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
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Les splendeurs du Yunnan
J'ai passé un merveilleux séjour dans le Yunnan, grace à China Highlights et ses guides chaleureux et très professionnels ! à Kunming, Lulu m'a fait découvrir la sublime forêt de pierres Shilin et découvrir les trésors d'une dégustation de thé Pu'er. Dans les environs de Dali, Alice m'a concocté un délicieux tour des villages où le drama "Meet Yourself" a été tourné. J'en ai été très émue et je suis tombée sous le charme du lac Er Hai qui en est le c?ur ? J'ai également appris beaucoup sur la minorité Bai et l'art du Tie and dye. à Lijiang, c'est Jack qui m'a gentiment fait découvrir la vieille ville et les villages d'autres minorités locales. Il m'a aussi accompagnée dans la somptueuse Blue Moon Valley et ses lacs d'eau bleu turquoise, où les futurs mariés se précipitent pour faire des photos dans un cadre magnifique ! more
Jun 2025, Compass20024947963
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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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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.