km 0 · 3,730 m
Nazongla pass 南宗垭口
The shuttle stops here, at the highest point of the way in, with Kawagebo and the peaks above the Sacred Waterfall, Nise and Ice Lake all in view.
Above Nise, looking down towards Yubeng, Yunnan
A Tibetan village in northwest Yunnan, under the glaciers of the Meili range and Kawagebo (6,740 m), the sacred peak no one has ever climbed. A shuttle in, a canyon out, and seven trails from its doorsteps.
In by shuttle from Xidang or on foot from Ninong, both 4–5 h by road from Shangri-La (airport DIG)How to get there
A Tibetan village in northwest Yunnan, under the glaciers of the Meili range and Kawagebo (6,740 m), the sacred peak no one has ever climbed. A shuttle in, a canyon out, and seven trails from its doorsteps.
In by shuttle from Xidang or on foot from Ninong, both 4–5 h by road from Shangri-La (airport DIG)How to get there
The trail in ten numbers
- 3days2 if you only see the waterfall, 6 for every trailThe classic way
- 30.9kmPass in, waterfall, Ninong outPass in, Ninong out
- +700mMost of it to the Sacred WaterfallClimb in total
- 3,729mHoly Lake is 4,400 mHighest point
- 3,000+mAltitude sickness is possible: go slowAltitude: go slow
- ¥800–2,000≈ €105–265Per person, 3 days, all inPer person, all in
- ¥55 + 117Ticket + shuttle to the pass: Xidang window onlyTicket + shuttle
- 7trailsAll from the villageFrom the village
- 4GIn the villages. Patchy on the trailsIn the villages
- Apr–MayOct–NovClear and dry. Heavy snow can close the trails in winterBest months
Walk it before you go
Pick a trail, on the map or in the list.
Ice Lake, Nise, Holy Lake: officially closed (Deqin County, October 2025; national park, April 2026). People walk them every day; if you go, you go at your own risk and pay for any rescue.
Down from the Nazongla pass
1½–2 h · 5.2 km · 3,730 m
The way in: shuttle to the pass, then an easy walk down, mostly on the new road, with Kawagebo ahead.
km 03,729 m
The shuttle stops here, at the highest point of the way in, with Kawagebo and the peaks above the Sacred Waterfall, Nise and Ice Lake all in view.
- 1½–2 h5.2 km · −510
km 0.3 · 3,700 m
Karmapa’s spring 噶玛巴加持水
km 1.5 · 3,560 m · Position approximate
Rain shelters
km 4.1 · 3,320 m
First view of Yubeng
km 5.2 · 3,220 m
Upper Yubeng 上雨崩
Upper to Lower Yubeng
30–40 min · 1.6 km · 3,220 m
Down to the river and up again between the two villages, or a pickup for ¥60.
km 03,220 m
- 30–40 min1.6 km · −170
km 0 · 3,220 m
Upper Yubeng 上雨崩
km 1.3 · 3,060 m
Sunset viewpoint, Sidh Ribeng temple
km 1.6 · 3,060 m
Lower Yubeng 下雨崩
Sacred Waterfall
5–7 h · 10.8 km there and back · ▲580 m · 3,640 m
The pilgrims’ path, paved with stone all the way, past holy springs and a meditation cave to a waterfall falling from the Meili glaciers.
km 03,055 m
- 1½ h3.3 km · +220
Stones carved with prayers, piled up by pilgrims. Pass them clockwise, keeping them on your right.
Pilgrims fill bottles here; walk round, not through.
- 1–1½ h2.1 km · +360
Pilgrims believe Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, meditated in this cave.
Walk under the spray clockwise, as the pilgrims do. Bring a rain shell for it.
km 0 · 3,060 m
Lower Yubeng 下雨崩
km 0.5 · 3,060 m
Five Trees from One Root
km 1.5 · 3,100 m
Mani stone piles
Stones carved with prayers, piled up by pilgrims. Pass them clockwise, keeping them on your right.
km 2.8 · 3,250 m
Three holy springs
Pilgrims fill bottles here; walk round, not through.
km 3.3 · 3,280 m
Nainong pasture
km 4.2 · 3,370 m
Padmasambhava’s meditation cave
Pilgrims believe Padmasambhava (Guru Rinpoche), who brought Buddhism to Tibet in the 8th century, meditated in this cave.
km 5.4 · 3,640 m
Sacred Waterfall 神瀑
Walk under the spray clockwise, as the pilgrims do. Bring a rain shell for it.
Ice Lake
7–8½ h · 14 km there and back · ▲690 m · 3,870 m
Up through forest to the Xiaonong pasture, then a brutal last slope to a glacier lake under the Meili peaks.
km 03,220 m
- 1½–2½ h4.9 km · +450 · −40
Scan the code and fill in the form before you go up. Mules wait here: ¥455 there and back.
Iced lemon tea ¥18
The only supplies on the trail. A mule for the last stretch up to here costs ¥80.
- 1½–2 h2.1 km · +230
About 200 m of climbing, very steep. Slow, poles out.
Windy and cold: bring a fleece. Stay back from the ice, and don’t swim.
km 0 · 3,220 m
Upper Yubeng 上雨崩
km 0.5 · 3,230 m
Trail entrance (QR questionnaire)
Scan the code and fill in the form before you go up. Mules wait here: ¥455 there and back.
km 3.9 · 3,650 m
Xiaonong col
km 4.9 · 3,630 m
Xiaonong pasture 笑农牧场
Iced lemon tea ¥18
The only supplies on the trail. A mule for the last stretch up to here costs ¥80.
km 6.6 · 3,840 m · Position approximate
“Despair slope”
About 200 m of climbing, very steep. Slow, poles out.
km 7 · 3,870 m
Ice Lake 冰湖
Windy and cold: bring a fleece. Stay back from the ice, and don’t swim.
Nise
7–8 h · 15 km there and back · ▲590 m · 3,800 m
The quiet trail: a long valley to the Nise pasture and an ice cave, with almost nobody else on it.
Combine it with Ice Lake: from the Xiaonong pasture a path crosses to the Nise tea house. 18 km, about 9 h, +1,200 m in all.
km 03,220 m
- 2–2½ h5 km · +350
- 1–1½ h2.5 km · +240
Look in from outside: ice falls from the roof.
km 0 · 3,220 m
Upper Yubeng 上雨崩
km 5 · 3,560 m
Nise pasture tea house 尼色牧场
km 7.5 · 3,800 m
Nise ice cave 尼色冰洞
Look in from outside: ice falls from the roof.
Holy Lake
8–9½ h · 11 km there and back · ▲1,350 m · 4,390 m
The hardest trail: 1,300 m straight up to a lake at 4,400 m. Start early, turn back by 15:00.
km 03,055 m
- 2½ h2.5 km · +870
Rubbish fee ¥10
Sign your name going up and tick it coming down: an unticked name means they call rescue.
A fire, hot drinks, sausages.
- 1½ h2.1 km · +370
Tent ¥100 a night · skewers ¥15
Both supply points tell everyone to head down by 15:00.
- 45 min0.9 km · +120
Some carry on above the lake to about 4,600 m (Chinese hikers call it “Holy Lake Plus”): take poles, and go only if you reach the lake before 14:00.
km 0 · 3,060 m
Lower Yubeng 下雨崩
km 0.3 · 3,110 m · Position approximate
Sign-in at the start
Rubbish fee ¥10
Sign your name going up and tick it coming down: an unticked name means they call rescue.
km 2.5 · 3,920 m · Position approximate
Horse stop 3: first food and drink
A fire, hot drinks, sausages.
km 4.6 · 4,270 m
Camp: second food and drink
Tent ¥100 a night · skewers ¥15
Both supply points tell everyone to head down by 15:00.
km 5.5 · 4,390 m
Holy Lake 神湖
Some carry on above the lake to about 4,600 m (Chinese hikers call it “Holy Lake Plus”): take poles, and go only if you reach the lake before 14:00.
Out by the Ninong canyon
3½–5 h · 13.3 km · ▲110 m · 3,080 m
The way out on foot: down a deep canyon, on a path along an old water channel high above the river, to the Mekong road and the bus to Shangri-La.
km 03,055 m
- 2–3 h8.9 km · +90 · −810
Food and drinks halfway down.
- 1½–2 h4.4 km · −310
km 0 · 3,060 m
Lower Yubeng 下雨崩
km 1 · 3,040 m
Kawagebo and Baima viewpoint
km 5.8 · 2,730 m
Meadow viewpoint
km 8.9 · 2,330 m
Ninong Canyon guesthouse 尼农大峡谷秘境客栈
Food and drinks halfway down.
km 13.3 · 2,050 m
Ninong bus stop 尼农
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Heights: SRTM terrain data, set to GPS-recorded village, pass and waterfall heights.
Pick your pace
3 days
- Day 1
- Shared van from Feilaisi to Xidang, then ticket and shuttle to the pass (¥30 + ¥55 + ¥117).
- Walk down from the pass.
- Lunch in Upper Yubeng.
- On to Lower Yubeng. Sunset at the temple.
- Sleep at Lower Yubeng
4 days
6 days
Getting there and away
Pick a way to see every step.
To Yubeng
Coming from Beijing or Shanghai? Fly to Lijiang or Shangri-La, or take the fast train from Kunming to Lijiang (about 3 h). From there:
Starting from
From Shangri-La: bus to Feilaisi, then the shuttleBusBest
4 h + 1½ h + 25 min¥67 + ¥30 + ¥55 + ¥117
Bus to Feilaisi, a night facing Kawagebo, then a van and the official shuttle in.
In Shangri-La, go to the bus station (or the railway station if you arrive by train): buses to Feilaisi leave in the morning.
Show or play this
请送我去香格里拉客运站。
In English Please take me to Shangri-La Bus Station.
Buy a ticket to Feilaisi with your passport: ¥67, about 4 hours over the mountains to Deqin.
Show or play this
我要一张去飞来寺的车票。
In English One ticket to Feilaisi, please.
Sleep in Feilaisi: most rooms face Kawagebo, and at sunrise on a clear day it turns gold.
Next morning, your guesthouse finds you a seat in a shared van to the Xidang hot spring: ¥30, 1–1½ h.
Show or play this
请送我去西当温泉接驳车售票处。
In English Please take me to the shuttle ticket office at the Xidang hot spring.
At the window, passport only (no online sales): scenic-area ticket ¥55 + shuttle ¥117 to the pass, ¥167 to Upper or ¥198 to Lower Yubeng.
Show or play this
我要一张门票和一张到南宗垭口的接驳车票。
In English One entry ticket and one shuttle ticket to the Nazongla pass, please.
Shuttles leave when full, 07:00 to about 17:00, and take about 25 minutes to the pass. Tell the driver you get off there.
Show or play this
师傅，我在南宗垭口下车。
In English Driver, I’m getting off at the Nazongla pass.
Walk down to Upper Yubeng: 5.2 km, 1½–2 h. You are in.
From Lijiang: train to Shangri-La firstTrainFine
1½ h + 4 h + …¥50–70 + …
The fast train to Shangri-La, then the bus to Feilaisi and the shuttle in. Ten trains a day, bookable on Trip.com with a passport.
Book Lijiang → Shangri-La on Trip.com with your passport: about 1½ h, several trains a day.
Trains leave from Lijiang Railway Station, south of town: about ¥30 by taxi from the Old Town.
Show or play this
请送我去丽江火车站。
In English Please take me to Lijiang railway station.
In Shangri-La, buy a bus ticket to Feilaisi with your passport, at the railway station or the bus station: ¥67, about 4 h. Then as with the direct bus: a night in Feilaisi, the van and the shuttle.
Show or play this
我要一张去飞来寺的车票。
In English One ticket to Feilaisi, please.
From Lijiang: direct bus to Feilaisi, then the shuttleDirect busFine
7–8 h + 1½ h + 25 min¥159–175 + ¥30 + ¥55 + ¥117
One direct bus a day to Feilaisi, a night facing Kawagebo, then a van and the official shuttle in. Only 13 seats: buy a day or more ahead.
Buy at the Lijiang Bus Station window with your passport, ideally the day before: ¥159 in October 2026, ¥175 listed for November. One bus a day, 13 seats: it can sell out, above all at weekends and holidays. The 丽交出行 WeChat mini-program sells up to 7 days ahead (about ¥3 extra) but may not accept a foreign passport.
Show or play this
我要一张明天九点去飞来寺的车票。
In English One ticket on tomorrow’s 09:00 bus to Feilaisi, please.
The bus leaves at 09:00 from Lijiang Bus Station on Kangzhong Road, not the Gaokuai bus station: a short taxi ride from the Old Town, about ¥10.
Show or play this
请送我去康仲路的丽江客运站。
In English Please take me to Lijiang Bus Station on Kangzhong Road.
7–8 hours with a lunch stop, through the mountains from about 2,400 m to 3,400 m: take that evening easy. The bus calls at Deqin bus station first: stay on to Feilaisi (now and then riders are moved to a van there for the last stretch).
Show or play this
师傅，我在飞来寺下车。
In English Driver, I’m getting off at Feilaisi.
Sleep in Feilaisi: most rooms face Kawagebo, and at sunrise on a clear day it turns gold.
Next morning, your guesthouse finds you a seat in a shared van to the Xidang hot spring: ¥30, 1–1½ h.
Show or play this
请送我去西当温泉接驳车售票处。
In English Please take me to the shuttle ticket office at the Xidang hot spring.
At the window, passport only (no online sales): scenic-area ticket ¥55 + shuttle ¥117 to the pass, ¥167 to Upper or ¥198 to Lower Yubeng.
Show or play this
我要一张门票和一张到南宗垭口的接驳车票。
In English One entry ticket and one shuttle ticket to the Nazongla pass, please.
Shuttles leave when full, 07:00 to about 17:00, and take about 25 minutes to the pass. Tell the driver you get off there.
Show or play this
师傅，我在南宗垭口下车。
In English Driver, I’m getting off at the Nazongla pass.
Walk down to Upper Yubeng: 5.2 km, 1½–2 h. You are in.
Bus to Ninong, walk inWalk inFine
4½ h + 5–6 h¥84 + ¥55
The old way: from Shangri-La to Ninong by bus, then 13 km up the canyon. Quiet now that most people take the shuttle.
Shangri-La bus station: the 08:30 bus to Ninong (¥84, one change at Shengping), about 4½ h.
Show or play this
我要一张去尼农的车票。
In English One ticket to Ninong, please.
At Ninong, buy the scenic-area ticket (¥55) with your passport at the gate.
Walk up the canyon: 13.3 km, about 1,000 m of climbing, 5–6 h. Start by 13:00.
Too much? A pickup to the second supply point costs ¥150, a motorbike ¥300.
Private carCarFine
4–5 h¥500–600 a car
Shangri-La to Xidang or Ninong in 4–5 h. Worth it for 3–4 people.
Ask your Shangri-La guesthouse to book a car the day before.
Show or play this
请帮我订明天去西当温泉的包车。
In English Please book me a car to the Xidang hot spring tomorrow.
Private cars stop at Xidang: from there it is the shuttle, as above.
Private carCarFine
7–8 h¥1,000–1,500 a car
Lijiang to Xidang or Ninong in one long day, 7–8 h: about ¥1,000 for a five-seat car, ¥1,300–1,500 for a seven- to nine-seat van, more at holidays.
Ask your Lijiang guesthouse to book a car the day before, and agree the price for the whole car.
Show or play this
请帮我订明天去西当温泉的包车。
In English Please book me a car to the Xidang hot spring tomorrow.
Private cars stop at Xidang: from there it is the ticket and the shuttle, as with the direct bus.
From Yubeng
Both cities fly to Kunming and Chengdu, and Lijiang flies direct to Beijing and Shanghai (about 4 h); from Lijiang the fast train to Kunming takes about 3 h.
Going to
Walk out by Ninong, bus to Shangri-LaWalk outBest
3½–5 h + 4–5 h¥84
Downhill most of the way through the canyon, quiet since the road opened, and no shuttle queue. Leave the village by 08:00 for the 13:30 bus.
From Lower Yubeng, follow the signs to Ninong (尼农): 13.3 km, about 1,000 m down, 3½–5 h. Poles help.
In Ninong, the bus stop is outside the Gegejia restaurant (格阁家). Buses to Shangri-La run about every hour from 11:30; the last leaves at about 17:20, and times change often. Be there by 16:00 to be sure of a seat.
Show or play this
请问去香格里拉的大巴在哪里坐？
In English Where do I get the bus to Shangri-La?
Tickets: at the stop (often by scanning a QR code with WeChat) or the day before in the 迪庆交运 WeChat mini-program. No WeChat? Show the line below and have cash ready. ¥84, 4–5 h, often with a change of bus at Deqin. Shared vans also go, ¥100.
Show or play this
我要一张去香格里拉的车票。
In English One ticket to Shangri-La, please.
Shuttle back to XidangShuttleFine
50 min¥167–198
The easy way out, then a bus to Shangri-La or a van to Feilaisi.
Upper Yubeng: the shuttle stop is about 1 km up a dirt track out of the village (hot water and toilets there). Lower Yubeng has its own ticket window.
Show or play this
请问接驳车在哪里坐？
In English Where do I get the shuttle?
Buy at the window with your passport: ¥167 from Upper, ¥198 from Lower. You get a queue number; at busy times the wait can be over an hour.
Show or play this
我要一张去西当的接驳车票。
In English One shuttle ticket to Xidang, please.
At Xidang, buses go straight to Shangri-La about hourly until about 17:00 (¥85, 4–5 h), and vans wait to take you on to Feilaisi (¥30). From Feilaisi the bus back to Shangri-La is ¥67, 3½–4 h.
Walk out by Ninong, bus and train to LijiangWalk outBest
3½–5 h + 4–5 h + 1½ h¥84 + ¥50–70
Down the canyon, a bus to Shangri-La railway station, then the fast train: in Lijiang the same evening. Leave the village by 08:00 and take the 13:30 bus at the latest.
From Lower Yubeng, follow the signs to Ninong (尼农): 13.3 km, about 1,000 m down, 3½–5 h. Poles help.
In Ninong, the bus stop is outside the Gegejia restaurant (格阁家). Buses to Shangri-La run about every hour from 11:30; take the 13:30 at the latest.
Show or play this
请问去香格里拉的大巴在哪里坐？
In English Where do I get the bus to Shangri-La?
Tickets at the stop (often by scanning a QR code with WeChat) or the day before in the 迪庆交运 WeChat mini-program; no WeChat, show the line below and have cash ready. ¥84, 4–5 h, often with a change of bus at Deqin. In Shangri-La the bus stops at the railway station first: get off there.
Show or play this
我要一张去香格里拉的车票，在火车站下车。
In English One ticket to Shangri-La, please. I’m getting off at the railway station.
Book the train on Trip.com with your passport: about 1½ h, ¥50–70 in second class. Choose one at least 2 hours after the bus is due, as traffic near Deqin can hold it up: the 12:30 bus fits the 19:02 train, the 13:30 bus the last one at about 20:25. Holiday timetables differ and trains sell out: book early.
You board with your passport, no paper ticket. Lijiang station is about 6.5 km from the Old Town: about ¥30 by taxi.
Show or play this
请送我去丽江古城。
In English Please take me to Lijiang Old Town.
Later bus, or stuck in traffic? Sleep in Shangri-La: the first train to Lijiang leaves at 07:22.
Shuttle out, then the direct bus from FeilaisiDirect busFine
50 min + 1½ h + 6½–7½ h¥167–198 + ¥30 + ¥138–152
The easy way out, a night in Feilaisi for one more sunrise, then the one direct bus a day to Lijiang. Book it in WeChat, or ask your guesthouse.
Upper Yubeng: the shuttle stop is about 1 km up a dirt track out of the village (hot water and toilets there). Lower Yubeng has its own ticket window.
Show or play this
请问接驳车在哪里坐？
In English Where do I get the shuttle?
Buy at the window with your passport: ¥167 from Upper, ¥198 from Lower. You get a queue number; at busy times the wait can be over an hour.
Show or play this
我要一张去西当的接驳车票。
In English One shuttle ticket to Xidang, please.
At Xidang, vans (¥30) and buses (¥20) go to Feilaisi.
Sleep in Feilaisi: most rooms face Kawagebo, and at sunrise on a clear day it turns gold.
Book the bus in the 迪庆交运 WeChat mini-program and choose the Feilaisi pick-up (飞来寺乘车点): ¥138 + about ¥3 in early October 2026, listed at ¥152 from late October. It took a passport in June 2026; book a few days ahead, as it can sell out. No WeChat? Ask your Feilaisi guesthouse: there is no ticket office in Feilaisi.
Show or play this
请帮我订明天从飞来寺去丽江的班车。
In English Please book me on tomorrow’s bus from Feilaisi to Lijiang.
One bus a day in the late morning (11:00 in October 2026): check the time when you book. It picks up at a car park about 5 minutes’ walk from the viewing area, and the driver may phone you; ask if unsure.
Show or play this
请问飞来寺乘车点在哪里？我坐去丽江的班车。
In English Where is the Feilaisi bus pick-up? I’m taking the bus to Lijiang.
Usually the bus first takes you to Deqin bus station, where you change to the Lijiang minibus. It reaches Lijiang Bus Station at about 18:00, later if the road is busy; the Old Town is about ¥10 by taxi.
Show or play this
请送我去丽江古城。
In English Please take me to Lijiang Old Town.
Sold out? Take a bus from Feilaisi to Shangri-La railway station (several a day, 08:00–18:00, ¥67, 3½–4 h; ask your guesthouse to book), then the fast train to Lijiang (¥50–70 on Trip.com). The 12:00 bus and the 17:25 train reach Lijiang at 18:35.
Shared van or private car from Ninong or XidangCarFine
6½–7½ h¥200–220 a seat
A seat in a shared van from Ninong or Xidang to Lijiang the same day, leaving 13:00–15:00: about 7 hours, usually with a change of vehicle in Shangri-La. A whole car is about ¥1,000–1,500.
Ask your Yubeng guesthouse to book a seat the day before: cars are hard to find on the spot, and drivers take bookings on WeChat.
Show or play this
请帮我订明天去丽江古城的拼车。
In English Please book me a seat in a shared van to Lijiang Old Town tomorrow.
Walk out to Ninong (leave Lower Yubeng by 08:00) or take the shuttle to Xidang: the car picks you up there.
Agree the full price, tolls included, before you set off. In 2026 one rider booked at ¥220, paid a ¥40 deposit to a middleman, and after the change of vehicle in Shangri-La was asked to share the tolls.
Show or play this
到丽江古城一共多少钱？含过路费吗？
In English How much is it in total to Lijiang Old Town? Are tolls included?
Usually you change vehicle in Shangri-La. Drop-off is in the Old Town or Shuhe; some drivers go on to the airport for about ¥240 a seat.
Your big bag
- Leave it behindFree
Your hotel keeps it until you are back: in Shangri-La if you walk out by Ninong, in Feilaisi only if you come back by shuttle.
- Pickup between the villages¥60
Per person, bag included. Upper: at the shop; Lower: at the village café.
- Mule¥80–455
Ice Lake: ¥455 there and back, ¥80 for the last stretch up to the Xiaonong pasture.
Where to sleep
Yuan a night, for one bed or a whole room (early October, cheapest room on Trip.com), checked 2 Oct 2026.
Yourlan Hotel 游澜民宿
- Bed
- ¥114
- Room
- —
- View room
- —
- 9.0 · 297 reviews
Cheapest good beds in Upper Yubeng.
Yubeng No.8 Residence 雨崩八号公馆
- Bed
- —
- Room
- ¥415
- View room
- —
- 9.5 · 214 reviews
Close to the Ice Lake and Nise trails.
Cat in Yubeng Snow Mountain View 猫在雨崩雪山观景民宿
- Bed
- —
- Room
- —
- View room
- ¥523
- 9.5 · 604 reviews
Rooms facing the peaks, for the golden sunrise from your room; the most-reviewed place in the valley.
Meili Cloud Hostel 梅里云端青年旅舍
- Bed
- ¥174
- Room
- —
- View room
- —
- 9.4 · 112 reviews
On the 4th floor above the Sanglun garden restaurant.
ZHIYU Boutique Guesthouse 止语心舍
- Bed
- —
- Room
- —
- View room
- ¥724
- 9.6 · 556 reviews
Snow peaks from the bed, underfloor heating, oxygen in the room and English-speaking staff, near the start of the Sacred Waterfall and Holy Lake trails. Our guided trek stays here.
Mo Chen Mountain House 慕辰山舍
- Bed
- —
- Room
- —
- View room
- ¥777
- 9.8 · 81 reviews
Small and quiet, best-rated in Lower Yubeng.
What it costs
€1 = ¥7.613 (ECB, 30 Sep 2026)
- Feilaisi to Xidang
- Scenic-area ticket
- Shuttle in
- 2 nights
- Food, water, snacks
- Getting away
Per person, 3 days
¥1,497–1,857
≈ €195–245
Good to know
- Altitude: 3,000–4,400 m
Headaches are common the first night. Go slow, drink plenty of water, and go down if it gets worse. Holy Lake is 4,400 m.
- Alipay or WeChat Pay
Guesthouses and stalls take them. Link your foreign card before you arrive.
- ¥500 in cash
No ATM in Yubeng. Mules, pickups and the trail stalls like cash.
- 4G in the villages
Patchy on the trails, none at Holy Lake. Download an offline map (Organic Maps) and this guide’s PDF before you go: Google Maps is blocked.
Don’t walk up the Xidang road: it is steep tarmac with no footpath and shuttles all day. Take the shuttle to the pass.
Don’t start the lakes late. Holy Lake: turn back by 15:00 wherever you are.
When to go
Deqin, 3,319 m, about the villages’ height (30-year averages, 1991–2020)
- Best
- Good
- Rain
- Holiday crowds
- SpringMar–MayBest
You’ll see
- Snow still deep on the peaks and the high lakes
- Rhododendrons in the forest from May
Watch for
- March snow can still close the trails
- SummerJun–SepRainy season
You’ll see
- The Sacred Waterfall at its fullest
- Flower meadows around the lakes
Watch for
- Rockfall and small landslides in the Ninong canyon
- Rain most afternoons; muddy trails, peaks in cloud
- AutumnOct–NovBest
You’ll see
- Clear skies and golden sunrise on Kawagebo
- Larch and birch turning gold
Watch for
- 1–7 Oct: shuttle queues and full guesthouses
- WinterDec–FebCold and clear
You’ll see
- Snowy villages, nearly empty
Watch for
- Nights to −6 °C; ice on the trails
- The park closes the trails after heavy snow, as in February 2025
Quick answers
How hard is it?
It depends on the trail. The way in from the pass is downhill and the Sacred Waterfall a long, steady climb on a paved path (about +580 m). Ice Lake and Holy Lake are hard: Holy Lake climbs 1,300 m to 4,400 m. Everything is above 3,000 m, so go slowly on the first day.
How many days do I need?
Three for the classic: in over the pass, the Sacred Waterfall, out through the Ninong canyon. Two if you only want the waterfall, six to walk every trail. Add a day each way between Shangri-La and the trailhead.
Upper or Lower Yubeng?
Upper for Ice Lake, Nise and the golden sunrise from view rooms; Lower for the Sacred Waterfall, Holy Lake and the Ninong canyon. They are 30–40 minutes apart.
Do I need a guide?
Not for the waterfall, the pass or Ninong: the paths are clear. For the lakes, go with someone who has been, or with us.
Can I go in winter?
Yes, to the villages and the Sacred Waterfall, with warm clothes: nights are well below freezing. November to January brings the clearest skies and the best chance of Kawagebo turning gold at sunrise, seen from Feilaisi and the view rooms in Upper Yubeng. Heavy snow can close the high trails to Ice Lake and Holy Lake.
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More trails nearby
Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail
- 2 days
- Total distance18.6 km
- Total ascent+920 m
Where this comes from
Figures come from GPS traces, trip reports and booking sites, checked on the dates below.
- OpenStreetMap: Yubeng trail relations 19700005, 19700028, 19700031, 19700036, 19700085; terrain heights SRTM 30 m · 2 Oct 2026
- 2bulu, a Chinese hiking app: 17 recorded walks (times and distances only) · 1 Oct 2026
- Sohu (Chinese): the shuttle’s trial run and prices · 22 Sep 2026
- Xiaohongshu, a Chinese social app: trip notes from late September and 1 October 2026 · 1 Oct 2026
- Trip.com: room prices in Upper and Lower Yubeng · 2 Oct 2026
- China Meteorological Administration via Wikipedia: Deqin climate · 2 Oct 2026
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