Lijiang and Shangri-La Essence Tour with Trekking (6 days/ 5 nights)

Day 1 Lijiang

Upon arrival at airport of Lijiang, be met and transferred to your hotel. Be free for the rest of the day. You can wander around Lijiang Ancient Town at your own pace.Lijiang Ancient Town is a largely Naxi settlement first built 800years agao, located at the foot of the Lion Hill and completely surrounded by the new city of Lijiang.In December 1986, the State Council designated it a famous ancient historical and cultural city of national caliber. In 1997, UNESCO made Lijiang a World Cultural Heritage Site. Most of the dwellings, scattered at the foot of a mountain or by the river, are brick-and-tile structures with carved doors and painted windows. Traffic across the river is facilitated by a large number of tiny stone bridges. The town is similar to the Zhouzhuang Water Town in the south of the Yangtze River.
Stay tonight: feature hotel

Day 2 Lijiang (B, L)

Today visit the Black Dragon Pool Park, the water of the pool is as green and lucid as jade and one can see arbours and pavilions beside the pond, temples hidden in the trees and variegated flowers found everywhere; Dongba Culture Museum, the best place to get a close look at Dongba culture, which has more than 10000 Dongba cultural relics and various other historical relics; Shuhe Old Town, 6 km northwest of Lijiang center, a staging post at ancient Tea & Horse Road, a tranquil town as well as part of the UNESCO Heritage site; Baisha Village, one of the oldest villages, also the earliest settlement of the Naxi people in Lijiang, it got its name “Baisha” meaning “white sand” from the natural white sand in the area; Yuhu Village, a village at the outskirts of Lijiang Basin at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the houses at the village were made of a unique stone called monkey head by Naxi people; the Former Residence of Joseph Rock, an Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist, who came to Lijiang in 1922, and lived here for 27 years.
Stay tonight: feature hotel

Day 3 Lijiang (B, L) 

Be picked up at your hotel at 08:00 AM hotel pick up and drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge Town, a contender for the world's deepest river canyon. Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,596m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and 5,396m Haba Snow Mountain in a series of rapids under steep 2000 meter cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 meters wide), hence the name. Start hiking at the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge, and then reach the Naxi Family Guesthouse where you’d have lunch. Keep hiking up through the 28-Bend, which is the hardest part of this trail, and then reach the Tea Horse Guesthouse where you’d stay overnight. Today you will hike for around 5 hours in total.

Day 4 Lijiang (B, L)

Depart in the late morning and hike through the flat trail, and then reach the Halfway Guesthouse (2500m). Have lunch, relax at the terrace, touching the clouds and closely looking up at the majestic Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596m). Keep hiking, you will see Guanyin waterfall on the way. Finally reach the Tina’s Guesthouse, where you can take a break and enjoy the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. Drive for 1 hour to Baishui Terrace, an area where spring water flows over a sinter terrace, leaving behind travertine. Drive for 3 hours to Shangri-La County, which is a primarily Tibetan county, formerly called Zhongdian County, and was renamed in 2001 after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the 1933 James Hilton novel Lost Horizon. The hiking today total 4 hours.
Stay tonight: feature hotel

Day 5 Shangri-La (B, L)

In the morning, visit Ganden Sumtseling Lamasery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1679, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, and is referred to as the Little Potala Palace; Napa Lake, a lake 3270 meters (10,728 ft.) above sea level and covers 660 square kilometers (254 square miles), approximately 8 kilometers northwest of Shangri-La, the lake fills up a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains which are covered in snow during winter and spring time. Stroll in the Dukezong Old Town, a 1300-year-old Tibetan town, experienced both the flames of war and prosperity of frontier trade. It has authentic Tibetan dwellings, majestic prayer halls and pagodas, winding lanes offer sanctuary to all those seeking refuge from the bustle city. In the evening, visit a Tibetan family, join in a bonfire party and taste the buttered tea.
Stay tonight: feature hotel

Day 6 Shangri-La / Departure (B)
Be free until be transferred to the airport for your departure flight.

Service ends.

Tour Cost:

Note:

Guaranteed Departures

Minimum 2 Travellers.

Feature hotels

Price Includes:- Airport Pick-up/See-off;
- Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off;
- Luggage transfers between airport and hotels;
- Accommodation with breakfasts as listed;
- Private land transfers;
- All Entrance fees as listed above;
- Experienced English-speaking guide;
- Travel Agency's Responsibility Insurance;
- Service Charge & Government Taxes;
- 5 Chinese Lunches;

Price Excludes
- Any flights;
- Dinner;
- Personal Travel Accident Insurance;
- Any other optional programs (show/performance/concert etc.);
- Chinese visa fees;
- Personal Consumption (shopping etc.);
- Tips (Suggested: 5$/pax per day to Guide;   3$/pax per day to driver);