8 Days Adventuresome China Tour with Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking

Welcome to Beijing! Upon arrival, you will be met by your local guide and driver, and then transferred to the hotel. Depending on your arrival time, you may explore the nearby areas if you want. Or just have a relaxing time after a long flight.

Meal: B

Altitude: 5m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shanghai

Shanghai is considered as the most developed metropolis in China. Many people know China from this city as it represents for fashion and enthusiasm.

We will have a day tour start with exploring Shanghai Museum as museum usually is the best place to get to know the past and present of a city in a short time. It is one of the Best Four Museums, with thousands of world-standard precious historic relics in exhibition, dating from over 5,000 years ago to now.

The next stop is not far from the museum, which is a typical Chinese garden with Jiangnan style. It is hidden among high buildings, just like a oasis in the desert. This design highly meets the idea of Confucians, who believe that, the “lesser hermit” lives in seclusion in the country, while the “greater hermit” does so in the city. Beautiful designs are everywhere. Jagged pavilions with exquisite decorations, glittering pools with roving fishes… outside the garden is the Yuyuan Bazaar, where is full of wonderful food stalls and traditional Chinese handicrafts’ shops.

Let’s then go back from the man-made garden to the man-made building — Shanghai World Financial Center with a more interesting nick name — “the Eye of Shanghai”. Here you will easily get a super-excellent panoramic view of the whole face of Shanghai.

Then walk into the modern Shanghai, we will visit another very popular landmark of Shanghai — Nanjing Road. It is a shopping paradise where you can buy almost any latest product of any international brand.

Later in the day, end up your tour today with strolling along the Bund, which originally is a towpath for transporting goods. Nowadays, it has become a busy trading district and you will see and feel the unique scenery of fusion of Chinese and Western cultures in this place.

Recommended optional activities: 1. Acrobatic show performed between 19:30 to 21:00. 2. Enjoying the night scene of Huangpu River in a cozy cruise (about 50 minutes)

Meal: B

Altitude: 5m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shanghai

After enjoying your breakfast at hotel, we will leave for the Jade Buddha Temple where houses the largest jade Buddha in the world. You will also see numerous ancient statues, Buddhist artifacts and scriptures. Just like Yuyuan, this is a place to provide you some spaces to relax and do some thinking in the busy city.

No far from the Jade Buddha Temple is our last stop — Tianzifang, where gathered plenty of “hidden” surprises. In the renovated traditional residential area, you will feel the dense SOHO style life flavor with ubiquitous cafe, salon, workshop and bar. Stroll along the old alleys, appreciate the Shikumen architecture, and enjoy your last relaxing hours in this tour in an open-air cafe like the local Shanghai people.

In the afternoon, we’ll take a flight from Shanghai to beautiful Lijiang. 

Meal: B

Altitude: 2466m

Traffic: Car, Plane

Hotel: In Lijiang

After breakfast, drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, take 25 minutes’ cableway to Glacier Park, you will see the vegetations changes with ascending altitude. Walk along the plank road to reach 4680m and appreciate the fairyland with ice and snow.

Then, take cableway down, drive to visit Blue Moon Valley with turquoise-colored water.  On sunny days, the water is blue, and the valley is crescent shaped. From a distance, it looks like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, so it is called Blue Moon Valley. And because the mud at the bottom of the lake is white, and the water turns white when it rains, so it is also called the White Water River. In Addition, we can also explore Ganhaizi, has a carpet of grass that leads from the base of Yulong Snow Mountain in the west to the distant horizon. It’s an ideal place for viewing and photographing. Afterwards, drive back to Lijiang for rest.

Meal: B

Altitude: 2466m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Lijiang

In the morning, we’ll pay a visit to the awesome Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is located 105 kilometers south of Zhongdian County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters, divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyon in the world and a part of UNESCO World Heritage Site called Three Parallel of Yunnan Protected Areas. For the rest of the day, you will trek this great gorge along its Upper Trekking Route, one of the top 10 classic hiking trails in the world that famed among worldwide backpackers.

This trekking starts from paths near Naxi Family Guesthouse. In the end, you’ll pass by the amazing 24 Bends, which looks extremely spectacular and you can have a panoramic view on the top of the gorge. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters. Here you will also have an opportunity to Haba Snow Mountain viewpoint and have an incredible view. Standing on the highest point of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, you can not only admire the breathtaking natural scenery, but also take some nice shots with your friends or family.

Afterwards, we’ll drive back to Lijiang for overnight stay. Have a good rest.

Meal: B

Altitude: 3459m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Lijiang

Another wonderful day! Continue our tour to Lashihai, located 10 kilometers west of Lijiang City. It is a marvelous grassland with beautiful scenery. The water is very clear, and it is a wonderful place to visit in the spring and summer around Lijiang. Next we will have an exploration to Secret Dongba, There are plateau pastures, secret flower valleys, forest songs, and traditional villages in Naxi. It is a combination of natural scenery sightseeing, ethnic customs experience, and outdoor entertainment.

Then drive to visit the Guanyin Gorge, a strategic passage on the Tea Horse Road. Here you can see the unique geological shape of the gorge and sit in a wooden house on Tea Horse Road, sipping on a cup of Pu’er tea. In addition to the gorges, there are forests, lakes, and waterfalls, and the natural scenery is amazing!. In addition, there are quaint Naxi villages, religious temples, and other cultural landscapes.

Afterwards, we’ll ddive from Lijiang to Shangri-La.

Meal: B

Altitude: 3459m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shangri-La

Today we will drive all the way from Lijiang to Shangri-La. First we will pay a  visit Songzanlin Monastery, in which tranquillity prevails, as its 700 monks and acolytes (often beginning their training at the age of five) go about their daily lives – just as they have done for more than three centuries. The lamasery’s murals are one of its highlights – resplendently colourful depictions of the life Buddha, the guardian deities of Buddhism and the wheel of life, painted by distinguished lamas past and present. Today you will also have an opportunity to visit a local Tibetan family.

Then travel to the Dukezong Ancient Town, is an ancient Tibetan town with a history of more than 1,300 years. Dukezong Ancient Town is built on the mountain foot and the road surface was paved with slate from the ceaseless up-and-down undulations of paved roads, you can still find the faint imprints of horseshoes , which is the token left by the long-time horses and precious token from the ancient caravans since the town is the last stop of Old Tea – Horse Road.

On the road, you will pay a visit to Jinsha River, The Jinsha River is the upper reaches of the Yangtze River in China. It is named after the yellow soil in the river. It is also known as rope water, flooded water, and sputum water.

Meal: B

Altitude: 3459m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Shangri-La

In the afternoon, our unforgettable China adventure tour comes to the end. You will be transferred to the airport for your flight. Hope to see you again soon in China!

Meal: B

Altitude: 3459m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: No