Destinations
Yunnan, Southwest China
Tiger Leaping Gorge, tea horse roads, and the edge of the Himalayas.
Season
March - May and September - October for trekking and clear mountain views
Terrain
mountains
Fly into
KMG
Missions
-
The briefing
Yunnan province presses hard against Tibet, Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam, and that borderland position shows - in the food, the minority cultures, the altitude, and the sheer variety of terrain that fits within one region. Tiger Leaping Gorge remains one of the finest one-day hikes in Asia: a high trail above one of the world's deepest gorges, the Yangtze below, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain across. The section from Tina's to the Tea Horse Guesthouse is the classic. Treat Yunnan, Southwest China as a base, not a circuit: the days get better when you stop moving the bags.
Tiger Leaping Gorge remains one of the finest one-day hikes in Asia: a high trail above one of the world's deepest gorges, the Yangtze below, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain across. The section from Tina's to the Tea Horse Guesthouse is the classic.
Lijiang's old town is the comfortable base, but Shangri-La and the remote Nujiang Valley offer deeper immersion for travelers prepared to go further. Yunnan's food - crossing-the-bridge noodles, wild mushrooms, Yunnan ham - is some of the best in China.
How to get there
Gateway airports: KMG. Build the rest of the trip around the arrival.
Book first
Flights - KMG → Stay near the trailhead or hut belt in Yunnan, Southwest China → Operator - hut, permit, or mountain guide once the dates exist