Tiger Leaping Gorge
Overview
The Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest gorges in the world and it offers, without doubt, one of the best treks in China. The landscape is stunning, and you will see beautiful small villages, waterfalls, high mountains of more than 5000 m, and the river running in the middle of them. Everything you expect from a gorge.
About the trekking, there are two possible ways: the high trail and the low trail. The high one is the one most people walk as it offers the best views and it goes through narrow unpaved paths. The low trek goes basically along a paved road going all over the gorge, but it offers impressive views as well.
You don’t need to be especially super-fit to accomplish the high trek, but a minimum of physical shape is needed as there are some steep and hard sections. If you are not fit or are scared of heights, go for the low one, you will get impressive views anyway and it will take you a shorter time to finish it (10 km from Qiaotou to Tina’s guesthouse). The recommended one, though, is the high trail.
Even if the high trail can be made in just one day starting early morning and finishing before sunset, allow 2 days to complete the most common route, going from Qiaotou till Tina’s guesthouse (like three quarters of the whole gorge) sleeping overnight at one of the guesthouses on the way.
About the trekking, there are two possible ways: the high trail and the low trail. The high one is the one most people walk as it offers the best views and it goes through narrow unpaved paths. The low trek goes basically along a paved road going all over the gorge, but it offers impressive views as well.
You don’t need to be especially super-fit to accomplish the high trek, but a minimum of physical shape is needed as there are some steep and hard sections. If you are not fit or are scared of heights, go for the low one, you will get impressive views anyway and it will take you a shorter time to finish it (10 km from Qiaotou to Tina’s guesthouse). The recommended one, though, is the high trail.
Even if the high trail can be made in just one day starting early morning and finishing before sunset, allow 2 days to complete the most common route, going from Qiaotou till Tina’s guesthouse (like three quarters of the whole gorge) sleeping overnight at one of the guesthouses on the way.
Sightseeing
The following is the description of the trek we did. There are other options and possibilities, but we chose the one that didn’t involve waking up early morning. And we proved ourselves right, as we finished the trek perfectly without having to rush and sleeping in probably the most beautiful village of the entire gorge.
We took a bus from Lijiang at 12:00 arriving in Qiaotou at 13:30. From where the bus drops you it is a 10 minute walk to Jane’s guesthouse, stopping at the torist office to buy the 65 yuan ticket to enter the gorge area. Leave your big backpacks at Jane’s for 5 yuans and just take a daypack with water and some food. Start walking from Jane’s along the road, passing the school and taking the unpaved road going uphill on the left. After some 2,5 km you will arrive at where the high trail starts.
The first section is one of the hardest of all the trek: a really steep narrow path going up and which you are likely to share with goats and shepherds. When you are up, there’s a crossing, take the right hand path and go down. Really down, not like us, who went a bit down, then followed the directions of some locals and got quite lost, wasting one hour to look for the right path. Actually the trail is quite difficult to follow at some points. Normally it is marked with red arrows and some blue signs, but there are parts where there’s nothing and you don’t really know which path to follow, like here.
Anyway, start going down. You will see some brand new metal huge fences. You have to go on the right of the fences, that’s where the good trail is. We went on the left and had to walk literally attached to the fences until they finished, not really nice. Actually we followed the blue signs, but these fences are brand new and new signposts are needed.
After you finish the fences area the good part starts. It is a quite pleasant and flat path until you reach the first village of the trail, and where Naxi’s family Guesthouse is located. Here is where we stopped to stay overnight. It should have taken us between 2 and 2,5 hours from Qiaotou to the village, but with the fences problem it took us 3 hours at a normal pace.
The village itself is tiny and beautiful. After you have some food at the guesthouse and before sunset, go for a walk around. You will see nice houses, cows, pigs, chickens and even yaks on the street. Real Chinese rural life, and the setting is simply amazing, with the village located in the middle of really high mountains.
The second day, have some breakfast and buy some water at the guesthouse and start walking around 9 in the morning. After approximately one hour walking you will get to the famous 28 bends. They are 28 small turns, all of them uphill along a steep path. Actually, in my opinion, it is not the hardest part of the trek. You can finish them in some 40 minutes at a normal pace and have a rest and enjoy the impressive views from the shelter on the top of the bends.
From there, there are some 2 hours to get to the next village, where the Tea Horse Guesthouse is located. Have some food, rest a bit and continue walking through a flat and nice path till the next village, where the Halfway Guesthouse is. You can stop for a beer and sit on the rooftop to admire the views before getting on the trail again for the last 2 hours of walking till Tina’s guesthouse.
This last part is very spectacular, with views of the river far down you, some waterfalls, bridges, and some really narrow paths righ next to the cliff. Watch you step, if you slip, you have a quite big fall which you won’t survive.
Follow the signs to Tina’s and at some point you will start going down. This is the last part of the trek and probably the hardest one. It is a really steep and bad path full of stones. Watch out for your ankles, as it is not difficult to twist them.
When you get to Tina’s you can decide to stay overnight there or in any other guesthouse in the area or, as we did, hitchhike back to Qiaotou and sleep at Jane’s guesthouse. The way back is really scenic, as you go on the lower “trail” and you have really nice views of the river and the gorge from down.
All in all, a first day walking 3 hours and a second day spending 7 hours including stops for eating, pictures, beer… 10 hours in two days at a normal pace and fully enjoying the gorge.
Some other people we met were sleeping at Jane’s guesthouse, waking up early morning to reach Halfway gesthouse, from where they came back to Qiaoutou or stayed overnight to walk the last 2 hours the following day.
We think staying at Naxi’s is one of the highlights of the trek and it doesn’t involve rushing or waking up early any day, so it’s the option we recommend!
We took a bus from Lijiang at 12:00 arriving in Qiaotou at 13:30. From where the bus drops you it is a 10 minute walk to Jane’s guesthouse, stopping at the torist office to buy the 65 yuan ticket to enter the gorge area. Leave your big backpacks at Jane’s for 5 yuans and just take a daypack with water and some food. Start walking from Jane’s along the road, passing the school and taking the unpaved road going uphill on the left. After some 2,5 km you will arrive at where the high trail starts.
The first section is one of the hardest of all the trek: a really steep narrow path going up and which you are likely to share with goats and shepherds. When you are up, there’s a crossing, take the right hand path and go down. Really down, not like us, who went a bit down, then followed the directions of some locals and got quite lost, wasting one hour to look for the right path. Actually the trail is quite difficult to follow at some points. Normally it is marked with red arrows and some blue signs, but there are parts where there’s nothing and you don’t really know which path to follow, like here.
Anyway, start going down. You will see some brand new metal huge fences. You have to go on the right of the fences, that’s where the good trail is. We went on the left and had to walk literally attached to the fences until they finished, not really nice. Actually we followed the blue signs, but these fences are brand new and new signposts are needed.
After you finish the fences area the good part starts. It is a quite pleasant and flat path until you reach the first village of the trail, and where Naxi’s family Guesthouse is located. Here is where we stopped to stay overnight. It should have taken us between 2 and 2,5 hours from Qiaotou to the village, but with the fences problem it took us 3 hours at a normal pace.
The village itself is tiny and beautiful. After you have some food at the guesthouse and before sunset, go for a walk around. You will see nice houses, cows, pigs, chickens and even yaks on the street. Real Chinese rural life, and the setting is simply amazing, with the village located in the middle of really high mountains.
The second day, have some breakfast and buy some water at the guesthouse and start walking around 9 in the morning. After approximately one hour walking you will get to the famous 28 bends. They are 28 small turns, all of them uphill along a steep path. Actually, in my opinion, it is not the hardest part of the trek. You can finish them in some 40 minutes at a normal pace and have a rest and enjoy the impressive views from the shelter on the top of the bends.
From there, there are some 2 hours to get to the next village, where the Tea Horse Guesthouse is located. Have some food, rest a bit and continue walking through a flat and nice path till the next village, where the Halfway Guesthouse is. You can stop for a beer and sit on the rooftop to admire the views before getting on the trail again for the last 2 hours of walking till Tina’s guesthouse.
This last part is very spectacular, with views of the river far down you, some waterfalls, bridges, and some really narrow paths righ next to the cliff. Watch you step, if you slip, you have a quite big fall which you won’t survive.
Follow the signs to Tina’s and at some point you will start going down. This is the last part of the trek and probably the hardest one. It is a really steep and bad path full of stones. Watch out for your ankles, as it is not difficult to twist them.
When you get to Tina’s you can decide to stay overnight there or in any other guesthouse in the area or, as we did, hitchhike back to Qiaotou and sleep at Jane’s guesthouse. The way back is really scenic, as you go on the lower “trail” and you have really nice views of the river and the gorge from down.
All in all, a first day walking 3 hours and a second day spending 7 hours including stops for eating, pictures, beer… 10 hours in two days at a normal pace and fully enjoying the gorge.
Some other people we met were sleeping at Jane’s guesthouse, waking up early morning to reach Halfway gesthouse, from where they came back to Qiaoutou or stayed overnight to walk the last 2 hours the following day.
We think staying at Naxi’s is one of the highlights of the trek and it doesn’t involve rushing or waking up early any day, so it’s the option we recommend!
Accomodation
On the trail we stayed at Naxi’s Guesthouse, in the first village you come across on the trail. 30 yuan per bed, wifi internet, good food, beer, a really nice courtyard and beautiful surroundings make it be a perfect place to stay. The owners speak English and are really nice. Make sure to walk around the village before sunset!
After the trekking, we stayed at Jane’s Guesthouse in Qiaotou. 70 yuan the room, wifi, good food and a nice owner. Besides, a courtyard and a terrace where to chill out. Reccomendable.
After the trekking, we stayed at Jane’s Guesthouse in Qiaotou. 70 yuan the room, wifi, good food and a nice owner. Besides, a courtyard and a terrace where to chill out. Reccomendable.
Food & Drink
Bring some food and water for the trekking, although you can buy supplies in Qiaotou and at the guesthouses on the trail. The guesthouses offer both Chinese and Western food at quite good prices. Beers are a bit more expensive, but people have to carry them up here, so no complaints.
Transportation
To get to Qiaotou from Lijiang take any bus going to Shangri-La for 40 yuan. The trip takes 1,5 hours including a small stop some 20 minutes before reaching Qiaotou. On the way back to Lijiang, same procedure. There are buses almost every half an hour.
In the gorge, you are walking all the time, but when you finish it at Tina’s, you have different options. If you get there before 15:30, there are buses going to Lijiang and stopping in Qiaotou in case you have to pick up your bag from Jane’s. If you miss the bus, Tina’s offers a minibus for 150 yuan to share between people taking it, but instead we decided to hitch-hike and found a minibus for 15 yuan per person to go back to Qiaotou (we were 5 people sharing the car).
In the gorge, you are walking all the time, but when you finish it at Tina’s, you have different options. If you get there before 15:30, there are buses going to Lijiang and stopping in Qiaotou in case you have to pick up your bag from Jane’s. If you miss the bus, Tina’s offers a minibus for 150 yuan to share between people taking it, but instead we decided to hitch-hike and found a minibus for 15 yuan per person to go back to Qiaotou (we were 5 people sharing the car).
Safety
The trekking is not very physically demanding, but there are some hard parts, basically three hard parts: the very first one, the 28 bends and the last downhill to Tina’s. Take it easy, enjoy the views and watch your step when going downhill, as the paths can be quite narrow, full of stones and it is quite easy to twist an ankle or, worst, to slip and fall down somewhere.
We were lucky to have nice and sunny weather, but if it is rainy, you better wait for better weather, as I can imagine going downhill as a really dangerous challenge.
If you are afraid of heights, you can suffer at some parts. The trail gets very narrow and you have a very high cliff right next to you, so watch out. Anyway, if you have some doubts, you can always head for the low trail, an easy flat walk along a paved road but offering impressive views of the gorge.
We were lucky to have nice and sunny weather, but if it is rainy, you better wait for better weather, as I can imagine going downhill as a really dangerous challenge.
If you are afraid of heights, you can suffer at some parts. The trail gets very narrow and you have a very high cliff right next to you, so watch out. Anyway, if you have some doubts, you can always head for the low trail, an easy flat walk along a paved road but offering impressive views of the gorge.
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