Tiger Leaping Gorge High Trail

Overview

One of the deepest gorges on Earth, walked on a mule path halfway up its wall. The high trail above the Jinsha River — the young Yangtze — runs from Qiaotou through terraced farms and pine woods with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain's 5,596m glaciated wall filling the sky across the void. The gorge floor lies almost 3,000m below the summits; the famous 28 Bends switchbacks buy you the airiest section, where the path narrows to a ledge and the river is a white thread far beneath your boots. Guesthouses make it civilised: the Naxi Family, Tea Horse and Halfway House serve cold beer and pumpkin pancakes on terraces built for the view, so you carry a daypack and sleep in beds. The catch-outs are rain and rockfall — the monsoon months (June to August) grease the exposed sections and close the trail after slides — and the descent to the Tiger Leaping Stone itself, a steep, thigh-burning ladder-and-path detour that costs more than it looks. Stage from Lijiang or Shangri-La, two to three hours by bus, and buy the park entrance ticket at the gate. Two days on trail suits most; three lets you linger. Astonishing value at around £150 including transport, beds, meals and tickets.

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Prefilled for 1 October 2026 — the next best-season window. Search on partner sites — opens in a new tab.