Shangri-La and Meli Snow Mountain Tour

After breakfast, your guide and driver will accompany you to Songzanlin Monastery - the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the region. Built into the mountainside, the whole complex resembles an ancient castle mainly painted in red, white, and yellow. After climbing nearly 150 stone steps, you’ll arrive at its three main halls. Each houses a rich array of treasures - Buddha statues, palm-leaf scriptures, and thangka silk paintings - thus earning the monastery the title of “Tibetan Art Museum”. With any luck, you might behold red-billed choughs soaring overhead, revered as auspicious birds by local Tibetans. Below the monastery lies the glassy Lamucangcuo Lake reflecting the complex’s majestic silhouette, and you could stand here to capture such beautiful scenery.

Later, we’ll head to the next stop: Potatso National Park. As the Tibetan meaning of “Potatso” implies - the place where all living beings attain happiness and enter paradise - you will be totally healed by its pristine ecology. Considering the vast expanse of the park, we’ll specially arrange a sightseeing shuttle to whisk you between its key attractions. Let’s start with the Shudu Lake, where flocks of birds often fly low over the water. The lake shines brightly like a polished mirror in the sunshine, turning into a large, tranquil obsidian during overcast periods. Strolling along the Tranquil Eco Hiking Trail, you’ll be delighted by small wonders - scampering squirrels, soft lush mosses, and hidden waterfalls. At these moments, the boundary between human and nature becomes less clear.
► Tip: This park is located at an average altitude of over 3,000 meters (9,843 feet). To prevent or alleviate altitude sickness, please get adequate rest and avoid strenuous activities.

★ Featured Inclusion: Tibetan Family Visit 

Stepping into a local Tibetan home, you will marvel at the intricately carved Tibetan-style furniture - each pattern symbolizing an auspicious wish. Sit by the fireplace, and the hostess will treat you to a hot bowl of butter tea with its unique salty flavor. With the help of your guide, converse with the host about the thangka silk paintings enshrined in the niche, learning how they integrate their faith into everyday life. Also, ask him about the polished rosary beads in his hand, and he may tell you tales of circumambulating sacred mountains for blessings. After the visit, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La

After breakfast, we will embark on a journey to Deqin to appreciate the amazing Meili Snow Mountain, revered as the top of the eight holy mountains in Tibetan Buddhism. Along the way, your guide and driver will first escort you to the Nixi Pottery Village, home to the over-2,000-year-old Tibetan black pottery craftsmanship. Walk into a local workshop to witness how a craftsman deftly shape a plain lump of clay into a round pot, or admire row upon row of finished pieces on the shelves like teacups, stockpots, and butter lamps. 

Then, let’s visit a true natural wonder, the First Bend of the Golden Sands River, where the river makes a graceful Ω-shaped turn around the pyramidal mountain ranges, like a piece of crescent jade embedded in this land.

We will then visit the Dongzhulin Monastery. From a distance, you can see mist swirl around the monastery perched on the mountains, like a living ink painting. Upon entering, your anxieties will fade away as if gently brushed away by bamboo leaves. Admire the millennium-old Buddhist statues with compassionate faces, stroll through serene courtyards embraced by bamboo groves, and listen to the gurgle of flowing water and the rustle of swaying pine branches.
► Note: Out of respect, please remove your hats and wear shoe covers before entering the hall. Photography is not permitted inside.

Afterwards, enjoy a scenic two-hour drive to Deqin, and check into your hotel for a short break. Follow your guide to the final reward of the day - a brilliant sunset over the Meili Snow Mountain as seen from the observation deck of Feilai Temple. With a history of more than 400 years, the temple features gilded ornaments on the eave that shed a brilliant light under the sunlight, while colorful prayer flags flutter in the wind. Close to the Kawagebo Peak of Meli Snow Mountain, this temple is a perfect place to capture the breathtaking sunset. When rays of the setting sun gently caress the summit, the rolling snowcapped peaks gradually shift from a dazzling golden-white into a soft crimson shade. At this moment, the imposing mountain seems to remove its armor, revealing a peaceful countenance. Finally, your guide will escort you back to your hotel, and have an early night for tomorrow’s sunrise!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Guanjing Tiantang Hotel, Deqin

Today, we will get up early to catch the sunrise over the Meili Snow Mountain. The wake-up time will depend on the month of your visit, generally from 6:00 to 8:00 a.m. Before dawn, the mountain stands as a silent silhouette against the backdrop of the deep blue sky. Then, you’ll find it come alive with the first sunshine, like celestial fire igniting the sword-edged summit. Suddenly, golden light spreads over the ridges, transforming the whole mountain into a palace of glorious splendor. Such scenery is known as “Sunshine over the Golden Mountain”, said to bestow good luck upon those who appreciate it.

Next, your guide and driver will escort you to the Mingyong Glacier, the longest and largest glacier on the Meili Snow Mountain. It stretches 11.7 kilometers (7.3 miles) in an arc from the main peak at 6,740 meters (22,112 feet) down to the virgin forest zone at 2,600 meters (8,530 feet). From afar, you’ll behold it like a silver dragon roaring down from the sky. We’ll board a sightseeing bus to the starting point of its hiking plank road to kick off a pilgrimage: trek through the towering forests, put the stones you pick up upon the sacred stone cairns along the way, and feed cute cats at the Prince Temple. Finally, from the viewing platform, marvel at the massive glacier ablaze with a gem-like luster under the sun, and savor an up-close view of every crisscrossing crevasse on its surface.

At the end of the day, your guide and driver will accompany you on a roughly 4.5-hour drive back to your hotel in Shangri-La.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Hilton Garden Inn Shangri-La

On the final day of our 5 days private Shangri-La package, we will head to the last stop - Dukezong Ancient Town, one of the largest and best preserved Tibetan residential complexes in China. Stroll along the rough flagstone paths, flanked by old teahouses wafting the rich aroma of butter tea, fabric stores adorned with colorful prayer flags, and bustling souvenir shops. If time permits, climb the stone steps up to the Tortoise Hill Park, where you’ll see a palatial temple capped with gold roofs and the world’s largest prayer wheel. Feel free to join others in turning this gilded, 60-ton (132,277-pound) wheel clockwise three times to make a heartfelt wish.

Finally, your guide and driver will see you off at the Shangri-La Airport based on your flight schedule. If you would like to dive into the nearby cities such as Lijiang, Dali, and Kunming, we’re very glad to customize your exclusive trip!

Meals: Western buffet breakfast