Tea Horse Caravan Trail Trekking Trip in Yunnan

Overview

Trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest canyons in the world, visiting Yi, Naxi and Tibetan villages along the ancient Tea Horse Road.

The Tea Horse Caravan Road of Southwest China is less well known than the famous Silk Road. Its route crosses some very high and dangerous terrain, running along the eastern foothills of the Hengduan Mountains, then crossing deep canyons of several major rivers—the Yalong, the Jinsha (upper Yangtze), the Lancang (Mekong), and the Nu (Salween).

The name of the road (Chamadao in Chinese meaning the tea and horse road) indicates its importance in the trade of tea and horses. Horse caravans carried tea, sugar and salt from Sichuan and Yunnan to Tibet. The road also served as a significant corridor for migration and cultural communication among ethnic groups, sometimes termed the Southern Silk Road of China.

Average daily itinerary:

• 07:00 Wake up yoga meditation
• 08:30 Breakfast, explore the village on foot
• 12:30 Lunch
• 14:00 Free time
• 19:00 Dinner
• 21:30 Meditation yoga, rest

Trip Itinerary:

• Day 1: Arrive Lijiang - Visit Naxi Kingdom stories, Naxi murals, Dongba sacrificial culture, Naxi ancient music, herbal medicine family. Hike Jade Water Village to Locke's residence in Yuhu Village. Option: horse ride or hike to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Base Camp. Stay at Zen B&B in Shuhe Ancient Town
• Day 2: Lijiang to Wenhai - Hike to beautiful plateau lake at foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. See cattle and sheep, Yi and Naxi villages with Bimo sacrifice traditions. Salmon manors, eco-hotels
• Day 3: Wenhai to Tiger Leaping Gorge - Hike through dense forest, explore a cave. Take horses through 28 turns (most challenging section). Enter the canyon with steep limestone cliffs dropping thousands of meters to roaring Jinsha River rapids. Stay at famous Tea Horse Inn, practice yoga on terrace with canyon views
• Day 4: Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge - Hike along cliff-carved paths, past waterfalls and Buddhist Guanyin temple. Walk down to canyon bottom, stand on boulder at narrowest part with river rushing by. Drive along Lancang River through Sanba Naxi village and Tibetan villages. Stay at Haba Snow Mountain Inn
• Day 5: Haba Village - Visit 5 different ethnic minority tribes on foot (Yi, Naxi, Tibetan). 4-5 hour hike. Lunch with local families. Stay at Haba Cloud Inn
• Day 6: Haba to Baishuitai - Private van to Dongba worship site. Depart from Shangri-La or Lijiang Airport