Shangri-la Travel Guide

Overview
Shangri-la, which means "sun and moon in the heart" in Tibetan, is a tourist destination for countless tourists. In his novel «The lost horizon», James Hilton first depicts Shangri-La, a place of eternal peace and tranquility far away from the mountains and mountains of the East. Shangri-la is located in Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. It is the intersection of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. It is also the hinterland of the "Three Parallel Rivers" scenic spot. With a total area of 11613 square kilometers and a population of 174585 people, Shangri La is also a multi-ethnic gathering area and one of the cities with the largest area and the lowest population density in Yunnan Province. The main scenic spots include Pudacuo National Park, Dukezong ancient city, Songzanlin temple in Gadan and Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Shangri-la Travel Guide

Shangri-la Facts	Shangri-la Transportation
Shangri-la Culture	What eat in Shangri-la
Shangri-la Climate & Weather	Top things to do in Shangri-la
Shangri-la Festival & Events	Shangri-la Travel FAQS

Top Yunnan Shangri-la Tours

3 Days Shangri-la Highlights Discovery Tour

Highlight:Spend 3 Days to explore most of highlights in Shangri-la in Yunnan Province, you will enjoy the scenery of this earthly paradise, such as Songzanlin Lamasery, Nixi Pottery Village, Potatso National Park and other sightseeing places recommended by our tour guide. Get a private tour guide to show you the tourist places, learn about the buddhist culture there, take the chance to visit the local tibetan family and experience the real life in Shangri-la. We sure you will immerse yourself into the charming natural scenery as well as the colorful culture.

4 Days Shangri-la Highlights Tour with Meili Snow Mountain Excurison

Highlights:Immerse yourself into this 4 days Shangri-la tour that covers the best of Shangri-La, an earthly paradise with incredible scenery depicted in the famous novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton; It also includes a holy pilgrimage journey to Meili Snow Mountain. The most attractive part of this tour will be the amazing golden sunrise shining upon the snow-capped holy peaks that you should not miss it during your trip. More experience and highlighting attractions are designed into this Shangri-la tour itinerary!

7 Days Yunnan Soul Purification Tour with Kunming Lijiang and Shangri-la

Highlights:Yunnan Province is one of the most diverse and alluring destinations in China. During this 7 days Yunnan tour, you will experience the ancient towns, unsophisticated villages, fantastic world heritage sites and legendary Shangri-la; Magnificent scenery of Yunnan-Tibet Plateau, and colorful customs of ethnic minorities & authentic Tibetan culture. Starts and ends your tour in Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan and known as the "spring city" in China.

What to see in Shangri-la

Songzanlin Lamasery	Potatso National Park
Meili Snow Mountain	Mingyong Glacier Park

Frenquetly Asked Questions on Planing Shangri-la Tours

1. How to get from Lijiang to Shangri-La?
Lijiang is 108 kilometers away from Shangri La. If you have enough time and energy, you can choose to take a bus. Along the way, you can also enjoy the beautiful scenery of Lijiang ancient city and Tiger Leaping Gorge. Or rent a car, but the price will be more expensive.

2. Will there be altitude sickness in Shangri-La?
Yes, Shangri La belongs to plateau area, with an average altitude of 3500 meters. If you can't adapt to altitude sickness, you'd better not go there. When you traveling to Shangri-La, you must prepare some drugs to deal with high altitude reaction.

3. Is the Shangri-la worth to visit?
Shangri-la is a place worth visiting. If you love nature, photography and hiking, it is definitely the paradise you yearn for. Mysterious Tibetan religion, beautiful natural scenery, plateau, canyon, forest, grassland, there is always one place you will never forget.

4. Best time visit Shangri-la?
Generally speaking, all seasons are suitable for Shangri La tourism. In different seasons and different landscapes, Shangri La in spring is full of vitality. In summer, Shangri La is an excellent summer resort. In autumn, Shangri La is sunny and suitable for hiking. In winter, Shangri La is more mysterious.

5. Best place to visit in Shangri-La?
Haba snow mountain
Haba snow mountain is located in the southeast of Shangri-La. The main peak is 5396 meters above sea level, the lowest point is Jiangbian village, only 1550 meters, and the altitude difference is 3896 meters. More than 4000 meters above the reserve is a steep cliff, with a temperature difference of 22 from the foot of the mountain to the top of the mountain. 8??It is a nature reserve with glaciers, virgin forests, grasslands and streams as its main landscape.

Potatso National Park
Potatso National Park is located in Shangri-La County. The park was announced on June 25, 2007, and is notable as the first national park in China to meet International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. It incorporates the Bita Lake Nature Reserve and the Duhu Scenic Area in the Hongshan region. As such they are part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site.

Meili Snow Mountain
Meili Snow Mountain, also known as Prince snow mountain, located in Deqin County, Yunnan Province. There are 13 peaks with an average altitude of more than 6000 meters, which are called "Prince thirteen peaks". The main peak Kawagebo is 6740 meters high, which is the first peak in Yunnan. Meili Snow Mountain was called "the most beautiful mountain in the world" by American scholars in 1930s.

Songzanlin Lamasery
Songzanlin Lamasery is the largest Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan, built during the Qing Dynasty and established by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1679and also one of the 13 famous Lamaist monasteries in Tibetan regions. The lamasery is built on the slope. It extends from the foot to the top of a mountain, with an imposing and elegant shape. It takes the pattern of the Potala Palace in Lhasa and hence has another name “Small Potala Palace”.

Napa nature reserve
Napa nature reserve is one of the scenic spots with the most plateau characteristics in Shangri-La. Snow mountains, grasslands, cattle and sheep constitute the northern scenery of Southwest China.

Mingyong Glacier Park
Mingyong Glacier is located in the Yunnan Province, The glacier retreated 200 meters (656 feet) in four years. The region has also seen a rising tree line and these events are believed to be associated with global warming. The glacier is sacred to the local peoples. The glacier is fed by snows which fall on 6,740 m (22,107 ft) Mount Meili, also known as the Meili Snow Mountain. Glaciers in China's Tibetan region are melting at 7 percent annually. At 28.5 degrees north and an elevation of 2,700 meters (8,858 ft), the glacier is located at the lowest latitude and elevation of any glacier in China.

Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a scenic canyon on the Jinsha River, a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River. It is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site. At a maximum depth of approximately 3,790 meters (12,434 feet) from river to mountain peak, Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world. The inhabitants of the gorge are primarily the indigenous Naxi people, who live in a handful of small hamlets. Their primary subsistence comes from grain production and hikers.

6. How to get to Tiger Leaping Gorge from Shangri-la?
Tiger Leaping Gorge is about 96km away from the Shangri-la, you can take the bus or hire a taxi to go there, the bus price is 35 Yuan, and taxi fair is charge by meters.

7. What to pack before going to the Shangri-la?
1)Sunscreen cream (it is better to prepare a strong one)
2)Moisturizing skin care products
3)Snack (instant food, busicuit, bread or ship biscuit, ect)
4)Anti-carsickness pills (If you can not bear long-distance riding)
5)Suitable clothing (such as jacket for windbreak and rain-proof)
6)Sunglasses
7)Necessary common medicine
8)Personal toiletries

8. What to eat in Shangri-la?
It is convenient to find a restaurant in Shangrila. Tibetan food, western food, Sichuan food, South Korea food are available in Shangri-la. Walking around the ancient town, you could also find good restaurants, bakery, cofe and bars.

9. Where to stay in Shangri-la?
There are a variety of inns in the ancient town and all kinds of hotels outside the ancient town. The comfortable deluxe hotel in Shangri-la as below.

1)Songtsam Hotel: 4-5 star hotel, just beside Songzanlin Monastery. It is a Tibetan style hotel.
2)Paradise Hotel: 4-5 star hotel, in the downtown. It is convenient
3)Banyan Tree Ringha: Luxury Hotel, but a bit far from downtown.

10. Do you provides Shangri-la Tour?
Yes, we provide Shangri-la tour. If you book the tour service with us, you can enjoy the private & comfortable vehicle with the Shangri-la hotel or airport pick up, drop off service. For more details about Shangri-la tour, E:[email protected]