Yunnan · China

SONGTSAM ON HORSEBACK

Lijiang to Shangri-La along the Ancient Tea Horse Road

Private Caravan Trek · 4N5D

Full-pack mule trekking and refined camping in the Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve — the 19th-century caravan expedition, reborn.

RouteLijiang → Haba → Shangri-La
Duration4N / 5D
Highest StayHimalayan Camp 3,600 m
StaysSongtsam Lodges + Camp
Group2–8 PAX private

Design Philosophy

The caravan spirit, without the hardship

"In Tibetan culture, legend has it that in another time and space there is a kingdom called Shambala. It is a quiet and peaceful kingdom because everybody there knows the source of happiness. — Pema Dorjee, Founder of Songtsam"

Some memories never fade. Songtsam founder Pema Dorjee returned to his native Shangri-La with plans to film his childhood home, and instead turned his family's small guesthouse into the first Songtsam lodge — working with local artisans and the community. Eleven properties and eighteen years later, that vision now reaches beyond the lodges into the wilderness itself: full-pack mule caravans, professional logistics teams, and camps refined enough that an outdoor journey never means hardship.

The Ancient Tea Horse Road茶马古道

For hundreds of years, horse caravans carried tea toward Tibet and India along this corridor of mountains and gorges. This trek follows the trail step by step.

Horse Caravan Culture马帮文化

Learn the working culture of the mule caravan as your luggage travels the old way — by horse — while you walk unburdened.

Refined Wilderness Camping野奢露营

Songtsam Himalayan Camp at 3,600 m: afternoon tea, a candlelit wilderness-table dinner, bonfire conversations, and a proper sleeping system.

Lodge-to-lodge Comfort山居美学

The trek is bookended by Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, a Naxi courtyard among pinewoods, and Songtsam Linka Shangri-La's stone houses on 21 hillside acres.

Local Guides & Hosts本地向导

Songtsam guides are born in these villages — specialists in the region with their own hometown stories, deepening every step of the journey.

Trip Highlights

A horseback caravan journey immersed in nature

Into the Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve

·Cross the Jinsha River into snow-capped mountain valleys at 3,200–3,800 m
·Recreate the century-old travel style of the horse-drawn caravans with a professional logistics team
·Mountain ethnic culture blended with outdoor adventure for a full wilderness immersion

Tiger Leaping Gorge & the 13 peaks

·Panoramic views of the 13 peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from the Haba Ancient Trail
·Experience the 4,000-metre drop of Tiger Leaping Gorge up close at Swallow Cliff
·Hike through towering fir forests and alpine pastures

A night at the Himalayan Camp

·Rich afternoon tea on arrival at 3,600 m
·Wilderness-table outdoor candlelit dinner and bonfire conversations
·Camp tent night with full sleeping system and emergency oxygen support

Prepared, paced, supported

·Breathing-technique training with a wellness instructor before the trek
·Adaptive warm-up hike to find your pace and learn trekking-pole technique
·Mountain chef's packed lunch at Haba West Pasture and a farewell sharing session in Shangri-La

Stays

Two lodges and a camp under the snow mountains

Two nights at Songtsam Lodge Lijiang (2,400 m), one night at the Songtsam Himalayan Camp on the Haba Ancient Trail (3,600 m), and a final night at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La (3,280 m).

From Naxi courtyard to camp tent to Tibetan stone village

Lodge-to-lodgeLuxury campLocal hostsMountain views

Itinerary

5-Day Itinerary

Songtsam on HorsebackYUNNAN · CHINA

Altitude profile

Highest point 3,800 m · gradual ascent for acclimatization

DAY 1

Arrival in Lijiang — Welcome Dinner & Pre-trip Briefing

Arrive in Lijiang from your home city (arrival before 15:00 recommended). After airport pick-up, transfer to Songtsam Lodge Lijiang in Ciman, a small Naxi village where the traditional way of living still thrives. Surrounded by pinewoods and a pear garden, the lodge looks out over the old town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lashi Lake, its interior laid out as a Naxi courtyard decorated with exquisite Hui-style stone sculptures. In the evening, gather for a welcome dinner at the lodge, followed by a pre-trip briefing: the tour leader walks through the itinerary and key notes, then hosts an ice-breaking session so fellow travelers get acquainted before the caravan adventure ahead.

No hiking today · 2,400 m altitude

Terrain: arrival + briefing + hotel
Transport: Private airport transfer, about 40 minutes
Meals: Breakfast: not included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, Deluxe Room (2,400 m)

DAY 2

Lijiang — Breathing Training & Adaptive Hike

A day designed to ready your body for altitude. After breakfast, a professional wellness instructor leads diaphragmatic breathing exercises — a technique that helps the body adapt quickly to the low-oxygen, high-altitude environment to come. Lunch is served back at Songtsam Lodge Lijiang. After a short rest, your guide takes the group on an outdoor adaptive walk through the pinewood hills around the lodge: the goal is for everyone to find their own hiking pace, learn to use trekking poles, and pick up the essential outdoor knowledge for the days ahead. Return for dinner at the lodge, with the evening free to enjoy the tea house, pool or the terrace views over the old town.

3 kmDistance+100 mAscent−100 mDescent2,500 mMax altitude

Terrain: light hike + training + acclimatization
Transport: On foot around the lodge, no vehicle transfers today
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, Deluxe Room (2,400 m)

DAY 3

Tiger Leaping Gorge — Haba Ancient Trail to the Himalayan Camp

Depart at 9:30 for the Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, a two-hour drive that crosses the Jinsha River to Tiger Leaping Gorge Town, where lunch is served at the gorge restaurant. Then drive up to the Xinyao Mountain trailhead at 3,200 m. After a guided warm-up — personal belongings handed over to the horse caravan — begin a half-day hike through towering fir forests and alpine pastures, with panoramic views of the 13 peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. At Swallow Cliff, stand above the breathtaking 4,000-metre drop of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Arrive at Songtsam Himalayan Camp in the afternoon for a rich afternoon tea, a candlelit wilderness-table dinner, bonfire conversations and camp games, before a night in a camp tent at 3,600 m.

6 kmDistance+400 mAscent3,600 mMax altitude

Terrain: fir forest + alpine pasture + gorge views + camp
Transport: About 2 h drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge Town, then drive up to the 3,200 m trailhead
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Himalayan Camp, Haba Ancient Trail (3,600 m)

DAY 4

Haba West Pasture — Over Laoyao Mountain to Shangri-La

Depart camp at 9:30 and hike the Haba Ancient Tea Horse Trail toward the western side of the main peak, weaving through layered primeval forest, towering firs and rhododendron groves. Reach the Haba West Pasture by noon, where a mountain chef has a hearty packed meal waiting in the open. After a brief rest, continue over Laoyao Mountain to the trail's end — stretching exercises under the tour leader's guidance — then board the vehicle for Shangri-La and check in at Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, a hand-built stone retreat spread over 21 hillside acres opposite Songzanlin Monastery. A farewell dinner at the Linka is followed by a hiking sharing session; optional Tibetan herbal foot therapy or SPA healing can be booked in advance at additional cost.

10 kmDistance+300 mAscent−500 mDescent3,800 mMax altitude

Terrain: tea horse trail + primeval forest + mountain pass + pasture
Transport: Afternoon drive from the trail end to Shangri-La, about 1.5 h
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: included; Dinner: included
Stay: Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, Deluxe Room (3,280 m)

DAY 5

Shangri-La — Songzanlin Monastery & Departure

After breakfast at the Linka, transfers run to Shangri-La Airport or the high-speed rail station according to each traveler's departure time. If your flight or train leaves later in the day, follow the guide to Songzanlin Monastery — the largest Gelugpa monastery in Yunnan, just across the valley from the lodge — for a closing immersion in Tibetan Buddhist culture. Local recommendations for those lingering longer include SPA healing back at the lodge, leisure time on the grasslands around Napa Lake, or a light off-road motorcycle ride (additional fees apply). The caravan journey ends where the old Tea Horse Road once led — in Shangri-La.

No hiking today · 3,280 m altitude

Terrain: departure + monastery + airport transfer
Transport: Private transfer to Shangri-La Airport or rail station, about 30 minutes
Meals: Breakfast: included; Lunch: not included; Dinner: not included

Seasons & Pricing

When to go, and what it costs

Songtsam prices this journey in three seasonal bands; the quietest shoulder dates often coincide with the clearest mountain weather.

Per person · based on 2 travelers · 4+ travelers from $4,250 pp

Shoulder

Best value — spring blossom, clear autumn skies and early-winter light on the gorge

24 Feb – 30 Apr · 6 May – 9 Jul · 26 Aug – 27 Sep · 8 Oct – 23 Dec 2026

Best

From $4,500 pp

Peak

Summer school holidays & Christmas week

10 Jul – 25 Aug · 24 – 31 Dec 2026

Good

From $4,800 pp

Holiday

May Day & Golden Week

1 – 5 May · 28 Sep – 7 Oct 2026 — book 2–3 months ahead

Good

From $5,150 pp

Converted from the Songtsam 2026 CNY tariff at 7.15 (2 PAX shoulder: CNY 32,200 pp). 4 PAX from $4,250 · 6 PAX from $4,200 · 8 PAX from $3,950 pp. Single room supplement from $600 (shoulder) to $900 (holidays). Includes camping equipment, English-speaking guides and travel accident insurance. No Tibet permit required. Final pricing is confirmed by your consultant.

Cost Details

From (2 travelers, shoulder dates)

4,500USDper person

Included

Transport: Airport transfer services between the airport and the Songtsam hotels on arrival and departure days
All overland transport in well-maintained SUVs or vans with experienced Songtsam drivers
Stay & meals: Accommodation in standard room types at Songtsam boutique hotels (double occupancy; room upgrades or single occupancy at additional charge, subject to availability)
Dinner on day 1 and breakfast on the last day, plus three daily meals and specified afternoon tea on all other days
Trek & camp: Basic camping equipment: sleeping system, living system, personal tableware, lighting system, Black Diamond trekking poles
Emergency items: high-altitude oxygen backpack, first-aid supplies, satellite phone
Travel accident insurance during the itinerary
Service of English-speaking local guides

Not Included

Not included: - Round-trip airfare/train tickets between your departure point and the itinerary
- Dishes, soft drinks and alcoholic beverages not listed in the itinerary (hotel menu retail prices apply)
- Consumption at hotel venues such as bars, cafes and tea rooms
- Additional hotel service charges such as laundry

Difficulty

Trip Expectations

This journey is considered moderate when touring and moderate when hiking — full days that start early and end in the evening, with mule support carrying your gear.

Highest stay

3,600 m (Himalayan Camp)

Hiking grade

Moderate, two half-days at 3,200–3,800 m

Longest drive

~2 h to Tiger Leaping Gorge

Altitude

Each person responds to altitude differently. Day 2's breathing training helps the body adapt before the climb to 3,600 m. In the event of altitude sickness, the team moves to a lower altitude; with plenty of rest, symptoms usually subside. Consult your doctor for more information.

Roads

Depending on group size, travel is in well-maintained SUVs or vans driven by experienced Songtsam drivers. Some sections follow winding mountain paths and can be bumpy, especially where under construction; stops are made at beautiful villages and scenic spots, with water and snacks prepared for the road.

Weather & packing

Expect diverse temperatures — from 20°C down to 5°C within a single day. Layered clothing is advisable. Meals along the route feature Tibetan cuisine: barley-flour dumplings and noodles, yak, beef and pork, with set menus combining Tibetan and Chinese cuisine at the lodges.

Safety & escorts

International SOS service plans are suggested for emergency evacuation. Songtsam's well-trained local guides are specialists in the region, each with hometown stories that deepen the cultural experience; the caravan carries an oxygen backpack, first-aid supplies and a satellite phone.

About the Area

Northwest Yunnan & the Tea Horse Road

The great China tectonic plate runs into the Tibetan Plateau in northern Yunnan, forging high ranges with soaring snow-packed peaks. Three major rivers — the Yangtze (Jinsha), Mekong (Lancang) and Salween (Nujiang) — run through deep gorges of wild, untamed scenery. With its vast range in altitude one can experience all four seasons in a day, moving quickly from cold snowy mountains to warm flower-filled valleys.

Northwest Yunnan is the richest area in China for biodiversity — possibly the most biologically diverse temperate region on earth. Its hills are blanketed in spring and summer with rhododendrons and camellias, the original stock of the world's gardens; the forests hold over 3,000 species of orchids, and high between the Mekong and Yangtze lives the rare Yunnan black snub-nosed monkey, fewer than 2,000 of which remain in the wild.

The Tea Horse Road, the ancient trade route linking tea-producing areas with Tibet, connects these mountains, gorges and peoples. For hundreds of years horse caravans carried tea to Tibet and India and brought other commodities home, forming a corridor rich in culture. Today, this journey travels one of the most dramatic stretches of that ancient trail — on foot and by caravan.

Journey details

Songtsam on Horseback 4N5D

A full-pack mule trek with refined camping along the Ancient Tea Horse Road — cross the Jinsha River into the Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve and recreate the grand caravan expeditions of the 19th-century explorer era.

Songtsam's outdoor journeys never mean hardship. On this 4-night circuit from Lijiang to Shangri-La we combine full-pack mule trekking with refined camping, following step by step along the Ancient Tea Horse Road. We cross the Jinsha River, enter the Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, and witness up close the grandeur of Haba Snow Mountain and the 13 peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Hiking at 3,200–3,800 metres with a professional logistics team — your luggage carried by horse caravan — you will learn about horse culture, sleep one night at the Songtsam Himalayan Camp, and bookend the wilderness with two of Songtsam's most loved lodges in Lijiang and Shangri-La.

Route: Lijiang → Tiger Leaping Gorge → Haba Ancient Trail Camp → Shangri-La
Stops: Lijiang · Tiger Leaping Gorge · Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve · Shangri-La
Departure city: Lijiang
Suitable for: Couples · Friends & small groups · Active nature lovers
Highlights: Recreate the 19th-century horse-caravan expeditions of the Ancient Tea Horse Road with a full professional logistics team · Cross the Jinsha River into the Haba Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, hiking at 3,200–3,800 m through fir forest and alpine pastures · Panoramic views of the 13 peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the breathtaking 4,000 m drop of Tiger Leaping Gorge at Swallow Cliff · One night of refined wilderness camping at 3,600 m: rich afternoon tea, candlelit outdoor dinner and bonfire conversations · Bookended by Songtsam Lodge Lijiang, a Naxi courtyard retreat, and Songtsam Linka Shangri-La, 21 acres of Tibetan hillside

Before you book

Included: Airport transfer services between the airport and the Songtsam hotels on arrival and departure days · Accommodation in standard room types at Songtsam boutique hotels (double occupancy; additional charges apply for room upgrades or single occupancy based on actual room availability) · Dinner on the first day and breakfast on the last day of the itinerary, along with three daily meals and specified afternoon tea at the hotels on all other days · Basic camping equipment during the itinerary: sleeping system, living system, personal tableware, lighting system, Black Diamond trekking poles, and emergency items — high-altitude oxygen backpack, first-aid supplies, satellite phone · Travel accident insurance during the itinerary · Service of English-speaking local guides
Excluded: Round-trip transportation (airfare/train tickets) between the place of departure and the destination of the itinerary · Dishes, soft drinks, and alcoholic beverages not listed in the itinerary (charged according to the retail prices on the hotel menu and beverage list) · Consumption at venues provided by certain hotels, such as bars, cafes, and tea rooms · Additional hotel service charges during the itinerary, such as laundry fees
Booking notes: Inquiry-based private journey — final pricing is confirmed by your travel consultant (Songtsam 2026 CNY tariff converted at 7.15). · No Tibet permit required — the entire route stays within Yunnan. · Night 3 is spent at Songtsam Himalayan Camp (3,600 m) with a full luxury camping setup; personal luggage is transported by the horse caravan. · Moderate fitness required: two half-day hikes at 3,200–3,800 m. Travelers with cardiovascular conditions should consult a doctor before booking.