"Discover dramatic mountain landscapes and fascinating minority cultures on this 8 day cycling adventure in north western Yunnan"

Overview

Our newest Yunnan itinerary is an off-the-beaten-track ride through the plunging gorges, snow-capped mountains, lush valleys and vibrant towns along the upper reaches of the Yangtze and Mekong Rivers in the UNESCO listed Three Parallel Rivers National Park. The Tibetan, Lisu, Bai, Naxi and Pumi peoples that live in the region display an extraordinary diversity of languages and culture.  A diversity that is mirrored in the wealth of flora and fauna that makes up a vast proportion of China’s plant and animal species, making it one of the richest temperate regions of the world in terms of biodiversity. The region has long been a favourite of ours too, simply for the sheer cycling joy of riding improbable mountain roads in the most jaw dropping scenery China has to offer!    

 

This tour is designed to be accessible to those with a reasonable level of cycling fitness and an interest in exploring beyond the usual tourist offerings. The ride starts in the Tibetan town of Shangrila, at 3280m above sea level.  Over six days of cycling, we make our way along the Jinsha River (Yangtze), visit the snub-nosed monkey (golden haired monkey) before heading up into the mountains separating the Yangtze with the Lancang River (Mekong), stopping in Weixi Lisu autonomous prefecture.  We continue by descending down to the Mekong River, and along the gorge the river has carved into the mountains, before making our way back into the mountains to Lanping Bai and Pumi autonomous county.  Our last day of riding brings us into Lijiang.  There are some extended climbs, it’s a mountainous region after all, but there will be a support vehicle on hand if you need a ride up the hills.  There is plenty of time allowed to comfortably complete the riding for the generally fit rider with stops along the way to take in anything that comes our way.  There will also be some transfers here and there to avoid traffic or lengthy tunnels.

Getting There & Away

Shangrila Airport (DIG) is a small airport with flights mainly coming through Kunming (KMG) and also some via Chengdu (CTU).   Kunming has connecting flights to most asian destinations as well as further afield internationally. 

Lijiang Airport (LIG) is a bigger airport with many connections to destinations across China and a few international flights also. 

If time permits, arriving a day earlier will allow you to acclimatise to the altitude as an added bonus to the extra time to explore once you arrive.  There is also a high speed rail line  connecting Kunming, Lijiang and Shangrila due to open in 2021. This would be a spectacular experience to add this train ride, or a section of it, to your trip.

Transfers

Airport/ train station pick ups and drop offs are included in the tour price.  Please make sure you give us details of your arrival and departure, including flight details, date and time, so we can arrange your transfers.

Tour Info Pack

Once we have recieved your booking and deposit we'll send you a Tour INFO PACK that will include tour notes, training tips, preparation info and joining point instructions.  If you have any questions about the tour at all please don't hesitate to contact us.

Further Info

For additional information regarding guides, accommodation and sleeping arrangements, cycling grades, food, bikes, etc you can head over to our About section to see more about how we run our tours.

Additional Accommodation

Arriving early or want to stay on after the tour ends? No problem!  Just let us know if you'd like to book extra accommodation in the tour hotel at either the start or finish of the tour and we will arrange it for you.  Just include your request on the booking form.