7 Days Lijiang Trekking Tour around Wenhai Lake, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

7 days trekking tour around Lijiang deserves to be recommended for hikers. It includes a trekking to famous Tiger Leaping Gorge and some ethnic and rustic villages and towns-such as Wenhai Village, and Xuehua Village. It also includes some famous attractions, such as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baishui River, and Blue Moon Valley

Highlights:

  • Have two hike experiences in the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge and around Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
  • Take a chairlift to visit Yak Meadow on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
  • Visit some ethnic villages along the way.

Tour Map:

Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1: Lijiang Arrival
  • Day 2: Baisha – Wenhai
  • Day 3: Wenhai Village – Xiehua Village – Shanghai Village
  • Day 4: Shanghai Village – Qiaotou – Halfway Guesthouse
  • Day 5: Halfway Guesthouse – Middle Gorge – Daju
  • Day 6: Daju – Lijiang
  • Day 7: Lijiang Departure

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities: Arrive in Lijiang
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: None

Arrive at Lijiang,  pick up from airport and transfer to hotel for checking in. 

Day 2 Baisha – Wenhai

Sightseeing and Activities: hiking, Naxi village
Accommodation: Ecolodge
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

From Lijiang, we will take a car for 20 minutes to one of the small Naxi villages at the base of the mountains. Then we will hike to Wenhai Lake.

During this hike we climb through a pass of ‘Yulung Shan’, which offers spectacular views of the Upper Lijiang Plain, including the local villages, crops, unique floral diversity, and the surrounding mountains. We will trek between 2500 m and 3100m above sea level. After we reach the summit of the pass we will descend to Wenhai Lake where we will stay for the night at the Ecolodge.

We can either have a full lunch when we arrive at Wenhai, or a simple lunch on the trail.  After arriving in Wenhai we will have free time to explore the village and take in the magnificent views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Around 19 o’ clock we will have a local dinner prepared by a Naxi family. All of the food is grown locally and although the meal is simple, the ingredients are fresh and the dishes are tasteful. For example, rice with three or four different kinds of vegetables is a common meal.

Day 3 Wenhai – Xuehua – Shanghai Village

Sightseeing and Activities:Xuehua village, Changsongping Village, Shanghai Village
Accommodation: Shanghai Village
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy the beautiful sunrise view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the early morning, hike around one hour along the slopes to Xuehua, a much poorer Yi village and a chance to relax for the afternoon and check out a little local life. Interestingly Xuehua is also the home of one of the few ‘bimo’ of the area, an Yi shaman-like figure steeped in a ritualistic history infinitely longer and more complex than its newcomer counterpart amongst the Naxi – the‘Dongba priest’. Whether or not you’ll get the chance to meet him is moot, but it does give some indication as to the depth of tradition in this village.

Trek to Changsongping Village and Xinshang Village, visit some small rivers. Arrive in Shanghai Village in the late afternoon and stay in local family. Shanghai is a relatively affluent Naxi village and the last stop before heading east away from Jade Dragon. By now those muscles should be flowing!

Day 4 Shanghai Village – Qiaotou – Halfway Guesthouse

Sightseeing and Activities: Longpan Village, Tiger Leaping Gorge trekking
Accommodation: Half-way Guesthouse
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Qiaotou Town of Tiger Leaping Gorge

After breakfast, trek 1.5 hours down to Longpang Village with a panoramic view of the Jinsha River, the upper reach of Yangtze River in Lijiang.

Drive from Longpan Village to Qiaotou Town, then start the Tiger Leaping Gorge trekking tour from Qiaotou, after 2 hours trekking, arrive at Naxi Family Gesthouse for lunch.

After lunch, a trekking from Naxi Family to 28 zigzagging turns will be a challenge for you. From the top of “28 turns” on the high path further uphill to a place of altitude above 3000m, you can have a view of the panorama of the entire Gorge.  The go pass Tea Horse Guest House (5 hours) and arrive at Halfway Guesthouse (2500m) to finish today’s trekking. 

Day 5 Halfway Guesthouse-Middle Gorge-Daju

Sightseeing and Activities:Middle Gorge, Lower Gorge, Daju Town
Accommodation: Daju
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

In the early morning, continue hiking to Tina’s Guesthouse(here is the middle section of Tiger Leaping Gorge).  Then you will go on walk to Walnut Grove Garden. Then take a van from Walnut Grove Garden to Xincun Village. Cross the Daju Old Ferry to Daju Town. Our driver will meet you there and take you to hotel. 

Day 6 Daju-Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Jade Dragon Snow Mountain,Yak Meadow, Lianhua Monastery, Baishuihe River, Blue Moon Valley
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and take the chairlift to visit Yak Meadow, walk around the meadow and visit the Lianhua Monastery.

After Yak Meadow, transfer to Baishuihe River and visit the Blue Moon Valley. Then back to Lijiang.

Day 7 Departure from Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Lijiang
Accommodation:None
Meals:Breakfast

Departure from Lijiang. Service ends.

Recommended Hotels

Destination 5 Star 4 Star 3 Star Hostel
Lijiang Intercontinental Hotel Lijiang Wangfu Hotel Louwailou Hotel Baisha Holiday Resort
Tiger Leaping Gorge / / / Halfway Guesthouse
Daju / / / Daju Guesthouse

Service Included:

  • Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
  • Private English-speaking tour guide and vehicle for transfers & sightseeing;
  • Service charge & government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
  • Two bottles of mineral water each day;

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff.
  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs;

Travel Tips:

  • Take some lightweight clothes with you and wear comfortable walking shoes for tired trekking and overnight stayingat Tiger Leaping Gorge. If possible, knee pads are necessary to avoid any bump.
  • If trekking in winter or rainy season, the windbreaker, gloves, antiskid shoes and waterproof coat will be needed in case of temperature drop and get wet in the rain.
  • If you are easy to behungry and tired during the trekking, bring some high caloric snacks with you, such as chocolate and beef jerky. If not, you can buy food at local guesthouses along the route. Our tour guide will provide you two bottles of water for each person every day. But we suggest you to bring more by yourself.
  • For the strong ultraviolet ray there, we suggest you to wear sun bonnet or take sunsceern with you.
  • Do not trek too fast, because the Tiger Leaping Gorge is located at high altitude area, or altitude sickness may happen to you.