Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge: Everything You Need to Know
Updated: Sep 20, 2023
Tiger Leaping Gorge - one of the most amazing 2-day hikes you can do anywhere in the world!
Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge is such an amazing thing to do! Truly! It’s a two-day hike winding along a path halfway up massive mountains, with a huge river faaaar below... all with the most incredible mountain views. It truly is breathtaking, and a really fun and unique thing to do!
And unfortunately, it is changing fast, with construction happening along the beginning of the trail, new restaurants popping up along the trail, and newly installed telephone wires lining the path. I think it’s really important to visit sooner rather than later, before too much more changes... because it’s so special!
Why should I visit Tiger Leaping Gorge?
How many days?
A two-day hike, but depending on your walking speed, it could be two days made up of a few hours of hiking. You could also squish it into just one day (although I don’t recommend it – half the fun is staying overnight!)
So, why visit?
Amazing, massive, and breathtaking views
A unique and fun experience
Having a well-deserved cold beer with the best view
Goats!
Overview of my recommended route
Day 1:
Start at the Hutiaoxia Ticket Office in Qiaotou. Get a ticket for Tiger Leaping Gorge from the ticket office (RMB 65).
From the ticket office, get a taxi to Naxi Guesthouse.
Have breakfast/brunch/lunch/a snack at Naxi Guesthouse.
Start your hike, going up the 28 bends.
Stay the night in the area around Tea Horse Guesthouse.
Day 2:
Head to Halfway House for coffee and breakfast.
Carry on to Tina’s Guesthouse.
Get a ride back to Lijiang.
Optional:
From Tina’s Guesthouse, do the loop to Teacher Zhang’s Trail, Tiger Leaping Rock, and Sky Ladder. I haven’t done it, but apparently, it is a 2-hour loop.
Note:
Apparently there is a lot of construction happening around the actual start of the hike, meaning that the piece of the hike between the official start of the trail and Naxi Guesthouse is very dusty and not very nice. So, I recommend skipping this piece of the hike and rather starting at Naxi Guesthouse.
Some information says that you don’t actually need a ticket to do the hike. I don’t know anyone who has had their ticket checked along the hike, so it you are willing to take the risk, you could skip the ticket office, and just go directly to Naxi Guesthouse. Although, having said that, I think RMB 65 is definitely worth it for the loveliness that is the hike.
Getting there
Getting from Lijiang to Hutiaoxia Ticket Office in Qiaotou:
Bus
You will need to get a bus from Lijiang Transport Service Center Bus Station (丽江客运站), No. 25, Kangzhong Road, Gucheng District, Lijiang City. It leaves at 8:00 and 8:30 (it's best if you organize a ticket the night before, to make sure you get a seat). It will go to Hutiaoxia County Station. From there you will need to get another bus or a taxi to Hutiaoxia Ticket Office in Qiaotou.
Price: RMB 30
Time: 2 hours
Driver
The accommodation can help you to organize this. It will probably be about 1.5 hours, and probably about RMB 200 – 275. You might be able to tell the driver to wait for you to buy the ticket and then drop you off at the start of the hike (you will need to give him the exact location you want, otherwise he may drop you somewhere else).
Didi
You can organize a Didi yourself. It's typically about RMB 360.
Getting from Hutiaoxia Ticket Office to Naxi Guesthouse:
If you have a driver, get them to wait for you while you get a ticket and then take you to Naxi Guesthouse.
Get a taxi or Didi.
If you get really stuck, add Naxi Guesthouse on WeChat and ask them to organize a car for you Naxi Guesthouse: 13988758424.
Getting away
Getting from Tina’s Guesthouse to Lijiang
Driver
You can ask your accommodation along Tiger Leaping Gorge to organize a driver for you. It will likely be around RMB 500. If there are other hikers along the way, it is a good idea to share the car and split the cost!
Bus
There is a daily bus that goes from Tina’s Guesthouse to Lijiang. It is RMB 50 per person and leaves at 15:30 sharp (they recommend getting there by 15:00), and takes about 2 hours. I recommend organizing this with Tina’s Guesthouse the day before to make sure you have a spot (add Tina’s WeChat: 中峡国际青年旅舍 Tina 13988771688). The bus will likely drop you in Lijiang City, and you can just grab a Didi to wherever you want to go!
Here are some other links that will help with the detail:
Thanks for this blog entry. It's been useful!