Shangri-La in Yunnan Province in south China was once known as Zhongdian (a Mandarin name). In 2002, it was renamed Shangri-La to promote tourism after the fictional Tibetan place in Lost Horizon by James Hilton, who got some of his inspiration from descriptions by explorer Joseph Rock, who spent 27 years in Yunnan near Shangri-La. Shangri-La means 'the Sun and Moon in the Heart' in Tibetan.
Located on the southeast edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Shangri-La enjoys magnificent mountain-scapes — snow-capped mountains, deep gorges, rushing rivers, and tranquil lakes. The biggest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Yunnan Province, Songzanlin Lamasery, is the spiritual symbol of Shangri-La.
The Shangri-La tours that we recommended will enable you to see the best of Shangri-La and enrich your experience with some exclusive activities such as visiting a lama's dormitory, thangka painting lessons, and extension tours to the best-kept secrets of Shangri-La.
Top Recommended Yunnan Shangri-La Tours
The suggested itineraries for a private Shangri-La tour below will give you some inspiration. Please feel free to contact us no matter if you would like to combine it with the popular cities in Yunnan or would like to get off the beaten path to explore more about Shangri-La area.
![Songzanlin Lamasery](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
- Songzanlin Lamasery
- Tangka painting learning
![Meili Snow Mountain](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
![Yubeng village](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
Yunnan Tours including Shangri-La
Here are the recommended Yunnan tours including Shangri-La We are happy to combine any other destinations with Shangri-La according to your interests to create your private trip.
![ancient city gate of Dali](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
- Mountains and Old Towns
- Ethnic Minorities
![village on the bank of Erhai Lake](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
![Songzanlin Lamasery in Shangri-La](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
Other Popular Destinations in Yunnan
Here are the other popular cities for a Yunnan tour. Click to get more information about each destination and tours
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
![Trip Advisor certificate of 2024](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
![Tour Review](https://data.chinahighlights.com/grey.gif)
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Wonderful experience in China
![]() The guides were kind, friendly, knowledgeable and flexible. They were sensitive to our needs and did above and beyond. Thank you all for your kind hospitality and see you again next year for another visit to such a beautiful country China!! more
Jun 2024, K Abdalla
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Treated like family
![]() We were taken care as if we were family. Daisy was our kind tour guide who curated a perfect trip that was catered to our tastes. Highly recommend! more
Apr 2024, Ran Rana
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Wonderful Tour Guide
![]() This was my first time to join China Highlights for the trip to LIjiang and Shangri-la in China. Ms. Alice Lu picked us on time from the airport and dropped us to the hotel then helped us to settle down at the hotel and give us a briefing about the schedule of next several days and recommended some local restaurants to us before her departure.Alice is a polite, patient, organized and good experienced planner. She has shown herself is not only a professional tour guide, but an experienced photographer and body guard. more
Apr 2024, YUN KEUNG LI
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Shangri-La Travel Tips
The altitude of Shangri-La is 3,300 meters above sea level. Most of our clients don't experience any altitude sickness problems. However, if you have a problem with your breathing or blood pressure, etc. please ask your doctor if you can visit Shangri-La.