Pilgrimage to Joseph Rock's Favorite Mountain
1-Day Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Hiking Tour
—"I want to die among those beautiful mountains rather than in a bleak hospital bed all alone."
America explorer Joseph Rock said this in a letter to his friend to express his endless love for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
In this one-day Jade Dragon Snow Mountain hiking tour, you will skip the cable car and find yourself walking in Rock's footsteps in the embrace of his favorite mountain. Feel Yulong Mountain with your feet and see its beauty with you own eyes. There are several hiking routes up to the mountain. We are happy to recommend the right one according to your interests.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Discover the Hidden Valley of the ‘Milk River' and ‘Snow Sea'
Skipping the cable car and tourist crowd, you will hike through the bushes, wade across a little stream, lie down on an alpine meadow, and enjoy the exclusive views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain that only hikers can.
Hear the Adventure Stories of Joseph Rock in Context
Visit ground-breaking explorer Joseph Rock's former residence in Yuhu Village. Listen to stories about him and the Naxi people who he studied. Time-travel back to Yunnan of the 1920s as you see the pictures taken by Rock.
Why Choose Us
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- 1-to-1 travel expert
- Vaccinated guides
- Private Rides
Your Trip is Perfectly Planned.
- Less crowded
- Exclusive Exciting Experiences
Your Booking is Risk-Free.
- No cancellation fee (up to 22 days before departure)
- Free changes
Finish Your Booking in as Quick as 1 Day
1. Tell us your dream travel idea
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What Our Customers Said
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Cultural and scenic beauty second to none!
I would highly recommend this tour to Lugu Lake to everyone and anyone! The tour guide Jack taught me more in two days about minority cultures, Chinese history, and the amazing natural history and geography of Yunnan and the Lijiang area. As well, the drive to Lugu Lake requires an expert - and Mr Wang is an expert! (From someone who has crossed the Rockies at least 20 times) As a single woman travel who still doesn’t have great Chinese it was a flawless experience - from the communications, accommodation and breathtaking scenery and cultural experiences. Please book and go! moreFeb 2023, Connie VH
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We have been travelling around Yunnan…
We have been travelling around Yunnan Province for 8 days and it’s been amazing. The culture, the food, the people’s kindness, all these things made our trip unforgettable. Especially our guide Nancy! The most helpful and friendly guide we could have. We really appreciate her knowledge about the local history and the culture. She’s really amazing and we strongly recommend her services. moreMar 2022, Danielle Toledo
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Awesome Yunnan trip with Nancy
We had a 6-day tour with guide Nancy around Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La in Yunnan. She’s very professional and experienced guide that made our tour far exceed expectations. It was a pleasure to have her as our tour guide. We strongly recommend her. Thank you! moreMar 2022, Rodrigo
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One of the best things I’ve done in China
One of the best things I’ve done in China. Being that I am pretty well traveled in China this Experience was so different from the others. Each city provided a different aspect of the culture, local traditions and beauty that China has to offer. Our Tour guide Nancy was amazing as she made our itinerary very well constructed and organized. She was there to make sure we were comfortable and happy. Her hyper energy and cheerfulness made us feel enthusiastic for the day. We are very satisfied with this trip and Nancy’s services that we will be sure to book again. moreFeb 2022, RoshR
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One of the best things I’ve done in China
One of the best things I’ve done in China. Being that I am pretty well traveled in China this Experience was so different from the others. Each city provided a different aspect of the culture, local traditions and beauty that China has to offer. Our Tour guide Nancy was amazing as she made our itinerary very well constructed and organized. She was there to make sure we were comfortable and happy. Her hyper energy and cheerfulness made us feel enthusiastic for the day. We are very satisfied with this trip and Nancy’s services that we will be sure to book again. moreFeb 2022, RoshR
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Lijiang Trip July 2021
Kudos to Alisa Liu from the agency who I must say was on hand almost 24/7 for requests and queries. Even though our trip was marred with the onset of the Typhoon In Fa with various flight and train cancellations but Alisa was quick to arrange for alternative solutions under the circumstances and made the most effort to make our journey as comfortable as possible whilst we made our way back to Shanghai. As for the itinerary, Alisa understands her clientele’s different needs very well and for the most part my expectations were met. I love private tours with a very relaxed itinerary and comfortable accommodation and some of us prefer more exclusive accommodation vs a packed itinerary trying to go to a hundred location type of tour. moreAug 2021, Ida Suriani
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Summer holiday in Yunnan
After spending 5 nights in Dali visiting sights in our own time, Alice who was very friendly and helpful, accompanied us on our drive from Dali to Lijiang. She shared interesting facts about the local area and the things we had done. In Lijiang, we met our guide Peter. Peter did an amazing job taking care of us and showing us the beautiful sights for our 3 days. He was so kind, providing us with snacks each morning and always ensuring the food met my dietary requirements. He even picked up our last minute NAT results that we did before our departure late at night! His passion and dedication to his job was very impressive, and we would highly recommend him to our friends. moreAug 2021, O6866ZGlaurag
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Amazing experience in Yunnan
Please bear in mind that booking tickets and actually getting to the sightseeing point is very challenging, especially during peak season. But with the help of our guides everything went smooth and silky. Thank you, China Highlights, for making our first trip to Yunnan an unforgettable and carefree adventure. It was a true relaxation without any headache or stress. We had nothing to worry about, except enjoying breathtaking beauty of Yunnan. moreJul 2021, olya84
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Tour Map
Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.
Drive from your hotel in Lijiang Ancient Town to Yuhu Village.
Starting from Yuhu Village where Rock lived for 27 years, you will see typical stone houses of the Naxi people and villagers in their traditional dress on their way to their farms or fields. You will visit Rock's former residence and listen to his adventure stories.
From Yuhu Lake, you will walk uphill for about 40 minutes to Sansi River. In the rainy season (July to October), the water level could get up to your knees. The clean river water comes down from the snow mountain and flows down the valley to Lijiang Ancient Town.
After another 40 minutes' hiking, you will get to Bahe (‘Frog's Pool' in Naxi). It is a pool in rainy season and a small patch of meadow at other times.
In the next hour, you will hike up the slopes of the mountain between the bushes and rocks. And then you will get to a big piece of meadow at Ganheba (干河坝 ‘Dry River Embankment'). There is no water in the stream there in spring, autumn, and winter. The pleasant breeze blowing over the grassland will make you want to lie down to look at the blue sky.
Ganheba is formed from scree washed down and out by the snowmelt. As you go west, the river bed gets more and more narrow. The peaks on both sides are covered by snow in winter and spring.
Hike on the Ganheba plain to Milk River. The white limestone makes the river look like milk. Relax and have some snacks or a simple packed lunch.
Hike uphill to a view point for the magnificent view of the snow-capped mountain range. Overlook the vast Ganheba and then go across 'Snow Sea'. It is at the end of the Milk River. The white rocks and sand make it look like a sea of snow. There is only water there in the rainy season. Then the color is a lovely blue.
Hike downhill and enjoy some free time for pictures at the meadow. And then transfer back to your hotel in Lijiang Ancient Town
1. The hike is about 12.5 km (7.7 miles). There is about 600 meters (2,000 feet) of ascent, and normally people need about 5½ hours. This time frame is just for your reference. On our private tours, you can adjust timings flexibly according to your pace and interests.
2. This hiking tour to Ganheba is not available from April 1st to June 15th, due to local government fire prevention requirements. Your travel advisor will suggest other hiking routes according to your interests.
Price includes:
- Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: lj-5
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.
