Tour Code: YUNNAN-SHANGRI-LA02
- 10 Days of Shangri-la - Dongwang - Shangri-la - Lijiang - Kunming
Font Size: - Day 01: Arrival in Shangri-la
Arrive in Kunming and get prepared. Stay overnight at the local hotel.
Day 02: Shangri-la
Take a city tour to visit Napa Lake to sightsee pastures. You may see some black-necked cranes there. And visit the Grand Gedan Songzang Lin Tibetan Lama Temple. Afterwards, pay a visit to the Tibetan Law Court and Guishan Temple where you can see the biggest rotating scripture column in the world.
Day 03: Shangri-la - Dongwang
Drive to Dongwang.
Day 04: Dongwang
Trek into a valley and hike along a small nice river. Have picnic lunch on the way. In the afternoon arrive at a small village.
Day 05: Dongwang
Trek up and pay a visit to a mountain with Tibetan ranch. Stop for a rest and refill some spring water here. Go on hiking to Secang Village which is a beautiful village situated among mountains.
Day 06: Dongwang
Climb up to a high mountain which is 3600 meters, to sightsee the magnificent view down to the mountain foot.
Day 07: Dongwang
Trek along small trails while enjoy very beautiful views all along the way.
Day 08: Dongwang
Trek down a big mountain slop. En route, enjoy the highest peak of this area - Balagengzong Peak (5360 meters). Have a picnic lunch beside a beautiful waterfall. Go on hiking down to Maowu Village (2200 meters).
Day 09: Dongwang - Shangri-la
Trek along Dongwang River to Guxue Village. Transfer back to Shangri-la.
Day 10: Departure from Shangri-la
Leave Shangri-la according to your schedule.
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1) The distances between really worthwhile sights in Yunnan is substantial.
- Tengchong, with a fascinating nearby village (Heshun)/quaint old town/beautiful hot springs (Sea of Heat) is 5 hours drive from the Mangshi airport, and 7n hours drive to Dali. Dali is really the closest area to Tengchong with worthwhile attractions.
- Dali, in turn, had a beautiful hike called the Jade Belt yet the old city is really just a collection of touristy shops and bars.
- From Dali, a direct drive to Lijiang is 4 hours, but add another 2 hours to see the worthwhile monastery of Shibaoshan. You really need a private car to see Shibaoshan, as the public transportation to that site is lacking. Lijiang, in my opinion, was the most scenic of all Yunnan old towns. Yet again, do not expect much good shopping as the merchandise follows a "Tijuana-esque" style of every store carrying virtually the same merchandise. The most worthwhile nearby site in Lijiang was Black Dragon pool, where on a sunny day, the pictures of Jade Mountain are stunning.
- Lijiang to Shangri-la is another 4.5 hours, adding another 1 hour to do the Tiger Leaping gorge photo tour. However, I would strongly recommend the 6-7 hour hike along the upper ridge which is the highlight of the visit to this gorge.
- Shangrila really does not offer much. It's old town has the same shops as Dali/Lijiang selling the same merchandise. This town serves mainly as a jumping off point to Dechen (Chinese "Diqin").
- Shangrila to Dechen takes 7 hours of straight driving. Although the way there does have a very interesting monastery. Make sure you check to the weather before venturing to, as Dechen often receives Shangrila's previous day's weather (rain/shine). If you are heading to Dechen,
2) Unless you're a backpacker with four weeks to kill, Yunnan takes up a lot of time in transit. Plan that time into your itinerary.
3) Like all hotels in China, the beds are basically boards covered with sheets. To mitigate this discomfort, ask the hotel for an extra comforter to help soften the experience.
4) English is not widely spoken, having a guide to translate will enable you to order foods at restaurants and make requests at the hotel much easier. Guides really are not that expensive.