Shangri-la Day Tour

Day Tour
Tour Type
Private
This tour can be taken as a private tour following our set tour itinerary. Select your own travel dates to suit your personal group of family or friends.
Custom
You can customize any of our small group or private tour itineraries. You can do that by completing a booking for a specific tour and letting us know what else you want included in your China tour to custom design it.
Destinations
Shangri-la

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Shangri-la Day Tour

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  • Tour Name
    Shangri-la Day Tour
  • Tour Type
    Small Group
  • Travel Date
    2025-08-08
  • Accommodation
    Luxury
  • Adults
    5
  • Children aged 2 to 11 years
    5
  • Infants aged 0 to 23 months
    5
  • Rooms
    5
  • Extra beds
    5

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  • Highlights
  • Itinerary
  • Inclusions/Exclusions
  • Important Info

Highlights

Shangri-la

Lift the veil on the fiction and legend of Shangri-la depicted in James Hilton’s 1930 novel Lost Horizon, when you spend a marvelous day immersed in the stunning scenery, ancient Tibetan culture and buildings and get up close and personal with the people living the traditional way that brings the legends to life.

Itinerary

Shangri-la Day Tour

Your tour guide will meet you in your hotel lobby at the time confirmed in advance.
A ten minute drive through the northern part of Shangri-la County will take you to Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province. The monastery was established in the 17th century during the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama and now 700 monks and lamas assemble for important functions in what is commonly known as Little Potala Palace - for the scale of the buildings and lavish gilding on buildings and artefacts. Here you can see eight gold-plated Sakyamuni Buddhas, Palm-leaf Manuscript, colorful gold painted Thangkas, incense burners made of, or gilded with gold and silver during the reigns of the Fifth and Seventh Dalai Lamas. At the Tibetan Art Museum you can learn about arts that have created the structure, architecture, painting and other artefacts.

Immersion in Tibetan culture, both myth and fiction, continues with a visit to the Shangri-la Old Town , which was built based on the ideal country Shambhala, a mysterious kingdom hidden in snowy mountains described in Buddhist stories. Standing at the foot of the mountain, the ancient town merges with the surrounding landscape. Uneven roads are paved over the natural terrain. Stroll on the stone paths to see the tracks of the horse's hooves left by caravans on the Ancient Tea Horse Road many years ago.

Proceed to Potatso National Park, a nature reserve covering 1300 sq km on an altitude between 3,500 and 4,100 meters above the sea level. Virgin forests of spruce, pine and meadow dotted by wild flowers and tranquil lakes have been conserved to protect 20% of the country’s plant species found there and the many endangered animal and bird species. Wandering around the grassland and passing picturesque Shudu Lake and Bita Lake, you may chance upon black-necked cranes, beautiful orchids and yew trees. Gain an insight into the culture when a visiting a local Tibetan family to see how they live their daily lives.
The tour ends when you are returned to your hotel.

Inclusions / Exclusions

Inclusions

  • Admission fees: to sightseeing spots & activities specified.
  • Activities specified in the itinerary.
  • Excellent professional English-speaking guide.
  • Ground transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with licensed driver as specified.
  • Pick up and return to hotel.
  • Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour.
  • Government taxes & fees.

Exclusions

  • International/domestic flights and trains to/from Shangri-la.
  • China visa.
  • Gratuities to guides and drivers and any expense of personal nature.
  • Hotel accommodation.
  • Meals: Meals are excluded. Your guide will make recommendations and order for you, if required.
  • Our tour package does not include travel insurance. Please purchase travel insurance before your trip to protect for any unforeseen circumstances.

Important Information

  • This is a private tour for your group of family or friends. No other travelers will join you. It's always available for your schedule!
  • Smart casual dress and comfortable walking shoes are recommended.
  • Prices based on twin occupancy.
  • The prices shown above are not valid during China's Official Holidays (such as National Day and Chinese Spring Festival etc.).

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Testimonials


Genoveva G
Genoveva G
Reviewed on June 24, 2025
Tripadvisor score Great tour with Linda in Beijing

June 2025 • Friends

This is our second tour with China tours, and it was fantastic. Linda was our guide in Beijing. She was great! She was very knowledgeable about history and culture and a very kind person. Our group was a mix of young and old, and she made our days in Beijing interesting for everyone. We highly recommend Linda and China tours!
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Tofta2010
Tofta2010
Reviewed on June 23, 2025
Tripadvisor score Very interesting and inspiring days!

June 2025 • Friends

Linda did an excellent job to explain and teaching us all about Chinese history and give us a good insight to all the places she showed us. We were a diverse group and even got our three children interred along the way. Thanks Linda!
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Gavin M
Gavin M
Reviewed on June 19, 2025
Tripadvisor score 100% fabulous experience

June 2025 • Family

The trip with China Tours was 100% fabulous. Everything about it was exactly as described. The tour guides were all wonderful, the hotels, and transfers (two bullet trains, two domestic flights) were amazing, everything went exactly as planned, and we had a great first trip to China. We did the 13 Days China Wonders & Pandas tour in June 2025. The balance was perfect between sightseeing with the guides and having free time to explore this amazing country at each destination. The high quality of the five guides along the way really made the trip. They were wonderful people without exception: professional, courteous, very knowledgeable, and friendly. The team at China Tours did truly great work in arranging everything, down to the last detail. Thank you very much for making this trip a really great experience!
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Susan B
Susan B
Reviewed on June 19, 2025
Tripadvisor score The only way to visit China!

June 2025 • Couples

This is a fantastic tour. The tour guides are amazing- so knowledgeable and extremely helpful. The experience of visiting the historic sites has been made far richer than it would’ve been on our own. We have left China with a greater understanding of Chinese history, culture and its people.
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Galia P
Galia P
Reviewed on June 19, 2025
Tripadvisor score Absolutely fantastic guide

June 2025 • Family

Nancy was absolutely amazing. Knowledgeable, professional, kind and always on time. We had amazing 3 days with her. Recommend!!
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Michael W
Michael W
Reviewed on June 6, 2025
Tripadvisor score A Magical Experience

May 2025 • Couples

From the moment we were met at Beijing airport , until our last day in Shanghai , the service and attention to detail by the guides and drivers, was second to none! We opted for the ten day tour, to take advantage of the Chinese government 240 hour visa free TRANSIT permit , which was easily granted on arrival! ( arrival STARTS at midnight after you arrive! ) The vehicles and hotels were of the absolute best quality , and the whole trip was a joy! As every attraction has to be booked in advance , I certainly would not contemplate trying to organise such a trip independently ; and don`t even attempt to DRIVE in China!! At each stop , the knowledgeable guides would organise everything , and then ten minutes before departure ,would telephone the drivers , who would be waiting for us. Every attraction was well ordered and a real pleasure to visit. The standards of comfort EVERYWHERE were excellent! Thoroughly recommend!
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alizasopharr
alizasopharr
Reviewed on May 27, 2025
Tripadvisor score Amazing trip, extraordinary people !

May 2025 • Friends

Linda (Sun) was an incredibly sweet and attentive guide, she helped make an already amazing trip extraordinary by going above and beyond to help us be as comfortable as possible. I would recommend her and China Tours to anyone hoping to visit, truly an unforgettable experience!
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Adventurer508882
Adventurer508882
Reviewed on May 26, 2025
Tripadvisor score Xi’an more than only the Terracotta Army

May 2025 • Couples

It was a dream come true. Excellent guide, Felix and very good driver with a spacious and clean car. A wonderful experience and a lovely hotel.
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