What kind of training did you do before hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge?
Can you recommend a guide for hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge?
Do I need crampons or walking poles?
Are there really tigers?
Can you do the hike on your own?
These are just some of the questions we got after hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge, so if you, too, need the answers, keep on reading.
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Quick Guide to the Tiger Leaping Gorge
When did we go? December
Suggested time: 2 days
Where we stayed: Tea Horse Guesthouse
Famous for: Spectacular scenery
How to get there: Buses leave from Lijiang in the morning, taking about 2 hours to reach the gorge
Tip: Don’t miss the viewpoint where the tiger leapt over the gorge. The setting is spectacular
The Tiger Leaping Gorge in Yunnan Province is the deepest in the world and one of China’s most spectacular and most accessible hikes. Don’t worry – you don’t need to be a superman to hike the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
You don’t need any special equipment, tents or even a guide. It’s so easy that Jin’s parents, both in their 70s, recently hiked the Tiger Leaping Gorge and loved it. And no, there are (sadly) no tigers.
WHERE IS THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE?
The Tiger Leaping Gorge is in southwestern China’s Yunnan province. Many Chinese will tell you that Yunnan is the most beautiful province in the country. After travelling to this province, we have to agree. Yunnan is pure magic, both for nature and culture. It’s one of our favourite places in China, and well worth a visit.
The nearest international airport is in Kunming. Kunming Changshui International Airport has several direct flights to Southeast Asia and is also well connected to the rest of China by domestic flights and high-speed trains.
Kunming is still quite far from Tiger Leaping Gorge, though. You first need to get a train from Kunming to Lijiang. A train leaves Kunming South Station every hour and will get you to Lijiang in under 4 hours. Book your Kunming-Lijiang train tickets here.
After arriving in Lijiang, you will need to catch a bus to the Tiger Leaping Gorge. The bus from Lijiang to the Tiger Leaping Gorge takes about 2 hours. But don’t rush! Definitely stop in beautiful Lijiang for a few days, either before or after hiking the gorge.
Lijiang does have a domestic airport, but flights are much more expensive than those to Kunming. Search on Trip.com for the best fares to either Kunming or Lijiang.
The start to the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek can also be reached from Shangrila, which is farther north in Yunnan. Since we didn’t go that way, we will tell you how to get to the Tiger Leaping Gorge from Lijiang.
HOW TO GET TO THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE FROM LIJIANG
Buy your tickets from the bus terminal in Lijiang the day before. The name of this bus terminal in Chinese is 汽车客运站丽江. When we bought our tickets, someone spoke some English and understood “Tiger Leaping Gorge”. If not, show them this 虎跳峡(Hǔ tiào xiá)
Two buses a day make the trip from Lijiang to the entrance of the gorge. The first bus leaves at 8:30 and costs ¥24. The second bus leaves at 9:30 am and costs ¥68. The 9:30 bus continues to Shangri-La, and you pay the full fare, regardless of whether you are going all the way.
You could also book your tickets online from Klook. These buses depart daily at 7:30 and 8:00 and leave from just outside Lijiang old town.
TIGER LEAPING GORGE HIKE DURATION
Most people do the trek in 2 – 3 days. We were short on time, so we cheated a little and got a car to take us halfway. In retrospect, this was the best decision that we made on the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Why?
We got a car to take us to Tea Horse Guesthouse, where we slept the night and then walked to Tina’s Guesthouse the next day. Tina’s is the end of the trek, and you get a bus back to Lijiang.
The scenery on the drive to Tea Horse Guesthouse was disappointing, and there was a lot of construction and roadwork all along the way. We don’t think spending a whole day walking this part will be fun.
The scenery on the second day between Tea Horse Guesthouse and Tina’s is out of this world! We are glad we decided to walk only the second day. So we left Lijiang on Day 1, slept in the gorge that night, and were back in Lijiang around sunset on Day 2.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HIKE THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE
| Lijiang-Gorge bus | ¥22 pp | |
| Entrance Fee | ¥45 pp | |
| Car to Tea Horse Guesthouse | ¥150 | |
| Double en-suite room at Tea Horse Guesthouse | ¥260 | |
| Tina’s Guesthouse – Lijiang Bus | ¥22 pp |
When hiking the entire length of the gorge from the beginning until the end, there is no need to pay for the driver, though. We stayed in the most expensive room at Tea Horse Guesthouse, but budget rooms and dorms are also available. Food and drinks at the guesthouses are cheap, but unfortunately, we didn’t keep a record of prices.
HIKING THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE IN 2 DAYS
DAY 1: QIAOTOU TO TEA HORSE GUEST HOUSE
We left Lijiang on the 08:30 bus and drove north towards the entrance to the gorge. The bus stopped for a quick bathroom break along the way and arrived at the gate after about 2 hours. After paying the entrance fee (¥45 per person), you are free to start walking.
The bus driver spoke some English and asked us whether we were looking for a driver. He called a driver who came to pick us up within minutes. We agreed that he would take us to the Tiger Leaping Gorge viewpoint, wait for an hour, and then take us to Tea Horse Guesthouse.
The price for this agreement came to a reasonable ¥150.
WHY IS IT CALLED THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE
According to legend, a hunter was in pursuit of a tiger, but the tiger escaped by jumping over the river at its narrowest point. This allegedly happened at the lookout point, where we stopped for an hour.
The series of steep steps take you down to the river, where they meet boardwalks along the mighty river. If feeling lazy, royal or rich, you can pay guys to carry you down on a palanquin.
Being the narrowest point in the gorge, the river here is wild and powerful as it squeezes through the valley. You’ll see a massive boulder in the middle of the river. This is the point where the tiger allegedly made its escape.
After an hour or so, we continued on and up a winding, scary little road towards Tea Horse Guesthouse (茶马客棧). We arrived there around lunchtime.
STAYING AT TEA HORSE GUESTHOUSE (茶马客棧)
What a fantastic place to stay! The setting is out of this world, the beds are comfy, showers are hot and the food is good. What more could you ask for?
We are staying in a twin, en-suite room with a nice hot shower. These luxury rooms are set in a new building and the views from the sunny porch are fantastic. The restaurant does tasty and cheap meals. Between lunch and dinner, we go for short walks around the paths, play with the kid goats and sneak an apple out to one of the horses.
The rest of the time we put our feet up on the sunny seating area, ogle at the ever-changing skies and mountains and spot rainbow clouds rolling by. We seriously can’t think of a better way to spend a sunny winter’s afternoon.
When it gets nippy outside the tea room with its stove and free flow of tea is where you want to be.
Tea Horse Guesthouse also has budget rooms as well as dorms, both of which come with shared bathrooms.
DAY 2: FROM TEA HORSE GUESTHOUSE TO TINA’S GUESTHOUSE
We had a great, hot breakfast and tea at Tea Horse Guest House before hitting the road just after 09:00. Following the trail is dead-easy and markers or arrows are pointing you in the right direction every so often.
The walking is easy and mostly flat. We don’t recall any major uphill sections. You basically just follow the path and remind yourself to keep your mouth from hanging open as you admire the spectacular scenery. We had most of the trail to ourselves for most of the day, definitely not seeing more than ten other hikers all day. (This was on Boxing Day)
The scenery just keeps on getting better and better. Especially as you get closer to Halfway Guesthouse. We stopped at Halfway and had a yummy banana pancake and tea, lounged on their stunning terrace for a while and used their awesome bathroom with a view. Definitely go check out the loo.
The scenery continues to amaze after Halfway. About an hour after Halfway there is a short but steep climb and then it’s all downhill to Tina’s Guesthouse. Tina’s is also the place where you can catch the bus back to Lijiang.
We arrived at Tina’s around 15:00. The bus back to Lijiang leaves around 15:30, so we had just enough time to grab a bite to eat and a cold Tsing Tao to celebrate before jumping on the bus. Grab a seat on the left for a hair raising but spectacular last view of the gorge.
HIKING THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE IN DECEMBER
We hiked the Tiger Leaping Gorge in late December, leaving Lijiang on Christmas morning and ending on Boxing Day.
After living in China for the last 4 years, we consider December, and Christmas, one of the best times to travel in China.
Why?
Christmas is not celebrated in China, which means that all the children will be in school and their parents at work. This will leave the best places to visit in China virtually free of crowds, and very enjoyable for you to visit.
You can expect some very chilly mornings and nights in the Tiger Leaping Gorge during December. Days are usually sunny, dry and mild. Dressing in layers is key. We were fine wearing hoodies, jeans and sneakers while we were walking. At night, our North Face jackets came in very handy.
SHOULD I HIKE THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE?
YES!! The Tiger Leaping Gorge Trek is one of the most spectacular hikes we’ve ever done. It’s easy but the scenery is out of this world. You don’t need any special equipment (we did it in sneakers) and there are no tigers to be afraid of.
Whether you’re a seasoned mountain yak or still wet behind the ears, we are sure that you will love the Tiger Leaping Gorge as much as we did.
The Tiger Leaping Gorge is part of the UNESCO recognised Three Parallel Rivers World Heritage site. Due to its location, the gorge is part of an ecological highlight of plant and animal life in Asia. There is no better way to enjoy this amazing place than on foot.
So…
Pack that backpack already!
How I Shot This Guide
Every photograph in this article was taken with the exact same gear I carry on every journey. It is a setup refined over years on the road to keep travel light without compromising the final image.
- Camera: Sony A7 V
- Lens: Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art
- Storage: SanDisk Extreme Portable SSD
- Software: Adobe Lightroom Classic
- Outerwear: The North Face Canyonlands Hybrid Jacket
Hi there!
Thanks for a great read. Just a question, what did you do with your luggage during the trip? Is there a transfer service to take your bag from one guesthouse to the next?
Hi Talia
We left our big suitcase at a guesthouse in Lijiang and only carried a backpack with one set of clean clothes.
If you’re visiting the gorge from Lijiang we believe that’s the most convenient.
But with some Chinese skills I’m sure a transfer for your luggage can be arranged. I suggest you get a Chinese friend/ coworker/ hotel to contact Tina’s guesthouse perhaps and find out.
Awesome thank you so much for the quick reply! Did you go to the Blue Moon Valley as well? Trying to plan a trip but I am torn between what to do and what to skip 😀
Blue moon valley is very nice indeed, and can be done in a morning from Lijiang. if you go to Blue Moon Valley go first thing in the morning before the thousands of people arrive on the tour buses.
If you have a morning to spare in Lijiang definitely go to Blue Moon Valley. You’ll be back in Lijiang before lunch… unless you like crowds 😂
You can read more about our trip here
https://museumofwander.com/blue-moon-valley-lijiang/
About the luggage; Jin read on Korean blogs that the bus driver can organize transfer from the start of the trek to Tina’s Guesthouse. He speaks a little English, or else Wechat translate.
Also, you can ask at Jane Guesthouse at the start if the trek, but we reckon the bus driver is a better bet
Thanks a lot for the help! I am planning to go during Christmas Week so I don`t think the crowds would be too crazy, but I will definitely keep that in mind! Awesome blog, keep it up! Happy travels 🙂
Talia, we just heard from people in Lijiang that the Tiger Leaping Gorge is closed now and will stay closed until April. We don’t know if that’s true, but at this time nothing surprises us anymore.
Ahh bummer, thanks for letting me know! That just means I`ll have to go again some other time 😀
What is the distance between the entrance of the Tiger Leaping Gorge Trail to the first guesthouse (Tea Horse Guesthouse}, and from Tea Horse Guesthouse to Tina’s Guesthouse?
Hi Ener,
We don’t know the exact distance from Qiaotou (entrance) to Tea Horse Guesthouse, since we drove that. I guess at least 10km if walking. From Tea Horse to Tina is roughly 11 km.
I don’t think you need a guide. The path is well signposted and there basically is just one path.
Thank you for this post! Very detailed – heading there December 2023 – hope to have same weather as you. Do you know – can you catch a bus to Shangri-La at Tina’s Guest House? Or somewhere else around there? Instead of having to backtrack to Lijiang and then going to Shangri-La.
Hi Pete,
I believe there is a bus from Tina’s to Shangri-la. I’m not sure of the schedule or price though. Maybe try and contact Tina Guesthouse to find out.
Hope you’ll have a great trip. It really is a wonderful hike.
Hi, thank you for your post. I am concerned about my luggage. If I stay in Tea Horse Guest house then hike the next day to Tina’s and onto Shangrila by the bus that stops at Tina’s, how can I get my luggage moved from Tea Horse GH to Tina’s? Thank you!
Hi Lai Ah,
Im sure Teahorse will have a luggage transfer service. Ask when you get there about your luggage to be transported to Tinas. You could try and contact them on trip. com after making a booking to ask about the service, or arrange when you get there. Enjoy your hike – it’s going to be amazing.
Thanks for this blog entry. It’s been useful for a solo traveller like me!
Hi RS, we are glad to hear you found it useful. Happy hiking!
Hello, thank you for your very informative post. Can I please ask if the car was able to drop you off directly on the trail at Tea horse guest house, or did you have to walk a distance to get from the road to the trail? How long roughly did it take to get from the entrance of the gorge to Tea horse guest house? Also do you think would there be any difficulties in getting such transport on the day? I am thinking of doing this in one day, starting from Lijiang and ending in Shangri-La, which might be a tad ambitious!
Hi Christine,
The car dropped us off at Tea Horse Guest house where we spent the night. The guesthouse is right on the trail.
I’m not sure how long the drive from the entrance to the guest house took, but I’d say 20-30 minutes drive.
We did not book this transport in advance. We asked the bus driver on the Lijiang bus asked if we needed transport when the bus stopped at the entrance to the gorge. There might even be informal taxis waiting at the bus stop.
Getting to Shangri La in one day might be a. It ambitious, but doable. Good luck and enjoy your trip
for hiking to Tea horse hostel you should take high path, not the boring road you took by car. Then it has all the magic of trekking and great views, so your review took the easy and boring part instead
Hi Gryffith,
Yes, we might have taken a car to Tea Horse Guesthouse, but I wouldn’t say it’s boring. Everyone we spoke to who did the entire trek said the first day was underwhelming, and that’s why we decided to only walk the second day.
But yeah, if you’re a completist, walk the entire gorge – I’m sure it will be a nice experience.
Hi Jin and De Wet,
Thanks for sharing your trip details here. Could you please help to answer my questions below?
1. May I ask if where is Qiaotou bus stop, is it the start of the 2-day trek?
2. If we follow your itinerary, taking a taxi to Tiger Leaping Gorge view point 虎跳峡, then to the Tea Horse House, that’s the only way we can visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge view point ya?
I checked the 2 day trek, it is very far from the river, and thus, we won’t pass the Tiger Leaping Gorge view point, if we do a full 2 day trek. Is it true?
Appreciate your help.
Hi Dan,
Glad you found it helpful.
1. The bus stop is at the start of the trek. People get off the bus and start walking.
2. I believe some people an actually walk to the viewpoint. This is called the lower TLG trek. After the viewpoint you climb up to the Middle or High path. This is apparently HELL and a very tiring trek.
We think the viewpoint , especially the power of the river, is incredibly scenic and worth seeing.
I just did the full Tiger Leaping Gorge trek for two days, over an amazing trip in Yunnan. Thank you for this post. I need to mention again though, like what some have said: The first part of the hike to Tea Horse guest house was really beautiful. Well worth the hike, and some challenge in ascending will make the views even more worth it subsequently. Experience it for yourself, and do not take some these reviews of people’s journeys by car over the first part to be the full picture. Of course, if you are pressed for time or are not physically up for it, you can take shorter routes.
Hi Sek Sheng,
Thanks for your feedback. We are glad to hear you enjoyed the full experience.
So there you have it, people, if you have time by all means hike the entire length of the gorge.
Hi De Wet and Jin, thanks for your very interesting sharing. May I find out whether it is possible to get a driver to drive us from Lijiang all the way to Halfway Guesthouse at Tiger Leaping Gorge so that we can start the hiking from there to Tina’s Guesthouse? My husband has weaker legs, so we are thinking of doing short hike only, maybe maximum of 2 hours. We would love to experience the hike despite our physical limitations.
If we take a bus from Lijiang to entrance of the park where we buy tickets, would we be able to get a taxi/private driver or Didi at that place to drive us to Halfway Guesthouse? We speak Chinese fairly fluently ( we are ethnic Chinese), so communication should not be too much of a problem. Thank you very much.
Hi Mabel,
You could get a Didi from Lijiang to the gorge no problem. Otherwise look at private drivers in Lijiang, but I suspect Didi will be cheaper.
We got a driver at the entrance to the gorge where the bus dropped us. The bus driver asked if we needed a car and called one for us. I’m not sure about Didi in this area, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they are available- they’re everywhere.
With you being able to speak Chinese, it would be very possible to do whatever you have in mind.
Another suggestion is to try and contact Halfway Guesthouse in advance and see if they can send a driver to pick you up.
Have a great trip and let us know how it went.
Hi,
Thanks so much for the detailed blog!
Just a quick question, how long is the drive to the viewpoint?
If we want to do it in two days like you described, is it also possible to get a driver to the viewpoint and then walk the rest to the teahorse guesthouse or would you not recommend that?
Thanks in advance!
Hi Noa,
The drive from the bus stop to the viewpoint is short – less than 30 minutes. The walk from the viewpoint to Teahorse will be tough, as you’ll be heading up from the bottom of the gorge all the way to top. Tough but doable. I’m not sure, but I think the path from the viewpoint up to Teahorse goes via the 28 Bends, the most challenging part of the trek. If this is the case, you’re looking at about a 4 hour walk.
Can I ask if the entire trail that you took is safe , in terms of safety hike and personal safety. I traveling solo . Thanks
Hi Sue,
We felt 100% safe on our hike. Overall, China is a safe country to visit. The trail is mostly flat (the section we did). Of course, use common sense and don’t venture off the trail.
Thanks a lot for advice
Sorry can I ask again, I read that some points are very narrow it’s like body width between cliff face and boulder , was that scary, dangerous and difficult to cross?
Hi Sue,
We did not encounter anything like you described (we only walked from Tea Horse Guest House to Tina Guest House). We did not find the walk scary or dangerous at all. My in-laws in their 70s did the walk after us and had a great time.
Thank you for this post which I read before going there. I followed your plan and it suited me well.
I followed you in taking the bus from the bus station in Lijiang called 丽江客运汽车站. If I’m not wrong, that is the one and only bus station in Lijiang. There are actually a few timings starting from about 8am and some of them vary in prices slightly due to the size of the bus (big bus , mini-van). You can actually choose which part of the Tiger Leaping gorge you wish to visit as well (The entrance – where everyone goes to see the strong currents and the Tiger statue , the middle part of the gorge or the town) . I took the bus going to the entrance where everyone goes to see the strong currents and the Tiger statue.
When the bus reached there, the ticketing staff came onboard to get all the passengers to purchase the tickets and then, the driver said after we are done photo taking at the entrance (he gave us 1.5 hours) , he can bring us to the middle part of the gorge to take more photos (for 20 RMB). (This was a private arrangement by the driver as I was told at the counter no such arrangement exists when I bought the ticket at the bus station.) As I was going to Tea Horse Guesthouse to stay the night, it was out of the way and hence I did not go to the middle part of the gorge. Instead, he offered to drop me off at a waiting area where there are some cars to bring people up to the various guesthouses. The fee quoted by the car driver was 20 RMB per person. The road going up to Tea Horse guesthouse was very steep and I would imagine it impossible to go on foot. Hence, the car ride was really helpful. The million dollar view of the Jade Dragon snow mountain in front of you was simply astonishing ! Most people would stay over at Halfway Guesthouse which was further away but I’m glad I stayed at Tea Horse Guesthouse as it did not seem so crowded.
I started hiking the next day and the view was of this same mountain throughout the hike which was nice. But a point to note is that the path started to get tricky and difficult after the waterfall. You would have to watch your step and be more careful. I reached Tina’s Guesthouse and there are 3 buses (2.30pm, 3.30pm and 4.30pm) and I missed the last bus so I arranged for a car-pooling to go back Lijiang. (80 RMB)
Thanks for passing by with this great update. I agree, Tea Horse Guesthouse is a fantastic place to stay