Yunnan & Sichuan · China

EAGLE TREK

Shangri-La · Yading · Meili — a low-altitude helicopter journey

Private Helicopter Tour · 5N6D

The only way to see the Three Parallel Rivers from the air — fly to the Three Sacred Mountains of Yading, then complete the great flight to Meili Snow Mountain.

RouteShangri-La → Yading → Meili
Duration5N / 6D
AircraftBell 407 / Airbus H125
Highest StayYading 3,900 m
GroupMax 5 PAX private

Design Philosophy

Fly to the sacred mountain — the eagle's perspective

"The future is a place where we will spend the rest of our lives. It is a place we create, not a place we find. — Beryl Markham, West with the Night"

Since opening China's first long-distance low-altitude civilian sightseeing route in 2019, Songtsam's helicopter journeys have opened a brand-new door to the plateau. The helicopter dissolves the discomfort of long plateau drives and steep mountain roads, and replaces it with an unprecedented perspective — that of an eagle — over a region spanning the Hengduan Mountains, six great rivers, and altitude differences of up to 6,000 metres: dry hot valleys, rainforest, pasture, river gorges and endless snow peaks, all within the same latitude.

The Air Route Pioneers空中滇藏线

The gorges carved by the three great rivers provide natural flight corridors; Songtsam's routes are the only civilian low-altitude window onto the Three Parallel Rivers.

The Eagle's View鹰的视角

From the air, Yading's Xiannairi and Meili's Kawagebo can appear in one frame — a sight achievable only on this flight, test-flown by founder Pema Dorjee and National Geographic photographer Michael Yamashita.

In Rock's Footsteps洛克足迹

Joseph Rock's National Geographic dispatches inspired Lost Horizon and the word 'Shangri-La'; the Songtsam Pathway hike returns to his exact vantage points.

Three Lodges, One Arc三座山居

Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, Lodge Yading and Lodge Meili anchor the route — each a stone-built retreat with diffused oxygen, fireplaces and snow-mountain windows.

A Nine-person Team九人保障

Captain and co-pilot, three drivers, a fuel escort and three dedicated lodge butlers, plus a Land Rover safety car, luggage vehicle and fuel truck on the ground.

Trip Highlights

What makes this journey

Aerial Shangri-La to Yading

·Shangri-La and Yading are under 100 km apart in a straight line — 40 minutes by helicopter
·The only opportunity anywhere for a bird's-eye view of Yading's Three Sacred Mountains
·More time on the ground for the full Yading outdoor experience

The Three Sacred Mountains

·Xiannairi 'Avalokitesvara' (6,032 m), Yangmaiyong 'Manjusri' and Xianuoduoji 'Vajrapani' (5,958 m)
·The pyramid peak widely believed to be the model for Lost Horizon's Blue Moon Valley
·A sacred Tibetan Buddhist pilgrimage site — a once-in-a-lifetime circumambulation goal

The Songtsam Pathway

·A non-conventional hiking route along Joseph Rock's century-old footsteps
·All three sacred peaks in one frame, with glaciers and a vast U-shaped valley up close
·Picnic lunch at a viewpoint hand-picked by Songtsam; optional boardwalk route to the Five-Color and Milk Lakes

Yading to Meili — and the golden dawn

·The great flight over Baima Snow Mountain into the Lancang gorge, Xiannairi and Kawagebo in the same frame
·Dawn vigil for the golden sunrise on Mt. Kawagebo (6,740 m) from Songtsam Lodge Meili
·Earliest-slot return flight past Zhalaqueni peak, the Jinsha valley, Dongzhulin and Songzanlin monasteries

Stays

Three Songtsam lodges across two provinces

Two nights at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (3,280 m) opposite Songzanlin Monastery, two nights at Songtsam Lodge Yading (3,900 m) inside the scenic area among Kham Tibetan black-stone houses, and one night at Songtsam Lodge Meili (3,600 m) in a five-household village facing Kawagebo.

Stone lodges, diffused oxygen, snow mountains in every window

Lodge-to-lodgeDiffused oxygenSnow-mountain viewsLocal hosts

Itinerary

6-Day Itinerary

Eagle TrekYUNNAN & SICHUAN · CHINA

Altitude profile

Highest point 3,900 m · gradual ascent for acclimatization

DAY 1

Arrival in Shangri-La — Pre-flight Briefing

Arrive at Diqing Shangri-La Airport, just 20 minutes' drive from Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (lunch at the hotel if you land in the morning). The Linka's hand-built Tibetan watchtower architecture sits in a green valley directly opposite Songzanlin Monastery, the most renowned Gelugpa monastery in Yunnan — outside your window, golden monastery roofs, barley racks and grazing horses unfold like a slowly opening scroll of Tibetan scenery. In the early evening the team holds the helicopter-journey pre-trip briefing, covering the flight plan, weather windows and safety procedures for the days ahead. Dinner is served at the Linka, with the first night spent acclimatizing gently at 3,280 m.

No hiking today · 3,280 m altitude

Terrain: arrival + acclimatization + hotel
Transport: Private airport transfer, about 20 minutes
Meals: Breakfast: not included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (3,280 m)

DAY 2

Fly to the Three Sacred Mountains — Pearl Lake & Chonggu Temple

After breakfast at the Linka, lift off on the aerial sightseeing flight from Shangri-La to Yading. Though most travelers approach Yading through Sichuan, it lies less than 100 km from Shangri-La in a straight line — the helicopter reaches it in about 40 minutes, and this is the only opportunity anywhere to look down on Yading's Three Sacred Mountains from the air: Xiannairi 'Avalokitesvara' (6,032 m), Yangmaiyong 'Manjusri' and Xianuoduoji 'Vajrapani' (both 5,958 m). Lunch is at Songtsam Lodge Yading, a stone lodge in a 35-household Kham Tibetan village at 3,900 m. In the afternoon, choose a gentle acclimatization walk to Pearl Lake (Zhenzhu Sea) and Chonggu Temple, or simply take afternoon tea at the lodge watching sunset gild Xianuoduoji. Dinner at the lodge.

3 kmDistance+200 mAscent−200 mDescent3,900 mMax altitude

Terrain: scenic flight + alpine lake + acclimatization walk
Transport: Helicopter Shangri-La to Yading, about 40 minutes of aerial sightseeing
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Yading (3,900 m)

DAY 3

Hiking the Songtsam Pathway — In Joseph Rock's Footsteps

Enter the Yading Scenic Area and set out on the Songtsam Pathway, a 'non-conventional' hiking route Songtsam opened along Joseph Rock's century-old line of travel — a tribute to the explorer whose National Geographic dispatches inspired James Hilton's Lost Horizon and gave the world the word 'Shangri-La'. Stand where Rock stood a hundred years ago and witness all three sacred mountains in a single frame, then picnic at a scenic spot specially chosen by Songtsam. Up close are glaciers and a vast U-shaped valley that may remind you of Yosemite or the Dolomites — though neither has a peak as soul-stirring as Yangmaiyong. Weather permitting, an alternative boardwalk route leads deeper to Gongga Tso, or the Five-Color Lake and Milk Lake, depending on fitness. Dinner back at Songtsam Lodge Yading.

8 kmDistance+400 mAscent−400 mDescent3,900 mMax altitude

Terrain: ridge trail + trekking + picnic
Transport: Short shuttle into the Yading Scenic Area, then on foot all day
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Yading (3,900 m)

DAY 4

The Great Flight — Yading to Meili Snow Mountain

After breakfast, take off from the foot of the Three Sacred Mountains for the journey's signature flight: an almost straight line from Yading to Meili Snow Mountain, a route personally test-flown by Songtsam founder Pema Dorjee and National Geographic photographer Michael Yamashita. As the helicopter climbs, Xiannairi and Mt. Kawagebo appear, astonishingly, in the same frame — a view possible only on this flight. Crossing Baima Snow Mountain, the aircraft drops into the Lancang River gorge where Songtsam Lodge Meili hides in Gujiunong, a five-household village whose Tibetan name means 'remote temple'. Lunch at the lodge, then an afternoon tea by the great bay windows, watching cloud and light move across the Meili massif — over 20 perpetually snow-capped peaks, six above 6,000 m. Dinner at the lodge.

No hiking today · 3,900 m altitude

Terrain: scenic flight + gorge + lodge afternoon
Transport: Helicopter Yading to Meili across Baima Snow Mountain, about 1 h
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Meili (3,600 m)

DAY 5

Golden Sunrise on Kawagebo — Fly Back to Shangri-La

Before dawn, wait by the floor-to-ceiling windows for the 'Sunrise Golden Mountain': a beam of gold crossing the valley to crown Mt. Kawagebo (6,740 m), Yunnan's highest peak and one of Tibetan Buddhism's most revered sacred mountains — never summited, and protected by law since 2001. After breakfast, weather and air-traffic permitting, the helicopter lifts off at the earliest approved slot — this leg's unique advantage, and if you are lucky the golden summit appears again above the clouds. The return flight to Shangri-La passes the main peak of Baima Snow Mountain, Zhalaqueni, at eye level, then follows the Jinsha valley, with Dongzhulin Monastery and Songzanlin Monastery clearly recognizable from the air. Lunch and a reflective afternoon tea at the Linka, then a farewell-ceremony dinner closes the flying days.

No hiking today · 3,600 m altitude

Terrain: sunrise viewpoint + scenic flight + farewell
Transport: Helicopter Meili to Shangri-La past Baima's main peak, about 1 h
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (3,280 m)

DAY 6

Farewell Shangri-La

A last Shangri-La morning at the Linka: breakfast as the first light touches the golden roofs of Songzanlin Monastery across the valley, juniper smoke and the monks' chanting dissolving with the mist. Depending on your departure time, linger on the balcony over the barley fields or browse the lodge's museum and boutique before the transfer to Diqing Shangri-La Airport or the high-speed rail station. The journey ends as it began — in Songtsam's hometown — having crossed Yunnan and Sichuan, three lodges, and some of the greatest mountain scenery on earth, seen the way only eagles see it.

No hiking today · 3,280 m altitude

Terrain: departure + transfer
Transport: Private transfer to Diqing Shangri-La Airport or railway station, about 20 minutes
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: not included

Difficulty

Trip Expectations

A moderate journey: helicopter legs remove the long plateau drives, but two nights are spent at 3,900 m and the Songtsam Pathway hike asks for reasonable fitness.

Highest stay

3,900 m (Lodge Yading)

Hiking grade

Moderate, with easier boardwalk options

Longest flight

~40 min Shangri-La → Yading

Altitude

The trip moves from Shangri-La (~3,200 m) to Yading (~3,900 m). Lodges above 3,000 m have oxygen generators or in-room diffused oxygen, vehicles carry oxygen equipment, and Songtsam's traditional 'yuan gen' turnip drink is offered free if symptoms appear. Symptoms usually ease within 24–48 hours; cardiovascular patients should consult a doctor first.

Flights & weather

Rain, strong wind, low cloud, poor visibility or air-traffic control can ground the helicopter; if take-off conditions are not met that day, the helicopter portion is refunded. After take-off the captain follows the approved flight plan only. The Bell 407 (577 km range, 243 km/h) and Airbus H125 (662 km, 245 km/h) are proven high-altitude machines flown by retired air-force pilots.

Fitness & eligibility

Pregnant travelers, those with heart conditions or infectious diseases, and restricted passengers under civil aviation rules cannot board. The hikes need basic aerobic fitness — some pre-trip cardio training is recommended. Children from age 5 may join; insurance is available up to age 80.

Weather & packing

From September to November expect large day-night swings: sunny Shangri-La days of 18–20°C, Yading nights below 10°C. Layered outdoor clothing (base + warm + hard-shell) is essential, with waterproof hiking shoes, sun hat, sunglasses and a buff; plateau sunshine is intense even in autumn. Only one camera and one lens on board — a phone is the best video device in flight.

About the Area

The Greater Shangri-La, from the air

A hundred years ago the explorer Joseph Rock called these the most beautiful mountains he had ever seen; his dispatches in National Geographic inspired James Hilton's Lost Horizon and gave the world a new word — Shangri-La, from the Tibetan 'Shambhala', humanity's name for the ultimate spiritual home. This region, where Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet meet in the heart of the Three Parallel Rivers, is also Songtsam's hometown.

On the stage of the Three Parallel Rivers, Meili Snow Mountain is the undisputed star: a 150-kilometre massif with more than 20 perpetually snow-capped peaks, six above 6,000 metres. Its main peak Kawagebo (6,740 m), Yunnan's highest, has never been summited — every expedition from 1902 to 1996 failed, and in 2001 climbing was banned by law. Pilgrims still circle it; travelers wait at dawn for the golden light to crown its summit.

Eagle Trek crosses this landscape the way no road can: over the gorges of the Jinsha and Lancang, past Baima Snow Mountain at eye level, between monasteries whose golden roofs flash up from the valleys. It is, in Songtsam's words, a completely new way of traveling the plateau — and the gorges carved by the great rivers are its natural flight paths.

Journey details

Eagle Trek — Helicopter Journey to the Sacred Mountains 5N6D

Songtsam's low-altitude helicopter journey across the Greater Shangri-La: fly from Shangri-La to the Three Sacred Mountains of Yading, hike the Songtsam Pathway in Joseph Rock's footsteps, then complete the magnificent flight from Yading to Meili Snow Mountain — the eagle's view of the Three Parallel Rivers.

In 2019 Songtsam opened the 'Yunnan-Tibet Air Route', China's first long-distance low-altitude civilian sightseeing route; in 2025 it launched a new series of helicopter journeys across the Greater Shangri-La region. This remains the only way to see the Three Parallel Rivers from the air — and the only way to witness hundreds of snow peaks and glaciers from the Hengduan Mountains toward the Himalayas. Spanning Yunnan and Sichuan and three Songtsam lodges, Eagle Trek begins in Shangri-La, Songtsam's hometown, flies you within 40 minutes to the Three Sacred Mountains of Yading, follows explorer Joseph Rock's footsteps on the Songtsam Pathway, then completes the great flight from Yading to Meili Snow Mountain — where, as the helicopter climbs, Mt. Xiannairi and Mt. Kawagebo appear in the same frame. A Bell 407 or Airbus H125, a nine-person support team and a dedicated travel butler at every lodge carry the whole journey.

Route: Shangri-La → Yading (Three Sacred Mountains) → Meili Snow Mountain → Shangri-La
Stops: Shangri-La · Yading · Meili Snow Mountain · Shangri-La
Departure city: Shangri-La
Suitable for: Couples · Friends & small groups · Photographers · Once-in-a-lifetime travelers
Highlights: The only low-altitude aerial view of the Three Parallel Rivers — Shangri-La to Yading in 40 minutes by Bell 407 / Airbus H125 · The world's only bird's-eye view of Yading's Three Sacred Mountains: Xiannairi (6,032 m), Yangmaiyong and Xianuoduoji (5,958 m) · Hike the Songtsam Pathway in Joseph Rock's footsteps, with all three sacred peaks in one frame and a picnic at a hand-picked viewpoint · The great flight from Yading to Meili over Baima Snow Mountain into the Lancang gorge — Xiannairi and Kawagebo in the same frame · Dawn vigil for the golden sunrise on Mt. Kawagebo (6,740 m) from Songtsam Lodge Meili, then fly home past Dongzhulin and Songzanlin monasteries · Nine-person support team: captain and co-pilot, Land Rover safety vehicle, luggage car, fuel truck, and a dedicated travel butler at each lodge

Before you book

Included: Helicopter journey by Bell 407 or Airbus H125 'Little Squirrel' with captain and co-pilot (retired air-force pilots with 15+ years of high-altitude experience) · Ground support fleet: a Land Rover safety vehicle for activities and extreme-weather backup, a dedicated luggage vehicle between destinations, and an aviation fuel truck on certain sections · Three dedicated Songtsam travel butlers — one at each of the three lodges · Accommodation at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (3,280 m), Songtsam Lodge Yading (3,900 m) and Songtsam Lodge Meili (3,600 m) · Meals as listed day by day: hotel breakfasts, lunches and dinners, picnic lunch on the Songtsam Pathway, and afternoon teas at Yading, Meili and the Linka · Travel insurance purchased for every traveler the day before departure (age limit 80 per the insurer)
Excluded: Round-trip transportation (airfare/train tickets) to and from Shangri-La · Personal expenses and any costs not listed in the day-by-day itinerary — full inclusion/exclusion detail is confirmed with your consultant's quotation
Booking notes: Pricing on request — this helicopter journey is quoted individually by your travel consultant; the supplier brochure publishes no fixed tariff. · No Tibet permit or border pass required — the route stays within Yunnan and Sichuan and is open to foreign travelers without restriction. · Helicopter capacity: maximum 5 passengers (typically 4 per departure); a 2-passenger private charter is also available. Standard payload is 350 kg including luggage — passengers over 100 kg should declare exact weight in advance. · Flights are weather- and air-traffic-dependent. If take-off conditions are not met on the day, the helicopter portion is refunded; after take-off, the captain may only follow the approved flight plan and en-route changes are not refundable — staff will rearrange the itinerary where possible. · Children from age 5 may join. Not suitable for pregnant travelers or those with high-risk heart, blood-pressure or lung conditions; travel insurance is purchasable up to age 80. · Highest overnight: Songtsam Lodge Yading at 3,900 m — light acclimatization activities are built into day 2.