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Tiger Leaping Gorge Trek

A China trek is something that most adventurous travellers in China will want to experience. Tiger Leaping Gorge is China’s most famous hike at an altitude of about 2500m. It’s appropriate for travellers looking for an adventurous Himalayan trek. The Tiger Leaping Gorge is a steep gorge, two hours from Lijiang. During this two day China trek, you’ll walk with a guide along the top of the gorge. On the hiking trail you’ll see the turbulent Yangtze River on one side and steep mountain walls on the other side.

You'll see rice fields, villages, steep mountain walls, oxen working the fields, herds of goats and hardly any people at all on this China trek. You’ll spend the night in a basic, yet cosy guest house where other hikers stay as well. This trip will give your China holiday real character!

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Duration:	2 days / 1 night	Departure:	Daily from mid-April to mid-November
Comfort level (1-4):	2 (see accommodation)	Accommodation:	Basic double occupancy room with ensuite bathroom
Price:	£108 per person - based on 2 people sharing	Included:	Transportation, accommodation, English speaking guide
Transport:	Public bus Lijiang - Qiaotou, mini-van on Day 2 to Qiaotou	Excluded:	Meals and drinks, entrance fees (50 Yuan)

Day 1: Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge trek

After your Lijiang trip to China, you’ll depart on your two day China trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge. You’ll be collected by your guide at 7:45 and take the public bus towards the starting point about 2 hours away in Qiaotou.

Once you arrive at the strating point you'll pay the entrance fee (Y 50) and begin your China trek together with your guide. You’ll walk for two hours until you reach the Naxi guest house. This first leg of your hike won’t be easy. You’ll climb quite a bit, however if you have an average level of physical fitness it shouldn’t be a problem. While walking you’ll see terraces full of vegetable, rice and other foods. You’ll walk through hardwood and pine forests and cross over areas with large altitude differences. Along the way you’ll find places to stop for a bite to eat or drink, just let your guide know if you would like to have a rest.

After reaching the highest point of your hike (2.660m) you’ll walk along the gorge, with the river flowing deep below you. At some points the gorge is so narrow that, legend says that a hunted tiger could jump from side to side to escape, hence the name.

Your walk through the gorge will be quite strenuous and once you reach the Naxi guest house you’ll most likely have quite an appetite for lunch (not included). After recuperating for a bit, you’ll continue along the path and take the '28 bends' (although there are much more than 28) to Halfway Lodge. This will take you another four hours, making your total walking time seven hours on today's China trek.

Once you reach Halfway Lodge you can take off your shoes and relax in one of the rooms in the wooden building. There’s a heater and warm blankets available, however it can get quite cold (especially from October - April) so bring warm clothes along for the evening.

Although the guest house for this part of the China trek is quite basic, the owners have gone to great lengths to make it warm and inviting with many flowers, plants and a large veranda with a view of the gorge. After a long and strenuous day, you can enjoy a few beers and tea while sharing stories with other travellers spending the night here. The veranda is the perfect place to see the moon, stars and the milky way on a clear night.

Day 2: Tiger Leaping Gorge - Lijiang

On the second day of your China trek, you’ll walk for another two hours, however it will be much less strenuous than during the first day of your hike as the paths slowly descends. You’ll walk on a level path for about an hour and then you’ll pass a plunging waterfall- a scenic part of your China trek. After this, the path will go downhill and eventually you’ll reach the road that runs next to the Yangtze River.

This is where you and your guide will take a mini van back to Qiaotou and then a bus back to Lijiang (a two hour drive). The drive is scenic; you’ll pass pine forests at 3000m, glaciers and snowy mountain tops. Since you won’t know for sure what time you’ll return to Qiaotao, the mini van and public bus are not included in the price of the trip. You and your guide will return to Lijiang and you’ll pay for your bus ride on the spot.

Best time to visit

The best time to take this China trek is from April – October. During the winter months it’s too cold to walk the gorge so we advise against trekking during this time.

The tour can be cancelled in the event of heavy rainfall since this could lead to avalanches. Avalanches as a result of heavy rainfall occur in the summer time (June - August).

Tips

During this China trek you won’t come across any banks or ATM’s. Be sure to bring cash with you for the bus ride back, meals and a few drinks. This should cost no more than £30 for two people.

After your trek you'll return to Lijiang for the night, therefore you can leave your main luggage behind in the hotel and simply travel with a small overnight bag.

If you plan on going straight to Zhongdian after your China trek, you’ll want to forward your luggage to the area where your trek ends. This can be arranged easily on location and costs approximately £10 per bag/suitcase.

China trek - Accommodation (click to enlarge)

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