7-Day Dali, Lijiang and Meili Snow Mountain Tour | Via Shangri-La

Your Dali, Lijiang and Meili Snow Mountain tour starts with the following arrangements. Meet your driver at Dali Airport and settle into the hotel before visiting Xizhou’s courtyard streets and a selected Erhai shoreline. Carved entrances, village lanes and farmland introduce the Bai region without entering private residences uninvited. Cangshan views depend on weather. Both afternoon stops require a timely arrival; dinner is included.

Xizhou Ancient Town · Erhai Lake

Begin with Dali Old Town and the Three Pagodas, linking regional trading history with Buddhist architecture. The afternoon retains Cangshan and Shuanglang on the lake’s eastern side, but the mountain route and cableway must be selected to fit this full circuit. This is not an unrestricted summit hike. Allow cross-lake road travel, queues and breaks alongside the visits. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.

Dali Ancient Town · Chongsheng Temple and Three Pagodas · Cangshan Mountain · Shuanglang Town

Travel from Dali via Shaxi, allowing about 3.5–4.5 driving hours across the day in addition to sightseeing. Walk the market square and surrounding lanes to understand the Tea Horse Road’s exchange of goods and regional connections. Continue to Lijiang and leave the evening flexible for an Old Town or Shuhe stroll after check-in. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.

Shaxi Ancient Town

Visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain using the reserved scenic bus and cableway arrangement. The Glacier Park upper station is around 4,500 metres: stairs and thin air remain even after the lift. Choose the actual walking distance around individual condition and operating restrictions, without promising the highest boardwalk. Descend to Blue Moon Valley for its pools and limestone edges, allowing 1.5–2 hours there. Join the booked thangka-inspired painting workshop with a local artist, using a small format suitable for an introductory session. The artist explains the motifs and process; materials, drying and collection arrangements are agreed in advance. This is a visitor art lesson, not a promise to complete an expertly consecrated religious painting in one afternoon. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included; agree a realistic workshop time after descending.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain · Blue Moon Valley · Introductory painting workshop

Drive roughly 3.5–4.5 hours toward Shangri-La, then use Pudacuo’s official shuttle and selected boardwalks for alpine lake, forest and wetland views. Keep the walk moderate after reaching higher elevation, rather than attempting every park sector. A short Dukezong evening walk follows only at a comfortable pace. The road, park closing time and altitude burden must fit the confirmed day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.

Pudacuo National Park · Dukezong Ancient Town

Visit Songzanlin’s permitted halls and courtyards before the mountain-road transfer to Feilaisi, allowing approximately 4–5 driving hours plus stops. Use the operating main road and tunnels through the Baima mountain area; the old 4,292-metre pass is not a compulsory scenic detour. A suitable Napa-area stop depends on the actual route and conditions. Settle into the selected local property facing the Meili range. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are included.

Songzanlin Monastery · Napa Lake · Meili Snow Mountain

Go to the permitted Feilaisi viewing area before sunrise if conditions allow. First light may colour the Meili peaks, but neither visibility nor a golden summit is guaranteed. Return toward Shangri-La, allowing about 4–5 hours of road travel plus breaks before a suitably late departure. An optional continuation to Lijiang adds roughly another four hours, making about 9–10 driving hours in total; its endpoint and any extra hotel night require separate confirmation.

Meili Snow Mountain