8-Day Shangri-La & Meili: A Soft Highland Discovery

Meet your guide at the airport. A private vehicle will transfer you directly to your hotel where your guide will help you to check-in. Relax for the rest of the day.

Visit the largest Tibetan Buddhist lamasery in Yunnan Province — Songzanlin Lamasery — which was built in the style of the Potala Palace in Lhasa.

Visit the dormitory of a lama, which is not normally open to tourists. If you are curious about their lifestyle, religious beliefs, practices, and discipline, this is a great chance to get ask a lama face to face.

Enjoy a relaxing walk in the Dukezong town in the afternoon. Begin at the North Gate, where the soul of Tibet greets you in a palette of white, red, black, and gold. From there, head into the Shangri-La Thangka Painting Academy to see these five sacred colors come alive.

Next, climb to Guishan Park to spin the colossal 21-meter prayer wheel with locals.

As dusk approaches, dive into the region's culinary arts at a beloved heritage spot, enjoying authentic flavors within beautifully preserved walls.

Wind deeper into the Tibetan plateau. Pause beside the vast Napahai Lake, sharing quiet moments as clouds reflect upon the water.

Avoid the commercial house tours and visit a traditional Tibetan family's house near quiet Napa Lake. There, you will enjoy some homemade Tibetan meal and friendly conversation.

>Drive to Tacheng in the afternoon.

Visit Yunnan Golden Monkey National Park after breakfast. This area is the hometown of the Yunnan golden monkeys. They are the only primates living at an altitude of 3,000–4,500 meters (10,000–15,000 feet) above sea level, apart from humans. The national park's staff feed the monkeys in the forest every morning. The monkeys appear suddenly when hearing the staff whistling.

You will drive alongside the Lancang River (the Mekong River) from Tacheng to Cizhong. As the altitude gradually decreases, the landscape, vegetation, crops, and villages will change.

Stop at Tongle Lishu Village. living museum of Lisu heritage. Unlike the horizontal sprawl of lowland settlements, this ancient hamlet clings vertically to the slope, its wooden log cabins stacked like natural amphitheaters.

Begin the morning at Cizhong Catholic Church, a solitary beacon of faith nestled in the Mekong Valley. Step inside the weathered Tibetan-Gothic walls for a rare, intimate conversation with the local pastor, tracing the remarkable history of French missionaries who planted roots here over a century ago. Cross the street to a local Tibetan home for a private tasting of the legendary Rose Honey wine. Savor the delicate notes of this rare vintage—a grape variety extinct in its native France yet miraculously preserved in this highland soil.

In the afternoon, ascend into secluded gorges to Benggong Monastery. Tucked away from the main tourist trail, this humble sanctuary guards a profound secret: the symbolic “Key to Meili.”Receive a quiet blessing from the presiding lama, believed to grant you the privilege of beholding the sacred, unconquered peak of Kawagebo. With this spiritual key in hand, continue to Deqin, carrying with you the intertwined spirits of the vine and the mountain.

Enjoy an incredible view of the Meili Snow Mountains at sunrise. When the sunlight shines on the snowy peaks and turns them sparkling golden, it is a magical moment when the chaos and routines of life can be forgotten.

Visit Mingyong Glacier to get close to Kawagebo, the main peak of the Meili Snow Mountains. As one of the most important pilgrimage sites in the Yunnan Tibetan area, Kawagebo is still a virgin peak, which none have conquered due to the complicated terrain and fickle weather (not to mention respect for Tibetan beliefs and a government climbing ban from 2001).

Depart Deqin and go up to Wunongding Viewing Platform for a last panoramic view of the Meili Snow Mountains before saying goodbye. Drive along the Jinsha River back to Shangri-La.

Visit Dongzhulin Monastery, the largest and most influential lamasery in the region. Step into the hushed grandeur of the main hall, where colossal statues cast long shadows and the air is thick with the scent of burning juniper.

Stop at a platform for a great view of the big bend of the Jinsha River, which is the upper reaches of the Yangtze River.

Your guide and driver will escort you to the airport.