8 Days Shangri-La & Daocheng Yading Tour for “Lost Horizon” Seeking
Discover the Real Idyllic Peaceful Dreamland
Discover the Real Idyllic Peaceful Dreamland
Where is the “land of idyllic beauty” described by James Hilton in his significant novel “Lost Horizon”?
Shangri-La meaning the “Sun and Moon in Heart” and Daocheng Yading praised as the “Last Pure Land on Our Blue Planet” are the place narrated by James, where to easily appreciate the most idyllic landscape of towering snow mountains, dense ancient forest, shimmering alpine lakes, carpet-like flowery meadows, grazing and playing herds of sheep, cows and horses, temples & monasteries, and so forth. All the beauty, brightness, quietness, peace and harmony there is the simple and best thing for your seek of the real “Shangri-La” dreamed by anyone.
Take this 8-day Shangri-La and Daocheng Yading tour to find your own “pure land” and “Shambala kingdom” with the memorable visits to the sacred Sumtseling Monastery, tranquil Pudacuo National Park, mysterious Yading Nature Reserve, and other best essences of both dreamlands.
Day 1 Lijiang Arrival & Lijiang
Today's highlight: Lijiang Ancient Town
Ni Hao! Welcome to Lijiang, a well-preserved 800-year-old town of UNESCO World Heritage Site! Upon arrival at the airport or railway station, your guide and driver will meet you at the arrival hall and transfer you to the hotel in ancient town area with a private car which is comfortable, air-conditioned and non-smoking.
After a short rest, you will be transferred out of Lijiang Old Town to Yuhu Village which is located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Walking into this authentic Naxi Village, you will see unique stone houses, Naxi ladies dressing in traditional clothes, kids playing and the tranquil Yuhu Lake. Explore leisurely around the village and then go to explore the Former Residence of Joseph Rock, who was an Austrian-American Botanist came to Lijiang and stayed in Yuhu Village for 27 years and made huge research work on Naxi minority.
After that, transfer to Dongba Culture Museum where more than 10,000 Dongba cultural relics show mysterious Dongba culture of the Naxi people. Take a gentle walk to Black Dragon Pool Park to enjoy gorgeous view and peaceful surroundings. If weather permits, get to the best spot to overlook the snow-capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and shoot some amazing pictures.
Lastly, return to Lijiang Ancient City to wander through the old alleys, old bridges, featured shops and bars around the Sifang Street Square, a mingling ground to enjoy lively atmosphere and unwind yourself. If time permits, join the Naxi people and tourists to dance happily in a round. Then go to enjoy a panoramic view of the whole old town. If you are interested in learning history and culture of Lijiang Ancient City, you can pay a visit to Mufu Palace(optional).
Accommodate in Lijiang Ancient City.
Arrival Ideas: There’re direct flights from Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Lhasa, Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Guiyang, etc to Lijiang Sanyi Airport. High speed trains are available from Kunming (about 3-3.5 hours), Dali (about 2-3 hours) to Lijiang Railway Station.
Rosa's Group from Spain visited Mufu Palace in 2023
Day 2 Lijiang (B, L)
Today's highlights: Yuhu Village, Baisha Mural Paintings, Shuhe Ancient Town, Black Dragon Pool Park
In this morning, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and escort you to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. The 13 peaks in this mountain area are the sacred mountains among Naxi people. Take the tramway to the Spruce Meadow at 3,000 meters high, and you can both see the fascinating sightseeing and appreciate the gorgeous look of the whole snow mountain at the best place.
After that, you can choose to enjoy the electrifying Impression Lijiang Show (Optional) performed by about 500 local people under the white snow and blue sky with the background of white Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which lasts for about 60 mins. (Note: For the ticket is hard to book in peak season, if you are interested in the show, please tell us your likes in advance.)
On the way back, you will enjoy the charming scenery and the crystal clear water various with the weather in Blue Moon Valley and its White Water River.
After that, head to Baisha Village and appreciate the ancient Baisha Mural Paintings. Visit Dabaoji Palace and Liuli Temple to view murals painted over 1000 years ago which is a combination of Tibetan Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. (Optional experience: You can have in-depth cultural experience to learn how to make Baisha embroidery instructed by the local masters in Baisha Village.)
Please Note:
1. If you want to visit Yak Meadow (with an altitude of 3,500 meters) which offers a good location to appreciate the 13 peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; or go to Glacier Park (at 4,680 meters ) to see the wonder of the Green Glacier Peaks; please tell your like to your travel consultant to adjust the itinerary. Different tramways have different prices. Please pay attention that it will be difficult to book the ticket of Glacier Park tramway, you need to tell your likes to us or book the ticket in advance. Besides, it takes about 1-2 hours to queue up for the tramway to Glacier Park.
2. For the tickets of Impression Lijiang Snow are hard to book in peak season, if you want to enjoy the show, please tell us your interest and we will help to book the tickets in advance.
3. If time allows today, you can extend a leisure trip to Shuhe Ancient Town - one of the earliest settlements of Naxi people as well as the well-preserved stop of the Ancient Tea Horse Route.
4. Lunch is not included because the dining options are limited. You can bring some snacks or dine in the local restaurants in the national park.
Day 3 Lijiang - Shangri-La (B, L)
Today's highlights: First Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Dukezong Old Town
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, drive about 52 kilometers from Lijiang to view the First Bend of Yangtze River. The upper reach of the Yangtze River is Jinsha River coming down from Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and when it arrives at Shigu Town, it is obstructed by Hailuo Mountain and forms a V-shape turn. Then it changes the direction and goes to the northeast. You’ll reach the observation deck to catch a panoramic view of the bend, an extraordinary turn nearly about 180 degrees with beautiful and marvelous views like a wonderful landscape painting unfolding before your eyes. You’ll have a look at local market and Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument in Shigu Town.
Later, be transferred to visit the one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyon in the world - Tiger Leaping Gorge. It is also a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site called Three Parallel of Yunnan Protected Areas. This steep gorge is situated between the 5596 meters Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the south and 5396 meters Haba Snow Mountain to the north. Measuring 17 kilometers in length, the whole gorge is divided into three parts: upper, middle and lower gorge and you’ll pay a visit to the maturest section - Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. Walk about 1,000 stairs along the plank road from the entrance to the Tiger Leaping Rock. Take a moment to enjoy the magnificent gorge view and rolling waves. (Travel tip: This gorge is suitable for most travelers with easy walk. Comfortable shoes are recommended. )
After the hiking tour, you’ll be driven to Shangri-La. With 2 hours' driving, enjoy the enchanting natural scenery along the way. Welcome to Shangri-La (Zhongdian, altitude: 3459 meters), the Garden of Eden! Upon arrival, you guide will help you check in at your hotel.
After a short break, go to explore Dukezong Old Town. With a history over 1300 years, Dukezong Old Town is the largest and the best preserved Tibetan community in China. Climb up to the top of Guishan Hill (or Tortoise Hill) to have a panoramic view of both the endless snow-capped mountains surrounded the pure land and the large scale of the old town with countless Tibetan dwellings. Join in the tourists to turn the largest Prayer Wheel in the world in clockwise direction.
Have a nice sleep in your hotel in Shangri-La!
Day 4 Shangri-La (B, L)
Today's highlights: Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo National Park, Local Tibetan Family Visit
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. First, you'll be transferred with 7 kilometers' driving to Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling Gompa), reputed as the "Little Potala Palace" for it was built according to the complex of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. Established by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1679, the monastery belongs to Gelug Sect of Tibetan Buddhism, and it is also the largest Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province with around 700 monks and lamas. Walk 147 steps to get atop of the monastery and pay clockwise visit to the three main lamasery buildings where you can not only see the Buddhism treasures, but also enjoy large number of monks of all ages going about their daily routines, praying, chanting, cooking and resting. It should be a nice trip to get in-depth understanding about Tibetan Buddhism. If time permits, take some quiet time to walk around the peaceful Lamuyangcuo Lake and shoot panorama view of Songzanlin Monastery with reflection in the clear water.
Then, drive about 27 kilometers to Pudacuo National Park. This 1,300-square-kilometer national park is notable as the first national park in China to meet International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. It is renowned for well-preserved primitive landscape, which is endowed with lakes, wetlands, forests, meadows, streams, brooks, rare plants and animals. Throw yourself into the lush green forest with diverse species of flora and fauna, walk along the plank road to catch the gorgeous scenery. There are also many hiking opportunities. (Notes: 1) the altitude of Pudacuo is at 3500m-4150m so you should avoid strong activities to avoid high altitude sickness; 2) part of the national park is currently closed for environment protection and recovery.)
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. (Optional Experience: If you are interested in the Tibetan people's daily drinks, you can follow the locals to involve in the process of making butter tea.)
After the visiting, be escorted back to your hotel and have a good rest!
Day 5 Shangri-La - Daocheng Yading (B)
Today's highlights: Transfer to Daocheng Yading by Private Car
After breakfast, our guide will meet you at your hotel and then transfer you from Shangri-La to Daocheng Yading by our private car by driving for about 7-7.5 hours.
After your arrival, you will be sent to your hotel at Shangri-La Town (2,950m). The rest of the day is on your own to discover Daocheng Yading and the surrounding. Have a good rest for the following hiking experience!
Tips: Since the altitude of Daocheng Yading area is mainly over 3,000 meters, you are highly suggested not do strenuous exercise to release or avoid altitude sickness.
Day 6 Daocheng Yading (B)
Today's highlights: Yading Nature Reserve (Luorong Pasture - Milk Lake - Five Color Lake)
After an early breakfast, start your exploration of Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve, the Last Pure Land on Earth first found by Joseph Rock in 1928 and then be widely treated as the “Soul of Shangri-La” with extremely dreaming wonderland.
Take the sightseeing bus from the tourist center to Zhaguanbeng for about 1-1.5 hours and enjoy the 2-2.5 hours’ hike to Luorong Pasture (4,150m) via Chonggu Monastery (3,900m) (you can also choose to walk 20 minute to Chonggu Monastery and take the 0.5 hour battery car to Luorong Pasture if you want to save energy). Enjoy your relaxing roam at the idyllic pasture with those carefree grazing cattle and goats, layers of multicolored dense alpine forest, clear winding stream, etc. backed by the three holy snow mountains, namely Xiannairi (Mount Chianrezig), Yangmaiyong (Mount Jambeyang) and Xianuoduoji (Mount Chanadorje). You will appreciate the most beautiful appearance of Xianuoduoji snow mountain like a powerful man!
Next, take the challenging 5 km’s hike for 3-3.5 hours up to the fabulous Milk Lake (4,600m) (horse riding is available to Milk Lake and needs extra payment) and marvel at the unbelievable charm of such a holy lake like a precious blue gem that even can move one to drop tears. Continue to walk another 0.5 hour to visit Five Color Lake (4,500m) 0.3 km away to savor the impressive sightseeing with beautiful snow rock mountain in white, grey, silver and chocolate, blue and green water, various alpine plantations, clear sky backdrop, etc. particularly like an world-class oil painting.
After the visiting, walk down and take the car and bus back to the entrance. And our guide and driver will send you back to your hotel at Shangri-La Town. Have a good rest!
Day 7 Daocheng Yading (B)
Today's highlights: Yading Nature Reserve (Chonggu Monastery - Chonggu Meadow - Pearl Lake - Poplar Forest - Benbo Monastery)
Today after breakfast, go to Chonggu Monastery as the same way on Day 2 by sightseeing bus and hike. Have a stop at the temple to admire the sacred Gelug Buddhist temple architecture in white, red, yellow and black and learn the interesting story about the temple and Joseph Rock’s stop by. From such unbeatable location, you will easily take the excellent photo of the brilliant temple and the three pure white holy snow mountains. After some short walk, embrace the lovely Chonggu Meadow (4,020m) that can be paralleled with the fairyland on earth. Stroll on the vast grassland like a thick and soft carpet in yellow and green in each season. Play along the particularly appealing transparent chanting river with clearly visible little stones like countless grains of gold sank to the bottom. Do not miss the best angle to admire the Xianuoduoji snow mountain like a powerful man.
Then, continue to hike for 30 minutes to visit Pearl Lake (4,120m) that is super fascinating to admire the picturesque landscape of surrounding snow peaks, green and orange dense forest, iridescent prayer flags, and their dazzling reflection in the shimmering clear lake. Also, it is the best location to admire the holy Xiannairi snow mountain.
After that, go back and be transferred to Bang River to appreciate the ten thousand acre of poplar forest (3,740m) from the best location. The wide spread of poplar trees are so charming in pure green in spring and summer and orange and golden in autumn under the frequent azure sky in Daocheng. Then, go to visit Benbo Monastery (3,940m) to have a close look at the striking claret-red Kagyu Buddhist temple cluster of over 900 years old, learn the interesting story of its establishment and the creator, and feel the sincere Buddhist pursuit and persistence of local Lamas.
After the visiting, our guide and driver will send you to your hotel in Daocheng County (3,700m) and help you check in. Have a good rest!
Day 8 Daocheng Yading Departure (B)
Fly off Daocheng Yading
After breakfast, your local guide and driver will send you to Daocheng Yading Airport for your flight to Chengdu or other destinations. Tour ends.
Departure Idea: Daocheng Yading Airport has direct flights to Chengdu, Chongqing and Xian, and very few connecting flights to Guangzhou, Hangzhou and Kunming.
1. This price is for one person, based on a group of 2 adults sharing one standard double-bed room in 4-star hotel and traveling with our private tour in low seasons.
2. This price is subject to change according your traveling season, group size, hotel class, change of activities in your itinerary and possible fluctuation of currency exchange rate. If you want a lower price, you can get more people to join you, or use economy class hotels.
3. This price is only valid to March 31, 2025.
4. Reference exchange rate of USD 1=RMB 7.00. The final quote is based on current exchange rate. It may change according to the currency fluctuation, while the RMB quotation will be remained the same.
Hi Rita,
The trip was fantastic and there were no problems. I made a couple of mistakes, but the wonderful guides were of great assistance.The tour arrangements were excellent. All connections and meetings with guides went perfectly.
I would recommend your service to others with an interest in China.
Cheers and thanks….and I may book another tour next year!!
Wilson
Hi April
We are glad to have chosen to Century Oasis. The ship is new, spacious and clean. Staff were friendly and provided excellent service.
Thank you for checking with us and I'm really pleased to have booked with Yangtze River Cruises and for your prompt service.
Regards
Heong
Hi April,
Absolutely fantastic, can’t fault. On board food was awesome and me being vegetarian they even made me special meals each day. Staff were wonderful. I also had laundry done, no issues and very good price. Bar was well stocked and well priced. I also got a foot massage and my daughters hair washed and blow dried also value for money.
Concierge did only once on check in to offer an upgraded package for food and cabin. Then never asked again which was perfect.
Porters hired by ship in Chongqing tried to charge me 100rmb for their service but the English speaking concierge told them off very sternly.
Shore excisions included were awesome. I only did 1 optional which was the show on the second night which was absolutely amazing, it felt like I was in the show.
Only complaint is the ships announcements came into cabin speakers.
Dane
Hi Tracy,
Apologies for the late reply.
We thoroughly enjoyed the 3 days at Bifengxia. We arrived with an open mind, so I cannot really say that the program met our expectations or not. We learned a lot about the animals, which was great and we spend a lot of time observing them, which was fun. The program itself was more like a 3-day VIP arrangement with backstage passes rather than a volunteering program. Volunteering sounds like you have to make an effort and we were not really put to work, we were treated like guests, which is of course always positive. You prepared us well about the restrictions on interaction with the panda's which was much appreciated, and we did not expect much interaction for starters because we were visiting a research base, not a circus! The panda base itself is a tranquil site and we had a lot of people approaching us for a short conversation, really nice.
If you would ask me if I had any suggestions for improvement, then I do not really have an answer. We enjoyed the hospitality of the hotel, really nice place with a beautiful room, friendly staff and good food. Your team added to the fun and made the visit more memorable when we managed to add a visit to an old village on the last day.
I would recommend this program to anyone who is interested in a laid-back panda learning experience in a mountainous area in rural China.
Hope this helps!
Jeroen
Hi Tracy,
Sorry, didn’t respond to you earlier. Since the China trip, we are trying to catch up with everything that we held off for month.
Here is the list of our ranking of each Tour Guides we had in each city.
Guilin - Sharon
Beijing - Linda
Shanghai - Liqi
Zhangjiajie - Nancy
Xi’An - Lily
All the Tour Guides and Drivers provided the service that we needed. Our family really appreciate their hospitality and enjoyed our visit in China. Everyone was an excellent representative of their city and an ambassador to the visitors. They make us proud as a native Chinese, who have excellent command of the English language. The professionalism and knowledge on each city’s history is outstanding. I know our kids have learned a little more about Chinese historical facts and their heritage. For those who speaks Cantonese, Grandpa is very thankful.
Above all we rank Sharon in Guilin as the best of our guides along with the driver. Sharon was very attentive, detailed, and caring of our group and especially grandpa who’s over 90 years old. In addition, she was very open to exposing us to local cultures and food. We thought she went above and beyond her duties and responsibilities.Overall, thanks much to you and to the China Discovery team for a very memorable trip.
Kin
We are one of the few China travel agencies who have kept active and received lots of feedbacks and reviews during pandemic years
"Highest Standards of Quality and Honesty" is the core value of each specialized team at China Discovery.
Eveyone in our company is working hard for only one goal, which is to ensure the highest level of service, luxury, and attention to detail from the minute you begin planning your trip, to the day you return home.
Our travel consultants are professional, experienced and responsible, helping you from the very beginning to the end of your China trip!
After sending us an inquiry, one of our travel consultants will get back to you within 0.5~23.5 hrs. In the next few days, he/she will be working closely with you to formulate a customized tour plan, as well as providing professional suggestions based on your travel interests, time, and budget.
Beside, he/she will keep in contact with you during your entire tour in China, continually checking if everything is going well as planned.
We're working at Chengdu Bamboo International Tours, local based in Chengdu.
Our local guide in every destination is not only very friendly, enthusiastic but also very informative and knowledgeable.
Once you arrive in the destination, the patient and punctual guides will pick you up and take you to get under skin of the city at your own pace. By in-depth discovery and explanation, they’ll show you more about the history, culture, customs and authentic local life. Throughout the journey, they're not only expert guides who take care of all the details but also fellow travelers who are dedicated to help you explore in comfort and style.
Our guides are passionate about what they do, and it shows all the way!
Using our private transfer service makes you comfortable, relaxed and worry free all the way!
Our private service includes licensed drivers with many years’ driving experience and air-conditioned, non-smoking, clean and well-maintained cars/vans. Drivers are local, polite, friendly and helpful, taking you to your tourist sites, hotels, airport/train stations in safety. All kinds of vehicle are offered, and yours depends on the size of your group. Usually, we offer sedan cars, SUVs, business vans (MPV) and different types of buses, all with extra space for your luggage.
Our private transfer service guarantees you the highest comfort!
In each destination, you’ll enjoy a comfortable stay in a great location!
The hotels we choose are based on star rating, great locations, well-equipped facilities, cozy bed, high quality service and guests’ feedbacks. Choices are a lot ranging from luxury 5 star, comfortable 4 star to budget 3 star. You could decide where to stay to best suit for your budget and likes. Generally, the hotels have both Western and Chinese breakfast with a wide choices.
If you have already got an ideal hotel, please feel free to tell our travel consultants and they'll book the hotel for you.
Have good sleep in our well-selected hotels in all the destinations of China.
We can satisfy all the dietary requirements no matter you want Chinese local food, western food, vegetarian food or muslin food.
The restaurants we will take you for lunch or dinner are all designated tourist restaurants approved by local tourist administration bureau. They have very good sanitary conditions and the food is prepared fresh and clean.
There will be some meals excluded in your itinerary as you like, and your private guide will be delighted to give you some suggestions and take you to the local restaurants to taste like Beijing Roast Duck, Xian Dumpling Dinner, Sichuan Hotpot, etc., if you are interested in local food tasting.
All the dining options will satisfy your stomach!
Mufu Palace-202301-Rosa's Group from Spain
Lijiang Old Town Waterwheel-20190415-Marcin from USA
Black Dragon Pool Park-20210316-Carrie from China
Baisha Mural Paintings-2018-Daisy from Thailand
Guishan Hill - Juan's Family from Golumbia
Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge-202010-Ana's Group from Belgium and Mexico
The Panoramic View of Dukezong Old Town, Picture Shared Daisy
Songzanlin Monastery - Mutia from Indonesia
Shudu Lake of Pudacuo National Park, Picture Shared by Daisy
Pudacuo National Park, Picture Shared by Daisy
Yading Milk Lake (4,600m)
Yading Luorong Pasture
Yading Five Color Lake (4,500m)
Chonggu Meadow
Yading Pearl Lake & Mount Chianrezig
Yading Chonggu Monastery
Yading Poplar Forest
Kunming / Dali / Lijiang / Shangri-La
Kunming / Lijiang / Shangri-La / Lhasa
Chengdu / Dujiangyan / Mount Siguniang / Danba / Tagong / Xinduqiao / Hailuogou / Chengdu
“Very good experience”
“WONDERFUL 25 DAYS IN CHINA - PRIVATE TOUR”
“Awesome China tour from northeast to southwest”
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