Tiger leaping gorge rainy season/itinerary

August in tiger leaping gorge often have shower rains, but the rains may never be too heavy. If you need a speciafical itinerary and things to do, please contact me:)

I don't know about that for TLG. I have been there when the rain was so heavy and cloud was so low, it really wasn't worth even stopping there. There are also times when it can be dangerous to attempt to walk it. Its really one of those things you need to evaluate at the time with a Plan B if the weather is really shitty.

Tiger Leaping Gorge--at least the main approach from Qiaotou--was closed for a couple of weeks in July due to rains/landsliding. One could get through via the backdoor from Daju using the ferry. Anytime in summer rainy season, there is this potential. I'd make these adjustments for Plan A....with the proviso that having a Plan B is necessary in case of bad weather, echoing the poster above:
--Morning of the 12th, take the first express bus Kunming - Dali. This will be faster than the train.
--Morning of the 14th, you can take train or bus Dali-Lijiang. I personally would do the express bus since there are more flexible timings, it's just as fast if not faster via the new expressway, and you arrive more centrally into LIjiang. If the weather is not good, you can poke around Lijiang Old Town and city sights. If the weather is good, I'd suggest getting up to Shuhe and biking the valley villages around Shuhe, Baisha, Yuhu. Many people prefer booking a place in Shuhe rather than Lijiang.
--Spend the 15th in Lijiang area and another overnight also. You can do whatever didn't get done on the partial day 14th, or go to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park.
--16th, 17th at Tiger Leaping Gorge. This includes first morning transport LIjiang-Qiaotou plus getting pretty down the upper trail hike on the first day. Overnight at a guesthouse. Finish up trail hike on the 17th and spend another night at a different guesthouse. You have enough time to get to Walnut Garden area if you want, or come down at the Middle Gorge area near Tina's then separate hike down into the gorge to the River.

--18th Morning Qiaotou to Shangri-La. See the big Tibetan monastery there, the small old town, and fly out in the evening Shangri-La to Chengdu to spend the night there. If you really don't want more time in Chengdu area, then stay another day in Shangri-La area and fly out evening of 19th. No need to backtrack to Lijiang.
--21st Bus to Jiuzhaigou. Buy your ticket for this a day ahead when you're buzzing around Chengdu.
--23rd I'd go to Huanglong and Songpan, then fly out on the night flight JZH-XIY (Xi'an) which will ultimately save you time and cash vs flying back to Chengdu then to Beijing. Overnight in Xi'an.
--24th See something of Xi'an then evening flight, fast train, or overnight train to Beijing. Move fast on this if you want train, since sleepers are selling out.

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