Natural site · YUNNAN
Tiger Leaping Gorge
虎跳峡 · Hǔtiàoxiá
About
One of the world's deepest canyons (~3,800m from river to ridge), on the Jinsha River between Jade Dragon and Haba snow mountains. Two-day hike on the high trail.
Tiger Leaping Gorge is a 15 km canyon on the Jinsha River (the upper Yangtze) where the river runs at around 1,650m and the surrounding peaks (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the south, Haba Snow Mountain to the north) reach over 5,500m — vertical drop from ridge to river of around 3,800m. The 'high road' is a two-day classic hike with two guesthouse stays (Halfway Guesthouse is the legend); the 'low road' is a road that drives along the river for car visitors with limited time. The Tiger Leaping Stone in the middle gorge is the namesake spot.
How to get there
Bus from Lijiang Old Town to Qiaotou (2 hours), then walk or bus to trailhead.
When to visit
April–June and September–November. Avoid rainy season landslides (July–August).
Other attractions in Lijiang
Itineraries featuring this site
- Yunnan loop — Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La
10d · The northwest Yunnan circuit through Bai, Naxi and Tibetan culture.
- First-timer China — 14 days with Yunnan loop
14d · Two weeks covering the Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai circuit plus a Yunnan extension through Kunming, Dali and Lijiang — the combination that most first-time visitors leave wishing they had done.
- Slow travel China — 14 days, fewer cities, deeper neighbourhoods
14d · Fourteen days in just three cities — Xi'an, Chengdu and Lijiang — spending four to five nights in each to move beyond the headline sights into daily rhythms, local markets and neighbourhood life.
- Yunnan deep loop — Kunming to Tengchong, 14 days
14d · Fourteen days through the full breadth of Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, the Yuanyang terraces, Jianshui and the geothermal fields of Tengchong — the province's different climates, altitudes and minorities in one loop.
Spotted something out of date? Submit a correction.
Research
Cross-checked against primary sources
Verified
Address, hours, fees confirmed at the date shown
Updated
Re-verified periodically; corrections welcome