11-Days China Yunnan Tiger Leaping Gorge + Mt MeiLi Snow Mountai

Introduction: Shangri-La – A Trekker’s Paradise

Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon on the Yangtze River - locally called the Golden Sands River , located 60 km north of Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwestern China. Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,596 metre Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and 5,396 m Haba Xueshan in a series of rapids under steep 2000 metre cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter; a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 metres wide), hence the name. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a contender for the world's deepest river canyon, depending on the exact definition used. 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 foreign hikers.

The hiking path ("the high Trail") is well-maintained and is used by the Naxi as part of everyday life before 1958. It features a surprising variety of micro ecosystems, waterfalls and a fair number of guesthouses for trekkers.

From the gorge we will continue to hike uphill to Haba Village and Baishuitai (white water terrace).

Meili Snow Mountain (the Prince Snow Mountain)

Meili Snow Mountain is located at the junction of the Jinsha( golden sand), Lancang and Nu rivers(the junction itself is a world heritage site listed by UNESCO). Famous for its lofty and mysterious magnificence, Tibetans regard it as sacred and each year in autumn Tibetan pilgrims come from near and far to soak up the spiritual aura of the Mountain.

At 6,740 meters above sea level, Mt Meili is the tallest mountain in the entire Yunnan province and has never been scaled, despite numerous attempts since 1902 by experienced English, Chinese and Japanese climbers. It's one of those rarities in today's global village, a virgin peak. Precipitous cliffs, frequent avalanches, thick fogs, dense clouds, heavy rain and sudden storms have so far kept mountaineers from reaching the top, and added greatly to its legendary mystery.

Mt Meili's Mingyong glacier is China's lowest and southernmost glacier at 2,700 meters above sea level and 28.5 degrees north of the equator. As the rate of melting increased, farms and settlements would be damaged by flooding and mudslides/rockslides. After melting, the disappearance of the glacier would cause rivers to shrink dramatically and drought would ensue.

Itinerary (Subject to changes)

Day 1, Arrival in Lijiang
Upon arrival, check in to accommodation in the Old Town of Lijiang. The rest of the day is free & easy for you to explore this beautifully preserved town. Accommodation in Lijiang old town (2-star, twin-share)

Day 2, Lijiang — Tiger Leaping Gorge (BLD)
Drive to Qiaotou (or HuTiaoXia) for trek in Tiger Leaping Gorge. This will take about 2 hours. Start trekking up to the high trail from the 11km-mark where YongSheng village is located. Late lunch at HalfWay guesthouse. Continue trekking along this “Cha Ma Gu Dao” (old tea-horse route) for the rest of the day. We will see some waterfalls and wild goats along the way. At a normal pace, we should arrive at our rest point for the night around evening. Accommodation in “Bendiwan” hotel (twin-share)

Day 3, Tiger Leaping Gorge (BLD)
Morning trek 2h down the gorge to Zhongxia hotel which has washroom and hot water bath in rooms, them visit “ZhongHuTiao” (middle leaping gorge) there. We will spend time admiring the mighty JinSha river. On the return route, we will also climb the “Yun Ti” (heavenly stairs) & return to our hotel for lunch. Free in the afternoon to relax to prepare for the next day trek.

Day 4, Tiger Leaping Gorge－Haba Village (2660m) (BLD)
With daypack on our back, we’ll trek to Haba village. Our backpacks will be transferred by our vehicle or horses to the village.

Day 5, Haba Village－BaiShuiTai－Shangrila (BLD)
Continue trekking to BaiShuiTai to see this amazing limestone terraces, and visit the local family to know more about their culture & lifestyle. Drive straight to Shangrila county. (Accommodate in Tibetcafeinn, twin-share)

Day 6, Shangrila－DeQin－FeiLai Temple (BLD)
Drive along the scenic Highway 214 to DeQin and FeiLai Temple, where you will have a spectacular view of the magnificent Meili Snow Mountain & MingYongQia glacier. Accommodation in FeiLai Temple (twin-share)

Day 7, FeiLai Temple－XiDang Hotsprings－YuBeng (3900m) (BLD)
Overlook the magnificent sunrise over MeiLi Snow Mountain Kawagebo peak in the morning. After breakfast, drive to XiDang village. From XiDang, trek into the village of YuBeng (horses are also available for those who do not wish to take the 5-hr trek to YuBeng, at own cost). Accommodation in YuBeng village (Tibetan homestay)

Day 8-9, YuBeng (BLD)
Trek to MingYong Glacier or the Sacred Waterfall which is on the foot of Goddess mountain, or go to Number 1 mountaineering encampment to have a close view of the spectacular (choose 2 out of 3). Accommodation in YuBeng village (Tibetan homestay)

Day 10, YuBeng－XiDang－Shangri-la (BLD)
Trek back to XiDang and drive back to Shangri-la. Accommodation in Shangri-La (2-star, twin-share)

Day 11, Depart Shangri-la

Note: The itinerary is structured so that ascent to high elevation is gradual rather than sudden (as occurs when people arrive in Shangrila by air). At the start of the trip, the group will spend at least a night in Lijiang, which is at an altitude of less than 3,000 meters. This helps to limit altitude sickness, and also makes evacuation easier.

Price per person in SGD

China Eastern Airlines Flight Cost : Singapore – Kunming – Lijiang; Diqing (Shangrila) – Kunming - Singapore
MU Airfares + taxes: about S$ 850
MU 750 SINKMG 0315 0640 MU5714 KMGLJG 1230 1320
MU5936 DIGKMG 1915 2015 MU 749 KMGSIN 2240 0215 (the next day)

Land Cost includes:
- All transfer in Yunnan as stated in itinerary
- All meals from Day 2-10
- Accommodation in 2-star hotels in Lijiang & Shangrila & FeiLai in twin-sharing basis (with attached toilet), Guesthouse (twin- triple sharing) during trek
- Local guide from Day 2-10
- Horse for luggage during trek
- Entrance fees to Tiger Leaping Gorge, BaishuiTai, Mt Meili
- AIG Travel Insurance Classic Plan (S$60)

Land Cost excludes:
All flights & taxes, Meals not stated, All other activities not stated, China visa, Personal expenses, Personal gears (including sleeping bag), Tips