Bai, Naxi and Tibetan country at its most real — markets, monasteries, family tables and a hidden Catholic valley — in a circle of northwest Yunnan taken slowly, from the shore of Erhai to the Meili snow range and back.
It begins on the shore of Erhai Lake. You are met at Dali's airport or rail station and driven out to Shuanglang, where the afternoon belongs to the water and nothing else. At dusk a welcome dinner — the first of many tables — and strangers become fellow travellers. Meals are how you meet Yunnan on this journey: a welcome feast on the lake, a Tibetan family table in Shangri-La, a Bai courtyard lunch in Xizhou, and a farewell dinner to close the loop.
From the lake the road climbs gently into living history. Shaxi, a key Tea Horse Road trading hub whose Sideng Street still stands as it was. Jianchuan's craft workshops over a simple regional lunch with local baba bread. A cooking class in Lijiang that starts in the market — you shop, you cook, you share the lunch you made. Then up the old horse road through Tiger Leaping Gorge to Shangri-La: Songzanlin Monastery at prayer time, a grassland walk near Napa Lake, black-pottery kilns in Nixi, and the valley road to Feilai Si — where the whole Meili snow range catches first light long before the sun arrives, and Kawagarbo, 6,740 m, goes from indigo to rose to blinding white within minutes.
And then the loop comes home the slow way. Down the Lancang canyon to Cizhong, where a Catholic church has stood among Tibetan farmhouses and vineyards since the 1860s — mass is still said in Tibetan, and the village wine gets poured at lunch. A free morning in Tacheng, a roasted-pig picnic on the grasslands, the dramatic First Bend of the Yangtze at Shigu. Two nights in Xizhou for the early market, a Bai family lunch and an afternoon that is yours — cycling by Erhai, or tie-dye — before the farewell dinner. Ten days, roughly 1,290 kilometres, and a pace that sets itself by the table.
Meals are how you meet Yunnan: a welcome feast on Erhai, a Tibetan family table near Napa Lake, a hands-on cooking class in Lijiang, a Bai courtyard lunch in Xizhou — and a farewell dinner to close the loop.
Cizhong — a historic Catholic church among Tibetan farmhouses and vineyards on the Lancang canyon. Standing since the 1860s; mass still said in Tibetan; the village's own wine poured at lunch after a winery tasting.
From the terrace at Feilai Monastery, the thirteen peaks of the Meili range catch sunrise — Kawagarbo, highest at 6,740 m, held sacred and never summited, going from indigo to rose to blinding white. Your guide has the terrace timed.
Shaxi's Sideng Street — a key trading hub the caravans never let go of — plus Jianchuan's craft workshops, Nixi's black-pottery kilns and the market-to-table cooking class in Lijiang.
“Built around the table. Meals are how you meet Yunnan — a welcome feast on Erhai, a Tibetan family table, a Bai courtyard lunch, and a farewell dinner to close the loop.”
Erhai before the road
Day 1Welcome to Yunnan. Met at Dali airport or rail station, then out to Shuanglang on the shore of Erhai Lake. The afternoon is yours by the water — no schedule, no sights that must be seen. At dusk, a relaxed welcome dinner as strangers become fellow travellers: one easy evening by the lake before the road, eat well, sleep early.
Markets, cheese & the Tea Horse Road
Day 2Dali's Beimen Market at first light — mushrooms, fresh cheeses, mountain herbs — then free time in the old town before the road east. Via Dengchuan you try Rushan, the region's one-of-a-kind Chinese cheese, before arriving in Shaxi for the night: a small valley town that was a key Tea Horse Road trading hub, and still feels like one.
Workshops, baba bread & fine dining
Day 3The morning belongs to Shaxi's old Sideng Street — the Tea Horse Road's best-preserved stage — then to Jianchuan's craft workshops over a simple regional lunch, local baba bread included. In the afternoon the road carries you to Shuhe near Lijiang, and the day closes with a surprise: modern Yunnan fine dining, the province's new kitchen talking back to its old pantry.
The old horse road, a kitchen and a monastery
Days 4–5The plateau arrives in steps: a market-to-table morning in Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge on the old horse road, then two nights in Shangri-La at 3,280 m — monastery, family table and grassland, taken at a town pace.
A hands-on cooking class in Lijiang that starts in the market: you shop with the chef, cook, then share the lunch you made. In the afternoon the road climbs the old horse route via Tiger Leaping Gorge — the Yangtze squeezed between walls, weather permitting — into Shangri-La's old town for the first of two nights. The afternoon there is deliberately unhurried.
Morning at Songzanlin Monastery — Tibetan Buddhism and Shangri-La's place in it. Midday with a Tibetan family near Napa Lake over a home-style lunch, the journey's most-remembered table, then a gentle grassland walk. The afternoon ends in Dukezong Old Town — with an optional Guozhuang dance in the square as the lamps come on.
Pottery kilns, the Lancang canyon & the range at dusk
Day 6West out of Shangri-La, first to Nixi — where black pottery is still thrown by hand in family kilns, a craft visit rather than a souvenir stop — then over the lunch stop at Benzilan and down the Lancang River canyon. By late afternoon you stand at Feilai Si, where the whole Meili snow range lines the horizon. Tonight you sleep facing it, at 3,400 m — the journey's highest night.
Sunrise on the sacred summit — then Tibet meets Europe
Day 7Sunrise over Kawagarbo from Feilai Monastery — highest of the Thirteen Peaks of Meili at 6,740 m, held sacred and never summited. The whole range catches first light long before the sun arrives; Kawagarbo goes from indigo to rose to blinding white within minutes. Then down the Lancang canyon to Cizhong: a historic Catholic church among Tibetan farmhouses and vineyards, a village winery with a tasting, and a local lunch. Scenic stops en route to the quiet Tacheng valley for the night.
Hidden valleys to Erhai — a slow goodbye begins
Days 8–9The road home runs through a free morning, a picnic on the grasslands and the First Bend of the Yangtze — then two gentle days in Xizhou, market, courtyard lunch and an afternoon that is yours.
A free morning in Tacheng — village lanes, riverside paths, cafés and fields — then a roasted-pig picnic on the grasslands. A stop at Shigu for the dramatic First Bend of the Yangtze, where the river turns from north to east, and on to a quiet night in Xizhou old town.
Xizhou, gently. The early market on a guided walk, then coffee and photography in free time around the old town. A traditional Bai family lunch in a courtyard — the journey's table coming full circle — and the afternoon is yours: optional cycling by Erhai, or a tie-dye workshop, before the farewell dinner.
The loop closes
Day 10A relaxed breakfast in Xizhou, then a smooth group transfer to Dali Airport or the high-speed rail station — the loop closed, from the lake shore to the snow range and back. Ten days of markets, monasteries, kitchens and courtyards in between. Flights and high-speed trains leave from Dali; we time the transfer to your onward plan, either way.
Distances and drive times are approximate. We shorten any day that feels long — your comfort sets the pace. The order of sights may adjust for weather and road conditions; safety always outranks the schedule.
Altitude is the first question everyone asks, and this route answers it in its shape: the climb comes in steps — 2,000 m in Shuhe, then the plateau at Shangri-La — so the altitude arrives gradually. Your highest night is Feilai Si at 3,400 m, and three nights sit above 3,200 m. Kawagarbo, 6,740 m, is seen at sunrise, never climbed.
Bar positions are nightly sleeping altitudes; the red line marks the journey's highest night. You climb in steps — 2,000 m in Shuhe, then the plateau at Shangri-La — so the altitude arrives gradually. Mild breathlessness is normal, and it passes.
A small-group journey — 10 guests maximum per departure. Best months: March to June for clear skies on Meili and rhododendron country; September to November for golden fields and crisp mornings. Your journey, your way: dates, stays and pace can be tailored for private departures — just ask. A 20% deposit secures your seat.
Nine nights' stays, daily breakfast plus most lunches and dinners, a private minibus with driver, a bilingual English-speaking guide, and every experience and entry in the itinerary are part of the price — the full list is below.
Northwest Yunnan needs no special permit for foreign travellers — unlike Tibet proper. Every experience, entry ticket and night's bed is arranged for you before you arrive.
Please make sure your passport has at least six months' validity remaining. If you need a visa to enter China as a tourist, we'll ask for a copy of your Chinese tourist (L) visa and provide supporting documents for the application; if you're eligible for visa-free entry, a copy of your passport information page and a few supporting details is enough.
The earlier the better — Meili-view rooms at Feilai Si are finite, and the best courtyard inns in Shaxi and Xizhou are small. Spring and autumn weeks sell out first.
Long-distance flights and trains are not included; we are glad to arrange your travel to Dali and your flight or high-speed rail onward, timed to your plan — both leave from Dali.
March to June for clear skies on Meili and rhododendron country; September to November for golden fields and crisp mornings. Winters are quiet and bright, but cold on the plateau.
You climb in steps — 2,000 m in Shuhe, then the plateau at Shangri-La — so the altitude arrives gradually. Your highest night is 3,400 m at Feilai Si, and it comes halfway through the journey, not at the end. Mild breathlessness is normal, and it passes.
Small things, done early, make the plateau easy. Your guide checks in with you every day, and the itinerary already builds in unhurried afternoons at each new altitude.
Warm, windproof outerwear and layering for big day–night swings: at least three layers in spring and autumn, lightweight in summer. The high-plateau sun is strong — sunglasses, sunscreen and a hat are not optional.
Your personal essentials plus wet wipes for the drives between valleys. Pack lip balm, moisturising cream and sunscreen — the plateau air is dry and kind to no one's skin.
Motion sickness pills, gastrointestinal medicine, anti-inflammatories, cold medicine, adhesive bandages and eye drops. Consult your doctor and follow their guidance.
A U-shaped pillow for the drives between valleys, and a thermal flask so hot water is always at hand — your driver will refill it without being asked.
Phone, camera and power bank — cold nights drain batteries fast. Planning a drone? Check with your travel consultant in advance. China runs on 220 V.
Alipay and WeChat Pay work in Dali and Lijiang; cards in larger hotels. In the villages — Shaxi, Nixi, Cizhong, Tacheng — cash is essential: carry some yuan and at least one bank card.
Lakefront inns on Erhai, old-town courtyards in Shaxi and Xizhou, Tibetan-style retreats in Shangri-La — nine nights, twin share, comfortable and characterful throughout.
Skip alcoholic drinks for the first days on the plateau — your body will thank you above 3,000 meters.
Ten days of markets, monasteries, kitchens and courtyards in between.
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