Tiger Leaping Gorge

You can reach the Tiger Leaping Gorge from Lijiang. Easiest will be asking at your accommodation for transport to the starting point of the hike. They will know where you want to go, and what to tell the driver. This is also the more expensive option. We decided to go for this option, and leave our luggage at our accommodation. The price depends on the accommodation and the deal you make with them.

The cheaper option will be going to the Lijiang Bus Station, and buying tickets for the bus there. When entering the bus, you will have to tell the driver to stop at the start of the trail. The driver will take your luggage to the endpoint (the bus station where you can buy tickets for your way back to Lijiang or Shangri-La). This will cost around 40 to 60 yuan, and you need your passport to buy the tickets. It might seem weird to trust the driver with your luggage, but this is what almost everybody does, and it is safe to do it.

The actual starting point of the will be at Naxi Village. Once the bus drops you off, there will probably be drivers waiting for you. They will ask 20 yuan to bring you to Nuoyu (also known as Naxi), which will be where the trail actually starts. You can also decide to start walking from the bus stop, and skip the drivers, which will be an additional hour of walking up a paved road, before the hike starts.

You can do a 2 day hike through the mountains. We hiked 12 kilometers on the first day, and 6 on the second day.

From the starting point at Naxi village, your hike will start with the “28 bends” which is a path up the mountain with a lot of bends (I guess 28). From there the hike will be easier, and you will walk along a path in the mountains, with amazing views to the mountains, including the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and the river/gorge below.

You can have lunch at Tea Horse Guesthouse, which will be around the half way mark between the starting point at Naxi, and the ending point for day 1: Halfway Guesthouse. After lunch, continue walking the same direction, until you reach the village called Bendiwan, where Halfway Guesthouse is located, and find your way to your accommodation.

The next day we continued hiking to the endpoint, which was to Tina’s Guesthouse. You will continue along the mountains, past some waterfalls, until you have the option to walk down to Tina’s Guesthouse. Here you can eat and drink, but first I would recommend walking to the bus station next to Tina’s Guesthouse. This will also be where your luggage is, if you asked the driver to bring it to the end of the hike. Buy your bus ticket back to Lijiang here, which should be quite cheap.

Some online guides mention that you can continue your hike into the Lower section, but this section is closed in 2026. So Tina’s Guesthouse is the actual ending of the hike. You will have amazing views of the mountains, and the Tiger Leaping Gorge itself.

You will be in the mountains, so the weather can go both ways. The first day we had perfect weather, and the second day we had a lot of rain and hard winds. It’s difficult to prepare for this. The most important part is to have good shoes, because you will be walking a lot for the 2 days.

Bring your passport with you on the hike, because you will need this for your accommodation.

Scenic area entrance ticket Sometimes they will charge you for the entrance tickets, but you won’t need this, since you will not be entering the scenic area. This can be a bit unclear, I would suggest paying if they ask, but you don’t have to buy a ticket yourself.

How long is the hike? The hike will be around 18 kilometers long. We hiked 12 kilometers on the first day, and 6 on the second day.

AMap link The AMap link in this article links to the endpoint of the hike, at Tina’s Guesthouse.