CN · Yunnan · 27.83°N 99.70°E

shangri-la

Tibetan-style town with a golden-roofed monastery, yaks and high plateau lakes.

Best time
May to June for wildflowers, and September to October for autumn colours and clear skies. July and August are rainy, and winters are very cold.
How long
2–3 days
Getting there
Fly from KL to Kunming, about 3.5 hours, then take a domestic flight of about an hour to Diqing Shangri-La Airport. You can also go overland via Lijiang by train, or about 3–4 hours by road.
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CN · Yunnanshangri-la27.83°N 99.70°Egowherelah.com
Dear group chat,Tibetan-style town with a golden-roofed monastery, yaks and high plateau lakes.— gowherelahTo: whoever’s drivingShangri-LaCN, Yunnan
KLshangri-la
≈ 2,754 km from KL, as the crow flies
57450-Shangri-La

Photo: xiquinhosilva · CC BY 2.0

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Photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each.

A Tibetan town high on the plateau in northwest Yunnan, renamed after the paradise in the novel Lost Horizon. It has a big golden-roofed monastery, an old town with one of the world's largest prayer wheels, and grasslands and lakes all around.

Makan

  1. Yak hotpotYak meat simmered with vegetables, warming on cold nights.Map ↗
  2. Butter tea and tsampaSalty tea churned with yak butter, and roasted barley flour you knead into balls.Map ↗
  3. Yak yoghurtThick, tangy yoghurt made from yak milk.Map ↗

Things to do

  1. Songzanlin MonasteryYunnan's largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery, sometimes called the Little Potala.Map ↗
  2. Dukezong Old TownThe old Tibetan town, rebuilt after a big fire in 2014, with a giant prayer wheel on the hill above.Map ↗
  3. Pudacuo National ParkForest boardwalks around high lakes, including Shudu Lake.Map ↗
  4. Napa LakeA seasonal lake and grassland where yaks and horses graze.Map ↗
  5. BaishuitaiWhite limestone terraces filled with water, a few hours' drive away.Map ↗

Good to know

  • Shangri-La sits at about 3,300 metres. Rest on your first day, drink water and skip alcohol until you've adjusted.
  • At monasteries, walk clockwise around stupas and prayer wheels, dress modestly and ask before photographing monks.
  • Nights are cold all year. Bring warm layers.

Last checked October 2026. Things change, so check opening times, fees and transport before you go.