First Impression Yunnan Dali & Lijiang & Shangri-La 5/7-Day Tour

The best reason to take this tour is the range: in five days, you travel from Lijiang’s old-town region through Shaxi and Dali to the high country around Shangri-La. Along the way, you get a caravan-themed meal, a taste of Dali’s three-course tea, time to cycle by Erhai Lake, and stops at Tiger Leaping Gorge, Pudacuo and Songzanlin Monastery.

I like the small-group format, which pairs a driver-guide with a vehicle sized for two to seven people, and the mix of local experiences and big scenery, rather than a string of photo stops. The trade-off is a brisk schedule with long drives and a day at altitude, so you may prefer the seven-day option if you want more breathing room.

The tour at a glance

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• Five days, or seven: Package A makes a loop from Lijiang; Package B adds two days and a night at Lugu Lake.
• A small vehicle, not a large coach: Groups of two or three use a five-seat car, four or five use a seven-seat vehicle, and six or seven use a nine-seat vehicle.
• Selected meals and admissions are covered: Package A includes four breakfasts, one lunch, several listed attraction tickets, and the Erhai bicycle rental.
• Two cultural stops add local context: Visit Shaxi’s Caravan Museum and try Fengyangyi’s three-course tea.
• The route climbs to high elevation: Shangri-La and Pudacuo are high-plateau stops, and one past participant reported trouble sleeping and physical discomfort.
• Hotels are included, but the exact property can vary: Standard and upgraded references are named for several nights, with oxygen-supplied room options listed for some Shangri-La upgrades.

👉 See our pick of the 25 Best Tours In Lijiang

From Lijiang toward the old caravan routes

Day one is deliberately light on sightseeing. The tour collects you at your Lijiang hotel, with airport or train-station pickup available for groups of two or more when arranged in advance. The schedule allows pickup from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., and you have free time in central Lijiang before staying at one of several reference hotels.

That first day is useful for settling in, but it is not a guided tour of Lijiang’s sights. If you arrive early, you can make your own plans in town. If you arrive late, the pickup window is broad, but you should still send your arrival details at least two days ahead.

On day two, the road heads to Shaxi Ancient Town, a former stop on the horse-caravan trade routes. You have about three hours there, with time to explore on your own. The included Caravan Museum explanation and the Horse Caravan Feast give the visit a theme beyond old streets and architecture: you get a sense of how people, goods and food moved through this part of Yunnan.

The meal is included at lunch. Dinner in Dali is not, so budget for it separately. The tour then drives on to Dali and Fengyangyi for the three-course tea experience. Its sequence of sweet, sour, bitter and spicy flavors makes this more than a quick drink stop, and it offers a small but memorable introduction to a local custom.

You stay in Dali that night. The hotel references range from standard properties to an upgrade selection, but the precise property depends on the arrangements for your departure. If hotel location matters to you, confirm the assigned hotel before you set your own plans around the evening.

Erhai cycling, then Tiger Leaping Gorge

Day three starts with breakfast at the hotel and an hour of self-guided cycling along the Haixi section of Erhai Lake’s ecological corridor. The bicycle rental is included. An hour is enough for a taste of the shoreline at a slower pace, but not a full circuit of Erhai, so think of this as a short activity rather than a day-long bike ride.

Next comes the drive toward Tiger Leaping Gorge, followed by about an hour at the scenic area. The ticket is included, but the escalator is not. That distinction matters if you are considering the paid escalator rather than walking the route available to you. The visit is a brief stop, not a full trek through the gorge.

The night is spent near Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, at a reference homestay or inn. This is one of the route’s more appealing choices: instead of returning to a city after the gorge, you sleep in the area and continue from there the next morning. Some of the named stays are described as gorge-view properties, though the exact room and view are not guaranteed.

Dinner is on your own. You can arrange to share food costs with other group members, but do not count on a group dinner being included.

Baishuitai, Pudacuo and a high-altitude night

Day four is the most demanding part of the five-day route. From the gorge area, you drive to Baishuitai, with about an hour and a half for a self-guided visit, then continue toward Pudacuo National Park. The schedule allots roughly two hours at Pudacuo, including its shuttle bus. Admission and the shuttle are included.

Pudacuo is a major natural stop, but the time available is short for a large park. You will want to keep an eye on the group’s timing rather than assume you can explore at your own pace all afternoon. The schedule can change with traffic and weather, and the operator notes that attractions may be skipped if conditions or capacity require it.

The day ends in Shangri-La, with free time in Dukezong Ancient City. The reference hotels include standard options without oxygen supply and upgraded options with oxygen-supply rooms. If you are concerned about the altitude, check which room category is included in your selected package rather than assuming an oxygen-supplied room comes as standard.

High elevation is a real consideration, not just a line in the itinerary. A past participant reported physical discomfort and poor sleep during the early days at altitude. I would avoid packing this trip with strenuous plans before or after the tour, and I would be realistic about how you feel as the route climbs.

Songzanlin Monastery and the return to Lijiang

Day five brings a visit to Songzanlin Monastery, a major Tibetan Buddhist monastery in the Shangri-La area. The entry ticket and shuttle bus are included. The schedule gives the visit about three hours, but the operator cautions that some attractions may be cut because of weather or capacity, so do not treat every minute as guaranteed.

After the monastery, the drive back to Lijiang takes about three and a half hours. The group is expected to arrive in the city around 5 p.m., near Lantian Hotel and the airport shuttle’s starting point. If you are leaving that evening, allow a cushion: the stated guidance is to book trains after 6 p.m. and flights after 7:30 p.m.

This is a practical ending, but not a relaxed one. A delayed road journey could make a tight onward connection stressful. If your departure is fixed, a night in Lijiang after the tour is the safer choice.

Is Lugu Lake worth two extra days?

Package B follows the same first five days, then adds a Lugu Lake extension. On day six, you drive from Lijiang to the lake, attend a Mosuo lecture and join a bonfire party. Day seven includes a pig-trough boat ride to Liwubi Island and a circuit around the lake before the return to Lijiang.

The extra time changes the feel of the trip. Package A is a fast sampler of Northwest Yunnan’s main stops; Package B gives you a separate two-day chapter at Lugu Lake, with time for a cultural introduction and a boat outing. If Lugu Lake is high on your list, adding the days is more sensible than trying to squeeze it into an already full five-day loop.

The supplied inclusions are most detailed for Package A, so check the exact hotel, meal and ticket coverage for Package B before paying. Do not assume that every inclusion listed for the five-day package automatically applies in the same way to the extension.

What the vehicle, hotels and price mean in practice

This is a small-group road tour, with vehicle size matched to the number of people: a five-seat car for two or three, a seven-seat vehicle for four or five, and a nine-seat vehicle for six or seven. Each person can bring one suitcase up to 24 inches. That is a firm packing limit for a multi-stop trip, so a large hard-shell case may be more trouble than it is worth.

A driver and guide accompany the trip, but the service does not include professional commentary. You should expect practical help with the route and day-to-day arrangements, not a detailed lecture at every stop. Past departures have included staff named Cola and A Fan, while Yi’an has handled coordination. These are examples of people associated with previous trips, not a promise about who will lead yours.

The hotels and assistance can make this style of travel easier than arranging every transfer yourself. One past participant particularly valued a driver who helped with check-in and luggage, sent the next day’s plan in writing and adjusted the schedule when circumstances changed. That kind of flexibility is useful on a route where road time and weather can affect the day, but it depends on the staff assigned.

The listed starting prices differ: the package options give $401.55 for the five-day standard stay and $581.35 for the seven-day version, while the summary price states $461.79. Treat these as starting figures, not a firm quote. Check the price for your dates and selected package, then compare it with the cost of arranging hotels, transport and admissions yourself.

For Package A, the included value is substantial: four hotel nights, four breakfasts, one lunch, transport, listed admissions, the tea experience, the museum explanation and bicycle rental. You still pay for most lunches and dinners, any single-room supplement, the Tiger Leaping Gorge escalator if you choose it, and applicable child tickets. A child package does not include a bed or most attraction tickets, and children must be at least five to take part.

Who should book this route?

I would choose this tour if you want to cover several parts of Northwest Yunnan without managing a chain of hotel bookings and road transfers yourself. It suits people who like varied days, can manage long drives, and are comfortable with a compact group and some time on their own at sights.

Pick the five-day version if your priority is Shaxi, Dali, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La, and you have limited time. Choose seven days if Lugu Lake is a key reason for coming to Yunnan or you would rather add a slower two-day stop than return to Lijiang after five busy days.

Skip it, or plan extra nights around it, if you need a leisurely pace, require guaranteed sightseeing time at every stop, or are uneasy about altitude and back-to-back road days. The route’s strength is its variety and the logistics it handles for you. Its cost is a full schedule, with limited control over how long you spend at each place.

FAQ

Where does the tour start and finish?

The tour starts in Lijiang, with hotel pickup. Airport or train-station pickup can be arranged for groups of two or more. Package A returns to Lijiang city center at around 5 p.m.

How long are the two package options?

Package A lasts five days. Package B lasts seven days and adds two days and one night at Lugu Lake.

What is included in the five-day package?

Package A includes four hotel nights, four breakfasts, one lunch on day two, transport, selected attraction admissions and shuttle buses, the Fengyangyi three-course tea experience, the Caravan Museum explanation and Erhai bicycle rental.

Are lunches and dinners included?

Only the day-two lunch, the Horse Caravan Feast, is included. Other lunches and dinners are not included.

Is airport or train-station pickup available?

Yes. Pickup can be arranged for two or more people, but not for single travelers. You must provide pickup information at least two days in advance.

How large is the group, and what vehicle is used?

The tour uses vehicles for groups of two to seven people. Two or three people use a five-seat car, four or five use a seven-seat vehicle, and six or seven use a nine-seat vehicle.

How much luggage can I bring?

Each person can bring one suitcase up to 24 inches.

Are attraction tickets included?

Package A includes admission to Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park and Tiger Leaping Gorge. Shuttle buses are included at Songzanlin and Pudacuo. The Tiger Leaping Gorge escalator is excluded.

What time should I book my return train or flight?

The group is expected back in Lijiang around 5 p.m. The stated guidance is to book trains after 6 p.m. and flights after 7:30 p.m.