“Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in China.The upper gorge entrance is at an altitude of1800meters, the lower gorge entrance is at1630meters, the mountain ridges on both sides and the river surface differ by2500-3000meters, with steep valley slopes that are truly spectacular. The river plunges down7steep drops, with a total drop of170meters, the surging waters are audible for miles, making it one of the deepest canyons in the world.”
The above is an introduction from Baidu. For outdoor enthusiasts, especially those who love hiking, Tiger Leaping Gorge is surely a must-visit spot on their travel list—and I’m no exception.
I went to Tiger Leaping Gorge in winter. At the time, I still thought outdoor hiking was a pretty high-barrier activity, and my fitness level wasn’t great either, so I didn’t dare plan too long a route. Recently, as I’ve had more opportunities to get outdoors, I’ve realized that hiking isn’t actually that “elitist.” Especially at Tiger Leaping Gorge, almost anyone can do it—whether you’re a beginner or an experienced hiker, there’s a suitable route for you.
I’ve been to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge before, and this year I want to find time to go again and take on the full Tiger Leaping Gorge trail. So recently I started doing some research, gathering information online along with details from my own trip, which I’d like to share with everyone. I hope it can serve as a reference for fellow travelers planning to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge.
First, Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge, Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, and Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge. At Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge, there’s a large viewing platform jokingly referred to as the “Senior Citizens’ Scenic Viewing Activity Center,” because all you can do there is look at the scenery and take photos from the platform—the difficulty level is almost zero. As long as you’re not the type to get knocked over by a gust of wind, you can enjoy the views of Tiger Leaping Gorge there.
The section of Tiger Leaping Gorge that hikers typically explore is Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge. These two areas can be combined in different ways for trips ranging from1to3days.
Here’s my1-day itinerary::
Route: One-Line Sky → Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge → Sky Ladder → Highway
Actually, this route could serve as a cautionary tale.
Originally, I thought this way would let me avoid backtracking, but when I got to the Sky Ladder, I realized I’d really set myself up—climbing the ladder was incredibly tough. It’s a near-vertical, 90-degree staircase, very long and extremely narrow, and worst of all, there are no safety measures. One wrong step, and you could fall straight into the abyss of Tiger Leaping Gorge...
Getting from Lijiang Ancient Town to Tiger Leaping Gorge is very convenient—most guesthouse front desks can help book your bus ticket, but you’ll need to take the bus from the station yourself the next day.
If you’re not hiking, you can get off at Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge and walk to the viewing platform on your own. If you’re planning to hike through, you can tell the driver where you want to get off or explain your route—they’ll suggest a good place for you to disembark. If you want to return to Lijiang the same day, you can just buy your return ticket from the driver. Agree on the pickup time and place in the afternoon, leave your phone number, and you generally won’t get scammed.
The path to One-Line Sky is made up of trails like these, but I didn’t find walking them too strenuous. I could even enjoy the scenery as I walked.
There are quite a few such paths along the way—those with small feet might easily step into the gaps.
Once you reach Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, you can descend to the bottom of the canyon, which is full of massive boulders, with the rushing river right in front of you.
Personally, I didn’t find the walk from One-Line Sky to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge too tiring. The whole way was deserted, like I had the grand beauty of Tiger Leaping Gorge all to myself.
To return from Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, you can take the Teacher Zhang Trail up—it’s a very easy hike. Definitely easier than the Sky Ladder, which I really don’t recommend...
Here is a 3-day trekking route in Tiger Leaping Gorge that I gathered online:2~3Trekking itinerary:
1.Total trekking duration:33 days
Day 1:Take a bus from Lijiang Bus Station at [time] to Qiaotou (bus fare [price] yuan, including insurance), about [number] hours’ drive.8Enter Tiger Leaping Gorge (entrance fee [price] yuan).30Take the high route, pass through [location], and stay at Chama Inn or [other option], trekking for about [number] hours.15Day 2:2Get up early and continue walking down to the road, then take the Zhang Laoshi Plank Walk ([price] yuan) down to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. This part takes about [number] hours on foot. After visiting Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, climb up to the road via One-Line Sky ([price] yuan), about [number] hours, and stay at Middle Gorge Inn or Hetaoyuan.; Day 3:50Get up early and trek via Huashiban, Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge, and Xincun, taking about [number] hours to reach the old ferry crossing on the Jinsha River. On the path from Xincun to the ferry, pay attention to the directional arrows marked on the ground stones at forks in the road—many hikers miss these signs and end up taking wrong turns.;
After ferrying across (ferry fee [price] yuan), wait on the other side for a minibus back to Lijiang from Dayu ([price] yuan), about [number] and a half hours’ drive. The minibus passes Yulong Snow Mountain, where you can get off at Niuwei Ping or Yunshan Ping for a visit, saving you the entrance fee to the mountain.24Trekking sections include the high route and Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, as well as visiting Yulong Snow Mountain.Half wayCheck in and hike for about5-7hours;
Day 2:Get up early and continue walking down to the highway, then take Teacher Zhang’s Trail (10RMB) down to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. This section takes about3more than an hour to walk. After visiting the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, climb up to the highway through Heaven’s Gate (10RMB), which takes about2more than an hour. Stay at Mid-Gorge Inn or Walnut Garden;
Day 3:Get up early and hike via Huashiban, Lower Tiger Leaping, and Xincun, taking about3an hour to reach the old ferry crossing on the Jinsha River. On the path from Xincun to the ferry, watch for directional arrows painted on stones at forks in the road—many hikers miss these signs and end up taking wrong turns.
After taking the ferry (ferry fee:10RMB), wait on the other side for a bus back to Lijiang from Dayu (bus fare:30RMB). The ride takes about2one and a half hours. The bus passes by Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you can get off at Niuwei Ping or Yunshan Ping for sightseeing, saving you the entrance fee to the mountain.
After ferrying across (ferry fee [price] yuan), wait on the other side for a minibus back to Lijiang from Dayu ([price] yuan), about [number] and a half hours’ drive. The minibus passes Yulong Snow Mountain, where you can get off at Niuwei Ping or Yunshan Ping for a visit, saving you the entrance fee to the mountain.24Trekking sections include the high route and Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, as well as visiting Yulong Snow Mountain.Half wayCheck in and hike for about5-7hours;
Day 2:Get up early and continue walking down to the highway, then take Teacher Zhang’s Trail (10RMB) down to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge. This section takes about3more than an hour to walk. After visiting the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge, climb up to the highway through Heaven’s Gate (10RMB), which takes about2more than an hour. Stay at Mid-Gorge Inn or Walnut Garden;
Day 3:Get up early and hike via Huashiban, Lower Tiger Leaping, and Xincun, taking about3an hour to reach the old ferry crossing on the Jinsha River. On the path from Xincun to the ferry, watch for directional arrows painted on stones at forks in the road—many hikers miss these signs and end up taking wrong turns.
After taking the ferry (ferry fee:10RMB), wait on the other side for a bus back to Lijiang from Dayu (bus fare:30RMB). The ride takes about2one and a half hours. The bus passes by Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you can get off at Niuwei Ping or Yunshan Ping for sightseeing, saving you the entrance fee to the mountain.
2.Hiking sections include the road to Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and the gorge itself, as well as visiting Jade Dragon Snow Mountain:3days,Return from Dayu to Lijiang
Day 1:Take a bus at Lijiang Bus Station at8:30 AM to Qiaotou (bus fare15yuan); From Qiaotou, take a local van heading toward Zhonghutiao (50yuan/person, including ticket), after passing Shanghutiao, get off at the14km marker on the highway, then start hiking up along the tractor road — the high route. At the end of the road isHalf Way.Half WayRest and have a meal there, then walk down toTina‘s, which is Zhongxia Inn, arriving around4PM. This hiking section takes just over3hours for the round trip. It’s a classic part of the Tiger Leaping Gorge high route, and this stretch has the most beautiful scenery along the entire high path. Since you’re only hiking the latter part of the high route, you’ll still enjoy its stunning views while saving a lot of time and energy.
Stay overnight in Zhonghutiao (options include Zhongxia Inn, Teacher Zhang's Inn, Ladder Inn, or Wangjiang Inn)
Day 2:In the morning around, you can ask the inn to arrange a chartered car, thendescend to Zhonghutiao via the Teacher Zhang Trail (10yuan). FromOne-Line Skyclimb up to the highway,— the round trip takes about5hours;
After lunch and a short rest, meet up with the chartered caragain, pass through Huashiban and Xiahutiao, and head to Xincun. Get off at Xincun and start hiking20After about minutes of downhill walking, you’ll reach the old ferry crossing. On the path from Xincun to the ferry, always pay attention to the directional arrows marked on the stones at the forks in the road—many hikers miss these signs and end up taking wrong turns, wasting a lot of time.
Ferry fee10RMB/per person. After reaching the other side, it takes10a few minutes to climb up the steep path, where a shuttle minibus from Dayu Inn will be waiting for you.
Overnight stay at Dayu Inn.
Day 3:9:00The owner of Dayu Inn will drive you to Niuwei Ping. The drive takes about one and a half hours, and the fare is20RMB/per person.
If you choose to return directly to Lijiang, it takes about2one and a half hours, with a fare of30RMB/per person.
At Niuwei Ping, you can take the middle cable car up to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, or ride a horse up the mountain for about250RMB/per person.
At Niuwei Ping, you can also flag down random vehicles back to Lijiang, with fares around10RMB/per person. Along the way, you can negotiate with the driver to stop for photos at Baishui River and Ganhazi. You’ll likely arrive back in Lijiang around5p.m.
Day 1:Take a bus at Lijiang Bus Station at8:30 AM to Qiaotou (bus fare15yuan); From Qiaotou, take a local van heading toward Zhonghutiao (50yuan/person, including ticket), after passing Shanghutiao, get off at the14km marker on the highway, then start hiking up along the tractor road — the high route. At the end of the road isHalf Way.Half WayRest and have a meal there, then walk down toTina‘s, which is Zhongxia Inn, arriving around4PM. This hiking section takes just over3hours for the round trip. It’s a classic part of the Tiger Leaping Gorge high route, and this stretch has the most beautiful scenery along the entire high path. Since you’re only hiking the latter part of the high route, you’ll still enjoy its stunning views while saving a lot of time and energy.
Stay overnight in Zhonghutiao (options include Zhongxia Inn, Teacher Zhang's Inn, Ladder Inn, or Wangjiang Inn)
Day 2:In the morning around, you can ask the inn to arrange a chartered car, thendescend to Zhonghutiao via the Teacher Zhang Trail (10yuan). FromOne-Line Skyclimb up to the highway,— the round trip takes about5hours;
After lunch and a short rest, meet up with the chartered caragain, pass through Huashiban and Xiahutiao, and head to Xincun. Get off at Xincun and start hiking20After about minutes of downhill walking, you’ll reach the old ferry crossing. On the path from Xincun to the ferry, always pay attention to the directional arrows marked on the stones at the forks in the road—many hikers miss these signs and end up taking wrong turns, wasting a lot of time.
Ferry fee10RMB/per person. After reaching the other side, it takes10a few minutes to climb up the steep path, where a shuttle minibus from Dayu Inn will be waiting for you.
Overnight stay at Dayu Inn.
Day 3:9:00The owner of Dayu Inn will drive you to Niuwei Ping. The drive takes about one and a half hours, and the fare is20RMB/per person.
If you choose to return directly to Lijiang, it takes about2one and a half hours, with a fare of30RMB/per person.
At Niuwei Ping, you can take the middle cable car up to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, or ride a horse up the mountain for about250RMB/per person.
At Niuwei Ping, you can also flag down random vehicles back to Lijiang, with fares around10RMB/per person. Along the way, you can negotiate with the driver to stop for photos at Baishui River and Ganhazi. You’ll likely arrive back in Lijiang around5p.m.
3.The two-day route is very simple—just remove the third day’s arrangements from the itinerary above. No matter whether you stay atZhongxia Inn,HetaoyuanInn, or Dayu Inn on the second night, you can ask the innkeeper to help arrange transportation back to Lijiang. Depending on the group size, you can decide whether to share a ride or hire a private car.
As mentioned in the itinerary above, some local sections have checkpoints where locals charge fees of around5~10RMB. Some people find this unreasonable and think they’re being extorted. Before going, I also didn’t want to pay, figuring I’d already paid for the entrance ticket—why pay another road fee? But after actually going there, I felt thatthis money was absolutely worth it. Tiger Leaping Gorge is very rugged, and some of the hiking trails and ladders along the way were carved out by the locals. Without their hard work, not only would these routes not exist, but you might not even have access to Tiger Leaping Gorge itself. So, paying this hard-earned money is definitely worthwhile.
And that’s the hiking route guide for Tiger Leaping Gorge that I’ve put together myself.If there are any inaccuracies, please feel free to point them out in the comments, fellow outdoor enthusiasts. I'm still a newbie and hope to exchange ideas with everyone more.~~
P.S.: The first five photos were taken by me, and the rest were collected from the internet. Thanks to the original authors for sharing. No commercial use is intended. If you find anything inappropriate, please message me privately~