Lijiang in photos
What the town actually looks like
From Dayan Old Town at night and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to Black Dragon Pool, the big water wheels at the old-town gate and Mu Palace — this is the atmosphere you'll really find in Lijiang.
A UNESCO World Heritage town on the Yunnan plateau at around 2,400 m · lose yourself in Dayan Old Town, a maze of car-free cobbled lanes threaded with canals around Sifang Street · visit Mu Palace and climb Lion Hill for rooftop views · photograph Black Dragon Pool with 5,596 m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain behind it · ride the glacier cable car up to Blue Moon Valley · explore the quieter Shuhe and Baisha old towns · then take the train or road on to Shangri-La, Dali, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lugu Lake
Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage town on the northern Yunnan plateau at around 2,400 m. Its heart is Dayan Old Town (大研古城), a Naxi maze of cobbled, car-free lanes threaded with canals — one early-morning wander before the crowds and you'll fall for it. Sifang Street (四方街) is the central square · visit Mu Palace (木府) and climb Lion Hill and Wangu Pavilion for rooftop views · photograph Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭) with 5,596 m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) behind it · ride the glacier cable car up to Blue Moon Valley (蓝月谷) · explore the quieter Shuhe (束河) and Baisha (白沙) old towns · then take the train or road on to Shangri-La, Dali, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lugu Lake, with Thai passport holders entering China visa-free.
From Dayan Old Town at night and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to Black Dragon Pool, the big water wheels at the old-town gate and Mu Palace — this is the atmosphere you'll really find in Lijiang.
The full Lijiang travel guide is growing piece by piece · stays are ready now, with eat, see, plan and prep on the way · choose a tab below to start planning each part of your trip
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🏨Dayan Old Town · Sifang Street · Mu Palace · Black Dragon Pool · Lion Hill · Jade Dragon Snow Mountain · Blue Moon Valley · Shuhe · Baisha — see where everything sits so you can plan your route more easily.
Pick by budget — compare prices across all 3 sites before you book · Trip.com has the most complete China inventory
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🏯 Old-town boutique
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Staying inside Dayan Old Town puts you among the car-free lanes and canals, steps from the sights but lively at night; the quieter Shuhe district nearby is more relaxed; resorts toward Jade Dragon Snow Mountain trade walkability for views and space; and there are handy stays by the big water wheels at the old-town gate. Pick your area first, then choose a hotel below.
🏆💎💎💎🏯⭐🪙💰🪙🏨A great trip isn't limited to one town — Lijiang is the base for north Yunnan, with high-speed trains on to Shangri-La and Dali in a couple of hours, or back to the provincial capital, Kunming.
Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage town in the north of Yunnan province, sitting at around 2,400 m. Its heart is Dayan Old Town (大研古城), a Naxi maze of car-free cobbled lanes threaded with canals around the central Sifang Street (四方街). In the old town you'll find Mu Palace (木府) and Lion Hill with Wangu Pavilion for rooftop views · to the north is Black Dragon Pool (黑龙潭), with 5,596 m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (玉龙雪山) as its backdrop · the mountain has a glacier cable car and Blue Moon Valley (蓝月谷) · nearby are the quieter Shuhe (束河) and Baisha (白沙) old towns and Lashihai (拉市海) · and beyond, you can carry on to Tiger Leaping Gorge, Lugu Lake, Shangri-La and Dali.
You can visit Lijiang on any budget — backpackers around ฿700–1,800/day · mid-range ฿2,000–4,500/day (excluding flights) · arrive via Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG), about 28 km from town, or the Lijiang high-speed rail station (around 3 hours to Kunming, 2 hours to Dali, 1.5 hours to Shangri-La) · the old town is best on foot (there's no metro), and for trips out of town you'll use taxis/DiDi or buses · the best times to visit are March–May and September–November, with clear skies and sharp mountain views (skip the rainy months of July–August) · take it easy on day one and watch for altitude sickness · Thai passport holders enter China visa-free · and don't forget to set up a VPN · eSIM · Alipay/WeChat Pay before you go.
The Wherebest team is steadily adding in-depth Lijiang hotel reviews and travel guides — stays are ready now, from inside Dayan Old Town and the Shuhe district to resorts beneath the snow mountain and Naxi courtyard guesthouses, with sights, food and day trips on the way. Start planning your trip with the full China travel guide →
Begin with the China travel guide, then take in Lijiang one corner at a time
Book popular attraction tickets and tours online in advance — often cheaper, skip the queue, and lock in your spot on the day (especially in high season when tickets sell out).
Glacier cable car, Blue Moon Valley and the Impression Lijiang show — tickets and transfers
View tickets & tours →Day tour to one of the world's deepest river gorges on the Yangtze — from Lijiang
View tickets & tours →A high-altitude lake of the Mosuo people, with mirror-still mountain views — an overnight trip from Lijiang
View tickets & tours →