Shangri-La Tours — Home of the Little Potala Palace
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
- Tangka painting learning
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.
- Mountains and Old Towns
- Ethnic Minorities
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
Why Book with Us
- Confirm where you can go.
- Help you get the required documents.
- Offer you the best options when last-minute changes occur.
- Promise you a full refund up to 24 hours before departure.
- Flexible travel pace
- No commission shops
- No risky bookings with one-man companies
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.
Rita had help plan a once in a lifetime tour for us last spring that we cancelled due to Covid. CH refunded our deposit in one day and wished us luck and good health. She then offered to send us masks since they were impossible to find in the US in April. 2 weeks later we received ~200 masks from CH with no charge! What a great, ethical and knowledgeable travel agent. Would rebook in a mi Ute if we knew it was safe. More...
- Greg K. from USHad a wonderful time with our tour guides Cactus and Jin. In the time of COVID it was a great relief to have help sorting through protocols for entering tourist sights. Excellent lunch options. The juggling and sugar candy art in the hutong was a real treat. Great thing about touring now - no crowds. Highly recommended tour operator for anyone traveling to Beijing. More...
- Francisca Adenike from Canada