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Major city · China

Lijiang丽江

Give Lijiang 2 nights: one full day in Dayan Old Town and Mu Palace, one for Shuhe or Baisha. Skip it as a base for Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
CNY
Best months
Mar–May, Oct–Nov
avoid Jul–Aug (rainy season), Chinese public holidays
Airport
LJG
Nights
2
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 7
  • East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
  • East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
  • China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
  • China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
  • China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
  • China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
  • China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Lijiang is a UNESCO-listed Naxi old town at 2,400 m in northwestern Yunnan, once the seat of a small kingdom and now a busy tourist town of cobbled lanes, canals and wooden courtyards. It works as a 2-night stop between Dali and Shangri-La, or as a base for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the villages of the Lijiang Valley. The altitude is the first thing to plan around, the crowds the second.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Lijiang, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee or tea in the old town¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
  • Street or quick mealNoodle soup or Naxi pie¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
  • Beerdraught in a bar / can at a shop¥25–40 (≈ US$4–6)¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Taxi, about 5 kmTaxi, city ride¥9–20 (≈ US$2–3)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week¥50–120 (≈ US$7–17)
  • Museum or sight ticketMu Palace entry2026 estimate from a 2019 fee; Lion Hill adds ¥40 (check).¥40 (≈ US$6) (check)
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per personCN¥60 (≈ US$9)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse double in a Naxi courtyard, a night, per roomCN¥350 (≈ US$50)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse double in a Naxi courtyard, a night, per roomCN¥800 (≈ US$120)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget CN¥250 (≈ US$35) · Mid CN¥500 (≈ US$70) · High CN¥1,000 (≈ US$140)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Dayan Old Town (UNESCO)Naxi culture and Dongba scriptMu PalaceJade Dragon Snow MountainShuhe and Baisha old towns
Airports
LJG Lijiang Sanyi International Airport (About 40 min from the city; official fixed taxi fare ¥100, airport bus ¥20 to the Blue Skies Hotel area, then a short taxi.)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Lijiang: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

14°C

0°C

3 rd

Feb

16°C

2°C

4 rd

Mar

19°C

5°C

5 rd

Apr

22°C

8°C

7 rd

May

24°C

12°C

11 rd

Jun

25°C

15°C

17 rd

Jul

24°C

16°C

21 rd

Aug

24°C

15°C

20 rd

Sep

23°C

13°C

15 rd

Oct

21°C

9°C

9 rd

Nov

18°C

4°C

4 rd

Dec

15°C

1°C

2 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

Walking is the only way inside the old town. Taxis cover the rest of the city, meter from about ¥9; drivers often do not know small addresses, so have the location in Chinese. Public buses run within the city, and shared mini-vans serve nearby villages for ¥1–5 — village fares are separate from city bus fares. For a day of outlying sights, hiring a taxi or mini-van runs roughly ¥100–300 depending on your Chinese and bargaining.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Shuhe Old Town

go

Door to door: About 30 min

Bus 5a/5b from the old town, bus 6 from Xiangshan Market or bus 11 from the bus station

Quieter and less commercial than Dayan; the Old Tea Horse Road Museum is free.

Baisha Ancient Town

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Bus 6 from near the north entrance of Black Dragon Pool, or about 40 min by rented bike

Former Naxi capital 12 km north; Baisha Murals ¥30, half a day is enough.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

go

Door to door: About 1–1.5 h

Mini-van from Hongtaiyang square (¥20 (≈ US$3), waits until full), then park shuttle

Park entry ¥130 plus ¥20 shuttle; cable car ¥170 round-trip. Go early, watch for altitude sickness.

Shangri-La

overnight

Door to door: About 4 h (check)

Bus from Lijiang Bus Station, or continue by road

Too far for a return day; sleep there and acclimatise. Bus times vary with stops — check the day before.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

overnight

Door to door: About 2–2.5 h

Bus or hired van toward Qiaotou, then local transport to the trailheads

A trek, not a day trip; plan at least one night in the gorge area.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Dayan Old Town (Gucheng)

The classic stay: Naxi courtyards, canals and lanes. Taxis cannot enter, so you carry bags from a gate or ask the guesthouse to send a cart.

Shuhe Old Town

About 8 km north, quieter and less commercial; bus 5a/5b or 11 from town, roughly 30 min.

New town (around the old town gates)

Cheaper, easier for taxis and luggage; a 10–20 min walk to the old town.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
¥200–350 (≈ US$30–50) excl. bed
Mid
¥350–700 (≈ US$50–100) excl. bed
High
¥700 (≈ US$100)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse double in a Naxi courtyard1 × 2 nights × CN¥350CN¥700
Food, local transport, entries2 × 2 days × CN¥500CN¥2,000
Airport taxi, one way1 × CN¥100CN¥100
Airport bus, one way2 × CN¥20CN¥40
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain day (entry, shuttle, cable car)2 × CN¥320CN¥640
eSIM, about a week of data2 × CN¥80CN¥160
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurgeCN¥364
Trip total≈ CN¥1,001 per person per day, bed includedCN¥4,004≈ US$600

2026 estimate in yuan; flights and rail excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee or tea in the old town¥20–40 (≈ US$3–6)
Noodle soup or Naxi pie¥15–35 (≈ US$3–5)
Beer: draught in a bar / can at a shop¥25–40 (≈ US$4–6) / ¥5–10 (≈ US$1–2)
Taxi, city ride¥9–20 (≈ US$2–3)
Mu Palace entry2026 estimate from a 2019 fee; Lion Hill adds ¥40 (check).¥40 (≈ US$6) (check)
Black Dragon Pool entryFree for seniors over 60.¥50 (≈ US$7) (check)
eSIM or data SIM, about a week¥50–120 (≈ US$7–17)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Lijiang is a safe tourist town; the real risks are altitude on arrival, slippery cobblestones and canal edges without handrails, and tourist shops with no posted prices — ask before you buy.
  • Altitude: Lijiang sits at about 2,400 (≈ US$350) m. Take the first day or two easy, especially if you flew in from sea level.
  • Cobblestones are slippery when wet and many canal-side walkways and bridges have no handrails.
  • Old Town entry is free; the maintenance fee was abolished in 2017, but some sights inside still charge.
  • Jade Dragon Snow Mountain cable cars can be cancelled in high wind; the park entry ticket does not include cable cars or shuttle.
  • Taxis at the railway station often refuse the meter and ask ¥30–40 (≈ US$5–6); ¥15 (≈ US$3) may be possible with bargaining.

Emergency numbers

Police
110
Fire
119
Ambulance
120

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

Lijiang丽江

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

请到这个地址To this address, please

Emergency

  • Police110
  • Fire119
  • Ambulance120

Embassy

No US or UK embassy in Lijiang; the US embassy and UK embassy are in Beijing, with consulates-general in Chengdu, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Check before you travel.

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • LJG airport → city, taxi: ¥100 (≈ US$14) fixed, about 40 min
  • LJG airport → Blue Skies Hotel, airport bus: ¥20 (≈ US$3), then ¥7–10 (≈ US$1–2) taxi to the old town
  • Lijiang → Kunming, bullet train: ¥210–220 (≈ US$30–35) second class, 3–3.5 h
  • Lijiang → Dali, K-class train: ¥34 (≈ US$5) hard seat, about 2 h

Say or show

  • 你好 — Hello (nǐ hǎo)
  • 谢谢 — Thank you (xièxie)
  • 多少钱？ — How much is it? (duōshao qián)
  • 可以刷卡吗？ — Can I pay by card? (kěyǐ shuākǎ ma)
  • 洗手间在哪里？ — Where is the toilet? (xǐshǒujiān zài nǎlǐ)
  • 我听不懂 — I don't understand (wǒ tīngbudǒng)

Old town lanes are pedestrian-only; taxis stop at the gates.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Lijiang. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Mar–May, Oct–Nov · avoid Jul–Aug (rainy season), Chinese public holidays · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 5 day-trips, door to door
  6. 5 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for LJG: taxi ¥100 fixed, airport bus ¥20 plus short taxi, luggage-cart fallback inside the old town.
  2. Walking clusters with rescue anchors: Dayan Old Town and Mu Palace, Black Dragon Pool and Dongba Museum, Shuhe, Baisha.
  3. Place pages with verified hours and fees (Mu Palace, Black Dragon Pool, Baisha Murals, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Altitude and weather fixtures so arrival days A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to China

Sources