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Tiger Leaping Gorge from the air: a village among terraced fields, the green Jinsha River under a suspension bridge, jagged grey peaks beneath white cloud
The silt-brown Jinsha River and the road along its bank deep in Tiger Leaping Gorge, the snow peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain at the head of the valley
Looking down on a bend of the turquoise Jinsha River, a path cut into the cliffs along the far bank
The green Jinsha River running between sheer walls in Tiger Leaping Gorge, a cliffside path on the left, in hazy backlight
Little stone cairns (mani piles) on the high trail, facing the grey cliffs of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain across the gorge under a blue sky with white cloud
A long ridge of snow peaks above green, forested slopes, white cloud drifting across a blue sky
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Guided trek · Northwest Yunnan

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Two days on the High Trail above the Yangtze, from your Lijiang hotel and back.

Starts in Lijiang, ends in Lijiang or Shangri-LaHow to get there

Lijiang: direct flights from Shanghai and Beijing, about 4 h

  • 2 days
  • 15.5 km
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • +570 m
  • 2,670 m
  • 3–5 h

€400 per person

Ask about dates
Tiger Leaping Gorge, Yunnan

The route, unrolled

Painted like a Chinese landscape scroll. Drag or swipe sideways: the red figure is your sinan, and they stop where the red seals are.

Day 1 Up the 28 Bends Day 2 Tina’s, then back to Lijiang +420 m · 1.9 km −330 m · 1.8 km Jade Dragon Snow Mountain · 5,596 mHaba Snow Mountain · 5,396 m Lijiang · pick-upor a 40-minute train to Tiger Leaping Gorge stationLunch at the Naxi Family Guesthousekm 0 · 2,190 mTop of the 28 Bendskm 2.4 · 2,630 m · highest point of the gorgeTea Horse Guesthousekm 5.8 · 2,320 mNight 1 · Halfway Guesthousekm 10.9 · 2,380 mGuanyin waterfallkm 1.7 · 2,380 mTina’s · end of the high trailkm 4.3 · 2,080 mLijiang · back at your hotelor on to Shangri-La, 2–2.5 h by car Two days on the high trail above the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Walked with your sinan.

Two days on the High Trail above the Yangtze, from your Lijiang hotel and back.

  • Lunch stop
  • Overnight stay
  • Landmark
  • Your sinan
  • By road
  • Steep climb, 15% or more
  • Steep descent

Distances and heights come from hikes recorded by people who walked these paths and shared them as public GPS traces. Only the figures are used here, never the traces. © OpenStreetMap contributors

Day by day

  1. Day 1: Up the 28 Bends

    Pick-up in Lijiang, or at Tiger Leaping Gorge station. Lunch, then the 28 Bends: one steep hour. Then a cliff path to the Halfway Guesthouse.

    1. 08:30Pick-up at your Lijiang hotel
    2. 10:30Naxi Family Guesthouse, at the foot of the 28 Bends: an early lunch
    3. 11:30Up the 28 Bends: one steep hour
    4. 12:45The top of the Bends, 2,670 m: the highest point and the widest view
    5. 14:00Tea Horse Guesthouse: tea and a rest
    6. 16:30Your guesthouse in Bendiwan, by the Halfway Guesthouse
    7. 18:30Dinner at the guesthouse

    Plan B Heavy rain: we drive to the Halfway Guesthouse.

    • 11 km
    • 5 h
    • +540 m
    • Bendiwan, by the Halfway Guesthouse

  2. Day 2: Tina’s, then back to Lijiang

    We set off at sunrise, ahead of most hikers, mostly downhill to Tina’s. Lunch, then 2–2.5 hours by car back to your Lijiang hotel, or on to Shangri-La.

    1. 06:45Breakfast at the guesthouse
    2. 07:15Off at sunrise (about 6:30 in summer), ahead of most hikers; morning light on the Jade Dragon peaks
    3. 08:15Guanyin waterfall
    4. 10:15Tina’s, the end of the High Trail
    5. 11:00Lunch at Tina’s
    6. 12:00By car back to Lijiang, or on to Shangri-La
    7. 14:30At your Lijiang hotel, or in Shangri-La

    Plan B If the path to Tina’s is closed, the car picks us up at the Halfway Guesthouse.

    • 4.5 km
    • 3 h
    • +30 m
A room at Yulong Mountain View Homestay: the bed and a freestanding bathtub before a window wall onto the gorge's cliffs
The bathroom at Yulong Mountain View Homestay: a long washstand and a marble walk-in shower behind glass
Night 1

New mountain guesthouse, opened 2025

Yulong Mountain View Homestay

Bendiwan, 150 m from the Halfway Guesthouse

9.8out of 10 · 411 reviews on Trip.com · 2 Oct 2026

The newest and best-rated place at the Halfway stop, opened in 2025. The Halfway Guesthouse’s famous terrace is a three-minute walk.

Your room
Standard room
If it is full
Yunyin Half Mountain Homestay, 240 m away, of the same standard (9.8, 445 reviews)

One night in Bendiwan, at the newest and best-rated guesthouse by the Halfway stop.

What’s included

  • Your guide for both days, in a small group
  • A private car from your Lijiang hotel to the trail, and from Tina’s back to Lijiang or on to Shangri-La: no public bus
  • One night at Yulong Mountain View Homestay, the newest and best-rated guesthouse by the Halfway Guesthouse
  • All meals, from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 2
  • Entrance ticket
  • No luggage to carry: your suitcase waits at your Lijiang hotel, or rides with the car to Shangri-La
  • A Plan B every day, for heavy rain or a closed path
  • Our liability insurance, and personal accident cover on both days

Not included

  • Your nights in Lijiang before and after (we can book them)
  • Dinner on day 2
  • Personal spending
  • Travel insurance with medical cover
  • Tips: not expected.

Is this trek for you?

Right if you walk in the hills now and then. About 11 km on day 1 with the steep hour of the 28 Bends, then about 4.5 km, mostly downhill. Not for strong vertigo: parts of the High Trail run beside steep drops.

  • Difficulty 2 of 5Difficulty 2 of 5
  • Walking time a day: 3–5 h
  • Longest day: 11 km
  • Highest point: 2,670 m
  • Total ascent: +570 m

When to go

  1. January: Possible
  2. February: Possible
  3. March: Good
  4. April: Best
  5. May: Best
  6. June: Good
  7. July: Possible
  8. August: Possible
  9. September: Possible
  10. October: Best
  11. November: Best
  12. December: Possible

Getting there and away

Arrive

We pick you up at your Lijiang hotel or at Tiger Leaping Gorge station. Lijiang (LJG) has flights from Kunming and Chengdu, and fast trains from Kunming.

Leave

Back at your Lijiang hotel in the afternoon of day 2, or in Shangri-La if you go on north. Fly from Lijiang (LJG) or Shangri-La (DIG), or take the train to Kunming.

Tips

Arrive the day before and see Lijiang’s old town. We can book your night.

The Sinan Promise
  1. Reply within 24 hours
  2. The full price breakdown
  3. A Plan B every trail day
  4. Your sinan with you; answers in 12 hours
  5. Our own guides, proper insurance
  6. Promise broken? That day’s fee back
  7. Long-term partner guides

What’s included

  • Your guide for both days, in a small group
  • A private car from your Lijiang hotel to the trail, and from Tina’s back to Lijiang or on to Shangri-La: no public bus
  • One night at Yulong Mountain View Homestay, the newest and best-rated guesthouse by the Halfway Guesthouse
  • All meals, from lunch on day 1 to lunch on day 2
  • Entrance ticket
  • No luggage to carry: your suitcase waits at your Lijiang hotel, or rides with the car to Shangri-La
  • A Plan B every day, for heavy rain or a closed path
  • Our liability insurance, and personal accident cover on both days

Not included

  • Your nights in Lijiang before and after (we can book them)
  • Dinner on day 2
  • Personal spending
  • Travel insurance with medical cover
  • Tips: not expected.
Price & dates

Tell us when you’re coming.

Dates, group size, how fit you feel. We reply within 24 hours with a plan for Tiger Leaping Gorge and the full price breakdown.

Ask about dates

A real person replies within 24 hours.

Price per person

2 or more hikers€400
Room of your own+€35

Includes your guide, a night by the Halfway Guesthouse, four meals, the car from your Lijiang hotel and back, and the ticket.

Any day you like. For two or more, book at least 3 days ahead.

Travelling solo?

Join a set date for €400, the same as everyone. You share a twin room with a hiker of the same gender, or pay +€35 for your own. If no one else has joined 10 days before, you choose: go private for €740, switch dates, or get all your money back.

See the set dates

Best Apr–May, Oct–Nov · also good Mar, Jun

How booking works

  1. Pick your dayTwo or more: any day, at least 3 days ahead. On your own: a set date.
  2. We confirmWithin 24 hours, in writing, with a link to pay.
  3. Pay in fullThat books your guide, your car and your room.
  4. Free to cancel until 7 days beforeWithin 7 days, 50% back; within 48 hours, or if you don’t come, nothing back.

The same terms are in your written confirmation.

Good to know

Can I do it in one day?

Fit walkers can: about 15 km on the cliff path, with little time to stop. In two days you also get the evening and the early morning, when the light is best and the trail is empty.

How hard is it?

Moderate: if you walk in the hills now and then, you’ll manage. Day 1 is 11 km with the steep hour of the 28 Bends; day 2 is 4.5 km, mostly downhill. The highest point is about 2,670 m. Children from 12, with a parent.

When is the best time to go? What about the rainy season or winter?

We walk all year. April–May and October–November are dry and mild. July–September is the rainy season: landslides can close paths, so every day has a Plan B. December–February is clear and cold, and after a rare snowfall the 28 Bends can be icy.

Is Tiger Leaping Gorge overrated, or too crowded now?

The views are worth it. The trail is busy from late morning and on Chinese holidays, so we set off at sunrise, ahead of most hikers, and avoid holiday dates.

What happens to my luggage?

You walk with a daypack. Your suitcase stays at your Lijiang hotel, or rides with our car to Shangri-La.

Is it safe? I’ve read about accidents.

Parts of the High Trail run along cliff edges. In February 2026 a child fell from an edge, and a man was swept away after taking a closed path to the river. We stay on the main trail, walk as a small group with your guide close by, and don’t walk the gorge in heavy rain. Women travelling alone share rooms only with women.

Do I need a guide? Plenty of people hike it alone.

For the gorge alone, no: the trail is well marked. With us you also get the car from your hotel, an early start ahead of the crowds, a Plan B for rain or a closed path, and a guide who speaks Chinese.

Do I need a visa?

Citizens of most European countries, including the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Sweden, and of Canada, can visit China without a visa for up to 30 days, under a policy that runs to 31 December 2026. The US is not part of it: you need a visa, or the 240-hour visa-free transit if you fly on to a third country. Rules change, so check with the Chinese embassy for your passport. We update this as soon as the rules for 2027 are announced, and your offer always says what applies on your dates.

What about insurance?

You need your own travel insurance with medical and emergency evacuation cover that includes trekking; please send us the policy details before you travel. What we insure is listed under “What’s included”.

Money, phone and internet?

Alipay and WeChat Pay, taken almost everywhere, now accept foreign cards. Google, WhatsApp and most Western apps don’t work on Chinese networks, but a roaming eSIM from home usually does. We send a short checklist with your offer.

What do we eat? I have dietary needs.

Local food wherever we stay, often shared dishes at a round table. Vegetarian food is easy to arrange. Tell us about allergies or vegan, halal or gluten-free needs in your enquiry, and we brief the kitchens ahead.

Free route guides for this trek

Every step of this trek is in our free guides. Walk it yourself, or let us walk it with you.

€400per person

Ask about dates