Often referred to as “the last pure land on Earth”, Daocheng Yading (稻城亚丁) sits deep in the Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Western Sichuan, known for its high altitude and pristine landscapes. For those seeking dramatic mountain landscapes, this high-altitude reserve offers a rewarding adventure. This Daocheng Yading guide covers everything you need to know — from getting there to accommodation options.

Before You Go

Oxygen Canisters and Layer Up

The altitude of Daocheng Yading sits between 3,900m all the way to 4,700m, so be sure to be properly prepared for that. Bring along oxygen cans if you have, or you can purchase it at the entrance as well. Never overestimate your body’s ability.

Weather in the area is extremely unpredictable. It started pouring on a bright sunny day when we were there, followed by a 10-minute hailstorm. Layer up so that you can remove your outerwear when it gets hot, and also make sure you have a raincoat or umbrella.

Go Slow

Do not rush. If you think you’re walking at a slow speed already, chances are, you can be slower. With the high altitude, walking fast or even at your normal pace can easily cause breathlessness and headaches. Go as slowly as you can, do not push yourself too hard. If you start to feel unwell, take a break. Seek medical attention if it doesn’t get better, there are a number of medical centres around the area.

Getting To Daocheng Yading

There are 2 ways to get to Daocheng Yading, by air or road.

Flying into Daocheng Yading

Flights land at Daocheng Yading Airport and direct flights are available from a number of major cities like Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou and Xian. Daocheng Yading Airport is the world’s highest civilian airport, sitting at an elevation of 4,411m above sea level.

Upon landing, you’ll have to take a car to Yading Nature Reserve (also known as Daocheng Yading Scenic Spot, 稻城亚丁景区) as the airport is located around 130km away from the main scenic spot.

Although flying might be the quicker way to get to Daocheng Yading, it is not the recommended route as it can cause high altitude sickness due as you’re landing right into a place wth very high altitude.

Overland Route to Daocheng Yading

Overland routes are preferred as it allows travellers to adapt to the high altitudes slowly. Most road trippers will start from Chengdu, driving through Kangding (康定) and Shangri-La town prior to heading into the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. This route provides a scenic but long journey through mountain passes as it takes approximately 12 hours to drive from Chengdu to Daocheng Yading.

Note: this is not the same Shangari-La as the one in Yunnan.

Doing a road trip will allow the body to adapt to the high altitude slowly. Kangding sits at 2,560m and Shangari-La town sits at 2,900m.

You can check out our Western Sichuan road trip itinerary for a more details such as where to stopover for the night.

Getting Into The Daocheng Yading Scenic Area

Buying Tickets for Daocheng Yading

Most travellers will spend the night in Shangari-La town and head to Daocheng Yading Tourist Centre early next morning. Purchase your tickets at the Daocheng Yading Tourist Centre. As a foreigner, you would not be able to purchase tickets online, even with a local number. It is recommended to reach early to avoid crowds. We got to the tourist centre around 7.50am and it was already pretty crowded.

The tickets include entry and bus ride into the scenic area. The bus is also known as sightseeing bus (观光车).

Daocheng Yading Ticket Price: RMB 146 for entrance + RMB 120 for bus

Taking The Sightseeing Bus (观光车)

Once you have your tickets, continue walking inwards and you’ll reach a number of escalators that will bring you to the entrance of the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. At the entrance, you’ll see the buses that will bring you into the scenic area. The bus ride will take around 55 minutes. If you are prone to motion sickness, it’s advisable to take medication as the road is windy and the drivers tend to drive pretty fast. Walking is not an option, so you have to take the bus.

All sightseeing buses take the same route, so just hop onto the bus without worry; there is only 1 route. The buses head straight into the scenic area, with 3 stops in between in Yading town. If you have booked accommodations in Yading town, you will have to listen out for the stops, or tell the bus driver to stop at the stop you need to get off.

The bus stops are, directly translated to — 1st stop (一号站, pronounced: yi hao zhan), 2nd stop (二号站, pronounced: er hao zhan), 3rd stop (三号站, pronounced: san hao zhan) and the final stop is the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. The 1st stop is around 43 minutes into the journey. The 1st, 2nd, 3rd stop are just about 500 metres apart, so you really have to listen out for the stop or make sure to inform the driver you want to get off at those stops when you get on the bus.

Note: Continue reading for accommodation options for your visit to Daocheng Yading.

Routes

There are 2 routes to choose from to explore the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. Route choice depends on your available time, energy, and altitude readiness.

Short Route

Ideal for those short on time and those that prefer a more relaxed pace, the short route starts from Chonggu Monastery to Pearl Lake. The short route is a gentle path and a roundtrip takes about 2 to 3 hours, suitable for visitors adjusting to the altitude.

Tram

Around 500m uphill from where the sightseeing bus stops, is a counter where you can purchase tickets for a tram that takes you to Luorong Pasture (洛绒牛场), the mid point of the long route. You can also choose to take the tram to Luorong Pasture and not continue the rest of the long route.

Tram ticket price: RMB 80

Once you have your tram tickets, continue walking up hill for about 100m and you will come to an area to board the trams that you will you to Luorong Pasture.

Long Route

The long route extends from Luorong Pasture to Milk Lake (牛奶海) and Five Colour Lake (五色海). This high-altitude hike demands stamina and proper acclimatisation due to steep inclines and thin air. From Lurong Pasture, it’s a 10km roundtrip to Milk Lake and Five Colour Lake. There is a horse riding “service” at Lurong Pasture, which will take you about 1.7km into the journey towards Milk Lake and Five Colour Lake.

Plan for 5 to 7 hours roundtrip depending on pace. If you want to do the long route, you will have to enter Daocheng Yading as early as possible, as the staff will start chasing people out of the Milk Lake and Five Colour Lake area by around 3pm, in order for everyone to be able to catch the last sightseeing bus out of the scenic area.

Where To Stay

There are 2 options, Shangari-La Town and staying in the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. We tried both, so here’s our experience:

Shangari-La Town (香格里拉镇)

Once again, this is not the same Shangari-La as the one in Yunnan.

Shangari-La Town is just 10 minutes drive away from Daocheng Yading Tourist Centre, making it a popular option for most travellers to stay the night. Most travellers stay a night in Shangari-La town, and head to Daocheng Yading early the next morning.

The advantage of staying in Shangari-La town is that it is a very lively town with many food options available. There are even bubble tea shops like Mixue and Cha Panda. Shangari-La Town is relatively small, and you can walk the entire town on foot easily.

The con of staying in Shangari-La town, and not a big con in my opinion, is that you’ll have to make sure you make it for the last sightseeing bus out of Daocheng Yading, or you will be stranded.

In Shangari-La, we stayed at Gongjin Lianri Ecological Cave Hotel (Daocheng Yading Branch), located in the heart of the town. It’s very easy to locate and steps away from food options. The service was not the best though.

Yading Village (亚丁村)

Yading Village is within the Daocheng Yading Scenic Area. You will have to take the sightseeing bus into the scenic area and drop at the 1st, 2nd or 3rd bus stops depending on where your hotel is located.

The advantage of staying within the scenic area is that you don’t have to get up as early to head into the scenic area to explore, as you’re already in it.

However, the altitude here is much higher than Shangari-La town, at around 4,000m above sea level. In comparison, Shangari-La town is at an altitude of 2,900m. If you want to play it safe, stay in Shangari-La town as it is very difficult to fall asleep with high altitude sickness. The air in Yading is also much thinner and the night was rough for us as we couldn’t stay asleep the entire night.

In Yading, we stayed at Yading Zhaxi Kongshu Tibetan Culture Theme Hotel. This hotel was located in between 1st and 2nd bus stop of the sightseeing bus route. The service was spectacular at this place, would highly recommend staying here if you want to stay in Yading.

Daocheng Yading Scenic Area rewards those willing to brave its remote location and high elevation with some of China’s most spectacular natural scenery. Prepare carefully prior to your trip. Respect the altitude, do not overestimate yourself and choose your route wisely to make the most of your Daocheng Yading experience.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

When is the best time to visit Daocheng Yading?

April to June and September to October is often considered the best times to visit as it is the shoulder periods.

July and August sees the most visitors as it is the summer holidays in China and many students are done with school. However, this is also the rainy season and the roads leading to Daocheng Yading may experience landslides. On days that it’s not raining, summer is when the flowers bloom and offers a colourful landscape. Summer is also the most popular travel period because it’s the least cold.

Winter time is cold and road conditions are dangerous, making it hard to drive and hike. There is no real “best” period as it can be foggy even during spring and autumn, making visibility low. Going to such a mountainous area with high altitude is often a gamble, but spring and autumn have the “best” conditions — less rain and less cold compared to winter.

How’s the weather in Daocheng Yading?

As the altitude of Daocheng Yading is really high, the weather is often unpredictable. During summer, temperature ranges from 5 – 17 degrees. Spring and autumn is pretty cold, ranging from -3 – 18 degrees. Temperature in winter is the harshest, ranging from -11 – 9 degrees.

Despite that, the weather is extremely unpredictable. Rain often only lasts for short periods, minutes even. We visited in summer and got caught in a 10-minute thunderstorm and also experienced a 10-minute hail.

How to dress for Daocheng Yading?

Dress in thin layers, especially in summer. It gets warm after walking for a bit so you can shed your layers if needed. A windbreaker is important as it is very windy out there. We recommend a waterproof windbreaker or shell, to shield you from the elements as it can pour without warning. Staying warm is important as being cold makes you more susceptible to high altitude sickness.

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