Trip Summary
The full Yunnan arc, from subtropical Kunming up onto the Tibetan plateau: Stone Forest pinnacles, Dali's lake and pagodas, Lijiang's Naxi canals, a two-day hike of Tiger Leaping Gorge, and monastery air in Shangri-La at 3,200 m.
Trip Highlights
- Tiger Leaping Gorge high trail — the Yangtze 2,000 m below
- Songzanlin 'little Potala' monastery at dawn chant
- Jade Dragon glacier deck and Blue Moon Valley
- Dali's Erhai lake e-bike day with Three Pagodas
Day by Day
Day 1 — Kunming
Fly in; Green Lake and bird-bridge evening.
Flight in · Kunminginternational flights, destination pre-filledBook → Stay · Green Lake Parkold quarter by the lakeBook → Car rental · Kunmingpick up at Kunming Changshui International Airport on arrivalBook → 
Day 2 — Stone Forest → Dali
Morning pinnacles, afternoon HSR to Dali.
Kunming → Dali trainHSR ~2 hBook → Stay · Dali Old TownSouth Gate quarterBook → Car rental · Dalipick up at Dali Railway Station on arrivalBook → Tickets · Stone Forestskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 3 — Dali
Three Pagodas + Erhai loop.
Stay · Dali Old TownSouth Gate quarterBook → Tickets · Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple Cultural Tourism Zoneskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 4 — To Lijiang
Train; old town dusk.
Dali → Lijiang trainHSR ~2 hBook → Stay · Lijiang Old Towncanal-laced Naxi quarterBook → Car rental · Lijiangpick up at Lijiang Railway Station on arrivalBook → Tickets · Old Town of Lijiangskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 5 — Snow mountain
Big cable + Blue Moon Valley.
Stay · Lijiang Old Towncanal-laced Naxi quarterBook → Tickets · Yulongskip-the-line entryBook → Day 6 — Gorge hike I
Qiaotou to Naxi Family / Tina's — 5–6 h on the high trail.
Stay · Tiger Leaping Gorgetrail-side guesthouses halfway up the gorgeBook → Day 7 — Gorge hike II → Shangri-La
Middle rapids descent, then drive up to 3,200 m.
Lijiang → Shangri-La trainLijiang-Shangri-La rail ~1.5 h - alternative to the gorge-road driveBook → Stay · Dukezong Old Townthe 1,300-year-old Tibetan old town — prayer-wheel square at duskBook → Car rental · Shangri-Lapick up at Shangri-La Railway Station on arrivalBook → Day 8 — Shangri-La
Songzanlin monastery, old-town turning wheels, yak butter tea.
Stay · Dukezong Old Townthe 1,300-year-old Tibetan old town — prayer-wheel square at duskBook → Day 9 — Return Lijiang
Potatso national park morning option, then back down.
Shangri-La → Lijiang trainReturn rail ~1.5 hBook → Stay · Lijiang Old Townback to the old town for the last nightBook → Day 10 — Out
Fly from Lijiang or train to Kunming.
Flight out · Kunmingdeparture flights from Kunming, destination openBook → 
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