Classic Trekking | 3-Day Lijiang Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking Tour

Welcome to Lijiang. Our guide will meet you at the arrival hall of the airport/train station and escort you to the hotel for check-in. After a short rest, head to Lijiang Old Town. [Lijiang Old Town] is a World Cultural Heritage site with a history of more than 800 years and was once an important town on the Tea Horse Road. First, you will visit [Mu Mansion], known as the "Forbidden City of the South," to learn about local Naxi culture and the rise and fall of the Mu family, and walk to the best viewing point to enjoy the magnificent panoramic view of the old town with the snow mountain as a backdrop. Afterward, you can walk to [Sifang Street] to explore Naxi handicrafts and local specialties. Finally, if time permits, you can go to [Black Dragon Pool Park] in the north of Lijiang Old Town to enjoy the beautiful surrounding scenery and the magnificent view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reflected on the water. How to Get There 1. By Air: Lijiang Sanyi International Airport (LJG) has many direct routes, such as Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Xi'an, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Changsha, Wuhan, etc. 2. By Train: You can take the high-speed rail directly to Lijiang Station from cities in Yunnan such as Kunming (3.5-4 hours), Dali (2-2.5 hours), and Shangri-La (1-1.5 hours), or take the high-speed rail directly to Lijiang from Guilin (11.26 hours). 3. Lijiang Old Town: Lijiang Airport is about 28 km from Lijiang Old Town, about a 45-minute drive; Lijiang Railway Station is about 10 km from the old town, about a 26-minute drive. Nighttime Activity Suggestions 1. Best places to photograph the night view of Lijiang Old Town: Xianwen Lane, Zhenxing Lane, Nanmen Bridge, Fengling Street, and Sakura Restaurant, etc. 2. Best places to experience nightlife, bars, and night markets: Sifang Street (Naxi bonfire party after 7 p.m.), Wuyi Street, Xinhua Street, Zhongyi Market, etc.

This morning, you will first go to the magnificent 【First Bend of the Yangtze River】, admire the rare V-shaped turn formed by the majestic Yangtze River being blocked by the mountain terrain, and climb up to the viewing platform to overlook the spectacular panorama of the more than 100-degree great bend. Then arrive at Shigu Town to closely admire the grand view of the First Bend of the Yangtze River and see the historic iron-chain bridge. Afterwards, continue onward to 【Tiger Leaping Gorge】 and begin your Tiger Leaping Gorge hiking trip. First, you will set off from Naxi Family Guesthouse (the starting point of the hike) and feel the thrilling drop and beautiful rock walls on the cliffside path of Tiger Leaping Gorge. When sunlight shines into the gorge, the water surface at the more than ten-meter-wide gorge mouth glimmers, the river below the gorge turns white with waves due to the drop, and above the gorge are sunlit cliffs and blue sky with white clouds. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful and amazing. Then come to the most precipitous section of this hiking journey, the 28 Bends. Hike along the winding path on the cliff and reach the highest point (about 2,670 meters above sea level) to overlook the magnificent surrounding scenery. After hiking for another 2~3 hours, arrive at the endpoint of this hike, 【Halfway Guesthouse】. On the roof of Halfway Guesthouse there is a broad platform. After dinner, you can quietly enjoy the magnificent scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and overlook the panoramic view of Ben Di Wan Village.

Today, we will continue yesterday's hike. First, we will wind our way down along a path carved out of the cliff, enjoying the stunning scenery and embracing small waterfalls, until we reach Tian's Youth Hostel on the main road, then hike to Teacher Zhang's Family Guesthouse. After that, we will hike along Teacher Zhang's Trail, a path carved out by Teacher Zhang's family themselves, which has gradually become a calling card of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Starting from Teacher Zhang's house, we head straight down to the bottom of the gorge [Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge], to experience the majestic, churning Jinsha River up close. At Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, there are two ways to return to the highway: one is to go back along the Sky Ladder, which is fairly treacherous and requires an almost vertical climb; the other is to take the easier One-Line Sky back to the highway. We generally recommend choosing the One-Line Sky, and along the way you can also visit [Walnut Garden]. Walnut Garden is a small village located between Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge, almost cut off from the outside world and still retaining its most pristine appearance. After the tour ends, you will be driven back to Lijiang, concluding this thrilling Tiger Leaping Gorge hiking trip. If you wish to extend your trip and explore other distinctive attractions in Yunnan, such as Kunming, Dali, Shangri-La, Xishuangbanna, etc., you can also contact our website's customer service to arrange it for you.