♦ How to get to Shangri-la from Lijiang

► 1. Chartering Car

One method is to rent a car. This way is more flexible and freer with a large range of elastic time that we highly recommended. In hotels of Lijiang, it is very easy to find tour pals to carpool to get to Shangri-la.

► 2. Joining the Group

Second is traveling with group. Shangri-la tourism market is a bit messy here; joining tour with Lijiang groups are more cost-effective. The tour route is simple, and you don’t need to handle all the things, so I will recommend group tour;

► 3. Going by bus

Another way is to take the long distance bus, people who chooses this way wants to save money, but it is uncertain to save money, and more troublesome. If people who do not familiar with the road, generally it is not recommended to choose this method.

♦ Bus information from Lijiang to Shangri-la

About 187 km highway mileage and about 3 hours drive from Lijiang to Shangri-la. There are a total of 15 buses every day from 7:00 to 17:00 a day. There is direct bus going to Shangri-la county in Ljiang bus station, and in Lijiang express bus terminal and new passenger station there are many buses to go to Shangri-la, 4 hours' drive, fares around 72 Yuan. During the off-season you do not need to pre-buying, but during the peak season you need to pre-buy the bus ticket ahead of a day or two days earlier.

♦ Express bus

Shangri-la long-distance bus station is located in the middle of Changzheng roa, there are buses sent to major cities in Yunnan province, Diqing prefecture and other areas. Because distance between Shangri-la and every scenic spot is long, and the bus time will have changed, so before going to the scenic spot, be sure to ask the local station of the traffic conditions, including if there is any bus and is the road in good condition, etc.

It takes about 4 hours from Lijiang to Shangri-la by express bus, and it is safe compared to other bus. And from Shangri-la to Deqin (Meili Snow Mountain) it takes eight hours by bus, and there are three buses a day; or chartering Toyota Suv, six hours in all, which is convenient for parking at any time to take pictures.