the way
Attraction
Ninong Gorge
Location
Yunnan · Yubeng
Ninong Gorge is the valley walked on the way out of Yubeng, mostly downhill. The guide is about 14 kilometres and about 6 hours, from roughly 3,200 metres toward 2,000 metres. The exact line depends on the weather and on which paths are open. A vehicle then returns the group to Shangri-La.
After breakfast, a private vehicle returns to Lijiang. The airport drop-off follows your flight time. This ends the seven-day journey. There is no overnight stay.
Breakfast
Included at the accommodation
Lunch
To be confirmed
Dinner
To be confirmed
Transport
Shangri-La → Lijiang AirportPrivate Transfer
Transportation
Day 01Lijiang Airport → Tiger Leaping GorgePrivate Transfer
Day 02Tiger Leaping Gorge → Shangri-LaPrivate Transfer
Day 03Shangri-La → FeilaisiPrivate Transfer
Day 04Feilaisi → XidangPrivate Transfer
Day 04Xidang → YubengLocal Shuttle
Day 06Ninong Gorge → Shangri-LaPrivate Transfer
Day 07Shangri-La → Lijiang AirportPrivate Transfer
Included and not included
What’s included
6 nights’ accommodation
Breakfast at the accommodation, as scheduled
7 additional specified meals
Private ground transportation
An English-speaking guide
Entrance fees listed in the itinerary
Necessary local shuttle transfers
Airport pickup and drop-off
Basic travel insurance as provided by the local operator
What’s not included
International and domestic flights
China visa fees
Lunches on the four hiking days
Single-room supplement
Personal hiking equipment
Personal expenses
Additional personal travel insurance
Services not specifically listed as included
Important notes
This is a private group journey.
The reference group size is 10 travelers.
Hotels and the exact services are subject to final confirmation.
Walking at this altitude needs a suitable level of fitness.
Weather and local rules can change the walking route.
Distances and times in the itinerary are a guide.
Access to the ice lake, the sacred waterfall, and Ninong Gorge must be confirmed before travel.
The route is in Yunnan. It is not a journey in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
A public price is confirmed separately, according to the dates and the group.
Request a Quote
Tell us your dates and how many people are travelling. A person will reply. This is not a booking.
