For avid trekkers, experience Lijiang in a totally different way, with back-road hikes along the Ancient Tea Horse Road, to breathtaking views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at its foothills, and discovering hidden Naxi villages along the Yangtze River. Experience one of the best treks in China with a visit to the majestic Tiger Leaping Gorge, and full-day treks at tourist-free Baoshan Stone City and the sacred Abujee Mountains of Shangri-La.
Day 1: Arrival in Lijiang & Self-Guided Exploration of Dayan
Day 2: Trekking the Jade Snow Dragon Mountain: We will drive for about 40-45min to a rugged and unvisited section at the foothills of Jade Snow Dragon Mountain. From this point, we will trek begin to trek 3-4 hours to the remain of the massive basin carved out by glacier movement, surrounded by sheer cliff faces.
Day 3-4: 2-day Trek High Trail of Tiger Leaping Gorge: High Trail hike. One of the 10 Best Treks in China as described by National Geographic magazine, this is a hike not to be missed. The hike passes through the infamous 28 bends and Naxi Family Guesthouse before we reach Tea Horse Guesthouse to stay overnight. The nex time we will trek for 2 hours to descend to Tina’s GH, passing beautiful waterfalls, stunning panoramas and other small villages. We can extend the trek for another 3 hours down to the Yangtze River and the Middle Tiger Leaping Rock before driving to Shangri-La for the night.
Day 5: 1-day Shangri-La Trek to Sacred Mt Abujee: The Abujee trek, over mountainous terrain and passing the occasional Tibetan nomadic settlement, reaches above 4,300 meters (14,100 feet) and takes about 3-4 hours for one-way. You will explore pristine highland forests abundant with medicinal plants, wild fungi and alpine flowers, eventually reaching an undisturbed and beautiful clear mountain lake nestled at the foot of Abujee Snow Mountain. This is a revered area for both the Yi and Tibetan Buddhists.
Days 6-7: 2-day Trekking of Baoshan Stone Village: From Lijiang, we will drive for around 3 hours to reach the beautiful Naxi village of Wumu, located alongside the Yangtze River. On the way, you will enjoy the rural landscape and sightings of the peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We will explore this small village and visit a local Naxi family before hiking for about 1.5 – 2 hours to reach our main highlight, Baoshan Stone village, a 100 household village built on a large rock. We will walk along ancient trader paths that hug the cliffs, enjoying panoramas of the Jinsha river canyon, farmlands and villages. You will also try an ascent to Taiziquan Pass, and experience hiking through some ancient tunnels dug by hand some 100 years ago.
Day 8: Depart Lijiang
Includes:
- One Yunnan Farmhouse Dinner for two (with 2 glasses of house wine)
- 4 nights’ accommodation in a Farm/Garden Yard Twin/Double Room at the Bivou including breakfast for 2 pax
- 2-way Lijiang Sanyi Airport Transfer
- All above tours including the tickets, transportation, English speaking guide, lunch and accommodation
- One session of Oriental massage for 2 pax