Jam Tsirani

If you want to experience the breathtaking Tibetan mountains, consider hiking one of the most scenic routes in the world: the Tiger Leaping Gorge.  For outdoor enthusiasts, hiking the famous trail in Tiger Leaping Gorge is a must. You can reach the lower part of the gorge without hiking to witness the roaring Jinsha River, but the views from the relatively easy trail are well worth it. The entry fee to the park is 45 yuan, and you can use an escalator to get down to the river for 70 yuan or take the 1,000 steps down and back up.

The 23 km trail can be completed in one day, but most people take two days to fully enjoy it. The Tiger Leaping Gorge is located between Lijiang and Shangri-La, offering a chance to visit Tibet without a permit.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge trail is considered one of the most scenic hikes in the world, making it a must-do when you’re in Lijiang. The trail starts in Qiaotou town and ends in Yixiantian, with options to hike either the upper or middle gorge. We opted for the upper gorge based on numerous online articles recommending it as better maintained and generally easier to complete.

Though the full trail is typically accomplished in two days, we didn’t have enough time for the entire route. Instead, we decided to hike part of the trail up to Tina’s Guesthouse. Despite the shorter distance, the stunning views made the effort worthwhile.

How to Get There

While Qiaotou is considered the traditional starting point of the trail, locals advised us to begin at Naxi Family Guesthouse since the first part of the trail is currently under construction.

By Bus:

• From Lijiang to Qiaotou:
  • Buses leave daily at 8 am.
  • The journey takes about 2 hours.
  • Tickets cost 33 yuan.
  • Take a taxi from Qiaotou to either the ticket office or Naxi Family Guesthouse.
    You can also catch buses from Tina’s Guesthouse back to Lijiang or Shangri-La.

By Taxi:

• We chose to hire a taxi from Lijiang directly to Naxi Family Guesthouse.
• Our driver met us later in the day at Tina’s Guesthouse for the return trip.
• This option cost 600 yuan for a private car for the entire day, which we found reasonable.

Hiking Itinerary

Our plan was to hike from Naxi Family Guesthouse to Tina’s Guesthouse and then return to Lijiang.

Morning:

• Early Start: We began our day early and arrived at Naxi Family Guesthouse around 10:30 am. The drive took about 2 hours, and there was a queue at the ticket office, causing a slight delay.
• First Leg: From Naxi Family Guesthouse, we hiked to Tea Horse Guesthouse via the 28 Bends Pass, the most challenging part of the trail.

Tea Horse Guesthouse:

• The path leading up to Tea Horse Guesthouse is mostly uphill but not overly steep. The trail is well-maintained and marked, and you’ll likely encounter a few local climbers along the way.
• The terrain is rocky, and while we were fortunate with the weather, it can become muddy after rain, so be prepared.
• Local vendors sell snacks along the trail, but cash is necessary as mobile payments might not be accepted. This area was the only place in China where we couldn’t use Alipay, and some vendors only accepted WeChat, which didn’t support foreign cards at the time of our visit. However, you can use payment apps at larger tea houses.
• We took a break at Tea Horse Teahouse, which we reached in about 2 hours. The views of Snow Mountain from the teahouse were our favorite part of the hike.

Afternoon:

• After a snack at Tea Horse Teahouse, we continued our hike towards Halfway Guesthouse. The route becomes easier from this point, and it took us about another hour to reach Halfway Guesthouse.
• From Halfway Guesthouse, you can choose to go to the middle gorge (14 km) or continue on the upper gorge to Tina’s Guesthouse. We opted for the latter, taking about an hour to reach Tina’s. 
  

Options from Tina’s Guesthouse:

• You can hike down to the river via Teacher Zhang’s trail, then continue to Sky Ladder and Yixiantian.
• You can also stay at Tina’s or any of the many tea houses that have sprung up in the gorge. Booking.com or Trip.com are good options for reserving accommodations. 

However, this was the end of our hike, as our taxi was waiting for us. Our driver kindly suggested taking us to a scenic spot in the lower gorge to enjoy the river view. We agreed, and after a 20-minute ride, we arrived at the entrance to the scenic spot.

From the entrance, you can either take 1,000 steps down to the river or buy a ticket for the escalator for 70 yuan. After our experience with endless escalators at Tianmen Mountain, we chose to walk a bit more

Once we reached the river, we were able to witness the power of nature up close.

After taking numerous pictures, which can never fully capture the beauty of the place, and enjoying the views, we climbed the 1,000 steps back up to finish our day.

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