Getting there
Take a bus from Lijiang to the scenic entrance at Qiaotou. The hike leaves from that entrance. The road along the river reaches the villages and is not the hike.
The entrance at Qiaotou
No photos for summer
Tiger Leaping Gorge
No photos for winter
The high trail between Jade Dragon and Haba snow mountains, above the Jinsha River in northwest Yunnan.
- Distance
- 22.7 km
- Ascent
- 1,218 m
- Highest
- 2,653 m
- Start elevation
- 1,826 m
- Time
- About 8 hours
- Season
- Early spring and autumn
- Altitude sickness
- Months
- March, April, May
- Note
- Recorded on 5 March 2026.
Risks
- GeologyRain brings landslides.
- Note
- Autumn
Risks
- WeatherSnow can cover the path.
- Surface
- Dirt path, with short paved stretches in the villages
- Permit
- The high trail is open. No entrance ticket.
- Start
- Scenic entrance, Qiaotou
- Finish
- Teacher Zhang's guesthouse
- Direction
- From the scenic entrance to Teacher Zhang's guesthouse. The 24 bends are near the start. Walking this way, Haba is on the left and Jade Dragon is on the right.
- Sleep
- Guesthouses on the path. This recording finished in one day.
- Key section
- The 24 bends, near the start
- Closures
- Summer rain brings landslides. Winter can put snow on the path.
- Parking
- —
Before you go
Closures and which guesthouses are open all change. Check the entrance before you go. Parts of the path run above a cliff, and the descent has loose rock.
Not this route
The road along the river, and the side path down to the water at the narrows, are not this hike.
Checked October 11, 2026
More in Yunnan
- Abuji Tso, New Path into the OldThe newer line toward Abuji Tso, from Xilianpen Pass to Shechi, where it meets the old path.
- Abuji Tso, Old PathThe old path toward Abuji Tso, recorded as a loop from Shechi back to Shechi, in Diqing, Yunnan.
- Biluo Snow MountainA multi-day recording named as a Biluo Snow Mountain loop, from a point labeled Sili to a street labeled Cizhong.
- Cangshan Jade Belt RoadA same-day walk on the Cangshan jade-belt road, the upper, middle, and lower Gantong sections, from the geopark gate to a street.
- Cuanlong Moss ForestA one-day walk through the moss forest on the Gaoligong Mountains, returning to the same point.
- Ganheba to Milk LakeA one-day out-and-back from Ganhaizi along the riverbed to Ganheba, Milk Lake, and the gorge, under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in northwest Yunnan.
- Haba Black Lake LoopA loop from Haba Yi Village to Black Lake and back, under Haba Snow Mountain in northwest Yunnan.
- Haba West SlopeA crossing from the west-slope trailhead of Haba Snow Mountain to Tiger Leaping Gorge Town, in northwest Yunnan.
- Jiaozi Snow MountainA recorded line on Jiaozi Snow Mountain, from a cable-car station across the snowy top to the nature-reserve gate. The line includes the cable car.
- Jinuo Mountain RainforestA one-day walk on Jinuo Mountain in Xishuangbanna, from a bamboo path to a different point the same day.
- Jiuzi Hai Long LoopThe long loop at Jiuzi Hai, recorded from Yuelang back to Yuelang.
- Jiuzi Hai Short LoopAn 11.1 km recording titled Jiuzi Hai that returns to the same point the same day. The page tag says the track was obtained by splitting.
- Laoyao Mountain HighlightsA short loop on the highlights of Laoyao Mountain, starting and ending at the Yunji guesthouse in Shangri-La.
- Liangwang MountainA same-day walk on the Liangwang Mountain hiking trail, starting and ending at the signed trailhead by Qiumuqing.
- Meili North SlopeA multi-day recording on the north side of Meili Snow Mountain, from a roadside start to a point nearby.
- NanjiluoA merged recording of the Nanjiluo big loop, Nanjiluo, and the Nanjiluo small loop. The track page records 26.4 km and no moving time.
- Naquluo TrailA one-day walk in Tengchong from a sign that reads Naquluo, past a waterfall, to a different point the same day.
- Ninong to YubengThe Ninong way into Yubeng, from the south gate of the scenic area to Sacred Waterfall Guesthouse, under Meili Snow Mountain.
- Niru Colorful WaterfallA same-day walk to the colorful waterfall at Niru, in Shangri-La, finishing near the start.
- North ZhaigongfangA one-day crossing recorded as North Zhaigongfang, from the first point of the track to a different point the same day.
- Peacock MountainA same-day walk named Peacock Mountain in Deqin, recorded at 5.65 km.
- Pinghe Ancient RoadA one-day walk on the Pinghe ancient road in the Gaoligong Mountains, from a forest path to a different point the same day.
- South ZhaigongfangA one-day crossing of South Zhaigongfang on the Gaoligong Mountains, from Dazhou Guesthouse to a different point the same day.
- Thousand Lakes MountainA recorded loop at Xiaozhongdian Thousand Lakes Mountain, in Shangri-La, Yunnan.
- Xidang to Upper YubengA same-day walk from Xidang to Upper Yubeng. The recording says most of the way is a new road.
- Xishan MaomaoqingA same-day walk named Xishan Maomaoqing that returns near the start.
- Yubeng Ice Lake to NiseThe recording named for the cut from the ice lake toward Nise. It starts at Yubeng River and returns to Yubeng River.
- Yubeng Sacred LakeThe Sacred Lake Plus recording, from the Yubeng scenic area to Zhiyu Guesthouse. The recorded finish is the guesthouse, not the lake.
- Yubeng Sacred WaterfallA loop on the sacred waterfall line. The recording starts and ends at the same point and does not name that point.
- Yuhu Village to GanhaiziA one-way ridge walk from Yuhu Village to Ganhaizi, past the high point, Locke's Stone, Milk Lake, and Ganheba, under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Discussion
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