Exceptional Experience in Lijiang
Lijiang, the oriental Venice, is where quaint bridges arch over clear water canals and flagstone streets stretch alongside classic architectures. Ethnic charm melds with living history to awaken your inner peace.
However, the fame is a double-edged sword. As much as 12% of Yunnan's total tourist population (that's 4 million people) flows into Lijiang every year. Is it still possible to enjoy the picturesque scenery while escaping from the hordes of tourists? Everything is possible with China Highlights. Below are three steps to make your Lijiang vacation special.
Step One: Choose from Top-rated Hotels
Let's start with a special accommodation experience. These hand-picked hotel choices are recommended based on their location, service, uniqueness, and feedback.
Banyan Tree Lijiang
Located in the less commercialized Shuhe Ancient Town, the Banyan Tree resort's pristine environment adds to the ethereal charm cloaking the air. Be fascinated by the legendary Naxi Kingdom and admire the majesty of the legendary Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Hotel Indigo® Lijiang Ancient Town
The Hotel Indigo Lijiang Ancient Town merges Tea and Horse Trail culture and local folklore in its décor and design. The guest rooms feature signature artwork and creative details, from a horse-silhouette closet to breathtaking murals of the nearby Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, alongside modern comforts that showcase how the past and present coexist here. "Me Space," with its giant copper birdcage and stools made of original horse saddles, is the perfect place to converse with friends, or for a quieter vibe, experience a traditional tea ceremony at our Tea House.
InterContinental Lijiang
Hide in the center of Lijiang Ancient Town, and experience old world opulence and modern luxury at the Intercontinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort. Enjoy a perfectly framed view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain through vast windows. Forget about the outside world and relax in rooms amid the hotel's extensive gardens and ponds.
Step Two: Tailor-made Tour
A comfortable room may make you want to stay for longer in Lijiang, while an unforgettable customized tour may make you want to stay there for life. Hop in a vintage sidecar or jeep and travel to secluded areas and commune with China's vanishing charm. We can combine the special attractions in Lijiang and the unique sidecar/jeep excursions for you. Private all the way!
The Valley Run
Hop into one of our vintage vehicles for an afternoon jaunt in the Lijiang Valley. Drive to a secluded location and enjoy the view as your guide pours you a glass of bubbles.

The Lijiang Valley Explorasion
Go for an exploratory tour of the Lijiang Valley. Start with a stop at a local Naxi temple before you continue to Yuhu Village, which was once home to an eccentric but now long forgotten explorer. A scenic drive through the valley will take you up in the hills to check out a Buddhist monastery for an introduction to Tibetan culture.

The Grand River Canyon
Crossing the outskirts of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, pause for panoramic views of the Yangtze River from the Temple of the Clouds before you continue your drive towards the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Leave the tourist masses behind and have lunch at a local guesthouse, and your guide will take you up one of the trails starting from behind the guesthouse. This trek is considered a medium level and, depending on your fitness and experience, it will take between 3½ and 4½ hours to complete.
The Shaxi Trade Bazaar
Down the road to Shaxi, the traffic will have come to a standstill near Jiuhe Village as the locals will have set up a roadside market providing great photo opportunities (weekends only).
It remains rather peaceful on the cobbled streets of Shaxi but during the heydays of the Old Tea Horse Road the place was teeming with life. If today coincides with a Friday, you are in for a treat. On this day, the town awakens from hibernation as the neighboring Yi and Bai minorities come to sell and buy their produce. Women still dress in their colorful traditional outfits and men will often lead pack mules carrying supplies back to their villages in the mountains. Visit the nearby villages before heading back to your hotel.
Step Three: Submit Your Inquiry
Submit your preference for a hotel, excursions, starting date, and how many days you will stay, and our professional trip advisor will tailor-make a private and unique tour for you.
Luxury, uniqueness, adventure, privacy and exclusivity — you will have it all!
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12 day trip to Kunming, Dali and Lijiang
![]() Our tour guide cum driver for Kunming, is Jack Lee. He took good care of us, especially when there is any descending or ascending hike during the trip. He gave excellent suggestion for dinner and even show us the authentic way to eat the food. We had a fantastic 6 days in Dali area. Our guide, 王立婷, is from the Bai ethnic group. She is very knowledgeable in the custom and history of Yunnan as well as the different Ethnic group of the area. We learn a lot of interesting things from her. If I were to go to Dali again, I will definitely look for her. The last stretch of our trip, is 3 days in Lijiang with our guide , 和绍春. He is from the Naxi Ethnic group. He shared with us his knowledge of his people and also how to handle high altitiude. Luckily for us, we had him to look out for us as some of us were unwell during and after the ascent of Yulong snow mountain. Last but not least, our driver, 卞师傅,spent 9 days with us and is a safe driver and a friendly person. more
Apr 2025, Boon Keow L
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Lijiang and Kunming
![]() Thanks to Camillia Jiang from China Highlights who created our itinerary we had a wonderful holiday in Lijiang and Kunming. Our guides in Lijiang Alice and Lulu in kunming were wonderful in taking care of our needs from the word go and made our holidays so much better. more
Apr 2025, Chng S
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Amazing 9D8N Yunnan Experience!
![]() Our group of 8 had an amazing time in Yunnan with China Highlights!We’re on 9D8N tour in Shangrila, Lijiang, Dali and Kunming. Special thanks to Liberman (key coordinator) for his patience in meeting our many requests and changes, I’m really impressed with his good English competency, prompt responses and follow-up. We were blessed with great weather, sunshine when we visit Pudacuo and Songzhanlin, Hotel Indigo is an excellent choice for hotel stay in Shangrila. We were able to ascend Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang too, it was snowing slightly and the mountain was covered by thick white snow, making our experience a very special one. Thumbs up to Lijiang guide Jack, he’s one of the few guides who would hike up the mountain side by side with guests. Our special thanks goes to our guides - James (Shangrila), Jack (Lijiang), Alice (Dali), Lydia and May (Kunming). They have worked very hard to ensure our Yunnan experience is an amazing one with beautiful scenery, delicious food, great shopping! I will definitely travel with China Highlights again andwill highly recommend them to my friends. more
Apr 2025, savvy Traveler
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