8 Days Dali - Lijiang - Shangri-La
From US$1,655 US$1,477
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Over 8 days, 8-Day Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La Tour links Arrival in Dali with Shangri-La Departure, taking in Dali Old Town and Three Pagodas, Erhai Lake Lakeshore Visit, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-La Discovery along the way. Meet your private guide, transfer to the hotel and take a gentle first walk through Dali Old Town. Dali’s basin is close to 2,000 metres; the old town and Three Pagodas are easy walking, while the Erhai shore and Xizhou lanes add a longer 4–8 kilometre section by vehicle and on foot. Keep the morning easy at altitude, then transfer privately to Shangri-La airport or railway station for the onward journey. Warm up with Tibetan butter tea, yak yoghurt or a barley noodle dish, and leave a few minutes at the prayer wheels to learn the local custom before photographing the monastery roofs. The route is best suited to travelers who prefer a private guide, a named set of sights and time for a proper meal in each place, with the daily emphasis on a focused private journey with a balanced daily rhythm. Altitude, road access and mountain weather are reviewed locally, and a walk can be shortened when conditions change.
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Daily itinerary: Arrival in Dali → Dali Old Town and Three Pagodas → Erhai Lake Lakeshore Visit → Dali to Lijiang → Jade Dragon Snow Mountain → Tiger Leaping Gorge → Shangri-La Discovery → Shangri-La Departure.
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The Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La route moves on to Dali Old Town & Three Pagodas, while Tiger Leaping Gorge has its own later place in the plan. Meet your private guide, transfer to the hotel and take a gentle first walk through Dali Old Town. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a separate later stop on Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La: Travel through the upper Yangtze valley and stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing into the Tibetan highlands.
Explore historic lanes, city gates and the Three Pagodas, with time for a local café or market stop. The order of Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La links Dali Old Town & Three Pagodas with a later Erhai Lake Scenic Route visit and a distinct stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge. Later in Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La, Tiger Leaping Gorge brings a different activity: Travel through the upper Yangtze valley and stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing into the Tibetan highlands.
Travel the lake shore through Xizhou and Shuanglang, stopping at Bai villages and panoramic waterside viewpoints. In Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La, Erhai Lake Scenic Route comes before Dali to Lijiang; the separate Tiger Leaping Gorge visit adds a second point of reference. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a separate later stop on Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La: Travel through the upper Yangtze valley and stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing into the Tibetan highlands.
Continue north to Lijiang and begin exploring its UNESCO-listed old town and Black Dragon Pool. In Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La, Dali to Lijiang comes before Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; the separate Tiger Leaping Gorge visit adds a second point of reference. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a separate later stop on Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La: Travel through the upper Yangtze valley and stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing into the Tibetan highlands.
Visit the mountain scenic area, Blue Moon Valley and a Naxi village beneath the snow peaks. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain sits between Dali to Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge in the Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La sequence. Later in Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La, Tiger Leaping Gorge brings a different activity: Travel through the upper Yangtze valley and stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing into the Tibetan highlands.
Travel through the upper Yangtze valley and stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge before continuing into the Tibetan highlands. Tiger Leaping Gorge sits between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Shangri-La Discovery in the Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La sequence. Later in Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La, Shangri-La Discovery brings a different activity: Visit Songzanlin Monastery and Dukezong Ancient Town with time to adjust comfortably to the altitude.
Visit Songzanlin Monastery and Dukezong Ancient Town with time to adjust comfortably to the altitude after Tiger Leaping Gorge; Shangri-La Departure follows on the next day. At Shangri-La Discovery on Day 7, This Shangri-La experience balances Tibetan cultural heritage with highland scenery, while keeping the pace appropriate for the altitude. On Day 7 at Shangri-La Discovery, songzanlin stands above Shangri-La at roughly 3,300 metres; the visit includes monastery courtyards, painted halls and stairways where butter tea makes a welcome warm break. At Shangri-La Discovery, allow time to explore the principal sight and its immediate surroundings on foot, with the guide confirming the best entrance and current opening hours.
Keep the morning easy at altitude, then transfer privately to Shangri-La airport or railway station for the onward journey. The route reaches Shangri-La Departure after its named Shangri-La Discovery visit on Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La. Earlier on Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La, the Shangri-La Discovery stop has its own activity: Visit Songzanlin Monastery and Dukezong Ancient Town with time to adjust comfortably to the altitude.
Three days suits first-time visitors; five or more days allows Shaxi, Shibaoshan or a relaxed lakeside pace. Final train or flight times should be confirmed before fixing the last day; when timings change, sightseeing is shortened instead of adding an unrealistic transfer.
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy.
Only places used by this itinerary are shown below. The final hotel list follows confirmed transport, season and room availability; upgrades and room preferences can be customized.
The planned route starts around Dali and finishes around Shangri-La. Exact airport, railway-station or hotel transfers are matched to your confirmed arrival and onward tickets.
Yes. The published day order is a workable starting point, not a fixed group schedule. We can change hotel level, walking time, special interests and selected stops while protecting the route logic.
Your local team checks current access before travel. Outdoor sections may move within the itinerary, and mountain or canyon routes can be shortened or replaced when conditions make the original plan unsafe.
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