5 Days Yunnan Tour of Lijiang and Shangri-La

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Lijiang Arrival & Lijiang Tour (L)
   Black Dragon Pool Park, Dongba Cultural Museum, Lijiang Old Town

   Upon your arrival at Lijiang airport, the local English speaking tour guide and driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name. After short rest, your exploration begins with Black Dragon Pool Park which was originally built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty. It’s a great place to admire plenty of ancient buildings and have a pleasant walk. You also have a chance to see the reflection of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the pool. Later, move on to Dongba Cultural Museum. Lijiang is the heart of the ancient Naxi Kingdom, and Dongba Cultural Museum houses about 12,000 pieces of precious cultural relics which offer a wonderful panorama of fascinating Naxi culture and history. Next, you will come to the amazing Lijiang Old Town, one of China's famous historical and cultural cities. It’s a charming place where multiple ethnic groups live. There are lots of quaint alleys to get lost and nice stores for local handicrafts. After the relaxing sightseeing, you will check into the local hotel.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Lijiang

   

2. Day 2: Ljiang Tour (B,L)
   Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Blue Moon Valley, Impressions of Lijiang, Baisha Ancient Town

   Today you will head to the exciting Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is a sacred mountain for Naxi people, also a must see when you come to Lijiang. Taking cable car is available and included. The amazing views will definitely take your breath away. Yunshanping, 3240 meters above sea level, is a vast expanse of grassland hidden among a primeval spruce forest. Here you can enjoy different scenery in four seasons, hear romantic and sad love stories of Naxi people, and watch girls dancing in their traditional costumes. Blue Moon Valley is famous for its crystal blue water and crescent moon-like valley. It’s like a blue moon set at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You will find the place is really photogenic and relaxing. Impressions of Lijiang is a wonderful performance created by one of China’s most influential director Zhang Yimou. With the backdrop of the snow mountain, over 500 local farmers put on a visual feast about Naxi people’s life. After the show, you will head to Baisha Ancient Town, one of the important cradles of Naxi culture. You can stroll around to explore the town and learn about local customs from your tour guide. And when you look up, you can see the majestic snow mountain. Moreover, there are 55 pieces of murals kept in Baisha Ancient Town. Most of the murals were painted over 500 years ago. Although the murals have faded with time, they still give you an insight into Naxi culture. At end of the visit, drive back to your hotel.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Lijiang

   

3. Day 3: Lijiang-Shangrila 180kms /4-5hrs driving (B,L)
   First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge

   Today you will head to the splendid Shangrila. Firstly, drive around 1 hour from Lijiang to the First Bend of the Yangtze River with breath-taking gorge scenery. Walk through the Iron Chain Bridge on the river, which is a thrilling experience. And then visit the Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument at the Shigu Old Town to learn the suffering but great history of new China. Shigu means stone drum in Chinese. There is a large, cylindrical and marble tablet shaped like a drum in the town, hence the name. Later, drive around 1.5 hours to the Tiger Leaping Gorge which is the deepest gorge in the world, famous for “steep and dangerous”. Jinsha River flows softly from Qinghai Plateau but starts to run rapidly like a roaring tiger when meeting the narrow and deep gorge, thus it gets the name of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Last, drive around 2.5 hours to Shangrila for overnight.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Shangrila

   

4. Day 4: Shangrila Tour (B,L)
   Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, Dukezong Ancient Town, Guishan Hill

   Shangri-La has a different appearance of the past places where you will start to meet Tibetan element. The first site will be Songzanlin Monastery which is the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan area and famed as “Small Potala Palace”. It was built along hillside, looking like an old castle, showing the brilliant construction technology of Tibetan. In the afternoon, you will head to Pudacuo National Park, a main highlight of Shangri-La. The park is a priceless gift from nature: with altitude between 3,500 meter and 4,159 meters, it does collect rich natural resources including geology and landform, lake wetland, meadow, river and valley, rare plants and animals. The amazing scenery here will make you can’t stop the camera in your hands and marvel at this wonderland. Last, move to Dukezong Ancient Town. It’s the largest and best-preserved Tibetan population in China and also a very important station along the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Besides, walking up to the top of Guishan Hill to appreciate the typical Tibetan style view---Prayer Wheel. From there, you will have a bird-view of Shangri-La county and Duzekong Ancient Town. Get to your Shangri-La hotel to check in.

   Accommodation: Overnight in Shangrila

   

5. Day 5: Shangrila Departure (B)

   The 5 days Lijiang and Shangri-La tour will end by today. At the confirmed time (according to your departure flight), the driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and see you off at Shangrila airport.

   Accommodation: N/A