5-day Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge Adventure Hiking
(Special Edition)

Highlights:

�         For those who love the outdoors and a challenge, than this is the perfect adventure hike for you. You�ll get to trek through
Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world�s most impressive gorges, as well as being widely considered the best hike in China

�         You�ll be accompanied on your tour with a professional trekking guide, ensuring that your trip through Yunnan will be both
worry-free and highly enjoyable

�         You�ll be immersed in the diverse and fascinating ethnic minority culture (such as the Naxi and Bai peoples) of Yunnan,
visiting authentic minority villages and towns, which will give you insight on the day-to-day life of these intriguing ethnic groups

Day 1: Arrival in Lijiang

You will either fly or take the train into Lijiang, and you will be met at either the airport or the train station by your English-speaking guide and driver. Following your arrival in Lijiang you will be taken to your hotel, where you will have the chance to rest and relax from your travels, and get prepared for the days ahead.

Day 2: Baisha-Wenhai

Today you will have a full day to further investigate the town of Lijiang, and all the diverse culture and attractions it has to offer. First, you�ll have the opportunity to get better acquainted with the Naxi people at the village of Baisha. Baisha Old Town is one of the oldest towns in Lijiang. It is the earliest settlement of the Naxi people and is the birthplace of "Tusi", chief of the Mu clan. In the town there are many ancient buildings built during the Ming Dynasty, including Dabaoji Palace, Liuli Temple, and Wenchang Palace. The well-known Baisha Frescoes are located in Dabaoji Palace. Because of the white sand on the ground, the town was named "Baisha", which means "white sand". In the Naxi language, it is called "bengshi". The architectural complex is made up of two parts, folk residence and cultural sites. The folk residence is called "pengshizhi" which in the local language means "Baisha Streets". The streets all go from south to north. In the center of the old town there is a square where three thoroughfares intersect. Houses and small stores stand on the both sides of these streets. A crystal clear stream winds around all the houses flowing through the small town from north to south.

The center of town features a beautiful rendering of frescoes religious frescoes. The 44 pieces of Baisha frescos were drawn in the early Ming Dynasty. Most of the paintings are about religious stories of Taoism, Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism. The murals embody the artistic characteristics of the Naxi, Tibetan, Han and Bai ethnic groups. Among them the paintings about Kwan-yin and Sakyamuni are the most famous ones. Now Baisha Frescos, also known as Lijing Frescos have become precious data for the study of China's history of arts and religions.

From the town of Baisha we will hike about five hours towards Wenhai Village. With Jade Dragon Snow Mountain serving as the perfect backdrop, the scenery during your ride will be incredible. The hike will take from 3.5-four hours. Nestled in the valley at the foot of the mountain, this small community of Naxi farmers, along with their goats, pigs, horses and cows, lives on the lush green fields around the lake. A lack of decent roads has kept Wenhai relatively free from the tourist hordes, though in addition to the local Naxi dialect some people do have a smattering of Mandarin. On the far side of the settlement, you'll find Wenhai Eco-Lodge, owned and run by 56 local families, each of whom has shares in the business and contributes a percentage of profits to community development.

We will stay overnight at a guesthouse in Wenhai.

Day 3: Hiking to Tiger Leaping Gorge

Today we will be hiking towards Tiger Leaping Gorge. Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the world�s deepest gorges, and is tucked in between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Mountain. At a length of 17km, Tiger Leaping Gorge is the birthplace of the ancient Lijiang culture, whose people lived in the many caves, big and small, in the side of Yulong Xueshan (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain). These caves were naturally formed houses. In some caves, rock paintings and artifacts shedding light on the life of these primitive peoples were found. The rock paintings have now become another attraction of Tiger Leaping Gorge. The gorge is regarded as one of the top ten hiking trails in China.

We�ll rise early in the morning, and we�ll continue hiking until we reach Tina�s Inn, where we will be spending the night . Around mid-day we will reach the steep cliffs of Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, along the bank of the Jinsha River. At this point we will visit the narrowest point of the gorge, where it is said that a tiger could easily jump over the Jinsha River, hence the gorge�s name. It is a tight spot with the whole of the Yangtze River confined to a 20-meter (70-foot) width.

Day 4: Continue Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge

At 8 in the morning we will drive (2 hour drive) to the town of Qiaotou, which is where we�ll begin our trek. While you are walking in the gorge, our support team will take all of your luggage to meet you, so you only need to carry two bottles of water, snacks, and a camera on your trip.  We�ll hike for two hours, and then stop for lunch at a Naxi family restaurant, and here we�ll try some Naxi cuisine.

We�ll then resume our hike, continuing to hike another 2 hours up the steep switchback called �28-bends before the next break�. The views are unforgettable (you are at an altitude of over 3000m). After a break, we�ll hike another one or two hours, and then we will arrive at the Halfway Guesthouse, which has a great view of Yulong Snow Mountain and overlooks the Jinsha (Golden Sands) River Valley. You can sit out on a deck facing the mountain, and there are hot showers and clean beds. The total hiking for today is 26 km, and will take about 6-8 hours. Overnight at Halfway Guesthouse.

Day 5: Complete Tiger Leaping Gorge Hike

We�ll rise early in the morning, and we�ll continue hiking for about 2 hours until we reach Tina�s Inn, and we�ll spend about an hour there to have a break and a meal. Around mid-day we will reach the steep cliffs of Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, along the bank of the Jinsha River. At this point we will visit the narrowest point of the gorge, where it is said that a tiger could easily jump over the Jinsha River, hence the gorge�s name. It is a tight spot with the whole of the Yangtze River confined to a 20-meter (70-foot) width.

From the Halfway Guesthouse to the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge will take between 3 to 4 hours. Then we�ll climb up the gorge to Walnut Grove (Woody�s Guesthouse) using either the Tianti or Yixiantian route. Depending on how tired you are, we�ll choose the best one that suits you on this day. From there you will take a van from Walnut Grove Garden to Xincun Village. Next you�ll cross the Daju Old Ferry to Daju Town and drive back to Lijiang from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You�ll spend the night at a hotel in Lijiang.

Day 6: Depart Lijiang

Your English-speaking guide and driver will take you to either the Lijiang airport or train station, where you will depart Lijiang and travel on to your next destination, thus ending your tour.