Experience the tranquil season in Lijiang Shangri-La for 5 days and 4 nights in December

Number of days：5 days
Time: December
Average cost: 7,000 yuan
With whom：parents and children
Tour kinds：Humanities, Free Travel
Updated: 2023.12.25

Day 1: Fly to Lijiang

The flight from Shanghai to Lijiang takes 4 hours. Below: A bird's-eye view of the beautiful mountains and rivers of China

In the afternoon, explore Lijiang Old Town. Winter is the off-season, so the old town seems a bit deserted and less crowded, making it a great place for photos.

Tips:

Purchase your tickets for the next day's Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Glacier Park Cableway at 8 PM on the Lijiang Tourism Group official account. It's recommended to enter your personal information (including facial recognition) in advance, as tickets will be sold out within 10 minutes.

Day 2 Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Taking a taxi from the ancient city to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is very convenient.

Get in line 15 minutes early for your scheduled cableway time (if you're too early, you won't be allowed in and will have to queue again). We booked the 1:30 PM cableway, but it was already past 4 PM when we descended. The cableway climb was over 4,500 meters, which was a real test of our stamina. The staircase from 4,600 to 4,680 meters is the most challenging to climb (I didn't even have the energy to take photos). I needed oxygen after every few steps, making the climb a sheer test of willpower and strength. At 4,680 meters, the wind was so strong it could blow you away, and even a thick down jacket felt flimsy. For hiking, hats, gloves, sunglasses, high-calorie snacks, and oxygen bottles are essential. I used two bottles in total. After descending, I decided to visit two other attractions or return to the ancient city, depending on my stamina. There were plenty of ride-hailing taxis waiting for passengers back to the city near the scenic area bus stop.

Day 3: Tiger Leaping Gorge, White Water Terrace, Shangri-La

If you're going directly to Shangri-La, you can take the high-speed rail.

We wanted to visit Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge and White Water Terrace along the way, so we chartered a car to Shangri-La on a friend's recommendation. The experience was worth it. The local roads are dangerous, with numerous 180-degree turns and rockfall. It snowed a week before our arrival, and the snow on the Yinshan Mountains had turned to ice on the road. The chartered car driver, a Lijiang native, nearly skidded several times. Drivers on the road were courteous and slowed down when passing other vehicles, even giving oncoming drivers a heads-up. Such a kind person. The picture below was taken at the Wild Observation Deck on the way from Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Tiger Leaping Gorge is worth a visit whether it's dry season or summer. It's stunning!

If you're not stamina for altitude sickness, you can take the elevator.

I don't recommend visiting Baishuitai during the dry season. Save your energy for Shangri-La!

We stayed at the Indigo Resort, and the view of Dukezong Ancient Town from our room was stunning.

Day 4: Pudacuo National Park, Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery, and Napahai Lake.

Pudacuo has two lakes: Shudu Lake and Bitahai Lake. We only visited Shudu Lake (they said the scenery is similar). The plank road around the lake is 3.3 kilometers long, and walking around the plateau is quite tiring. The scenery is stunning and well worth the price of admission.

Ganden Songzanlin Monastery has over 100 steps, making it daunting for those with severe altitude sickness. We took a look at Napa Lake from a distance on the way to the lake.

Napa Lake: With a chartered car, you can rest and take photos while riding the bus. It's very relaxing and comfortable. I saw some people renting electric bikes and driving them themselves.

Even with this, I still managed over 14,000 steps a day. By the time I got back to the hotel, my heart rate was stuck at 110-120, so I had to rest. I used three bottles of oxygen a day. Remember, oxygen is for prevention; don't wait until you feel dizzy or vomit before using it! Day 5: Dukezong Ancient Town. Our plan was to explore the ancient town and see the world's largest prayer wheel. I thought a night's rest would help me regain my strength, but during breakfast at the hotel, my smartwatch heart monitor went off again. I could only admire it from afar! The high-speed train from Shangri-La to Lijiang took 1 hour and 20 minutes. We were able to try out the newly opened high-speed rail service, which opened on November 26, 2023.