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Shangri-La is a city in the far north of Yunnan province, sitting at a high elevation where the air feels crisp and the culture shifts to Tibetan.
Shangri-La was the next logical stop on my Yunnan trip, after Lijiang and Tiger Leaping Gorge to the south, and just before venturing deeper into the mountains in Yubeng village to the north.
I found that two nights (one full day) was just the right amount of time to explore this small city. This included its top highlight, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the most important Tibetan Buddhist monastery in southwestern China and easily the most impressive attraction in the area, but I didn’t do any other day trips.
In this guide, I’ll cover exactly how to spend one day in Shangri-La based on my real experience: how to get there, what to see, where to eat, and how to fit it all into a short but worthwhile visit.
Table of Contents
Visiting Shangri-La: Quick Overview
Shangri-la (香格里拉 or Xiangg lila) gets its name from the 1933 novel Lost Horizon, which imagined a hidden, utopian monastic community in Tibet.
The city itself, previously called Zhongdian (中甸县) and known as Gyalthang (རྒྱལ་ཐང) in Tibetan, is by no means a utopia, but it is one of the largest Tibetan-majority communities outside of Tibet. Its ancient town, Dukezong, has a history going back a thousand years.
Shangri-La is also home to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, nicknamed the “Little Potala Palace”, one of the most impressive structures in Southwestern China.
Today, this county-level city is the largest city and capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and lies 120 kilometers north of Lijiang.
At 3160 m (10,370 ft) above sea level, the elevation here is noticeable. But if you spend at least a few days acclimatizing in Lijiang (2400 m / 7874 ft) first, like I did, you shouldn’t experience any major symptoms.
Shangri-la makes a great add-on to Lijiang: smaller and more laid back, with cooler air and a totally different (more Tibetan) vibe. You’ll still encounter a lot of Chinese tourists there, including the inevitable ones dressed up in Tibetan outfits for their photo shoots in the streets, but nowhere near as many as in Lijiang.
Shangri-la is also the perfect staging point for hiking further north in Yubeng.
Getting to Shangri-La
You can fly directly to Diqing Shangri-La Airport, which is only a 15-minute taxi (or Didi) ride southwest of the Ancient Town. However, due to elevation concerns, I don’t recommend flying directly from Shanghai or other low-elevation cities to Shangri-La.
Instead, fly into Lijiang like I did, and acclimatize there for at least a couple days before taking the bus or train to Shangri-La. For my Yunnan trip, I flew into Lijiang and out of Shangri-La.
A train line from Lijiang to Shangri-La Railway Station was opened in 2023 – at one hour 20 minutes, the fastest and most logical way to travel between the two cities. The train station in only a 10-minute drive west of the Ancient Town, but you may not find it on GoogleMaps (GPS: 27.81403° N, 99.68887° E).
I usually book my train tickets in China here on Trip.com. For an extra dollar or two, Trip allows you to book seats far in advance then secures the tickets for you as soon as they are released.
If you plan to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge after Lijiang like I did, then you can catch a bus from the end of the hike to Shangri-La (2.5 hours, RMB 55, purchase ticket from Tina’s Guesthouse). See my Tiger Leaping Gorge guide for all the details.
I got off the bus at the second last stop, which was on the east side of Duzekong (the Tibetan Old Town of Shangri-la, where you’ll want to stay). The final stop is the Shangri-la Bus Station in the north of the city.
For going to Yubeng next, I made a stop at Shangri-La Bus Station to buy a ticket to Feilaisi departing the next day. I would spend one night in Feilaisi to see the famous sunrise before proceeding to Yubeng for a couple days of hiking.
Where to Stay
I highly recommend staying in Dukezong (独克宗, here), the historic/Tibetan Ancient Town of Shangri-La, which is marked in green on GoogleMaps.
Ideally, stay anywhere near Guishan Park (龟山公园, here), the hill with temple and enormous prayer will at the heart of the Ancient Town.
This area is rich in budget-friendly, traditional Tibetan-style guesthouses. Expect simple rooms in wooden houses with extremely friendly hosts. It can be quite cold at night, but blankets are thick and (only some) places provide heaters.
I stayed at Aruo Qiong Homestay (阿若珞琼民宿, see on Trip), which has a cool internal courtyard with prayer flags and traditional stove. It was close to the northern entrance to the Ancient Town, perfect for when I would catch a bus to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery. The shower was strong and hot – just what I needed at the end of each day.
A couple other similar places I’d considered were Yi’s Hostel and Bodhi Boutique.
Make sure to use a map app like AppleMaps (for iPhone), AMaps, or BaiduMaps (Mandarin only) for finding your accommodation – GoogleMaps isn’t generally accurate or updated for China, and I found its directions and locations particularly off in Shangri-La.
My Shangri-La Itinerary
This is exactly how I executed my one-day (two-night) itinerary in Shangri-La. I’ll introduce each of the attractions in more detail in the “things to do” section below.
Arrival Day
I caught a 3:30 PM bus from Tina’s Guesthouse at the end of my Tiger Leaping Gorge trek, which got me to the bus stop at the east side of Duzekong (Shangri-La Ancient Town) just before 6 PM, about two hours before sunset (April visit).
It took me about 15 minutes to walk through the eastern entrance to my hotel at the north end of the Ancient Town.
After checking in, I had enough time to take a stroll and get my bearings in the Ancient Town and enjoy a local Tibetan dinner (see where I ate at the end of the article).
This followed with a much-needed shower and early bedtime after my Tiger Leaping Gorge hike.
Full Day in Shangri-La
I started my day with a breakfast of steamed buns and tea eggs from a local shop I passed on my walk out of the old town.
I then caught a local bus (paying with AliPay, set to Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Transport tab – Bus QR code) from the first bus stop on the east side of Changzheng Blvd (here), the main road stretching north from the old city, to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (15 minutes).
I spend around three hours at the monastery, including my choice to walk two kilometers in to it (instead of the shuttle), walk the whole way around it, explore inside, and take the shuttle out.
From the exit, I rode a Didi to Shangri-La Bus Station to buy a ticket for my bus the next day to Feilaisi (for getting to Yubeng) and another Didi back to the Ancient Town for Tibetan lunch.
I then spent the afternoon doing a hike up to Baiji Temple, which overlooks the city, then further exploring the Ancient Town, including Guishan Park and Yueguang Plaza.
For my second dinner, I took a break from Chinese/Tibetan food with a meal in an excellent Western restaurant (see the end of the article).
My Final Morning
On my last morning in Shangri-La, I grabbed a take-away breakfast from the same shop as the day before and took a Didi to the bus station for my bus to Feilaisi (en route to Yubeng).
After visiting Feilaisi (one night) and Yubeng (two nights), I would return to Shangri-La for my flight out of Yunnan .
Best Things to Do in Shangri-La
The below handful of Shangri-La attractions will be more than enough to fill your full day in Shangri-La. If you intend to stay longer, than look into some of the day trips from the city.
Visit Ganden Sumtseling Monastery
Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (Mandarin: 松赞林寺 or Songzanlin Si, Tibetan: དགའ་ལྡན་སུམ་རྩེན་གླིང་, here) is the top attraction in Shangri-La and you should set aside half a day for visiting it.
Dating to 1679, it is the largest monastery in Yunnan and considered a smaller version of the Potala Palace in Lhasa. Having visited both, though, I can attest that this one is nearly as large and impressive as its Llasa counterpart.
The monastery lies on the northern outskirt of the city, on a hill overlooking a lake. At the main entrance (here), I paid an entrance fee of RMB 55 plus RMB 10 each way for a shuttle bus two kilometers from entrance to monastery (I decided to walk in, so I only paid for the return bus ride).
To walk in, I followed the vehicle road for one kilometer to a mound of sacred stones, prayer flags, and stunning viewpoint of Lamuyancuo Lake and the monastery (here).
From the viewpoint, I was able to access the round-the-lake trail, which I followed for the rest of the way to the base of the monastery. Besides a pair of monks, I didn’t see anyone else at the lakeside, so I had the incredible monastery and lake views all to myself.
Before entering the monastery, I followed Tibetan tradition and did a clockwise circumambulation (kora) around the entire perimeter of the monastery.
This gave me a few sneak peaks into different corners of the monastery grounds plus some grand views of living areas and farmland behind it. On the way, I only saw a few local Tibetans doing the same, and precisely zero tourists.
Finally, climbed the 146 stone steps up to an upper plaza of the monastery.
At 3380 meters, the monastery is a little higher than the Ancient Town, so the ascent heightened my sense of elevation and calm before entering the sacred space.
The views from the plaza, looking outward at mountain peaks, but also inward and the various monastery sections, are truly stunning.
From the upper plaza, I entered the handful of rooms open to the public, including a Main Prayer Hall capable of holding up to 1500 monks.
Inside, there are numerous palm-leaf scriptures, flickering yak butter candles, an eight-meter gilded statue of Shakyamuni Buddha, and wall-to-wall murals and thangkas (traditional scroll artworks) depicting Buddhist stories.
Please note that it is strictly forbidden to take photos inside any of the rooms, and they really enforce it (I saw a few tourists get scolded by monks).
After visiting every hall that was open to the public, I made my way back down the staircase and hopped on the next shuttle back to the entrance gate.
Explore Dukezong (Shangri-La Ancient Town)
Dukezong (独克宗) is the historic (1000-year-old) Ancient Town of Shangri-La and most atmospheric area in the city.
In 2014, a huge fire destroyed 242 homes and shops in Dukezong, so much of it has been rebuilt, but in the same style. Luckily, the main temple and prayer wheel were not destroyed.
Guishan Park (龟山公园, here), a hill covered in temples, walking paths, and a 21-meter, gold-plated prayer wheel (吉祥胜利幢). The park is free to enter, but at busy times, there may be a QR code you have to scan at the gate and choose a time slot.
Climbing the hill will get you huffing and puffing. You can actually spin the huge prayer wheel, but you may need help from a few other people. Spin it three times (clockwise). The hill has awesome views of the rooftops of Dukezong.
Visiting in mid-April, I was lucky to find the park filled with blooming cherry blossoms.
Yueguang Plaza (月光广场, here) is a public square in front of Guishan Park. This is a gathering spot for locals and tourists alike, in the daytime and evening. It offers the best view of Guishan Park and even has a designated best spot for taking photos (here).
From Guishan Park and Yueguang Plaza, beautiful cobblestone streets filled with Tibetan shops, cafés, and restaurants stretch out in every direction. There’s no specific route you must follow – just stroll and enjoy.
Visit the Shangri-La Tangka Institution (here) just north of the hill to see beautiful thangkas (no photos allowed).
Also don’t miss Shambhala Old Street (香巴拉老街, here), which has a beautiful canopy of prayer flags and several good Tibetan restaurants. “Shambhala” refers to a mythical, hidden Tibetan Buddhist kingdom in the Himalayas, a concept that inspired the idea of Shangri-la in the book Lost Horizon.
Hike up to Baiji Temple
Baiji Temple (白鸡寺, here) is a small Buddhist shrine perched above the Ancient Town of Shangri-La. The hike up to it only takes 20-30 minutes, but it’s a steep climb with lots of stairs. Any map app will get you there.
Just before I reached the top, I found myself surrounded by flowing strands of prayer flags.
At the very top, there’s a small Tibetan temple with more prayer flags and epic views looking down on Dukezong and the whole city of Shangri-La.
But a word of caution: while I was standing just outside the temple entrance (with no one else in sight) and took a photo of a painting on the temple’s outer wall, a monk appeared and reacted surprisingly angrily.
He shouted, made hissing noises, and shooed me away before I had a chance to enter the building. There was no visible sign indicating “no photography.” Based on my experience earlier at Ganden Sumtseling Monastery (where outdoor photos are allowed), I had assumed this temple was the same. Clearly I was wrong.
I suspect I’m not the only visitor to have this experience. To avoid a similar moment, I’d suggest just putting your camera away while you visit this temple. If you really want a photo, only do so from a distance away from the temple. This show of respect could save you a spoiled moment.
Eat Tibetan Food in the Ancient Town
Shangri-La’s Ancient Town is a great place to sample traditional Tibetan dishes which you won’t find in most parts of Yunnan.
Some local delicacies on most menus include yak meat (prepared in various ways), deep fried yak cheese balls, momos (Tibetan dumplings), stir fried barley, and Tibetan butter tea.
In total I tried three different Tibetan restaurants in town. All three were equally excellent, so they are in no particular order.
- Xiao Cai Café (小菜咖啡, here): Just north of Guishan Park and next to the Thangka Institution, this one is recommended in Lonely Planet so I gave it ago. Its highly atmospheric interior is a nice spot to hang out for a bit.
- Akhustonpa Tibetan Restaurant (阿珂顿巴餐厅, here): On Shambhala Old Street, with super friendly couple (Tibetan man and Naxi woman). Here I tasted stir fried dried yak meat with mint leaves and deep-fried yak cheese balls.
- Kailash Restaurant (格拉夏餐吧, here): One the second floor, overlooking a small square with beautiful white stupa at the end of Shambhala Old Street. I had delicious momos and fried barley here.
Overall, I found these restaurants a little pricey, especially dining on my own. If you’re traveling on a budget, you may want to eat at typical local restaurants outside the Ancient Town, which aren’t aimed at tourists.
For a break from Chinese/Tibetan foods, I enjoyed my meal at French-run Flying Tiger Café (飞虎西餐厅, here). The menu includes pizza, burgers, charcuterie, some nice Yunnan wines, cocktails, and Shangri-La Brewery beers.
I also tried unsuccessfully, despite using three different map apps and asking around, to find Shangri-La Beer Bar (香格里拉啤酒吧, supposedly in the Ancient Town), though luckily I was still able to enjoy their beers at the above restaurant and earlier on my trip in Tiger Leaping Gorge, including their particularly excellent Tibetan Pale Ale.
That brings us to the end of my Shangri-La guide. Let me know if you have any questions, and click here to visit my next stop, Feilaisi and Yubeng!
