Lijiang City
The heartland of Naxi culture and snow-mountain old towns; Lijiang Old Town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lugu Lake are classic destinations of northwest Yunnan.
Lijiang City lies in northwestern Yunnan, encircled by the Jinsha River, in the transition zone between the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau. Lijiang Old Town is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site and, together with the ancient towns of Shuhe and Baisha, showcases Naxi architecture and Dongba culture. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Blue Moon Valley and Tiger Leaping Gorge are the natural highlights, and Lugu Lake offers the distinctive Mosuo culture. Chenghai Lake in Yongsheng is a freshwater plateau lake known for spirulina farming. Lijiang can be visited year-round; spring and autumn are clear and pleasant, while summer is the rainy season. Lijiang Sanyi Airport is the main gateway, and high-speed trains link Lijiang with Kunming and Dali.
Destinations
Itineraries
- Lijiang, Lugu Lake & Shangri-La Loop – A self-drive loop starting from Lijiang, connecting Mosuo villages at Lugu Lake, Shangri-La, and Baishuitai.
- Lijiang, Lugu Lake, and Liming Danxia – Beyond Lijiang's Old Town and snow mountain, stay two nights at Lugu Lake to circle the lake, then add a day at the Fir…
- Classic Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La – Connect Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La by high-speed rail—the most established route for first-time visitors to…
- Lijiang Old Town and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Highlights – Stroll Lijiang Old Town, visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Glacier Park and Blue Moon Valley, then see Black Dragon P…
- Ancient Tea Horse Road: Weishan, Nuodeng, and Shaxi – An off-the-beaten-path slow route from Dali to Lijiang via the Nanzhao ancient town, a Bai ethnic salt village, and the…
- Naxi Culture and Slow Travel in Shaxi Ancient Town – Stay in Shuhe, visit Baisha murals and Yuhu Village, and add a day in Shaxi, the Tea Horse Road ancient town, for a slo…
- Tiger Leaping Gorge High Route Trek and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain – Base in the Old Town, warm up with a hike from Yuhu to Wenhai, spend two days on the Tiger Leaping Gorge high route, th…
- In-Depth Dali Trip with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang – Base in Dali Old Town to explore Cangshan, Erhai Lake, and Jizu Mountain, then take the high-speed train to Lijiang for…
- Daocheng Yading to Shangri-La & Lijiang Overland – Enter Daocheng along Highway 318 from Chengdu, cross into Yunnan via Xiangcheng, and conclude in Shangri-La and Lijiang.
- Relaxed Family Trip to Lijiang – A low-intensity family trip in Lijiang: Yushui Village Dongba cultural activities, Yunshan Ping, horseback riding and b…
- Nujiang Grand Canyon, Degong Highway & Meili to Shangri-La – Travel north along the Nujiang Beautiful Highway to Bingzhongluo, then cross the Degong Highway to Meili and Shangri-La.
- Panxi Sunshine & Lugu Lake – Follow the Anning River Valley in winter through Xichang, Miyi, Panzhihua, and Huili, then cross the mountains to Lugu…