10 Days Shangri-La Discovery with Yubeng Village Hiking Tour

Nowadays the Kawa Karpo area have become an essential part of the Three Parallel Rivers Park, being a World Natural Heritage entitled by UNESCO. This 10 days Shangri-La Discovery with Yubeng Village Hiking will first bring you to visit the top attractions of Lijiang and Shangri-La, including the ancient towns, ethnic villages and the grand Tiger Leaping Gorge. Then, trek to the most beautidul village which located at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain -the Upper Yubeng Village. Meet snown mountains, tranquil lakes, shimmering rivers, Tibetan villages and rare animals on your way. Also, trek to visit the Holy Waterfall and Ice Lake in Yubeng.

Highlights:

  • Visit the top attractions of Lijiang and Shangri-La including the grand Tiger Leaping Gorge.
  • Lose yourselves in the extremely beautiful sunrise of Meili Snow Mountain.
  • Trek to the most beautiful village in Yunnan-the Upper Yubeng Village.
  • Meet snown mountains, tranquil lakes, shimmering rivers, Tibetan villages and rare animals on your way.

Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1: Lijiang Arrival
  • Day 2: Lijiang
  • Day 3: Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge
  • Day 4: Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri-La
  • Day 5: Shangri-La-Feilaisi
  • Day 6: Feilaisi-Upper Yubeng Village
  • Day 7: Upper Yubeng-Ice Lake-Lower Yubeng
  • Day 8: Lower Yubeng Village
  • Day 9: Lower Yubeng Village-Shangri-La
  • Day 10: Shangri-La Departure

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Lijiang
Accommodation:Lijiang 
Meals:None

Upon your arrival at the airport or train station, meet your local tour guide and driver, then transfer to the hotel for rest. If time permits, explore Lijiang Ancient Town. Lijiang Ancient Town has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.

Day 2 Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Yulong Snow Mountain,Spruce Meadow, Baisha Village and Murals,Baishui River and Terraces
Accommodation:Lijiang
Meals:Breakfast,Lunch

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit the Spruce Meadow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around 1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).
 
After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.In the afternoon, you’ll stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Murals about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

Day 3 Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge

Sightseeing and Activities:Qiaotou Town, the First Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Nuoyu Village, 28 Zigzag Bends, Tea&horse Guesthouse

Accommodation: Tea & Horse Guesthouse

Meals: Lunch

In the morning, drive about 100 KM to Qiaotou Town (Tiger Leaping gorge Town). Drive along the Naxi ethnic villages and the upper Yangtze River, with a panoramic view of the First Bend of Yangtze River on the way. You will start the trekking of Tiger Leaping Gorge, as one of the world’s four great gorges, is honored as one of the deepest and most marvelous gorges with 3900 meters in depth.

Start the trekking form the Qiaotou Primary School, after half an hour, arrive in Changsheng Village, pay a visit to Changsheng Hope Primary School. Arrive in Zhong Nuoyu village at noon and have lunch at Naxi Family Guesthouse. After lunch, you will start the most difficult part trekking to the 28 Zigzag Bends trail and reach the top peak at the elevation of 2670m.

You will arrive at Tea&Horse Guesthouse to finish today’s trekking. This is basically the halfway point of the journey.

Day 4 Tea&Horse Guesthouse-Tina’s Guesthouse-Shangri-La

Sightseeing and Activities:waterfall, Tina’s Guesthouse, Middle Rapids, Dukezong Ancient Town

Accommodation:None

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the early morning, continue hiking to Tina’s Inn (2 hours) after another hour walking down the steep cliff to the bank of Jinsha River to the Middle Gorge (Middle Hutiao or Middle Rapids), worship the dangerous shoal of “Starriness”, it is the most narrow part of the gorge, where a tiger can easily jump over the Jinsha River. 

After finishing today’s trekking,you will head for Shangri-La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist. Upon arrival in Shangri-La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.

Day 5 Shangri-La-Feilaisi

Sightseeing and Activities:Bengzilan Town, the Moon Bend of Jinsha River, Jinsha River Grand Canyon, Dongzhulin monastery and Baima Snow Mountain, the sunset of Meili Snow Mountain and the 13 white pagodas
Accommodation:Feilaisi
Meals:Breakfast,Lunch

In the morning, drive 6 to 7 hours to Deqin County (3400m altitude) which is 187km away
from Zhongdian through Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, you will be able to view Baima Snow Mountain if the weather is clear, pass the top part of today at 4292m altitude at 156km. 
 
After traversing mountain ranges, you will make a short stop and have lunch at Benzilan town, take some shots on the first bend of Jinsha(Yangtze) River, Dongzhulin Monastery and Baima (white horse) Snow Mountain. The view along the way is fantastic with different kinds of trees, streams down the valley, prayer flags and stupas, and Tibetan villages. Stay at Feilaisi.
–Meili Snow Mountain (Meili Xueshan), also called Kawakarpo, is a UNESCO nature site located in Deqin County dividing Yunnan from Tibet, a wonderful place to hike and explore both nature and Tibetan culture.Rising between the Salween River and the Mekong River  in the extreme edge of Northwest Yunnan, the Meili Snow Mt. region is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.Legend says that the Meili Snow Mountain is a god guarding Tibetan Buddhism. With 13 peaks over 6000m in the range, the main peak Kawakarpo (“Kawagebo” in Chinese) is a sharp snow mountain with an altitude of 6740m,which has never been conquered yet.

Day 6 Feilaisi-Xidang-Upper Yubeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Xidang Village,Upper Yubeng Village
Accommodation:Upper Yubeng Village
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Get up in time to see the sunrise over the Meili Snow Mountains. Drive for an hour to Xidang Village where you will begin your hike to Upper Yubeng Village. Today’s hike will be strenuous – we will climb from 2,500 m ( 7,500 ft ) to over 3,500 m ( 10,500 ft ) at the pass – passing through beautiful, pristine alpine forest. (Total distance for the day: 17 km , 6 hours) Stay overnight at a guesthouse in Upper Yubeng.

Day 7 Upper Yubeng-Ice Lake-Lower Yubeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Upper Yubeng Village,Ice Lake,Lower Yubeng Village
Accommodation:Lower Yubeng Village
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Walk for 3 hours (6km) from Upper Yubeng Village to the “Camp” then for another hour (3km) onto the Ice Lake. Hike back down to Lower Yubeng Village

Day 8 Lower Yubeng-Holy Waterfall-Lower Yubeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Holy waterfall,Lower Yubeng Village
Accommodation:Lower Yubeng Village
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

If the weather is good, we’ll wake up to a clear view of the Mt. Kawagebo glacier. After breakfast we will hike to the Holy Waterfall (3 hours), from which Yubeng’s name originated. After that, hike back to Lower Yubeng Village

Day 9 Lower Yubeng-Ninong-Deqin-Shangri-La

Sightseeing and Activities:Lower Yubeng Village,Ninong,Shangrila
Accommodation:Shangri-La
Meals:Breakfast, Lunch

Walk along the least traveled path of Yubeng, from Lower Yubeng Village to Ninong.Upon arrival Ninong,you will come back to Shangri-La by bus.

Day 10 Departure from Shangri-La

Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Shangri-La
Accommodation:None
Meals:Breakfast

Departure for from Shangri-La,then transfer to your warm home.Service ends.

Recommended Hotels

Destination 5 Star 4 Star 3 Star Hostel
Lijiang Hilton Garden Inn Wangfu Hotel Louwailou Hotel Ecolife Hostel
Tiger Leaping Gorge / / / Halfway Guest House
Shangri-La Hylandia by Shangrila Zhaxidele Hotel Shenqu Hotel Laniancang Hostel
Deqin Deqin Songzan Meili Hotel Benzilan Lishi Hotel Kawaboge Hotel Shenchuan Hostel
Feilaisi / Feilaisi Mingzhu Hotel Flying Charm Grang Hotel Guanjing Hotel
Upper Yubeng Village / / / Local Guest House
Lower Yubeng Village / / / Local Guest House

Service Included:

  • Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
  • Private English-speaking tour guide;
  • Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
  • Service charge & government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airports and hotels.

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs.

Travel Tips:

  • Visitors are advised to always carry changes of clothing due to the large variations in temperature between day and night.
  • The climate is relatively dry, so drink more water every day.
  • Protecting oneself from strong UV radiation at high altitude.
  • Protecting oneself from altitude sickness. Lessen the effects of altitude sickness, avoid strenuous exercise and have plenty of rest.
  • Respect local customs , habits, and religious beliefs.
  • When take photos, please pay attention to your safety, do not shoot in dangerous areas.