4 days / 3 nights
Baoshan Stone City
A Naxi village built on a bare rock above the Yangtze, reached through hand-cut tunnels in the cliff.
From$680per person
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4 days / 3 nights · Lijiang → Lijiang · 2–6 hikers
The route
The most famous walk in Yunnan, and for good reason: a mule-track cut into the cliff half-way up one of the deepest gorges on earth, with the 13 peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain straight across the water. We walk the High Trail rather than the road, sleep in Naxi village houses rather than a hotel strip, and finish on the foothills of Haba.
Day 1
Meet in Lijiang Old Town, gear check and a safety briefing, plus a short introduction to the Jinsha River Tea Horse Road and the Naxi river-bank villages. Drive north about 2.5 hours with a stop at the First Bend of the Yangtze. Settle into a Naxi guesthouse in the gorge, evening walk by the river, welcome dinner.
Day 2 · 12 km
The heart of the trip. The trail traverses the cliff half-way up the gorge with the Yangtze roaring below and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain filling the skyline. Past waterfalls and rhododendron scrub, we stop at a century-old caravan inn and visit a Naxi farming family in their rammed-earth house. Lunch at Tea Horse Inn, then the 28 Bends climb in the afternoon. Sunset on the peaks from the guesthouse.
Day 3 · 13 km
Down to the Middle Gorge where the river funnels through and the noise is physical. The path then turns into old-growth fir forest and climbs steadily, with Haba Snow Mountain opening up behind. The village sits in a snowmelt valley — wooden houses, barley fields and pasture. We visit a Naxi home, see the log-cabin building style and make Naxi baba by hand, with the guide explaining local mountain worship. Picnic lunch in the forest, dinner under the stars.
Day 4
Early walk through the village, then the drive back south (about 3 hours). Arrive Lijiang for lunch, trip ends around midday.
The High Trail, not the road. Most groups walk a short section and drive the rest. We walk the full High Trail over two days, which is where the gorge actually shows its scale.
Two nights inside the gorge. One night is a photo stop. Two nights means an evening in a Naxi house, a sunrise, and the trail empty in the morning before the day-trippers arrive.
Village, not hotel strip. The last night is in a Naxi village on the Haba foothills, in a family house — not a coach hotel on the highway.
The gorge is walkable most of the year. The two clear windows are autumn (October–November) and spring (March–April). We avoid July–August, when rain makes the clay trail slick and landslides can close it.
Legend: Best = stable trails and the clearest views · Good = runnable with caveats · Not advised = we don't run it, or only on request after checking conditions.
These are our proposed departure dates for this route. Availability changes daily — we confirm your place in writing before you pay anything. See our booking and refund terms.
Taking the whole trek as a family or a group of friends: from 2 people, on dates that suit you, with the itinerary adjusted to your pace. Same guide, same lodgings, no other hikers added. Prices vary with group size — tell us who's coming and when.
Ask about a private departureWe grade every route on a 1–3 scale for how hard the walking is. This trek is grade 2 — Moderate.
EasyWalking days of up to about 12 km on good paths, with gentle or modest climbing. Suits anyone who walks regularly at home.
ModerateConsecutive days of 12–15 km with real climbing — around 500–700 m a day, 5–7 hours on foot. You should be comfortable on your feet most of the day.
ChallengingLong or steep days on mountain trails — up to about 15 km, or 800 m or more of climbing — often back to back. You need a regular exercise habit, not mountaineering experience.
Altitude is listed separately. A gentle day can still reach 4,000 m, so we show it on its own rather than folding it into the grade. On this trek: highest point on foot 2,650 m, highest night about 2,650 m. None of our routes involves technical climbing — on some you look up at snow peaks, you don't climb them.
Single-room supplement. Single-room supplement: US$120 per person for the 3 nights, subject to availability in the village houses (some have very few single rooms).
Joining others or adding people. Yes. Solo hikers and pairs can join a scheduled departure, up to 6 hikers in all, and private departures for your own group run from 2 people. Travelling solo and want a room to yourself? The single-room supplement above applies. The price falls slightly per person at 4 and 6 hikers; ask for the group figure.
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