Daocheng Yading Hiking Tour – 4 days

Arrive in Yading by flight. Be met and drive slowly to Haizishan at over 4000m to have a slow and nice walking for 1-2 hours before drive down to around 4000m. Visit to Bangpu Temple and more walks around to acclimate to the altitude. This is necessary and crucial acclimating for your body to get used to such high altitude. After lunch, we will drive to Daocheng at 3800m to have more stops. Today is your first day of tour, arriving by flight usually brings uncomfortables to your body because of less oxygen. Please slow down and don’t stress yourself too much. Keep yourself hydrated and take deep breath if feeling need more oxygen. We will have lunch in Daocheng and maybe to do some shopping of snacks for the next days hiking in Yading Park. After Daocheng we will continue drive to Yading. We will have another stop by Bowa Road Pass at 4600m to make a short stop to better get used to high altitude. An optional walking around Daocheng is arranged for more proper acclimating. Afterwards drive to visit Gongga Langjiling Temple before arrive in Yading and then check into your hotel in Shangrila Zhen. You will have the rest of the day to relax from the stress from high altitude.

Please remember to have a day pack with you to take necessary items for each day's visit, sometimes including packed lunch or snacks for yourself, drinking water recommended 1L minimum, sunglasses, rainproof, warm-keeping clothes and hat, sun block and lip oil, etc. It is also wise to bring rainproof and warm clothes with you all the time.

Driving 2-3h, visiting+walking 2-3h

Overnight hotel by 2800m

Today we start from our hotel and use the public bus for around 50 minutes to get to Longtongba and start for our first day's visit to Yading. We will need to use our own car first for a short ride to the tourist center of Yading to get on the bus. The buses run as public buses and do not follow on schedule. After Longtongba, the end terminal of bus ride we will need to walk for around 500m up to the golf car station at Chonggu to use the golf car for the second part of drive. The golf car will take us from Chonggu to Luorong Yak Ranch for around 20 minutes. Chonggu is at 4000m and Luorong Yak Ranch is at 4100m.

From Luorong we start to have splendid views of the two of the sacred mountains of Yading: Mt. Chenardorje and Mt. Jampayang. These mountains are about 6000 meters’ tall and this place is well protected to remain its original looking. From Luorong Yak Ranch the hiking starts. It is total around 5km necessary walking from Luorong to Milk Lake and 5-color Lake. The first half of the 5km can be replaced by a horse-ride. Please note the horses are not always available during busy season. If we want to use horse we may need to go there as early as possible during busy seasons. Although the most challenging walk of the 5km is the second half where the horse can't go. The first half is mainly flat and easy to walk. The second half of the 5km is the challenging part because it is going up including some steep sections. A lot of visitors turn around by the steep part due to the high altitude and difficulty of walking. Normally from Luorong walk to Milk Lake takes around 3-4 hours.

Milk Lake and 5-color Lake are the highlights of Yading. We recommend you to try to start early and have yourself well-acclimated before your Yading visit to try to avoid giving up halfway. After Milk Lake you can keep walking to Wuse Lake, a bigger lake that is 100 meters higher than Milk Lake. And if you are a fit walker and if time allows, you can even walk to the Songduo Pass, which is by the end of the valley and the highest place of the park at around 4600 meters where you can overlook Milk Lake and the mountains. We recommend you to go to Milk Lake first then switch back to 5-color Lake since this way is less steep while walking up. Walking back usually takes less time but during steep part and ice season one should also be careful on the hiking trail.

After we walk back to Luorong we use golf car to get back to Chonggu and then use park bus to go back to Shangrila Town.

Please note this day is the most challenging day of visiting due to its long walking and big ascent on high altitude. We recommend you to prepare properly for today's visit including one warm jacket be it either windbreaker, down or other clothes and carry it with you even when it is not cold or windy that you don't need at the beginning. We also recommend you to carry a rainproof be it either umbrella or raincoat. We also recommend you to bring warm hat, sunglasses, pants and other clothes that can withstand temperature drop to below 10C(Summer) and 0C (Autumn and Spring). Note this is crucial for your safety according to our experience.

Driving 2 hour total, visiting 7+ hours; Strenuous pace

Overnight hotel by 2800m

Today is our second day of visit to Yading. We start after breakfast from our hotel and use the public bus again to Longtongba and walk to Chonggu. Today we will go visit Pearl Lake above Chonggu Temple by the foot of Mt. Chenrezig. The Pearl Lake is by the foot of Mt. Chenrezig. It is a stunning lake with beautiful reflection of mountains around it. Pearl Lake is also called Zhuoma Lacuo and it is the smallest lake and a green lake. Mt. Chenrezig is considered by local people a Buddha with significance of religious sacredness. The walk up to the lake is around 1 hour. We will spend some time around the lake to take photos and then come back the same way to Chonggu. For fit people and if time allows we can also use the golf car again to Luorong and walk the 7km down the Chonggu Steppe. It is a pleasant walk down on boardwalk for around 2 hours.

After the visit we start to go back to Shangrila Town by using park bus. The latest time we should leave the park is by 2.30 to 3.00pm. The park bus will drop us off to Yading Tourist Center and from there we will be picked up by our car and drive for around 1.5h to get to Daocheng. Before arrive to Daocheng we may make stops by the forest if it is the right season to see the golden color of the trees. After check hotel, have dinner and feel free to walk around Daocheng Town. It is a bigger place than Shangrila Town.

Driving 4 hours total, visiting 5+ hours; Medium pace

Overnight hotel by 3800m

In the morning your driver will come to your hotel and send you to the airport for you to catch your flight to your next destination. Time of departure will be according to your flight schedule. Normally we recommend you to book the flight that departs in the morning. It is around 1 hour drive from Daocheng to Yading airport. Your tour ends by the airport.