How to Plan a Lijiang Tour

Lijiang has a history of at least 800 years and may date as far back as the Song Dynasty. It is located in the northwestern portion of Yunnan and borders Sichuan. As a popular destination in Yunnan, Lijiang is considered as a fairyland blessed with fresh air, clear streams, breathtaking snow mountains and an undisturbed landscape inhabited by Naxi ethnic minority. What’s more, Lijiang in Yunnan Province is an important passage of ancient Silk Road and Tea Horse Road in southern China. When we mention Lijiang, the first thought is definitely Lijiang ancient town, which is one of the famous historical and cultural ancient towns in China. Lijiang is a desirable place that no one will miss during the trip to Yunnan.

Choose a Gateway City

Choose a gateway city in China to take a flight or high-speed train to Lijiang. Kunming and Dali are the most popular gateway cities to start a Lijiang tour among tourists. Moreover, you can also start your tour from BeijingShanghaiXi’anChengdu and other cities to appreciate more about China’s charm. Actually, Lijiang is another popular gateway city to start a Yunnan tour due to the convenient transportation and attractive attractions. Tourists can go to Lijiang directly and start your journey.

How Long to Stay in Lijiang

Visit Lijiang in One Day

If you only spend one day in Lijiang, it is recommended to visit the highlights of Lijiang including Lijiang Ancient Town, Shuhe Ancient Town, Baisha old Town, Mu Palace and Lion Hill, etc. You can also spend the day exploring the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain or Tiger Leaping Gorge to have a hiking tour; Or riding a bike easily from Lijiang Ancient Town to have a cycling tour.

1 Day Lijiang City Highlights Group Tour
1 Day Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Small Group Tour
1 Day Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour (Lijiang Part)
1 Day Lijiang Cycling Tour from Lijiang Old Town to Lashihai Lake and Zhiyun Monastery
1 Day Lijiang Cycling Tour from Lijiang Old Town to Shuhe, Baisha and Yuhu Village

Visit Lijiang in 2-3 Days

If you want to visit the must-see attractions in Lijiang, 2-3 days may be enough.

What You Can Choose for 2-3 Days Lijiang Tour

2 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking Tour with Daju Town and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
2 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Group Tour
3 Days Lijiang Hiking Tour from Yuhu Village to Wenhai Lake and Yangyuchang Village
3 Days The First Bend of Yangtze River Rafting and Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour

For 2-3 days Lijiang tour, you can choose to visit the above mentioned attractions. However, our 2-3 days tour packages combine Lijiang with other destinations like Dali or Shangri-La.

Highlights of Dali-Lijiang Tour

  • Experience the ethnic cuture of Bai minority in Xizhou Town – visit Bai-style morning market.
  • Explore the religious culture at Shibaoshan Mountain.
  • Discover the important ancient town of silk road, Shaxi Old Town.
  • Take a walk at Lijiang Ancient Town.

2 Days Shaxi Old Town and Shibaoshan Mountain Tour from Dali to Lijiang

Highlights of Lijiang-Shangri-La Tour

2 Days Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri-La Group Tour

Visit Lijiang in 4-6 Days

Adding 2-3 days for the Lijiang tour, you will get more options. You will have more chances to experience local culture in the ethnic villages, get to more places in Yunnan or have more leisure time. 

What You Can Choose to Do For 4-6 Days Lijiang Tour

  • Visit the popular attractions in Lijiang City, including Lijiang Old Town, Shuhe Old Town, Baisha Old Town, Yuhu Village and Baisha Village, etc., to fully appreciate the Naxi culture in various ways.
  • Challenge yourself by hiking the steep paths in the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world.
  • Have a grand view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain.
  • Cruise in Lugu Lake and be amazed at its intriguing lake view.
  • Step into ethnic village to experience mysterious ethnic culture.
  • Plan your Lijiang tour with Kunming and Dali.

4 Days Lijiang City Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge
5 Days Lijiang City Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Adventure
5 Days Haba Snow Mountain Climbing Adventure (Camping at 4800M) with Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour
6 Days Lijiang Discovery Tour with Lugu Lake and Tiger Leaping Gorge
6 Days Kunming-Dali-Lijiang Tour

Visit Lijiang in More Days

If you are planning a tour to Yunnan for more than 6 days, Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la Classic Tour is recommended. You can start your classic tour by high-speed bullet train or by flight. During the tour, you will:

8 Days Yunnan Classic Tour by High Speed Bullet Train
8 Days Yunnan Classic Tour by Flight
8 Days Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La Overland Tour
8 Days Best Yunnan Small Group Tour-Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La
Super Deluxe 8 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Aman Resort Lijiang and Banyan Tree Shangrila Experience
9 Days Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La High Speed Train Tour

Except for the classic tours, other popular tours include Snow Mountain Hiking Tour and Climbing Tour, as well as Lijiang-Shangri-La Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking, etc. 

7 Days Lijiang Trekking Tour around Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
7 Days Lijiang and Shangri-La Paradise Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Adventure
7 Days Haba Snow Mountain Climbing Tour and Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking Tour
7 Days Baima Snow Mountain Hiking Tour to Nine Lakes and One Mountain Scenic Area

Read More: Lijiang Tour

Theme Tours including Lijiang

Lijiang tour involves many theme tours, such as Hiking Tour/Trekking Tour, Cycling Tour, Rafting Tour, Climbing Tour, Ethnic Minority Tour, Classic Tour, Golf Tour, Students Education Tour, etc. Tour packages including Lijiang range from one day to 40 days.

Lijiang City Tour

Lijiang, one of China’s most popular destinations and home to an amazing array of sights, activities and events. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Stroll around in the Lijiang Ancient Town and visit other natural attractions like Tiger Leaping Gorge and cultural highlighted attractions like Baisha Murals of Dongba culture.

4 Days Lijiang City Tour with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge
5 Days Lijiang City Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Adventure

Cycling Tour

It will be a enjoyable experience to spend a day going cycling in Lijiang. There are two main cycling routes, one is from Lijiang Ancient Town to Yuhu Village, along the way, you will pass through ethnic villages, grasslands, meadows, flowers sea, rivers and lakes to enjoy the high mountain scenery and discover ethnic cultures; One is Lijiang Ancient Town to Lashihai Lake. Cycling around the beautiful Lashihai Lake with the distance view of white towering peaks of Jade Dragon Snow mountain. Pay a visit to the first lamasery temple among five main Tibetan Buddhism monasteries situating in Lijiang – Zhiyun Temple.

1 Day Lijiang Cycling Tour from Lijiang Old Town to Lashihai Lake and Zhiyun Monastery
1 Day Lijiang Cycling Tour from Lijiang Old Town to Shuhe, Baisha and Yuhu Village

Hiking Tour/Trekking Tour

When it comes to Lijiang hiking tour, there must be Tiger Leaping Gorge and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour

Tiger Leaping Gorge is spectacular and crown as the deepest gorge in the world. Foreign backpackers started hiking in the area in the 1980s and now Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour has been one of the most famous hiking tour all around the world. If you want to hike at Tiger Leaping Gorge only, there are 1-3 days Tiger Leaping Gorge hiking tours you can choose. 

1 Day Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour (Lijiang Part)
1 Day Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking Tour from Tina’s Hotel to The Middle Rapid and Hetaoyuan Village
1 Day Tiger Leaping Gorge Highlight Hiking Tour from Bendiwan Village to Tina’s Hostel
2 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Group Tour
2 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Group Tour
3 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tour

Except for Lijiang Ancient Town and Tiger Leaping Gorge, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is another must-see attractions in Lijiang. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is included in almost all Lijiang Tour Packages. Spend at least one day hiking or visiting Jade Snow Mountain can let you enjoy the fantastic view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and explore the Naxi ethnic culture better. 

1 Day Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Tour with Impression Lijiang Show
1 Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Hiking Tour (5100 Meters) from Yuhu Village
1 Day Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Hiking Tour from Yufeng Monastery to Yulong Reservoir and Yuhu Village

Haba Snow Mountain Climbing Tour

Haba Snow Mountain is the best mountain for climbing tours in Yunnan with an elevation of 5396 meters in the summit. Haba Snow Mountain allows you to experience the typical process of climbing a snow mountain. It is not a hard climbing route. The most difficult is to overcome the altitude sickness. For 5 days Haba Snow Mountain climbing tour, you will have one more day for adapting high altitude from Base Camp to Base Camp 1. If you often go to high altitude areas and want to have a try to reach the summit of a mountain at 5396 meters, please don’t hesitate to join our snow mountain climbing tour. And usually, before the climbing tour, you will experience the the magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge first on the way.

5 Days Haba Snow Mountain Climbing Adventure (Camping at 4800M) with Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour
7 Days Haba Snow Mountain Climbing Tour and Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking Tour

Golf Tour

Lijiang, with an elevation of 2400 meters, is cool in summer and warm in winter. Therefore, Lijiang is another destination for playing golf all the year round in Yunnan. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club is located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with the elevation of 3100 meters as the highest golf club in Asia. Lijiang Ancient Town Lakefront Golf Club is located at the bank of Wenbi Lake, 10 kilometers away from Lijiang Ancient Town, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in front, which is a nice place to play golf. During the golf tour, you will enjoy the leisure time of playing golf and beautiful scenery of Lijiang. You can also visit the must-see attractions in Lijiang such as Lijiang Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge and so on. Except for Lijiang, Kunming is another good choice for golf tour. Surrounded by mountains and beside the limpid lake, the Spring City Golf & Lake Resort in Kunming is one of the most beautiful golf holiday resorts in the world, hence the name of the golf paradise in Asia.

5 Days Lijiang Golf Tour with Lijiang Ancient Lakefront Golf Course and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Golf Club
7 Days Kunming Lijiang Golf Vocation and Sightseeing Tour
10 Days Yunnan Golf and Sightseeing Tour

Students Education Tour

Our students education tour provides many chances for international students to interact with local people, stay with local people, visit local school, learn local culture and do voluntary work. And after some days interaction with local people, we take the students to do some exciting and interesting programs, such as hiking, cycling, and sightseeing. Our students education tours often end in Lijiang. The last night of the tour, we could arrange an unforgettable bonfire party and barbecue dinner for the students. The students can dance, sing and enjoy the last relaxed time in Lijiang.

7 Days Lijiang Education Tour for International School Students
8 Days Lijiang Students Education Tour
9 Days Yunnan Highlights Education Tour

Classic Tour

A Yunnan classic tour takes at least 7 days, during the tour, you will visit the highlights of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-la and discover the ethnic culture of Yi, Bai, Naxi and Tibetan. In these cities, you will visit Kunming Stone ForestDali Old TownLijiang Old TownLijiang Jade Dragon Snow MountainTiger Leaping Gorge, and Shangri-La Songzanlin Monastery, etc. All of them are famous attractions in Yunnan. During the classic tour, what you experience is varied and colorful. You will hike or climb a mountain, go cycling around a lake, stroll around a park or watch a show. More Attractions in the itineraries, please check the following tour packages:

8 Days Yunnan Classic Tour by High Speed Bullet Train
8 Days Yunnan Classic Tour by Flight
9 Days Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-La High Speed Train Tour
10 Days Yunnan Classic Tour With Xishuangbanna Tropical Forest
11 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Haba Snow Mountain (5396M) Climbing Adventure
11 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Holy Lugu Lake and Mosuo Matriarchal Society (Departure from Shangrila)

Dali-Lijiang Tour

Since the transportation between Dali and Lijiang is convenient, especially the high-speed train reduces the distance between them to 1 hour and 21 minutes. 1-2 days Dali-Lijiang tours are provided. This tour combines ancient history with modern tourist attractions, and the journey usually starts from Dali and ends in Lijiang. 

1 Day Dali to Lijiang Tour with Shaxi Old Town and Shibaoshan Mountain
1 Day Dali to Lijiang Tour
2 Days Shaxi Old Town and Shibaoshan Mountain Tour from Dali to Lijiang

Lijiang-Shangri-La Tour

A sightseeing tour between Lijiang and Shangrila usually includes the First Bend of the Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge. The first bend of Yangtze River, as its name denotes, is the spot where the south running river suddenly turns northward due to changes in the shape of the nearby mountain ranges which form a mammoth V shape at this spot. Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest gorges on earth with spectacular views. On these kinds of trips, you will enjoy the spectacular views along the road: First Bend of Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge, and also visit the popular attractions in Lijiang and Shangri-La: Lijiang Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Dukezong Old Town, Guishan Park, Napa Lake, Songzanlin Monastery and so on. According to your travel duration and requirements, attractions will increase or decrease accordingly. 

1 Day Lijiang to Shangri-la Tour with The First Bend of Yangtze River and Tiger Leaping Gorge
2 Days Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri-La Group Tour
9 Days Shangri-La and Lijiang Cycling Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking Adventure
9 Days Lijiang and Shangrila Adventure Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking and Haba Snow Mountain(5396M) Climbing
9 Days Shangri-La Circle Tour and Three Parallel Rivers Adventure (Depart from Lijiang)
10 Days Tiger Leaping Gorge Adventure and Meili Snow Mountain Pilgrimage Tour
10 Days Lijiang and Shangri-La Exploration Tour with Meili Snow Mountain and Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve
12 Days Lijiang and Shangri-La Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour with Haba Snow Mountain Climbing and Baoshan Stone Town

There are a lot of tour packages including Lijiang, we can’t list all of them at a time. Read more about Lijiang tour, contact us YunnanExploration by Email: contact@YunnanExploration.com or Telephone: +86-871-63511469. Our attentive consultants will arrange the tour packages you choose or customize a tour according to your need.

Travel Tips

Best Time to Visit Lijiang

Lijiang is suitable for traveling all year round. You can experience different scenery in four seasons. But, the best time to visit Lijiang is considered from April to October. July and August are in the rainy season. When you are planning a Lijiang tour, please try to avoid the Chinese legal holidays, especially Chinese Spring Festival(Late Jan. or early Feb.), Labor Day(May 1-3) and National Day(Oct. 1-7). Read More: Lijiang Climate

What to Eat in Lijiang

In addition to providing tourists with the best sceneries, food in Lijiang may also meet your expectations. Among the famous dishes in Lijiang, you are suggested to try the black goat hot pot, because black goat is one of the most common foods for the local people. Cured pork chop is also popular, and it is usually seen when eating hot pot. There are all kinds of fish dishes in Lijiang, maybe you can try the salmon fish, which may not be the same as you have eaten before. Read More: Lijiang Dining

Where to Stay in Lijiang

As a top tourist city, there’s no necessary to worry about the lodgingThere are a lot of inns and hotels in Lijiang with different standard. For the convenience of eating and sightseeing, most tourists will stay in Lijiang Ancient Town, like Sifang Street and Wuyi Street. And some travelers will stay in Shuhe Ancient Town, which is smaller but quieter than Lijiang Ancient Town. Hotels there has specific Naxi Style. Read More: Lijiang Accommodation

How to Get in Lijiang

Two popular ways to Lijiang: airplane and high-speed train.

1. By Flight

There is an airport in Lijiang, named Lijiang Sanyi International Airport. According to the comprehensive information of August 2017 on airport’s official website, the total number of navigation cities at Lijiang Sanyi International Airport is 59, among which 53 are domestic navigation cities, which cover the first tier cities and most of the provincial capitals. The remaining 6 cities are international navigation cities leading to Korea, Thailand, Singapore and Taiwan and Hong Kong area. There are 29 operating airlines. There are direct flights to Lijiang from some cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Chengdu, Guangzhou, etc. Read More: Lijiang Transportation

2. By High-speed Train

The high-speed train between Kunming and Lijiang has been put into operation on January 5, 2019. The new high-speed line, which has 10 stations, cut travel time from Kunming to Lijiang from more than 8 hours to 3 hours. The travel time from Dali to Lijiang is reduced to 1 hour 21 minutes. Read More: Lijiang Railway Station

Besides, taxi, bus and bicycle are available to get around the Lijiang City. 

Main Festivals

As one of the minority enclaves, Lijiang has some special festivals to celebrate due to its minority customs, including Bangbang Festival, Sanduo Festival, Dongba Fair, Torch Festival, July Festival, Zhuanshan(Mountain Circling) Festival and Lugu Lake Circling Festival. Moreover, the well-known Lijiang Folk Festival and Snow Mountain Festival is also held in Lijiang. Read More: Lijiang Festivals and Activities

Best Things to Do in Lijiang

1. Take a Walk in Ancient Tow

Lijiang Ancient Town, also known as Dayan Ancient Town, is one of the best preserved ancient towns in China. Influenced by Chinese traditional architectural style and Naxi culture, the ancient town is full of ancient Naxi customs. The ingenious architectural design art of the Lijiang ancient town makes it a perfect combination of natural beauty and artificial beauty. Lijiang ancient Town has colorful local customs and entertainment activities, Naxi ancient music, Dongba ceremony, divination culture, ancient town bars and Naxi torch festival, etc., unique and peculiar. And Lijiang Ancient Town embodies the achievements in the construction of ancient Chinese cities, and is one of the types with distinctive characteristics and styles in Chinese folk houses.

If you are interested in exploring local cultures in different ancient towns, you can also go to Shuhe Ancient Town, Baisha Old Town and Shigu Ancient Town.

2. Enjoy a Splendid View of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Located in Yulong Naxi Autonomous County, Lijiang City, Yunnan Province, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 15 kilometers north of the downtown, which has a highest altitude of 5596 meters and an area of 455 square kilometers. With thirteen perennial snow peak, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence the name. Featured by its magnificence, precipitousness, uniqueness and beauty, the scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain changes in accordance with seasons and weathers. It is a kingdom of plants and wild animals. For its beautiful snow-covered scenery, the best time to visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is November to March of the following year.

3. Cruise the Lugu Lake and Explore Mosuo Culture

Lugu Lake is surrounded by high and sublime mountains and is snowbound for over 3 months. Since the lake is rather deep, a definite regulating influence is exerted on the temperature of the lake shores. Therefore the surrounding mountains abound in forest resources which afford an exquisite beauty, much fresh air and charming scenery. At present it is one of the places in China which is least damaged by human efforts and best preserved in its natural features. Regardless of the pure blue water, dense forest and colorful flowers, this fairyland is also the mother lake of Mosuo people near Lugu Lake.  The rainy season runs from July to September. Pay attention to the road condition because it will be slippery.

4. Start Your Hiking Tour at Tiger Leaping Gorge

Tiger Leaping Gorge is spectacular and crown as the deepest gorge in the world. Foreign backpackers started hiking in the area in the 1980s and now Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour has been one of the most famous hiking tours all around the world. From the top of Tiger Leaping Gorge, you can look down the steeply angled (70-90 degrees) mountain sides to the rushing Jinsha River with its 18 frothing rapids more than 200 meters below. April to June and September to October are the best time for hiking.

5. Watch the Wonderful Show of Impression Lijiang

Impression Lijiang, with the specific Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as its natural background, shows the ancient Naxi culture, music and traditional legends. This charming outdoor show is an unparalleled work of art. 

● Chinese Name: 印象丽江
● Keywords: outdoor performance, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, ethic groups, folk songs and dances
● Location: Ganhaizi Meadow, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area, Lijiang, Yunnan, China
● Admission Fee: 190 RMB for adult ticket(standard-seat),  260 RMB for adults(VIP-seat)
● Director: Zhangyimou, Wangchaoge, Fanyue
● Performing Duration: an hour
● Open Time: 09:00-18:00(all the year round); Off Season: 13:30-14:30; Peak Season: 12:50-13:50.

Prepare for Lijiang Tour

What to Know

1. Know some basic information about Lijiang, Yunnan and China, which can help you understand the local culture well.

2. Learn some information about Naxi ethnic minorities in Lijiang in advance.

3. If you are interested, learn some basic Chinese words and phrases, which could help you communicate with the locals easily.

What to Take

1. Pay attention to keep warm in winter. Because of the relatively high altitude, the temperature difference is large between day and night in winter, it is suggested to bring the thick coat and windproof jacket. Except for winter, other seasons are usually warm. Remember to wear long sleeves and trousers, as well as bring a jacket in spring and autumn, add clothes according to the change of temperature. 

2. If you plan to climb the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, thick clothing like down jacket is needed.

3. Pay attention to sun protection. Due to the strong solar radiation in the daytime, sun cream, sun hat, sunglasses and other sunscreen products will be needed.

4. Do remember to take the umbrella and rain gear in the rainy season, especially in July and August.

5. Bring some medicines in case of emergency, like cold medication and and medicines for a stomachache.

6. Prepare moisturizer because the weather in Lijiang is dry.

7. Don’t forget your Chinese visa and passport.