9 Days Shangri-La Circle Tour and Three Parallel Rivers Adventure (Depart from Lijiang)
Tour Overview
This tour focuses on famous attractions in Lijiang and Shangri-la, such as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Stone Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Park… This...
Code of Tour: CDT0000000886
Length of Travel: 9 Day
Destinations of Tour: Lijiang-Shangrila-Benzilan-Deqin-Cizhong-Tacheng-Lijiang
Departure City: Shangri-La
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour: Private
Features of Tour: Photo Nature Minority Landscape
This tour focuses on famous attractions in Lijiang and Shangri-la, such as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Stone Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Park… This could be a classic tour to Lijiang and Shangri-la, and moreover, it has been added some unconventional routes, such as pay a visit to Meili Snow Mountain and Tacheng Black Snub-Nosed Monkey National Park. These could be another highlights of this tour.
Highlights:
- Enjoy the classic sights in Lijiang and Shangri-La.
- Pay a visit to Meili Snow Mountain and Tacheng Black Snub-Nosed Monkey National Park.
Brief Itinerary
- Day 1: Lijiang Arrival
- Day 2: Lijiang
- Day 3: Lijiang – Shangrila
- Day 4: Shangrila
- Day 5: Shangrila – Deqin – Feilaisi
- Day 6: Feilaisi – Cizhong
- Day 7: Cizhong – Tacheng
- Day 8: Tacheng – Lijiang
- Day 9: Lijiang Departure
Google Map
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Lijiang Arrival
Sightseeing and Activities: Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation:
Meals:
Take the flight to Lijiang and explore Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Old Town has a history more than 800 years, which 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: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression Lijang Ethnic Show, Baisha Village and Murals
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang ancient Town. Then head to visit Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Hike around 1 hour in the original forest in Spruce Meadow(3200M).
After lunch, enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed by Zhang Yimou at Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). After that, stroll through Baisha Old Town. Visit the Baisha Mural, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage.
Day 3 Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Shangrila
Sightseeing and Activities: the First Bend on the Yangtze River, Iron Chain Bridge, Dukezong Ancient Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge
Accommodation: Shangrila
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, drive about 60 KM to visit the First Bend of the Yangtze River and Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum town. This town got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum.
Visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. Afternoon, head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian. Upon arrival, walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.
Day 4 Shangrila
Sightseeing and Activities: Songzanlin Monastery, Potatso National Park, Tibetan family visit
Accommodation: Shangri-la
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, visit Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling Monastery), reputed as the “Little Potala Palace”. Established by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1679, the monastery belongs to Gelug sect of Buddhism, and it is also the largest Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province with around 600 monks.
Then, drive to the first national park in China – Pudacuo National Park which is mainly comprised of Shudu Lake, Militang Grassland, Bita Lake. Shudu Lake is a famous pasture, herds of yak and goat grazing beside the lake. Militang Grassland is located between Shudu Lake and Bita Lake with lush grass in meadow. Bitahai Lake, regarded as a pearl of the Plateau, is an intact natural attraction with outstanding landscapes.
After the merry time in the park, pay a visit to a local Tibetan family to experience the highly-praised hospitality of Tibetan people and taste some special Tibetan snacks and butter tea.
Day 5 Shangrila – Deqin – Feilaisi
Sightseeing and Activities:first bend of Jinsha River, Dongzhulin monastery and Baima Snow Mountain
Accommodation: Feilaisi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, drive 6 to 7 hours to Deqin County (3400m), 187km away from Zhongdian through Baimang Snow Mountain Nature Reserve. View Baimang Snow Mountain if the weather is clear.
After traversing mountain ranges, make a short stop and have lunch at Benzilan town. Take some shots on the first bend of Jinsha River, Dongzhulin monastery and Baima Snow Mountain. Stay at Feilaisi for overnight.
Day 6 Feilaisi – Cizhong
Sightseeing and Activities: Mingyong Glacier, Tibetan houses, Tibetan Catholic Church
Accommodation: Cizhong
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Early in the morning, enjoy the magnificent sunrise view of Meili Snow Mountain from Feilaisi, then drive to Mingyong Village. Hike from Mingyong village to Mingyong Glacier (2600m) which is the low altitude glacier of the lowest latitude in the world.
After lunch at Mingyong Village, trek down directly to the edge of Meikong River. Walk along the Mekong Grand Canyon and arrive in Xidang Village where you can visit some scattered Tibetan houses in the village. Drive along the Lancang-Mekong River to Cizhong Village in Yanmen Town.
Drive south along the Mekong Grand Canyon to Cizhong Village in Yanmen Town with some Tibatan villages en route. Visit the Tibetan Catholic Church built by French missionaries in 1867, which is used by Tibetan, Naxi and Lisu people. They still have the grapes planted by missionaries and old the traditional way of making wine.
Day 7 Cizhong – Tacheng
Sightseeing and Activities: Cizhong Catholic Church, Cizhong Village, Lisu Villages, Tacheng Yunnan Snub-nosed Monkey Park
Accommodation: Tacheng
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive further south along the Mekong gorge to Weideng Township, and finally arrive in Tacheng Town for one night stay. We will make stops to visit Naxi and Lisu villages and a church en route, people here live in the traditional houses built with wooden walls and tile roofs. As the road construction work is going on here, we may need to wait sometimes.
Arrive in Tacheng Town in the late afternoon and pay a visit to Tacheng Black Snub-Nosed Monkey National Park of Weixi County. Overnight at the guesthouse in Tacheng Town.
Day 8 Tacheng – Lijiang
Sightseeing and Activities: Shigu Ancient Town, Stone Drum, Iron Chain Bridge, Yangtze River floating
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, drive along the Yangtze River to Shigu Ancient Town. On the mountain at the river’s bend stands Stone Drum (Shigu) Town. Visit the Stone Drum, and the Iron Chain Bridge which is the relic of the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Yunnan to Tibet and India.
After lunch, have a chance to float in the Yangtze River from Shigu Town to Longpan Town. After one hour floating, meet your driver and come back to Lijiang.
Day 9
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast
Transfer to Lijiang Airport for departure flight
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;
- Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.
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.
