Shangri-La to Daocheng - By Private Car, Coach or Air

Shangri-La is a county-level city in northwestern Yunnan province, and is about 308km away from Daocheng in Sichuan. One is named after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the 1933 James Hilton Novel “Lost Horizon”, the other is known as “the soul of Shangri-La” and “the last pure land on earth”. Travelling from Shangri-la to Yading is one of the most fabulous travel routes in China for nature lovers.

Yading is a reservation and a mountain sanctuary about 3,700 meters above sea level in Daocheng County, Sichuan Province, China. It’s on the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. It is the core of Shangri-La Ecological Tourist Zone. Travelers who wanted to visit Yading need to get to Daocheng county first. Daocheng county is about 81km from Yading Natural Reserve which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours by car or taxi. You can also transfer there by shuttle bus running between these two places.

There are three main ways for travelers to Daocheng from Shangri-La, by car, by air or take a coach. Take some minutes to read to plan your Shangri-La Daocheng Yading tour in 2025!

Shangri-La to Daocheng by Private Car

The distance between Shangri-La and Daocheng County is about 308km, takes about 9 to 12 hours by car.

Traveling from Shangri-La to Daocheng by private cars with tour guide is a common way for traveling in Sichuan Province for there is no direct train or airline connecting these two places. Even it will be more expensive than taking a coach from the bus station but it will provide you a more flexible and comfortable journey. Also with the experienced drivers and English-speaking guide can highlight journey, the car will stop at the fabulous scenic spots alongside the road, making your one-day road trip more meaningful and enjoyable.

By taking the road trip you will have the chance to meet the picturesque scenery and by the end of this journey you will be amazed by the marvel of the nature.

Shangri-La to Daocheng by Coach

For private travelers, taking a coach is the cheapest way to get to Daocheng from Shangri-La. The total distance of Route 1 is about 308km and Route 2 is about 431km. Before your departure, you’d better check the schedule of the coach and buy the bus ticket in advance. There are two ways for you to take the coach:

Shangri-La to Daocheng Bus Route Map

Route 1 : There is a coach from Shangri-La to Daocheng at about 7:00 every morning from April to December. It takes about 9 to 12 hours. The bus run across snow mountains and Shangri-La Gorge. However if you want to get to Daocheng in rainy season (June, July, August), this route might cut by landslide. In this cases, the bus might detour to Derong County and take more time.

Route 2 : If you didn’t catch the direct bus, there is another way for you to take the coach to Daocheng from Shangri-La. First you can take the tour coach from Shangri-La to Xiangcheng(passing by Derong) at 7:30 in Shangri-La Bus Station. Stay overnight at Xiangcheng and catch the morning bus head to Sangdui. When you arrived at Sangdui, you can find local minibus to sent you to Daocheng for about 20 per person. The route might looks more complex and takes longer than direct bus, but the road condition is much better.

Shangri-La to Daocheng by Air

For travelers who can not bear long-distance ride, we do not suggest you take bus or taxi as the transportation, however, there is no railway or direct flight from Shangri-La to Daocheng. It’s only takes about 1.5 hours from Shangri-La Airport to Chengdu Shuangliu Airport, so you can take Chengdu as a transfer city.

This is the most expensive way to travel from Shangri-La to Daocheng County, however you can spend 1-2 days on taking a short-break leisure tour at Chengdu downtown, visit China’s national treasures - Panda, try some famous local snacks and Sichuan cuisine. After fully recuperating in Chengdu, you can take the early airline at Chengdu Shuangliu Airport and fly to Daocheng Yading Airport and enjoy the breathtaking view there.

>> Learn more about How to Get from Chengdu to Daocheng

>> Learn more about Chengdu Shuangliu Airport

>> Learn more about Daocheng Yading Airport

Daocheng County to Yading Natural Reserve

For almost every tourists visiting here, Daocheng is not their ultimate destination, Yading Nature Reserve is. Daocheng County is 81km away from Yading Nature Reserve, which takes about 1.5 to 2 hours driving and will cost 200 to 300 yuan.

>> Learn more about Yading Nature Reserve

If you are a independent traveler and have limited budget, taking the shuttle bus to Shangri-La town might be a good choice for you, after your arrival you can transfer to taxi or car run by local people. Shangri-La town is only 6km from Yading Nature Reserve, and about 15 minutes later you will arrive at Yading Nature Reserve. Ticket price of shuttle bus running between Daocheng County and Shangri-La town is about 40 yuan per person and takes about 2 hours.

How to Plan Your Daocheng Yading Tours

Shangri-La is about 308km away from Daocheng County. Travelling from Shangri-la to Yading is one of the most fabulous travel routes in China for nature lovers. With limited public transportation between this two places, you can take a one-day road trip to get to Daocheng from Shangri-La. The scenery alongside the road is totally worth the trip. Then spend 3 to 4 days at Daocheng to have a deep exploration in this holy area.

>> 4 Days Daocheng Yading Classic Hiking Tour from Chengdu (by Flight)

>> 4 Days Daocheng Yading In-depth Photography Tour

If you can’t stand the long-distance ride, you can travel from Shangri-La to Chengdu first, spend 1 or 2 days in Chengdu, visiting pandas, tasting local dishes and enjoying the leisure city-break time there. After restore your energy, you can take the early flight and head to Daocheng from Chengdu.

>> 1 Day Chengdu Relaxing Panda Highlights Tour

>> 2 Days Chengdu City Break

Five Color Sea

Travel with China Discovery

Travel with China Discovery and let us take care of everything for you! Our local drivers will escort you to Daocheng from Shangri-La directly. And our English-speaking tour guide will accompany you all the way, showing you the best travelling route and telling you information and stories of all attractions.

The tour can be tailor-made according to your group size, time, physical condition, plan, interest, budget and every special need. If you have any other ideas about the trip or you have other places or cities wanted to visit such as Yunnan, Hangzhou or Xian, our experienced travel consultants are very glad to offer their help. Please feel free to contact us!