Route overview
The southern route into Tibet from Kunming — Shangri-La, the Mekong gorges and Bome forests, milder than G318 and richer in Tibetan village life.
Highlights
- Shangri-La: Songzanlin Monastery & Pudacuo
- Mekong (Lancang) gorge scenery from Deqin
- Bome pine forests and midui glacier
- Rawu Lake and the turn toward Nyingchi
Suggested itinerary
- Day 1Kunming → Dali (Erhai Lake)
- Day 2Dali → Lijiang (old town) → Shangri-La
- Day 3Shangri-La → Deqin (Feilaisi, Meili snow mountain view)
- Day 4Deqin → Markam (enter Tibet)
- Day 5Markam → Zogang → Baxoi
- Day 6Baxoi → Bome (Ranwu Lake) → Nyingchi
- Day 7Nyingchi → Lhasa
Costs to expect
Budget around 600–1,000 CNY per day for two people. Fuel, food and simple hotels are cheap in Yunnan; Tibetan towns cost a little more.
Driving tips
- Start in Kunming for a smooth altitude ramp from 1,900 m up to 3,500 m
- Meili snow mountain is best seen from Feilaisi at sunrise
- Tibet entry permits and route filing are handled by us
- Rainy season (Jul–Aug) brings landslide risk on Deqin–Markam stretch
