Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡)

Tiger Leaping Gorge (虎跳峡, Hǔtiào Xiá) is one of the deepest river canyons on Earth — a 23km slash through northwest Yunnan where the Jinsha River thunders between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596m) to the south and Haba Snow Mountain (5396m) to the north. The vertical drop from peak to river is 3,790m. The gorge sits roughly 86km north of Lijiang and 106km south of Shangri-La, making it a natural stop between the two cities.

Upper Gorge: the easy option. The scenic platform at the gorge's narrowest point has a paved boardwalk along the river. You'll see the churning rapids, the famous tiger statue, and (on clear days) snow-capped peaks looming above. Accessible in 2-3 hours, but there are about 1,000 steps down from the parking lot — an escalator and sedan chairs are available as paid shortcuts if you'd rather skip the climb back up.

High Trail: the real thing. The classic 1-2 day trek starts at Qiaotou village and follows the flank of Haba Snow Mountain through Naxi guesthouses and pine forests. The crux is the 28 Bends (二十八道拐) — a steep, switchbacking climb at the start that tests your lungs but rewards with the best gorge panoramas. From Tea Horse Guesthouse to Halfway Guesthouse the trail levels out; this section has the finest views and is doable as a standalone half-day walk if you skip the 28 Bends entirely.

Middle Gorge: for the fearless. From Tina's or Halfway Guesthouse, rough locally-built trails descend to the river. The Sky Ladder (天梯, Tiāntī) is 168 metal rungs clamped near-vertical to a cliff face — optional, genuinely frightening, and completely worth it if you have the nerve. The Ray of Sunshine trail (一线天, Yīxiàntiān) squeezes through a rock crevice as an alternative. Both cost ¥10-15, collected in cash by the families who maintain them.