7 Days Hiking from Kunming to Shangri-La

► Route: Kunming → Shangri-La → Haba Village → Dark Lake → Sanchahe Ranch → Peace Bridge → Lijiang

Day 1 Kunming City Tour

Stone Forest, Kunming

On the first day, it is recommended to visit the top attractions of Kunming – Stone Forest and Green Lake Park. In the morning, take a bus from Kunming East Coach Station to the Stone Forest, which is a spectacular natural wonder of karst landscape and a world natural heritage site.

► How to get there: From Kunming East Coach Station, there are buses every 30 minutes from 8:00 to 18:00. It takes 1.5 hours to the Stone Forest and costs CNY 34. From 9:30 to 18:00, there are direct shuttle buses running from Kunming Airport to the Stone Forest. A single way of 96 km (60 mi) takes 1.5 hours and costs CNY 45.
► Top Attractions: Big Stone Forest, Small Stone Forest, Shilin Lake, Jianfeng Lake, Wanfeng Pavilion…
► Opening Hours: March to October: 7:30-18:30; November to February: 8:00-18:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 to 4 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 130 for entrance fee; CNY 25 for battery car.

Take the return bus to Kunming, and then visit the Green Lake Park in the late afternoon. It is the most beautiful park in Kunming and opposite the Yunnan University.

► How to get there: Take the Kunming Metro Line 3 from East Coach Station, for about 20 minutes and pay CNY 4, get off at Panjiawan, and then walk 20 minutes northeast to the park. To save time, you can hire a taxi to arrive at the park in 30 minutes at a cost of about CNY 25.
► Opening Hours: 7:00 – 23:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 to 3 hours
► Ticket Price: Free

● Accommodation Suggestion: You can stay overnight in a hotel near the Green Lake Park.

Day 2 Kunming to Shangri-La

Songzanlin Monastery, Shangri-La

On the second day, walk 600 meters (656 yards) to the Xiyi Hotel to take the Airport Shuttle Bus Line 1, which takes about one hour to reach the Kunming Changshui Airport. Here take a morning flight to Shangri-La in one hour.

First, it is recommended to visit the Songzanlin Monastery, which is the largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province, and known as the "Little Potala Palace".

► How to get there: When arriving at in Shangri-La Airport, hire a taxi to get to the Songzanlin Monastery within 20 minutes at a cost of CNY 25.
► Opening Hours: 8:00 - 18:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 115

In the late afternoon, have a stroll in the Dukezong Ancient Town of Shangri-La, which is the best preserved and largest group of Tibetan dwellings in China, owning the world’s largest prayer wheel in the center.

► How to get there: Hire a taxi to go there in 20 minutes at a cost of CNY 25; or you can walk 1 minute to Gulong Songzanlin Monastery station to take bus line 3 for about half an hour, get off at Jiantang Police Station, and then walk 5 minutes to the ancient town.
► Opening Hours: all day long
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 hours
► Ticket Price: Free

● Accommodation Suggestion: Stay overnight at a hostel in the Dukezong Ancient Town.

Day 3 White Water Terraces & Haba Village

On the third day, make a 3-hour bus trip to White Water Terraces, a natural wonder caused by calcium carbonate dissolved in spring water.

► How to get there: Hire a taxi to go to Shangri-La Bus Station in 15 minutes at a cost of CNY 15. Here take the bus at 9:00 and arrive at White Water Terraces in 3 hours. The bus fare is CNY 26.
► Opening Hours: 7:00 - 17:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 to 2 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 30

After lunch, head for Haba Village by bus. After about one hour, get off at the sightseeing platform of Haba Snow Mountain, which offers the best view of the mountain and the village surrounded by terraces. Then hike one hour to Haba Village at the foot of the mountain.

● Accommodation Suggestion: Stay overnight at a hostel in Haba Village.

Day 4 Haba Snow Mountain Hiking to Dark Lake

On the fourth day, trek to Dark Lake on Haba Snow Mountain. First, enjoy the sunrise on the mountain, and then hike to Lanjiacun Muslim Villages, Shajiacun Yi Ethnic Group Villages, Shibang Lake, Poplar Forest, Xiaojianshan Pasture, and the Virgin Forest of Brown Trunk Rhododendron. You can also see thousands-year-old alpine birches, roburs forest, waterfalls, Yellow Lake, the main peak of Haba Snow Mountain, and the final destination of the day – mysterious Dark Lake surrounded by many alpine flowers.

► Hiking Time: 5 to 6 hours
► Altitude: 2,750 to 3,600 meters (9,022 to 11,811 feet)
► Accommodation Suggestion: Stay in the camp near the lake.

Tips for Hiking at High Altitudes

1. Join a group with an experienced hiking leader, and don't take an unusual route alone. Arrange the route and rest time reasonably, keep physical strength, and go according to one's ability.
2. To prevent altitude sickness, do not immediately start high-intensity hiking when you first arrive at the plateau. Adapt step by step, in 1 to 3 days. Keep a good mood, drink enough water, keep warm, and have a balanced diet. When severe altitude sickness occurs, do not insist on hiking and immediately descend to low altitude areas.
3. Heat Loss Prevention: Bring enough equipment and keep warm. Change wet clothes in time, keep the body dry, and avoid exposure to low temperature for a long time. Camp in time to rest and eat high-calorie food.

Day 5 Hike from Dark Lake to Sanchahe Ranch

Snow-capped Tianbao Mountain

On the fifth day, trek to the Sanchahe Ranch. En route, enjoy sunrise over Haba Snow Mountain, and a clear perspective of Tianbao Snow Mountain.

Hike across Nili Mountain Pass. Enjoy a view of the highest peak of Haba Mountain, the Three Swordsman Sacred Peak, the Shuicaoba Ranch, and sunset over the snow mountains.

► Hiking Time: 6 to 8 hours
► Altitude: 3,600 to 4,325 meters (11,811 to 14,190 feet)
► Accommodation Suggestion: Stay overnight in the camp or in a tent of the local herdsman.

Day 6 Hike to Peace Bridge and Go to Lijiang

On the sixth day, go on hiking from Sanchahe Ranch to Peace Bridge. On the way, visit villages inhabited by the Yi and Lisu ethnic groups, and appreciate the scenery of the Shuoduogang River Valley. The hiking ends at the Peace Bridge. Here you can take a bus to Lijiang, with a transfer at the Tiger Leaping Gorge. It takes 2 hours and costs about CNY 110.

► Hiking Time: 6 hours
► Altitude: 2,350 to 3,650 meters (7,710 to 11,975 feet)
► Accommodation Suggestion: Stay overnight at a guest house in downtown Lijiang.

Day 7 Lijiang Day Tour

You can explore Lijiang Old Town on the last day. Or you can visit the nearby Baisha Village which is less crowded. A taxi from Lijiang Old Town to Baisha Village takes 30 minutes and costs CNY 40. Here you can visit a local Naxi family, Baisha Murals, and the Former Residence of Dr. Joseph Rock in Yuhu Village.

● In the end of this 7 days Yunnan hiking tour, you can return to Kunming according to your flight or train schedule, or go further to explore other destinations in Yunnan like Dali and Xishuangbanna.

More Kunming Hiking Tours:

Warming-up Exercises Tour: 6 Days of Kunming, Yiliang, Xiaoshao Village, Shilin Town, Long Lake
Kunming Mountain and Village Tour: 13 days Kunming hiking adventure to mountains and villages
Kunming Natural Spots Tour: 3 Days of Kunming - Lujiang - Luoping - Kunming

Recommended Cheap Tour with Visit to Kunming:

Minorities Culture Experience: 10 days Kunming - Lijiang - Kunming
Yunnan Highlight Tour: 8 Days of Kunming - Dali - Lijiang - Shangri-La - Kunming