Welcome to Shangri-La (Zhongdian, altitude: 3459meters), the Garden of Eden! Upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by our local guide at the arrival hall of the airport who is holding a sign on which says your name. A comfortable vehicle (non-smoking) with an experienced driver will transfer you directly to your hotel. Your guide will help you check in. The rest of the day is on your own to discover this earthly paradise.

Then the guide and driver will transfer you to visit Dongzhulin Monastery, one of the 13 great Lama monasteries in China. Built in 1667, Dongzhulin Monastery has its fame just after Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La. It has a legend that once upon a time, there was an eminent monk traveling here and he saw a pyramid-shaped mountain and regarded it as the embodiment of god. Hence the monastery was constructed. Visit its grand halls and view many precious cultural relics including gilded Maitreya Buddha, statue of master Tsongkhapa, Buddhas of Three Worlds, the ruler of the hell, Manjusri, 18 Arhats statues and Thangka scroll paintings depicting Buddhist stories. Also, you can have a look at other Buddhist stupas and religious instruments and props.

Afterwards, you’ll pass through Baima Snow Mountain and stop at its observation deck to catch the panorama of the 5430-meter snow-capped mountain.

With another 1 hour’s driving, you’ll finally arrive at Feilai Temple Scenic Area in Meili Snow Mountain. Check into your hotel there and take some rest. Meili Snow Mountain, known as Prince Snow Mountain, is one of the most sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. There are 13 peaks standing magnificently on the ground with altitudes over 6,000 meters, hence being called Prince’s 13 Peaks. The highest Kawagebo peak is rising about 6740 meters, making Meili Snow Mountain the highest mountain in Yunnan. In the late afternoon, go to enjoy the beautiful sunset and see the 13 white Tibetan pagodas. Stay overnight near Feilaisi Observation Deck.

Arrival Ideas: At present, Diqing Shangri-La Airport has direct flights from/to Kunming, Chengdu, Lhasa, Guangzhou, Chongqing, etc. It is about 6 kilometers (15mins’ transfer) to old town of Shangri-La.

On this day, try to get up early and reach Feilaisi Observation Deck (3,470 meters) to capture the incredible scene of golden sunrise shining upon its dramatic snow-capped peaks. (Sunrise time for reference: 06:40-07:40 in spring, 06:25-06:45 in summer, 07:00-07:30 in autumn, and 07:55-08:10 in winter.)

After the magic time, have your breakfast and start today’s trip. First, drive about 1.5 hours from Feilai Temple to Xidang Spring (2,700 meters). Then, take the tourist SUV directly from Xidang Spring to Upper Yubeng Village (3,160 meters), which needs about 40 minutes and saves your energy on hiking along the not-so beautiful dirt road. (If you hike, it will take 6~7 hours from Xidang to Upper Yubeng.) Yubeng Village, a Land of Idyllic Beauty, is situated at the foot of the Niancimu Peak of Meili Snow Mountain with holy attractions scattered around. Regarded as the miniature of mysterious Shangri-La, Yubeng is divided into Upper Yubeng and Lower Yubeng. Today, you’ll stop at Upper Yubeng and have a good rest at the guesthouse there.

Important Notes for Hiking:

1. Average Temperature in Four Seasons: 6°C-20°C in spring, 15°C-26°C in summer, 10°C-23°C in autumn, and 0°C-12°C in winter. Try to come in spring and autumn season.
2. What to Bring: Since your hiking will last for several days, it is a good idea to make full preparation. You need to bring a hiking bag (30-40L), personal clothes, hiking shoes and socks, water, camera, some snacks, alpenstock, kneecap, gloves, small flashlight, sunscreen products, medicines, oxygen tanks, etc.
3. Road Condition: The trail belongs to earth road and sometimes will be muddy. To save your energy instead of hiking, you can rent a horse from Xidang Spring to finish the trail. Also, you can take the tourist SUV (need extra payment) from Xidang Spring to Upper Yubeng Village to shortcut your hiking trail.
4. Altitude Sickness: The hiking to climb the Nanzong Pass is steep, with height ascending about 1,000 meters to 3,729 meters that you should walk slowly to avoid high altitude sickness.

After breakfast, you can enjoy the beautiful sunrise with golden light illuminating the peaks. After that, enjoy your last full-day hiking journey to Sacred Waterfall (3,657 meters).

Compared with the hike to Ice Lake the previous day, today’s hiking is easier and shorter. The views at the start of the trek are immediately stunning - a ridge of brilliant and craggy snow-capped peaks standing against the azure sky. At the mouth of the valley and the end of the village, a Tibetan Buddhist temple basked in the glory of its surroundings. The way to the falls is never a problem, as huge strings of prayer flags are stretched from point to point along the valley floor and up its sides. When you reach the top, the Sacred Waterfall will take your breath away. This hiking lasts about 6 kilometers, taking about 1.5-2.5 hours for single way. It is said that Yubeng waterfalls are the holy water that God of Kawagebo gets from the heaven, which can tell the fate of people and eliminate disasters. Hence, numerous Tibetan pilgrims come to bathe in the waterfall to purify their spirits. Walk around the waterfalls for 3 circuits and spend some time gazing up before turning back to Lower Yubeng.

Stay overnight at Lower Yubeng Village.