Where to Stay in Daocheng Yading: Best Hotel & Places

When it comes to the word Daocheng Yading, it usually refers to the most famous Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve, which is also known as Yading Nature Reserve (稻城亚丁风景区). This “Last Pure Land on our Blue Planet” offers standout plateau sceneries that beyond your imagination, such as sublime snow-capped mountains, glacier-fed lakes, crystal-clear rivers...

A tour in Daocheng needs more than one day. Therefore, tourists have to spend at least one night there. Where is the best place to stay in Daocheng Yading? How to find the most satisfying hotel there? Check this Daocheng Yading Accommodation Guide to find your answers!

Best Places to Stay in Daocheng Yading

With an average altitude of more than 3,000m (9,842 feet), choosing a hotel in Daocheng should be more careful. And the distances from hotels to Yading Nature Reserve and Daocheng Yading Airport should be also taken into account. Usually, the best places to stay in Daocheng Yading are Shangri-La Town, Yading Village and Daocheng County.

Since Daocheng Yading is located in a remote area on the west side of China's Sichuan Province, the facilities and services of hotels there cannot be as good as in Sichuan’s large and modern cities like Chengdu, Leshan, etc.… However, they all suite your basic needs. There are hotels of all levels for you to choose, from budget international youth hostel to 5-star hotels. 5-star hotels can only be found in Shangri-La Town. Some local Tibetan folk houses also offer accommodation for tourists. However, you are usually required to share the room with other tourists.

Warm tip: For safety reasons, camping is officially forbidden in Daocheng, especially in Yading Nature Reserve. And you are not really suggested to do so in this high altitude area with steep temperature changes.

Map of 3 Best Places to Stay in Daocheng Yading

Top 1: Shangri-La Town (香格里拉镇)

The hotels in Shangri-La Town are the best choices. They are all in a low altitude area of less than 3,000m (9,842 feet), giving you the most convenient environment to relax yourself and have a better preparation for your coming high altitude hiking tours. Shangri-La town is only several kilometers away from the entrance of popular Yading Nature Reserve. And if you choose more carefully, you can even find a hotel that is in only steps away from the entrance, giving you more chance to be at the head of the queue.

Advantages of Stay in Hotels in Shangri-La Town

• The altitude there is only about 2,900m, much lower than in both Daocheng Town and Yading Village.
• Have the best hotel in this area.
• There are more hotels for you to choose.
• The hotels there are much cheaper and more convenient than in Yading Village.
• The hotels there are the closest to the entrance of Yading Nature Reserve.
• There is a health center in the town.

Disadvantages of Stay in Hotels in Shangri-La Town

• You have to buy another sightseeing bus ticket when you re-enter Yading Nature Reserve (in half price for about CNY 60) the next day.
• The town is about 123km/2~2.5 hours’ driving away from Daocheng Yading Airport, which takes 1.5 hours more than Daocheng County area.

Recommended Accommodations in Shangri-La Town:

• Holyland Hotel (5 star)
• Daocheng Yading Yunmo Art Hotel (4 star)
• Holiday Inn Express Daocheng Yading (3 star)

Recommended Tour Package:

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

Top 2: Yading Village (亚丁村)

Yading Nature Reserve belongs to Yading Village. However, the center area of Yading Village sits inside the scenic area, with a driving distance for about 34km from the scenic area’s entrance. Living in Yading Village means a closer distance for next day’s hiking tour. However, the altitude there is above 4, 000m (13,123 feet). It may not a good choice for your first night in Daocheng.

Advantages of Stay in Hotels in Yading Village

• Sleeping inside the scenic area, with the nearby scenery decorating your windows.
• More convenient to do hiking inside Yading Nature Reserve.
• Save about CNY 60, because there is no need to buy another ticket for the sightseeing buses for next day (tourists are required to buy the sightseeing bus ticket again when re-entering the scenic area the next day, not in full price but half price).

Disadvantages of Stay in Hotels in Yading Village

• The hotels there charge much more money than in the county and town.
• The altitude there is above 4,000m (13,123 feet).
• There are occasional power cuts and water cuts in the village.
• The hotels there are limited.
• The village is more than 4 hours away from Daocheng Yading Airport, much farther than Daocheng County and Shangri-La Town. .
• There is no hospital in the village, and the health center is limited.

Recommended Hotels in Yading Village:

• Yading Zhaxi Kongshu Tibetan Culture Theme Hotel (3 star)
• Jianshan Hotel (2 star)

Top 3: Daocheng County (稻城县)

Daocheng County is about 81km from Yading Nature Reserve and 50km from Daocheng Yading Airport. Some tourists prefer to stay in hotels in Daocheng County at their first night if they arrive late or want an in-depth explore of all Daocheng attractions. There are more than 10 hotels for you to choose in Daocheng County. Most of them are 2-star and 4-star hotels.

Advantages of stay in hotels in Yading Village

• The altitude there is about 3,700m (12,139 feet), relatively lower than in Yading Village.
• The hotels there are relatively closer to Daocheng Yading Airport.
• Have more hotels for you to choose than Yading Village.
• Other attractions in Daocheng except the Yading Nature Reserve are all spreading the town, like Daocheng White Tower, Bang River and Sela Scenic Resort, etc.
• The only hospital of this area is in the town.

Disadvantages of stay in hotels in Yading Village

• It takes you more time and money to get to/from Yading Nature Reserve.
• Long driving distance to Yading Nature Reserve, which needs about 1.5~2 hours by car.
• You have to buy another sightseeing bus ticket when you re-enter Yading Nature Reserve (in half price for about CNY 60) the next day.

Recommended Hotels in Daocheng County:

• Snow Area Hot Spring Garden Hotel (4 star)
• Dear Zhaizhai Hot Spring Hostel (4 star)
• Jinzhu Hotel (4 star)

Recommended Tour Package:

>> 4 Days Daocheng Yading In-depth Photography Tour

How to Plan Your Daocheng Yading Tour?

Travel Daocheng Yading with China Discovery