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 Mt Haba, remote Niru and the sacred Abuji Mountains of Shangri-La.
Day 1 : Arrival in Lijiang and Self-Guided Exploration of Dayan and Shuhe Old Towns – According to the Flight number, arrange the Airport pickup. Where time permits, do a self-guided exploration of Lijiang’s 800-year-old Dayan Old Town or 1000-year-old Shuhe Old Town using our unique Bivou hand-drawn Explorer maps. Enjoy a Wild Mushroom hotpot dinner. Overnight at The Bivou.
Day 2: Lijiang – Hidden Trek of Jade Dragon (Yulong) Snow Mountain – We begin our trekking adventure with an off-the-beaten trek on the southern side of the famous Yulong Snow Mountain. The Dry River Basin trek takes in the remains of a massive basin carved out by glacier movements over thousands of years. It lies at the foot of the Eastern flank of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, surrounded by 2000m towering cliffs on both sides. An especially striking feature nearby is the Milk Lake, composed of white sediment leached out of limestone rocks and washed down from high above. Overnight stay at The Bivou.
Day 3-4: 2-day Trek High Trail of Tiger Leaping Gorge – One of the 10 Best Treks in China as described by National Geographic magazine, this is a hike not to be missed. The first day’s hike starts from Naxi Family Guesthouse, high above the road, passing through the infamous 28 bends and Tea Horse Guesthouse before we reach Halfway Guesthouse where we will spend the night and enjoy the stunning view from the terrace and dinner. Total of about 5-6 hours of trekking. The next day, we will continue hiking about 2 hours down to the road; along the way, we will have panoramic views of the spectacular gorge and pass beautiful waterfalls. We will have a lunch before continuing the hike down to Middle Gorge, this time descending almost a kilometre to the bottom of the gorge to enjoy the surging waters of the Yangtze as it squeezes its way through the narrow gorge. After hiking another 2 hours, we will reach Walnut Garden Village where our driver will pick us up, driving about 2 hours onwards to Haba Village. Stay one night at Haba Village.
Day 5 : Haba Village – Haba Black Lake (overnight Haba Black Lake) – Today we begin the 6 to 7 hour ascend up to Black Lake at 4200 metres, hiking through pristine alpine forests. Horses will be used to carry our larger personal belongings and supplies, or if you prefer, you can ride horses instead of trek. Black Lake is a holy lake of the Naxi and it is said that if you shout at the lakeside, you will enrage the holy lake and make heavy rain. The landscape varies from season to season, and due to the black and blue stones distributed at the bottom, the surface of the water is black. Overnight Camping at Black Lake.
Day 6 : Haba Village – Baishuitai – Shangri-la – Niru Village – We begin our descend early and once we reach Haba Village, the guide will pick us up, drive about 1.5 hours to Baishuitai ( White Water Terraces). We will walk up wooden steps to visit this beautiful and special place, known as the “Immortal Relic Field”. It is the Pamukkale of China. Enjoy this magical place and its role as the birthplace of the Dongba culture. We will have lunch in a local restaurant before leaving Baishuitai to Niru, passing through the quiet and far-reaching villages (Yi village, Naxi village, Tibetan village). It takes about 2-3 hours to reach Niru village. Stay at the inn of a local Tibetan family tonight to experience the local folk customs.
Day 7: Niru – Colorful Waterfall – Pamu Fairy Cave – Dukezong Ancient Town – Located in the hinterland of the Three Parallel Rivers, Niru is surrounded by lush green hills and primeval forests. One of the most bio-diverse areas in the world with climates ranging from warm, cold temperate to boreal zones, there are remote mountain villages with relatively intact natural and human ecology, and Niru has been known as “the world’s first village”. After breakfast, we will hike along the plank road by the Niru River upstream, enjoying the canyons, streams, waterfalls, and forest vegetation, the beautiful scenery is breathtaking, and we feel like we have strayed into a fairyland. Hike 6-7 kilometers to the Colorful Waterfall, and then return to Niru Village by the same route. After lunch, we take a 3-hour drive to Shangri-La and stay at a homestay in Dukezong Ancient City.
Day 8 : Shangri-La – Trek to Sacred Mt Abuji – Lijiang : The Abuji trek, over mountainous terrain and passing the occasional Tibetan nomadic settlement, reaches above 4,300 meters (14,100 feet), taking over 3 hours 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 Abuji Snow Mountain. This is a revered area for both the Yi and Tibetan Buddhists. Hike for 2 hours back to the ranch, before taking a 1-hour car ride back to Xiaozhongdian, where we can see flowers at the pasture if in the right season. Finally, continue to drive along the Lijiang-Shangri-La Highway for 2 hours to return to Lijiang. Overnight at The Bivou.
Includes:
- 3 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