Kunming Courtyard
Hotel
Day 1
Yunnan: Dali, Lijiang & the Gorge - 7 Days (Kunming, Erhai, Tiger Leaping Gorge & Shangri-La)
Seven days from Kunming to the Tibetan plateau edge. Seven days with reserved high-speed rail, an English-speaking guide and the better guesthouses on the gorge high trail.
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
Trekking
Seven days from Kunming to the Tibetan plateau edge
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Green LakeKunming is called the spring city because at 1,890 m in the subtropics it barely has seasons. Dali old townDali is the Bai heartland, and the Three Pagodas outside the old town have stood since the ninth century through several earthquakes. Lijiang old townLijiang is Naxi, has canals instead of drains and has no city wall — the story is that the ruling family's name in a box would have…
Itinerary
Kunming is called the spring city because at 1,890 m in the subtropics it barely has seasons.
KunmingHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer into the city
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationKunming Courtyard
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
LANDMARKS Green Lake Yuantong Temple Kunming Start point Kunming, Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) 00:00 - 23:59Dali is the Bai heartland, and the Three Pagodas outside the old town have stood since the ninth century through several earthquakes.
Kunming, Dali, ErhaiHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:00 AM — the high-speed line west
- 1 hrs2:00 PM — the old town and the lake shore
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationDali House
Included Activities
- High-speed rail
- Old-town guesthouse night
- Three Pagodas entry
Optional Activities
- Cycling the Erhai lake shore
LANDMARKS Dali old town Three Pagodas Erhai lake Cangshan Lijiang is Naxi, has canals instead of drains and has no city wall — the story is that the ruling family's name in a box would have spelled "siege".
Dali, LijiangHow the day runs
- 2 hrs9:30 AM — the line north
- 1:00 PM — the old town, which is a UNESCO site and a maze
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationLijiang Lodge
Included Activities
- Rail ticket
- Old-town guesthouse night
- Lijiang maintenance fee
LANDMARKS Lijiang old town Black Dragon Pool Naxi music Mu Palace The gorge runs between two 5,000 m ranges and is close to 3,900 m deep. The 28 bends are the hard hour and they come on day one.
Lijiang, Tiger Leaping GorgeHow the day runs
- 2 hrs7:30 AM — north to Qiaotou
- 6 hrs10:00 AM — the high trail and the 28 bends
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch, Dinner
- AccommodationTiger Leaping Gorge Inn
Included Activities
- Gorge entry
- Guesthouse night on the high trail
- All meals
LANDMARKS 28 Bends Naxi Family Guesthouse Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Shangri-La was called Zhongdian until 2001, when the county renamed itself after the novel. It is genuinely Tibetan and it is at 3,160 m.
Tiger Leaping Gorge, Shangri-LaHow the day runs
- 5 hrs7:30 AM — the rest of the high trail down to Tina's
- 3 hrs2:30 PM — north onto the Tibetan plateau edge
- MealsBreakfast, Lunch
- AccommodationShangri-La Courtyard
Included Activities
- Transport
- Guesthouse night at Shangri-La
LANDMARKS Tina's Guesthouse Middle Gorge Shangri-La old town Songzanlin is modelled on the Potala and holds several hundred monks.
Shangri-La, LijiangHow the day runs
- 8:30 AM — Songzanlin monastery and the old town
- 3 hrs2:00 PM — back south
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationLijiang Lodge
Included Activities
- Monastery entry
- Transport
- Guesthouse night at Lijiang
LANDMARKS Songzanlin Monastery Napa Lake Dukezong old town Lijiang flies to Kunming, Chengdu and Shanghai for onward connections.
LijiangHow the day runs
- 1 hrsAirport transfer and the flight out
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 2High-speed rail
- Day 2Old-town guesthouse night
- Day 2Three Pagodas entry
- Day 2Cycling the Erhai lake shoreCosts extra
- Day 3Rail ticket
- Day 3Lijiang maintenance fee
- Day 4Gorge entry
- Day 4Guesthouse night on the high trail
- Day 4All meals
- Day 5Transport
- Day 5Guesthouse night at Shangri-La
- Day 6Monastery entry
- Day 6Guesthouse night at Lijiang
- Day 1 · 1 nightKunming Courtyard
- Day 2 · 1 nightDali House
- Day 3 · 1 nightLijiang Lodge
- Day 4 · 1 nightTiger Leaping Gorge Inn
- Day 5 · 1 nightShangri-La Courtyard
- Day 6 · 1 nightLijiang Lodge
- Day 1Kunming to KunmingTransfer into the city
- Day 2Kunming to Dali9:00 AM — the high-speed line west
- Day 2Dali to Erhai2:00 PM — the old town and the lake shore
- Day 3Dali to Lijiang9:30 AM — the line north
- Day 4Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge7:30 AM — north to Qiaotou
- Day 5Tiger Leaping Gorge to Shangri-La2:30 PM — north onto the Tibetan plateau edge
- Day 6Shangri-La to Lijiang2:00 PM — back south
- Day 7Lijiang to LijiangAirport transfer and the flight out
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Dali House
Hotel
Day 2
Lijiang Lodge
Lodge
Days 3, 6
Tiger Leaping Gorge Inn
Hotel
Day 4
Shangri-La Courtyard
Hotel
Day 5
What you'll eat
6 breakfasts, 2 lunches and 2 dinners across 7 days, at camp. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 7.
- DinnerServed on days 1, 4
- BreakfastServed on days 2–7
- LunchServed on days 4–5
10 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.4/5
Based on 18 reviews
Review summary
Food4.3/5
Guide4.3/5
Itinerary4.3/5
Transport4.3/5
Accommodation4.1/5
Tour operator4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
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Tom Bergman – Lisbon2025-11-20 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Recommended.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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4
F
Farah Qureshi – Kochi2025-11-20 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Solid operator.
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5
S
Sofia Marchetti – Singapore2025-11-20 · Verified booking
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Food was plentiful and hot, which counts for a lot at altitude. Would send friends their way.
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5
Y
Yuki Tanaka – London2025-11-20 · Verified booking
Second trek with this operator and they've kept the standard up. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Would send friends their way.
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5
S
Sameer Khan – Kolkata2025-11-20 · Verified booking
Yunnan in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it. Worth every rupee.
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5
A
Aditi Rao – Pune2025-03-26 · Verified booking
Yunnan in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Recommended.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Thank you for travelling with us — glad the route worked out.
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4
D
Dev Chatterjee – Mumbai2025-03-26 · Verified booking
Yunnan in the right season is something else, and the team knew exactly where to camp. Would send friends their way.
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5
F
Farah Qureshi – Delhi2025-03-26 · Verified booking
Well organised from the pickup onwards. The daily distances were honest about what they'd be. Crew were professional without being stiff about it. Would book with them again.
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Questions people ask
One other operator runs this trail. See all 2 side by side →