Self-driving tour to Shangri-La to see the beautiful scenery of the south of the colorful clouds

Number of days：6 days
Time: July
Average cost: 4100 yuan
With whom: and friends
Updated: 2022.07.31

For me, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La are all truly beautiful places, worthy of being called "South of the Colorful Clouds." The weather wasn't great this time in Shangri-La, with frequent rain. However, being able to see Shangri-La in the rain was a great opportunity for me.

About Transportation:

Before our trip, we booked a car from ehi. Upon landing in Shangri-La, we went to pick up the car. For the next few days, we rented a car and drove the entire trip.

We were four friends, and a five-seater car was plenty for four people. The roads in Shangri-La are actually quite good, but the distances between attractions are relatively far. That's why I recommend renting a car and driving.

About Accommodation:

While there are many hotels in Shangri-La, I still recommend choosing a B&B. There are so many B&Bs here, and they're all very stylish. Everyone's really going to great lengths to attract guests. Every inn is beautifully decorated, with blooming flowers and growing green grass, as if nature has been brought right into the inn.

Of course, if you want a better environment and service, you'll have to stay in a hotel.

Day 1: Hiking in Tiger Leaping Gorge

Our first stop was Tiger Leaping Gorge. For me, this is the meaning of travel. Seeing the country's natural landscape, climbing mountains, and gazing at the sea—that's a kind of relaxation.

The terrain at Tiger Leaping Gorge is so precipitous that the Yangtze River can flow through it and into the Chinese sea—it really speaks to its might.

The Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge is relatively easy to navigate. This area has been developed. Hiking is possible, but we opted for the elevator tickets. This just goes to show how lazy people really are. Take a look! This is Tiger Leaping Gorge. Once you get here, you can feel the surging river. As someone with a serious fear of water, I'm particularly terrified of scenes like this. Even so, I stood there and took a few photos with all my might.

My husband was searching for angles. But the best angle for photographing the river was already taken, right where there's a peach blossom. Note, this peach blossom is fake. I think the scenic area administrators really need to improve their aesthetic taste.

Then, I saw a roaring tiger. If I hadn't known this was Tiger Leaping Gorge, I would have mistaken it for a leopard. It's so uninspired. Our first stop was the guesthouse. The decor was incredibly grand. However, it was a bit different from what you'd find inland. This place has a more Tibetan style. And the mural in the hotel lobby is a giant peacock screen. It's truly exotic, everyone.

Seeing this kind of decor, you're absolutely head over heels in love. Furthermore, the service at this B&B is amazing.

While there are dining options within the B&B, we ultimately opted to eat out. Let's focus on our meal; it was absolutely amazing. Shangri-La's specialty cuisine is simply insatiable.

The food here is very rich. The butter tea we had was delicious. When drinking butter tea, you must add highland barley flour. Both of these foods are high in calories. If you are very hungry, a cup of butter tea will definitely make you feel much better.

There are also a lot of mushrooms around here. They can be stir-fried, steamed, and prepared in various ways. Not to mention the dishes, they are delicious.

After that, we went to Napahai. This is a seasonal lake on the plateau. In other words, in the summer, because it is mostly rainy, a lake will form, and it may even flood the road. But in the dry spring, autumn, and winter, the lake is much smaller. It looks like a continuous grassland.

When you arrive at Napahai Grassland, you’ll see many people riding horses. There are many places to ride horses, but I still recommend choosing relatively official attractions. Yila Grassland Park is one of them. For horseback riding, you can choose from three routes, representing distance, medium distance, and near distance. The horses here are quite plump and beautiful. The horses are generally well-behaved, but please be mindful of safety. If anything unexpected happens, be sure to call the groom immediately. It's peak tourist season, so there aren't many people riding. Fortunately, we're on the grassland, so the horses can graze at any time. It's quite comfortable. We had dinner at a random restaurant. We were exhausted from driving and walking all day, so we went to bed early. Incidentally, we also had fried bamboo worms here. I had to mentally prepare myself before eating them, and I only managed three or four bites.

Day 2: A temple-based journey

Then we checked out Songzanlin Temple. Songzanlin Temple is another iconic attraction in Shangri-La. I'm not particularly fond of temples, so I just wandered around. Then we headed to the Alpine Botanical Garden. The Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden is a must-see. It is located at the northernmost tip of Napa Lake. Because it's high in the mountains, it's filled with all kinds of alpine plants we've never seen before. The flowers are blooming beautifully. I've always loved flowers, and seeing all sorts of colorful flowers makes me want to take some photos.

When we arrived at the Alpine Botanical Garden, we first entered the main exhibition hall. I don't know if it was because of the pandemic, but there weren't many people here. Then we went to the Baicao Garden. This is where the variety of plants is abundant.

Of course, in addition to plants, there are also quite a few weeds here. Although the current alpine botanical garden does not look very attractive, it is still a very pristine place.

Although the current alpine botanical garden does not look very attractive, it is still a very pristine place. Therefore, many experts regularly come here to conduct research.

After leaving the botanical garden, we immediately went to the Colorful Snow Tibetan Restaurant. This was our first time dining there. We ordered about five or six dishes, and surprisingly, every one was delicious, with absolutely no disappointments.

I personally think this was absolutely the best restaurant of the entire trip. The braised beef here is also the best I've ever had. It's incredibly delicious. After dinner, we continued on to the ancient city. We had a photoshoot that afternoon. Afterwards we went out for a western meal. After coming to Shangri-La, eating Western food always feels a bit off. However, the food in this Western restaurant is really good. It's my favorite flavor. The grilled steak is so tender, I just love it.

After dinner, before it got dark, we walked around Dukezong Ancient Town to greet the charming sunset.