Route
Lijiang-Shangri-La
Attentive guide service
-Well-trained local guides are specialists on Tibet and the local region and will travel with you throughout the trip
Vehicles and drivers
-Travel in well maintained SUVs or MPVs. Experienced Songtsam drivers drive all vehicles.
Hotels and lodges
-Enable guests to experience the different cultures and landscapes inherent in these regions.
Meals
-During your journey you will get to try Tibetan cuisine, which includes a good amount of barley flour-based items, such as dumplings and noodles, as well as red meat, such as yak, beef and pork.
-At Songtsam lodges, we provide set menus, which combine Tibetan and Chinese cuisine and include complimentary soft drinks and a glass of wine.
Spotlight
- The Old Town of Lijiang to see the ancient Naxi Kingdom.
- Important Tibetan monasteries such as Wenbi Temple, Songzanlin Monastery.
- Local family visits to learn about the daily life and culture.
- Naxi courtyard style boutique hotel surrounded by pinewoods and a pear garden in Lijiang
- Tibetan-style boutique hotel near Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La
Day 1 Lijiang
Day 2 Lijiang
- Visit Lijiang Old Town in the morning to see the Naxi Old Kingdom described by Peter Goullart. Afterwards visit Wenfeng Temple to learn about the frontier culture of Tibetan Buddhism and experience a bird’s-eye view of Lijiang from top of Wenbi Mountain.
- Return to the hotel for lunch.
- Take part in a Dongba calligraphy class to learn about the Naxi hieroglyphic language and ancient Naxi culture in the afternoon.
- Dinner at the lodge.
Overnight at Songtsam Linka Lijiang (Altitude: 2,400m)
Day 3 Lijiang - Shangri-La (by automobile)
- After breakfast, visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the top 10 famous hiking trails in the world and part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.
- Have a lunch at a local restaurant.
- Afterwards drive to Shangri-la via Baishuitai which is the source of Dongba culture.
- Arrive at Shangri-la and relax
- Dinner at the lodge.
Overnight at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (Altitude: 3,300m)
Day 4 Shangri-La
- After breakfast, visit Napa lake in the early morning.
- Afterwards visit Songzanlin Monastery - Return to hotel for lunch.
- In the afternoon take part in a Thangka painting workshop to learn and understand the craftsmanship and techniques needed to make the delicate and intricate Tibetan Buddhist art. (only available from Thursday to Sunday). Alternatively, visit Dukezong Old town or hike into the valley behind the hotel according to the season and weather condition.
- Visit a traditional Tibetan Family and have dinner there to find Tibetan’s wisdom and fun in their life.
Overnight at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (Altitude: 3,300m)
Hotels and lodges
Songtsam Linka Lijiang
Our retreat is located at a nearby small Naxi-ethnic village named Ciman, where the traditional way of living still thrives. Surrounded by pinewoods and a pear garden, Songtsam Linka Lijiang offers spectacular views of the old town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and Lashi Lake. The hotel’s design is grand in appearance and has an interior layout in the style of a Naxi courtyard that is decorated with exquisite Hui-style stone sculptures.
Songtsam Linka Shangri-La
Hidden in the city’s peaceful and green valleys between Tibetan villages and Himalayan barley fields, our hotel is located a short distance away from the Songzanlin Monastery. Tibetan-style rooms, dining facilities, spa, and other modern amenities are housed in lovingly hand-built stone structures spread over 21 acres of hillside surrounded by snow-capped mountains.
- All land transfers on best-in-class local transportation indicated in the itinerary.
- All admission fees and activities indicated in the itinerary.
- All accommodation based on double occupancy.
- All meals starting from lunch on the first day to breakfast on the last day.
- Drinking water and snacks throughout the trip.
- Complimentary soft drinks, coffee, tea, and drinking water at all Songtsam hotels and lodges.
- Service of local guides.
- Medical, travel insurance or evacuation insurance plans.
- Domestic or international airfare to Lijiang and from Shangri-La.
- Personal telecommunication.
- Excursions and activities not included in itinerary.
- China visa.