Yunnan & Tibet · China

YUNNAN & LHASA

Lijiang to the Holy City, lodge to lodge

Private Tour · 7N8D

From Naxi courtyards and Tiger Leaping Gorge to sweet tea beneath the Potala — one seamless Songtsam journey from the Three Parallel Rivers onto the Tibetan plateau.

RouteLijiang → Shangri-La → Lhasa
Duration7N / 8D
Highest StayLhasa 3,700 m
Day-trip HighYamdrok-Tso 4,440 m
Group2–8 PAX private

Design Philosophy

Living heritage, lodge to lodge

"In Tibetan culture legend has it that in another time and space there is a kingdom called Shambala. It is a quiet and peaceful kingdom because everybody there knows the source of happiness. — Pema Dorjee, Founder of Songtsam"

Songtsam began when founder Pema Dorjee returned to his native Shangri-La to film a documentary of his childhood home and instead turned his family's small guesthouse into the first Songtsam lodge. Working with local artisans and the community, his vision has grown to eleven properties across eighteen years — places where guests immerse themselves in living history rather than hotels with gift shops. This journey links three of them, from a Naxi village outside Lijiang to the edge of an old park beneath the Potala.

Naxi courtyards纳西庭院

Songtsam Lodge Lijiang sits in Ciman village among pinewoods and a pear garden, built as a Naxi courtyard with Hui-style stone carving and views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Shangri-La香格里拉

Hand-built stone houses over 21 hillside acres of barley fields beside Songzanlin Monastery — the peaceful 'Shangri-La' nurtured by generations of the Three Parallel Rivers peoples.

The Ancient Tea Horse Road茶马古道

For centuries horse caravans carried tea through these gorges to Tibet and India; the route remains a corridor of cultures that this journey traces from Yunnan onto the plateau.

Artisan craft匠人之心

From thangka pigments to slaked-lime walls and indigo windows at the Lhasa Linka, every Songtsam property pays respect to traditional artisans and ancient wisdom.

Sweet tea afternoons甜茶时光

Lhasa's slow-paced lunch hours, sunbathing and sweet tea are brought into the hotel lobby, where on selected dates a resident band performs traditional Tibetan songs and dances.

Trip Highlights

What makes this journey

Lijiang & Naxi heritage

·Walk Dayan Ancient Town's old streets to Zhongyi Market, the everyday heart of Naxi minority life
·Climb to the meditation cave above Wenfeng Temple, the only temple in northwest Yunnan hosting three-year retreats
·Panoramas over the Lijiang dam, Beacon Hill and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Tiger Leaping Gorge & Shangri-La

·Day hike one of the world's top-10 trails on the scenic Chama Guesthouse–Half Way stretch above the Jinsha River
·Napa Lake — herdsmen's pasture and winter haven of the black-necked crane
·Two nights in hand-built stone houses at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La

Living Tibetan crafts

·Songzanlin Monastery, the 'Little Potala Palace' and southwest China's most important monastery
·BBQ lunch on the meadow facing the monastery's golden roofs
·Paint your own thangka or hand-roll Tibetan incense at the Songtsam Experiencing Center

Lhasa & the holy lake

·Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit with a Songtsam guide
·Citywalk through sweet tea houses, Chomsigkang Market and old Tibetan courtyards
·Yamdrok-Tso at 4,440 m and a vegetarian monastery lunch among the 1464-era murals of Gongga Qude

Stays

Three Songtsam houses along the route

Two nights at Songtsam Lodge Lijiang (2,400 m) in a Naxi village of pinewoods and pear trees, two nights at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (3,280 m) beside Songzanlin Monastery, then three nights at Songtsam Linka Lhasa (3,700 m), five kilometres from the Potala Palace with oxygen concentrators in every room.

A place where guests immerse themselves in living history.

Lodge-to-lodgeNaxi & Tibetan craftOxygen-equipped roomsLocal hosts

Itinerary

8-Day Itinerary

Yunnan & LhasaYUNNAN · TIBET · CHINA

Altitude profile

Highest point 4,440 m · gradual ascent for acclimatization

DAY 1

Arrive in Lijiang — a Naxi village welcome

Touch down at Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, where your Songtsam driver is waiting for the forty-minute transfer to Songtsam Lodge Lijiang. The retreat sits in Ciman, a small Naxi-ethnic village where the traditional way of living still thrives, surrounded by pinewoods and a pear garden with views over the old town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lashi Lake. The lodge itself is grand in appearance yet laid out like a Naxi courtyard, decorated with exquisite Hui-style stone sculptures. Settle in at 2,400 m — a gentle first step in the journey's gradual acclimatization — then gather for a welcome dinner at the lodge restaurant, where set menus blend Tibetan and Chinese cuisine.

Naxi courtyard lodge in Ciman village
Welcome dinner at Songtsam Lodge Lijiang

No hiking today · 2,400 m altitude

Terrain: arrival + village + hotel
Transport: Private airport transfer, about 40 minutes
Meals: Breakfast: not included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, Deluxe Room (2,400 m)

DAY 2

Dayan Ancient Town & the meditation caves of Wenfeng Temple

After breakfast, a twenty-minute drive brings you to Dayan Ancient Town. Walk the ancient street to Zhongyi Market, where Naxi grandmothers still shop for produce — the best window onto local minority life. Return to the lodge for lunch, then drive forty minutes to Wenfeng Temple, one of 'The Five Famous Temples of Lijiang' and the only temple in northwest Yunnan where monks may stay for over three years in intense meditation. From the main temple a stone path (or a short drive) climbs to the meditation cave in the mountain above; at the top, the Lijiang dam spreads east, with Beacon Hill and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the north in one spectacular panorama. Dinner back at Songtsam Lodge Lijiang.

Zhongyi Market and Naxi street life
Meditation cave panorama over Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

3 kmDistance+200 mAscent−200 mDescent2,700 mMax altitude

Terrain: old town + temple + culture
Transport: Short private drives, about 20-40 minutes each
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, Deluxe Room (2,400 m)

DAY 3

Tiger Leaping Gorge day hike, then up to Shangri-La

Drive ninety minutes to Tiger Leaping Gorge, the scenic canyon where the Jinsha River — a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze — thunders between snow peaks. Counted among the top ten famous hiking trails in the world, the gorge is walked here on its most beautiful and least difficult stretch, from Chama Guesthouse to Half Way; the route can be extended to suit your legs and appetite for drama. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue two hours up to Shangri-La and stop at Napa Lake, at once an ideal pasture for Tibetan herdsmen and a paradise for migrating birds, including the black-necked crane. Check in to Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, hand-built in stone over 21 hillside acres near Songzanlin Monastery, and have dinner at the hotel.

Day hike from Chama Guesthouse to Half Way
Birdlife at Napa Lake

5 kmDistance+250 mAscent−150 mDescent3,280 mMax altitude

Terrain: gorge hike + river canyon + scenic drive
Transport: About 1.5 h drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge, then about 2 h drive to Shangri-La
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, Deluxe Room (3,280 m)

DAY 4

Songzanlin Monastery, meadow BBQ & Tibetan crafts

A ten-to-fifteen-minute walk from the Linka stands Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan and the most important in southwest China — often called the 'Little Potala Palace'. Explore its halls with your guide, then enjoy an outdoor BBQ lunch overlooking the meadow and the monastery's golden roofs. The afternoon is yours to choose: at the Songtsam Experiencing Center, study thangka — Tibetan Buddhist painting in ground mineral pigment on cotton or silk, traditionally an aid to meditation — and draw your own under a teacher's guidance; or blend and hand-roll Tibetan incense, born of the 'Weisang' smoke offerings whose fragrance over the plateau was believed to carry prayers to the gods, and take your sticks home. Dinner at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La.

Songzanlin, the 'Little Potala Palace'
Thangka painting or Tibetan incense workshop

1.5 kmDistance+60 mAscent−60 mDescent3,300 mMax altitude

Terrain: monastery + workshop + culture
Transport: On foot to Songzanlin Monastery; no vehicle transfers today
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, Deluxe Room (3,280 m)

DAY 5

Fly to Lhasa — sweet tea afternoons at the Linka

After breakfast it is a twenty-five-minute drive to Shangri-La airport for flight MU5774 (12:40–14:50) over the plateau to Lhasa, followed by an hour's transfer to Songtsam Linka Lhasa. Built on the edge of an old park five kilometres from the Potala Palace, the hotel honors traditional artisans in every detail — slaked-lime walls, indigo carved windows, a fish-fin facade — and every room carries an oxygen concentrator to ease the arrival at 3,700 m. The rest of the day moves at Lhasa's famously slow pace: the lobby keeps a dedicated afternoon-tea space recalling old Barkhor Street afternoons, where you can linger over sweet tea, pastries and fruit, and on selected dates a resident band performs traditional Tibetan songs and dances. Dinner at the hotel.

Flight over the plateau to Lhasa
Sweet tea and Tibetan music in the Linka lobby

No hiking today · 3,700 m altitude

Terrain: flight + arrival + acclimatization
Transport: 25-minute drive to Shangri-La airport, flight to Lhasa, then about 1 h drive to the hotel
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Lhasa, Deluxe Room (3,700 m)

DAY 6

Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple & the Barkhor citywalk

Today follows the footsteps of Songtsam's travel guide on a citywalk through ancient Lhasa — immerse yourself in a sweet tea house, soak up the sun in the old city, wander Chomsigkang Market and step into a traditional Tibetan courtyard for a sincere conversation with the people who live there. After breakfast, visit the Potala Palace (thirty minutes' drive), the iconic heart of Tibetan Buddhism and the highest palace in the world, rising from Red Hill in a cascade of white and crimson. After lunch at Songtsam Linka Lhasa, continue to the Jokhang Temple, the spiritual center of Tibet and the holiest destination for every Tibetan pilgrim, then join the clockwise tide of devotees on Barkhor Street, the most vibrant bazaar in Lhasa. Dinner at the hotel.

Potala Palace, the highest palace in the world
Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit

4 kmDistance+150 mAscent−150 mDescent3,700 mMax altitude

Terrain: palace + old town + citywalk + culture
Transport: Short city drives, about 20-30 minutes each
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Lhasa, Deluxe Room (3,700 m)

DAY 7

Yamdrok-Tso holy lake & the murals of Gongga Qude

A two-hour drive south brings you to Yamdrok-Tso, one of Tibet's three holiest lakes and a breathtaking sight at 4,440 m. Spanning Shannan and Lhoka Prefectures about 110 kilometres from Lhasa, the lake twists and turns through a 250-kilometre shoreline, and its name — 'Jade Turquoise Lake' in Tibetan — earns itself under sunlight, when the water shifts between vivid turquoise, deep blue and emerald. For centuries it has been a sacred site of Tibetan Buddhism. Continue an hour to Gongga Qude Monastery, founded in 1464, for a vegetarian meal in the monastery itself, then let your guide lead you quietly past its remarkably preserved centuries-old murals, as if walking through an art gallery. Return to Songtsam Linka Lhasa for a farewell dinner.

Yamdrok-Tso, the Jade Turquoise Lake (4,440 m)
Vegetarian lunch and 1464-era murals at Gongga Qude Monastery

No hiking today · 4,440 m altitude

Terrain: holy lake + high plateau + monastery
Transport: About 2 h drive to Yamdrok-Tso, 1 h to Gongga Qude Monastery, then about 1.5 h drive back to Lhasa
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Lhasa, Deluxe Room (3,700 m)

DAY 8

Departure from Lhasa

One last plateau breakfast at the Linka — perhaps a final sweet tea under the lobby skylight, with the Potala in the window — before your driver takes you on the hour-long transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport for your onward flight. If your schedule allows, the hotel's book café and boutique make an easy last hour; your guide will see you through to departures with the trip's permits and paperwork all handled. Tashi delek — until the mountains call again.

Private transfer to Lhasa Gonggar Airport

No hiking today · 3,700 m altitude

Terrain: departure + airport transfer
Transport: Private airport transfer, about 1 hour
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: not included

Seasons & Pricing

When to go, and what it costs

Songtsam prices this private journey in three date bands; the quietest shoulder windows cover spring blooms, autumn clarity and the winter mountain-viewing season — the best value often falls on the best weeks to travel.

Per person · based on 2 travelers · 4+ travelers from $4,250 pp

Shoulder

Best value — spring, autumn gold and clear winter skies

3 Jan–12 Feb · 24 Feb–31 Mar · 21–30 Apr · 6 May–9 Jul · 26 Aug–27 Sep · 8 Oct–23 Dec 2026

Best

From $5,400 pp

Peak

Early April, summer holidays & Christmas week

1–2 Jan · 1–20 Apr · 10 Jul–25 Aug · 24–31 Dec 2026

Good

From $5,800 pp

Holiday

Losar · May Day · Golden Week

13–23 Feb · 1–5 May · 28 Sep–7 Oct 2026 — book 2–3 months ahead

Good

From $6,200 pp

Converted from Songtsam's 2026 CNY tariff (39,000 / 41,600 / 44,600 pp for 2 travelers) at 7.15. Includes Tibet permit (CNY 700) and Nyingchi/Shannan/Changdu travel documents (CNY 150). Single supplement from $1,100. Domestic Shangri-La–Lhasa airfare not included. Final pricing is confirmed by your consultant.

Cost Details

From (2 travelers, shoulder dates)

5,400USDper person

Included

Transport: All land transfers on best-in-class local transportation indicated in the itinerary
Stay & meals: All accommodation based on double occupancy
All meals starting from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last day
Standard drinking water and snacks throughout the trip
Complimentary minibar in guest rooms
Experiences & guiding: All admission fees and activities indicated in the itinerary
Service of English speaking local guides
Tibetan Permit (CNY 700 pp) and Nyingchi/Shannan/Changdu travel documents (CNY 150 pp) — Songtsam assists with the application

Not Included

Not included: - Medical, travel insurance or evacuation insurance plans
- Domestic or international airfare to Shangri-La and from Lhasa
- Domestic airfare from Shangri-La to Lhasa
- Personal telecommunication
- Excursions and activities not included in itinerary

Difficulty

Trip Expectations

This journey is considered moderate when touring and moderate when hiking, with full days of activities that start early in the morning and end in the evening.

Highest stay

3,700 m (Lhasa)

Day-trip high point

4,440 m (Yamdrok-Tso)

Hiking grade

Moderate, adaptable

Altitude

Each person responds to altitude differently. The route climbs gradually — Lijiang 2,400 m, Shangri-La 3,280 m, Lhasa 3,700 m — and rooms at the Lhasa Linka carry oxygen concentrators. In the event of altitude sickness the team moves you to a lower altitude; after plenty of rest, symptoms usually subside. Consult your doctor before travel.

Roads & vehicles

Depending on group size you travel in well-maintained SUVs or vans, driven by experienced Songtsam drivers. Some sections follow winding mountain paths and can be bumpy where under construction; stops are made at beautiful villages and scenic spots, with water and snacks prepared for every road day.

Weather & packing

Expect diverse temperatures — a single day can swing from 20°C to 5°C. Dress in layers. On the plateau, strong sun makes sunglasses and high-SPF sunblock essential.

Meals & support

Try Tibetan cuisine — barley-flour dumplings and noodles, yak, beef and pork — with set menus blending Tibetan and Chinese cooking at the lodges. Songtsam guides are local specialists who travel with you throughout; an International SOS service plan is recommended for emergency evacuation cover.

About the Area

From the Three Parallel Rivers to the Place of the Gods

The great China tectonic plate runs into the Tibetan Plateau in northern Yunnan, forging high mountain ranges with soaring snow-packed peaks. Three major rivers — the Yangtze (Jinshajiang), Mekong (Lancangjiang) and Salween (Nujiang) — run through deep gorges of wild, untamed scenery. Northwest Yunnan is the richest area in China for biodiversity and possibly the most biologically diverse temperate region on earth: hills blanketed in spring with rhododendrons and camellias, over 3,000 species of orchids, and forests sheltering the Yunnan black snub-nosed monkey, one of the world's rarest primates.

Soaring mountains and deep gorges kept peoples apart here, nurturing distinctive cultures — Kham Tibetans with their big white wooden houses, Catholic Tibetan villages among vineyards along the Lancang, and Lisu communities by the water. Through it all runs the Tea Horse Road, the ancient caravan route that for centuries carried tea toward Tibet and India and still stitches these cultures together.

The journey ends in Lhasa, the 'Place of the Gods' — cultural, political and religious heart of Tibet since ancient times and home to the Potala Palace, the Jokhang and the great monasteries. It is said that if you have not been to Lhasa, you will never know the history and essence of Tibetan culture.

Journey details

2026 Songtsam Yunnan and Lhasa 7N8D

A seven-night private journey from the Naxi courtyards of Lijiang through Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La to the holy city of Lhasa, staying lodge-to-lodge with Songtsam the whole way.

Beginning among the pinewoods and pear gardens of a Naxi village outside Lijiang, this circuit climbs through the Three Parallel Rivers country — Dayan Ancient Town, the meditation caves of Wenfeng Temple, a day hike in Tiger Leaping Gorge and the great Songzanlin Monastery of Shangri-La — before a short flight lifts you onto the Tibetan plateau. Three nights at Songtsam Linka Lhasa, five kilometres from the Potala Palace, open into the old city's sweet tea houses, the Jokhang and Barkhor Street, and a final day at the turquoise holy lake Yamdrok-Tso with a vegetarian lunch and 560-year-old murals at Gongga Qude Monastery. Tibet permits are handled by Songtsam and already included in the quotation.

Route: Lijiang → Tiger Leaping Gorge → Shangri-La → Lhasa → Yamdrok-Tso
Stops: Lijiang · Tiger Leaping Gorge · Shangri-La · Lhasa · Yamdrok-Tso
Departure city: Lijiang
Suitable for: Couples · Families · Small private groups · Culture & soft-adventure travelers
Highlights: Day hike in Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world's top-10 hiking trails, on the scenic Chama Guesthouse–Half Way stretch · Songzanlin Monastery, the 'Little Potala Palace', with an outdoor BBQ lunch overlooking the meadow · Hands-on thangka painting or Tibetan incense making at the Songtsam Experiencing Center · Three nights at Songtsam Linka Lhasa, 5 km from the Potala Palace, with sweet-tea afternoons in the lobby · Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and the Barkhor pilgrim circuit with a Songtsam guide · Yamdrok-Tso holy lake (4,440 m) and a vegetarian lunch at 1464-built Gongga Qude Monastery among centuries-old murals

Before you book

Included: All land transfers on best-in-class local transportation indicated in the itinerary · All admission fees and activities indicated in the itinerary · All accommodation based on double occupancy · All meals starting from dinner on the first day to breakfast on the last day · Standard drinking water and snacks throughout the trip · Complimentary minibar in guest rooms · Service of English speaking local guides · Tibetan Permit (CNY 700 pp) and travel documents of Nyingchi, Shannan and Changdu district (CNY 150 pp)
Excluded: Medical, travel insurance or evacuation insurance plans · Domestic or international airfare to Shangri-La and from Lhasa · Domestic airfare from Shangri-La to Lhasa · Personal telecommunication · Excursions and activities not included in itinerary
Booking notes: Tibet travel permit (CNY 700 pp) and Nyingchi/Shannan/Changdu travel documents (CNY 150 pp) are already included in the quotation. Songtsam assists with the application — only authorized agencies can apply, so allow at least 30 days before departure; the fee is non-refundable once the application is submitted. · Domestic airfare from Shangri-La to Lhasa (e.g. MU5774, 12:40–14:50) is NOT included in the land cost, nor is airfare to Lijiang/Shangri-La or from Lhasa. Your consultant can arrange flights on request. · Full payment confirms the booking. Shoulder season: free cancellation 15+ days before departure (payment service charge deducted), 20% deducted 8–14 days out, 30% deducted 0–7 days out. Peak season & holidays: 50% deducted up to 30 days before departure, full payment deducted 0–29 days out. · Overnights reach 3,700 m in Lhasa and the Yamdrok-Tso day trip touches 4,440 m. Lhasa rooms are equipped with oxygen concentrators; consult your doctor about altitude before booking.