TREK OF TIGER LEAPING GORGE AND MOUNT KAWA KARPO
15 days | Kunming, Lijiang, Baoshan, Wumu, Daju, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La, Deqin, Xidang, Kawa Karpo Mountain, Yubeng, Ninong, Shaxi, Dali, and Weishan.
Tour Highlights:
Information:
This trek is on the borders of Yunnan and Tibet, alternating between walking and stopovers conducive to relaxation. Specially designed for occasional walkers, it incorporates pretty steps along the Tiger Leaping Gorge where the Yangtze winds its way, then Mount Kawa Karpo to the edge of the Mekong. A long walk between beautiful alpine landscapes, the powers of the mythical rivers that are the Yangtze and the Mekong, forests of rhododendrons, azaleas, snow-capped mountains, remote villages, etc. To penetrate deeply into the Yunnan region will give you an overview of the mosaic of cultures of minority ethnic groups: Naxi, Yi, Bai, Tibetan, etc.
DAY 1: ARRIVAL IN KUNMING 1900 m alt.
- You can take a stroll to Green Lake Park, which is close to your hotel. It is the most well-known garden with a history of 300 years.
- Visit the Yuantong Buddhist Temple.
DAY 2: KUNMING – LIJIANG 2400 m alt.
- Take the high-speed train to Lijiang (3hrs)
- Welcome by your driver and walk through the old town of Lijiang: visit the Zhongyi market and the Black Dragon Pool Park.
- Transfer to the hotel located in Shuhe Village (20 minutes)
DAY 3: LIJIANG – BAOSHAN 2200 m alt.
- Departure by mountainous road to Baoshan Village (4h30/5hrs).
- Arrive at Baoshan Village, check in at your guesthouse.
- Walk in the fortified village of Baoshan.
- Important Info: The road to Wumu and Baoshan villages is narrow. For groups of more than 10 people, we need a 17-seats bus and an additional car to transport the luggage.
DAY 4: BAOSHAN – WUMU 2200 m alt.
- Walk down from the village on the banks of the Yangtze River through alleys of stone houses.
- Short driving of the boat (50 minutes) on the Yangtze River.
- After the boat journey, you hike back to Wumu Village by a slightly steep path (3hrs/3h30).
DAY 5: WUMU – DAJU – TINA’S GUESTHOUSE 2000 m alt.
- Mountainous road to the Daju valley (3hrs) and have the beautiful view of the snow-capped mountains: Jade Dragon and Haha.
- After crossing the Yangtze River by ferry, you will have a short driving to Walnut Village of Naxi (30 minutes).
- You walk down to the Yangtze River through terraces, then a flat hike in the lower gorge and goes up to the Tina’s Guesthouse (1hr).
DAY 6: TINA’S GUESTHOUSE – TEA & HORSE GUESTHOUSE 2100 m alt.
- Start the walk with a rather steep climb to a small pass (2400 m, 1h30/2hrs), then follows a small path in the middle of the mountain to reach the Tea & Horse Guesthouse, the destination for the day.
- Important Info: You will need to bring your personal belongings for the night spent in the guesthouse located in the high mountains. Possible to store your suitcases in the car.
DAY 7: TEA & HORSE GUESTHOUSE – QIAOTOU – SHANGRI-LA 3400 m alt.
- Extend the hiking to Qiaotou (5hrs) by a path overlooking the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
- After the hike, meet with your driver and go to the upper gorge to visit the Hutiaoshi viewpoint. You have to walk on a landscaped path that allows you to descend to the banks of the Yangtze River. (You can visit on foot or take the escalator at your own expense)
- Depart to Shangri-La (2hrs). On arrival, check-in at your hotel, and free walk in the old town of Shangri-La.
DAY 8: SHANGRI-LA – DEQIN – FEILAISI 3452 m alt.
- Visit a lively local market.
- Discovery of the Songzanlin Monastery, which is the most important lamasery in Yunnan.
- Lunch with a Tibetan family near the monastery.
- Departure by road to Deqin (4hrs).
- On the way, visit the Dongzhulin Monastery, where several lamas still live.
DAY 9: FEILAISI – XIDAN – YUBENG VILLAGE 3200 m alt.
- Wake up early to watch the sunrise over the snow-capped Meili Mountains (Kawa Karpo).
- Transfer to Xidang Village along the Mekong (1h30/2hrs).
- Start the trek and follow the pilgrimage route around Kawa Karpo Mountain: hike to the upper village of Yubeng (3200 m).
- Along the way, you will cross the Nanzongla Pass (3800 m) where you will appreciate the beauty of the region.
- Suggestion: You could bring a backpack to bring personal belongings for 3 nights.
DAY 10: TREK INSIDE THE KAWA KARPO MOUNTAIN
- In the morning, walk across the Tibetan village (40 minutes), and climb a little steep to the mountain pass (3620 m, 1h30/2 hours), then continue to the old base camp (40 minutes).
- For the more athletic, you can continue the walking towards the Glacial Lake (3700 m, 2 hours round trip).
- In the late afternoon, you will return to Yumoto through the pine and azalea forest.
DAY 11: TREK INSIDE THE KAWA KARPO MOUNTAIN
- Walk down to the lower Yubeng Village (40 minutes), then climb to the Holy Waterfall (3600 m, 2hrs/2h30) through a path lined with stupas, temples, prayer flags that color these mountains.
- At the end of the afternoon, return to Yubeng (1h30/2hrs).
DAY 12: YUBENG VILLAGE – NINONG – SHANGRI-LA 3300 m alt.
- Hike down the river to Ninong, a Tibetan village surrounded by a landscape of arid slopes, terraced crops, and green oases.
- Welcome by your driver, drive back to Shangri-La (4hrs/4h30).
DAY 13: SHANGRI-LA – SHAXI 2100 m alt.
- Departure by car for the trip to Shibaoshan (5/6hrs).
- Along the way, a short break to admire the First Bend of the Yangtze River at Shigu Village.
- Discovery of the Shibaoshan Grottoes and the Baoxiang Temple on foot.
- Walk down by a small path towards the Shadengqing valley (2hrs) or return by vehicle.
- Free stroll through Shaxi Village, a former major trade center on the tea and horse caravan route.
DAY 14: SHAXI – DALI 2000 m alt.
- Depart to Xizhou Village (2hrs). Stroll inside this village which consists of the cobbled streets and traditional houses of the Bai ethnic group.
- Drive to the old town of Dali (30 minutes) and leisurely walk around the old town.
DAY 15: DALI – WEISHAN, THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN TO KUNMING, RETURN FLIGHT
- Road to Weishan (2hrs) and discover the mountain of Weibaoshan.
- Descend on foot to enjoy the magnificent view of the Weishan plain.
- Stroll through the old town of Weishan, the ancient capital of the Nanzhao kingdom (7th-10th century).
- Discovery of the Donglianhua Muslim Village, if time permits.
- Return to Dali (2hrs) for the high-speed train to Kunming (2hrs).
- Welcome by your driver, and transfer to Kunming Airport for the return flight to your home.
The rates below are indicative, and they may vary slightly depending on the season or hotel availability.
| Price per person based on | With driver | With driver + An English-speaking guide |
|---|---|---|
| 2 persons | 1 495 $ | 2 160 $ |
| 4 persons | 1 065 $ | 1 425 $ |
| 6 persons | 970 $ | 1 203 $ |
Price includes
- The hotels are mentioned in the itinerary (includes breakfast).
- Transfers by private vehicle with driver during the whole journey. For the group without a guide, if necessary, the driver will also act as a guide.
- Accompaniment by an English-speaking guides from the 3rd day (if this option has been chosen).
- For the group without a guide, a smartphone will be given on your arrival. You will always be in touch with our 24-hour service. We are going to offer you restaurants with its locations, you can also try cashless payment anywhere in China (FYI, we are using less and less cash in China for payment).
- Accommodation and meals for your guides and drivers.
- The high-speed train tickets: Kunming/Dali, Lijiang/Kunming (second class).
- One bottle of mineral water per day per person.
The price does not include
- International flights.
- Lunches and dinners.
- Entrance tickets for tours and activities, to be paid directly on site.50% reductions sometimes for travelers over 60, free possible for those over 70.
- Tips for guides and drivers (It is recommended of 120 RMB / day in total for the driver guide).
- Accident, repatriation and health insurance.
- The visa fees.
Warm Tips:
- You can also check out our organized small group tours here
- To facilitate your stay, we suggest that you change your quotes on arrival and departure at the current exchange rate. The formalities to be completed in Chinese banks are particularly tedious.
Hotels offered
For each city, we have recommended two or three hotels for you to choose from below. The first hotel listed has been pre-selected by Ciel Yunnan.
| HOTELS | COST-EFFECTIVE | CHARM | LUXURY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunming | Home Inn Plus Cuihu | Grand Park Hotel | Sliver Chest Hotel |
| Dali | Yanyuan Mountain Retreat | Linden Centre Hotel | Sky Valley Heritage |
| Shaxi | Shaxi Aoding Courtyard Hotel | Shaxi Aoding Courtyard Hotel | Shaxi Wuliu Inn |
| Shangri-La | Karma Cafe Guesthouse | Zinc journey Arro Khampa | Songtsam Lvgu Hotel |
| Benzilan | Tulu Lodge | LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan | Songtsam Benzilan Hotel |
| Tiger Leaping Gorge | Jade Snow Inn | Tibet Guesthouse | Tibet Guesthouse |
| Wumu | Huahuasei Lodge | Huahuasei Lodge | Huahuasei Lodge |
| Lugu Lake | Lige Holiday Inn | Lige Holiday Inn | Lige Holiday Inn |
| Lijiang | Bivou Hotel | Zinc Journey Arro Khampa Hotel | Songtsam Linka Hotel |
| Supplement/Per | / | 138 $ | 529 $ |
Guaranteed departures from 6 people
| Departure dates | |
|---|---|
| Saturday May 4 to Monday May 20, 2019 | Probable |
| Saturday October 13 to Monday October 28, 2019 | Probable |
| Thursday 25 October to Saturday 09 November 2019 | Probable |
- The departure dates indicated are reference dates. If you have a date option, don’t hesitate to ask us, we’ll post it on our site.
When to go?
You can do this tour throughout the year. The best seasons to do the trek are spring and autumn for the mild temperatures. The summers are pleasant, and the temperatures remain moderate. Although the monsoon can bring a lot of rains between July and September, this will not pose a big problem for this journey.
It is cold in Shangri-La between December and March, and the temperatures rise to 10 degrees during the day and drop below zero at night. Warm clothes are essential.
Other hiking trails and treks in Yunnan
Trekking in the Tiger Leaping Gorge
4 days | Wumu, Baoshan, and Tiger Leaping Gorge
A superb hike in the Tiger Leaping Gorge with stops in two typical and charming villages. A nice break in the most beautiful mountain landscapes of Yunnan.
Trek from Lugu Lake to Mount Kawa Karpo
15 days | Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La, and Mount Kawa Karpo
A high-strength hike to discover the beautiful landscapes of Lijiang and Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
