Trip Details, Dates, Prices, etc.
MenuFrom Lijiang to Shangri-La: A 9-day summer trip to find flowers on the high mountain limestone Beach
Embark on an 9-day summer journey from Lijiang to Shangri-La, where the allure of high-altitude landscapes and the vibrant beauty of wildflowers await. This adventure takes you through some of China’s most breathtaking natural scenery, where alpine meadows, majestic snow-capped peaks, and serene lakes set the stage for an unforgettable exploration. Along the way, you will be captivated by the diverse flora that thrives in the Tibetan Plateau's unique environment, including rare wildflowers and endemic species.
Your journey begins in Lijiang, where we explore the stunning Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Here, you’ll be surrounded by towering peaks and pristine landscapes, setting the tone for a trip filled with awe-inspiring natural beauty. From Lijiang, we travel further into Shangri-La, where you’ll have the opportunity to wander through high-altitude meadows, tranquil valleys, and picturesque mountain landscapes that provide the perfect backdrop for photography and nature walks.
As we move through the region, you will witness the enchanting alpine flora at locations like Bigu Tianchi and Shika Snow Mountain, where vibrant wildflowers bloom amidst rugged terrain. The journey also includes visits to sacred Tibetan sites, including the White Horse Snow Mountain and Bala Gzong National Park, where the landscape’s raw beauty and rich cultural heritage seamlessly intertwine.
This trip offers a unique combination of nature and culture, perfect for those looking to explore the remote beauty of the Tibetan Plateau while immersing themselves in the local traditions. Whether you are hiking through alpine meadows, capturing the scenery through your camera, or simply experiencing the serene atmosphere, this journey promises to be a once-in-a-lifetime adventure.
Trip Highlights:
1.Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: Explore wildflower-filled meadows and the stunning Blue Moon Valley, showcasing a variety of alpine species.
2.Bigu Tianchi: Discover rich alpine flora around this beautiful mountain lake.
3.Shika Snow Mountain: Visit the summit at 4300 meters and see a range of rare high-altitude flowers.
4.Meili Snow Mountain: Enjoy sunrise views and search for wildflowers in high-altitude meadows.
5.Baima Snow Mountain: Explore alpine valleys with an array of rare high-altitude plants.
6.Balagezong National Park: Search for wildflowers in pristine meadows within the national park.
7.Tibetan Culture & Scenic Landscapes: Immerse yourself in Tibetan culture and explore breathtaking landscapes throughout the journey.
Dates & Prices
Dates | Booking Status | Price | Single Supplement | Group Size | Guide |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jun.15 to Jun.23, 2025 | Open to Booking | 2,480USD/pax | 360USD/pax | 4~12 | WildFloraTour Guide |
Jun.15 to Jun.23, 2026 | Open to Booking | 2,480USD/pax | 360USD/pax | 4~12 | WildFloraTour Guide |
The cost includes the following:
2. Meals in local popular restaurants.
3. All the entrance tickets for places listed in the itinerary including cable cars and shuttle buses.
4. Hotel stays from the first day to the last day of the trip, nice 3-star hotels in big cities and local best in local places.
5.Bottled water, and snacks throughout the trip.
6. Service charges of this trip include the fees of a professional English-speaking plant guide.
7. China domestic travel insurance.
The cost does not include the following:
2. During this trip, extra charges due to the change of itinerary from the client-side or other factors are beyond the control of WildFloraTour.
3. Flight tickets to the place where our trip starts and from the place where our trip ends.
4. Expenses for visa application.
5. Gratuities to the guide and driver.
Itinerary
D1: Arrival in Lijiang. Meals: D
Arrive at Lijiang Airport, where you will be greeted by your guide and transferred to your hotel. After checking in and relaxing, enjoy a welcome dinner, and your guide will provide an overview of the exciting adventure ahead.
Overnight: Haina Residence Hotel
D2: Ninety-nine Vauclusian Spring Scenic Area. Meals: BLD
Set off early for Ninety-nine Vauclusian Spring Scenic Area in Lijiang. Spend the entire day hiking through the area, searching for the rare Meconopsis muscicola**, as well as Hemipilia cordifolia*, Calanthe tricarinata*, Platanthera exelliana*, Hypericum latisepalum*, and other unique wildflowers.
Overnight: Haina Residence Hotel
D3: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Meals: BLD
Set off early for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you’ll take a bus and cable car to reach Yungshui Plain. Explore this stunning area and enjoy observing wildflowers such as Cypripedium lichiangense**, Cypripedium forrestii*, Cypripedium margaritaceum*, Ponerorchis basifoliata*, and Paris polyphylla etc. In the afternoon, we visit the scenic Blue Moon Valley to appreciate the natural beauty and diverse flowers in full bloom.
Overnight: Haina Residence Hotel
D4: Lijiang – Shangri-La. Meals: BLD
After breakfast, we drive to Bi Gu Tianchi, spending the entire day exploring the rich flora of this beautiful location. Here, you’ll have the opportunity to admire wildflowers such as Cypripedium calcicola*, reorchis parvula*,Gymnadenia crassinervis, Galearis spathulata, and Lilium apertum etc. Enjoy the peaceful atmosphere and take in the sweeping views that surround you.
Overnight: Takayama Besho. Shangri-la Hotel
D5: Shika Snow Mountain. Meals: BLD
This morning, we travel to Shika Snow Mountain and take the cable car to the summit at 4300 meters. You’ll explore the alpine meadows and view stunning wildflowers like Gymnadenia conopsea*, Ponerorchis crenulata, Oreorchis erythrochrysea, Fritillaria delavayi, and Meconopsis horridula etc. In the afternoon, we visit Yala Qingbo Grassland to continue our exploration of local flora.
Overnight: Takayama Besho. Shangri-la Hotel
D6: Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden – Baima Snow Mountain Pass – Deqin. Meals: BLD
Start the day by visiting the Shangri-La Alpine Botanical Garden, where we will see a range of beautiful alpine plants . In the afternoon, we travel across the Baima Snow Mountain to explore the wild plants at higher altitudes, including Pleione bulbocodioides*, Cypripedium tibeticum*, Cypripedium flavum*, Cypripedium plectrochilum, and Cassiope fastigiata etc.We conclude the day with a spectacular view of Meili Snow Mountain at sunset.
Overnight: Deqin Tengyue Meili Snow Mountain Resort Hotel
D7: Baima Snow Mountain. Meals: BLD
After a sunrise view of Meili Snow Mountain, we head to the Pujin Langba Valley of Baima Snow Mountain. Here, we explore high-altitude wildflowers such as Cassiope selaginoides, Cassiope pectinata, Corydalis pachycentra, Corydalis calcicola,and Androsace zambalensis etc. You’ll have the chance to view these stunning species in their natural high-altitude habitat.
Overnight: Deqin Tengyue Meili Snow Mountain Resort Hotel
D8: Feilai Temple – Balagezong – Shangri-La. Meals: BLD
Rise early for another sunrise view of Meili Snow Mountain before heading into Balagezong National Park. Explore the high-altitude meadows around the natural Buddha Tower, searching for wildflowers such as Cypripedium bardolphianum*, Sinopodophyllum hexandrum*, Neottia pinetorum , Meconopsis pseudovenusta , and Stemona mairei etc.
Overnight: Takayama Besho. Shangri-la Hotel
D9: Departure. Meals: B
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for your departure, concluding this unforgettable 8-day journey through the high-altitude floral wonders of the Tibetan Plateau.
Tour Guides
We will arrange one of our WildFloraTour experts for this trip based on the focus of this trip. All our experts have rich experiences of guiding tours in this region. The following are some of our best local guides for your references.
Cory Li WildFloraTour plant expert
Cory Li,co-founder, and general manager of WildFloraTour is a super fan of nature, especially for flowers. His passion for nature grows from the beauty of greens in the little boys' eyes. As a native of Sichuan Chengdu, he has spent a lot of time exploring nature in the mountains nearby his hometown. During his study at Sichuan University, he began to take lots of outdoor activities like hiking and mountain climbing and started to study knowledge about flora by himself. After graduation, he even spent more time in the wild than office exploring wildflowers in Sichuan and nearby provinces with other nature lovers and photographed about two thousand wildflower species. He even found several new distributions of some endemic species and even some new species of plants along with some other nature lovers. He loves to share his findings and stories behind the photos with other nature lovers on the internet and became a “flora idol” in southwest China. He never expected becoming famous out of this, he just enjoys sharing the beauty of those lovely flowers with others.
Ray WildFloraTour plant expert
Ray graduated from Leshan Normal University, majoring in plant science. As an expert at WildFlora, Ray is responsible for the daily operations of WildFloraTour. He possesses a profound passion for nature, which prompted him to resign from his job in his hometown of Deyang and relocate to Chengdu to pursue his dreams and join WildFloraTour. Having specialized in botanical studies during his university years, Ray has acquired a distinct advantage in his work, affording him opportunities to discover endemic species and make thrilling new findings. Additionally, Ray is an avid photographer who captures the ephemeral beauty of nature, preserving invaluable moments that inspire others to appreciate the wonders of the natural world. At WildFloraTour, he collaborates with a team of plant specialists to design customized tours that cater to the individual interests of each traveler who has keen interests in plants. Whether it involves botanical exploration, cultural immersion, or wildlife safaris, Ray and his team strive to provide a comprehensive and immersive experience that fosters a deeper connection with nature.
Bella WildFloraTour bird and mammal expert
Bella, the director of AlpineBirding, was graduated from Sichuan Agricultural University with a Bachelor's Degree. She joined AlpineBirding in early 2016 and became the director of AlpineBirding in 2018. She was born and grown up in a Bai ethnic family in Yunnan Province which boasts of the largest number of bird species in China. Her interests toward birds started with her observation of a Long-tailed Minivet in her mom’s garden at a very young age. As she grows up, the interests and love toward birds become stronger and stronger. Because of that, she found AlpineBirding before graduation and joined the company for further learning of birds. Bella has guided a number of birding trips in cooperation with AlpineBirding guide in the past years, her passion, readiness to help and detail-oriented attitude have won her lots of praise from our clients. She takes great pride in the work she is doing, now she is ready to help you plan your best birding trip in China in cooperation with her colleagues.
Karen WildFloraTour logistic expert
Karen Lin is a native of Chengdu, Sichuan province. She loves and knows the culture of her hometown well, such as ancient Shu civilization, folk customs and ancient Chinese poetry.She has over 14 years' experience in foreign affairs service and tourism. She is familiar with the whole process of group operation. She is always good at thinking and full of ideas, and always gives the guests a warm experience with the special attention and consideration.Karen loves birds and enjoys go out for birding with the team, sometimes, she works as assistant for the group. She likes nature and is good at parent-child natural activities and education. In addition, she has long devoted herself to public welfare, especially caring for the elderly and disabled people, environmental protection, and reading promotion. She organizes and participates in a number of related volunteer work. She is a passionate and intelligent member of our team.
Philip WildFloraTour plant expert
As a half Kangba Tibetan, Philip is the founder of WildfloraTour and is native of Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. He has a deep love for his Kangba Tibetan heritage and the land where he was born and raised. Philip's career has gone from mining technician to teacher, to translator, and finally to a guide and tour operator. Along the way, Philip discovered his passion and love for helping tourists understand the beauty and history of his people and homeland. Philip is known for his ability to plan and execute unique and exciting adventure trips exploring the sights off the usual tourist routes. He is active, open-minded, and adventurous and always ready to share interesting and useful information with his clients. As a travel professional working in this field for more than 15 years, Philip believes travel is an art and a process of learning and discovery. Each trip is a unique artistic work created with knowledge and expertise based on the resources available and the interests and tastes of travelers. To help more people to understand the unique resources in panda habitats and neighboring areas, he established Wildflora to bring his educational fun-filled tours to more people eager to explore and learn about China. Besides, Philip is an active and knowledgeable birder and a dedicated photographer.
Besides, one of WildFloraTour's local guides in Southeast China will participate in this trip to ensure a high-end traveling experience.
Testimonials
As a new department set up in 2017 under AbsoluteWild Travel Co, Ltd., WildFloraTour consists of a group of English-speaking local plants and travel experts to provide the best quality trips for plant lovers to enjoy the beauty of the natural plant resources in China. In the past, we have organized many flower-watching trips with some cooperative travel agents under their company names. For this important page, we would quote some feedbacks made on TripAdvisor by travelers from our sister department AbsolutePanda. As a department of the same company, we share the same culture and principles.