Yubeng Village: Hiking Through Tibetan Paradise
Paradise is where you wake up to snow-covered peaks, hike in beautiful landscapes and forge unforgettable friendships. There is a sense of exclusivity due to Yubeng’s location in northwestern Yunnan, at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain. At 3000m above sea level, the scenery is jaw dropping no matter where you are in this secluded Tibetan village. I love that Yubeng Village attracts like-minded travelers who enjoy seeking adventure.
Yubeng Village Itinerary
As Yubeng Village is hidden within the mountains, you will have to spend some time getting there from Shangri-La. Hence, you will need about a week to enjoy the Yubeng experience. Here is a break down of the daily itinerary and hiking time required. I think the highlight of the trip is between Day 3 – 5. For a cost estimation, refer to the last section.
Click the link to jump ahead
| Day | Activity | Hike Info |
| 0 | Arrive in Shangri-La | |
| 1 | Get to Feilaisi | |
| 2 | Hike into Upper Yubeng | 12km/5-6 hours |
| 3 | Glacier Lake hike | 11.6km round trip/8-10 hours |
| 4 | Sacred Waterfall hike from Lower Yubeng | 10.8km round trip/6-8 hours |
| 5 | Hike out to Ninong Village, head back to Shangri-La | 14km/4-6 hours |
| 6 | Flight home |
Day 1: Get to Feilaisi
The first step is to travel north from Shangri-La to Feilaisi via Deqin (ๅพท้ฆ). We purchased tickets from the bus station (ๅฎข่ฟ็ซ) the day before. The bus to Deqin costs 62 RMB and takes about 4 hours. We took the first available bus at 8:20am with local Tibetans as our fellow passengers.
The landscape along the journey is a little more varied as you pass by farms, more river gorges and villages. There was one toilet break and one lunch stop, and I cannot stress enough the importance of just going whenever the bus stops by a toilet. It is important to be well hydrated as you gain altitude, don’t let your bladder keep you from it.
After arriving in Deqin around noon, we took a separate 1.5-hour car ride to Feilaisi. Before you even know where to find a ride the drivers will swarm around you. It took less time than expected to arrive in Feilaisi and we checked in to Kawagebo Hotel by 3pm.
It amazes me that you can get these VIP-worthy views for a fifth of the price (see expenses at end). Look at this beautiful view of the mountain range from our room! I could gaze at this view all day.
Exploring Feilaisi
We then explored Feilaisi by following the main road that winds through the town. At 3300m altitude, we quickly got breathless when walking up slopes, but at least we had this day to acclimatise. I walked along a dirt trail before coming to a small road section full of prayer flags hanging from the trees. From there I could see all the red and white Tibetan style buildings, since Feilaisi was a small town.
It started raining as I headed back to the hotel and passed through the Feilaisi Temple viewing platform. We turned in early after making arrangements with the hotel reception about day 2โs transportation.
Day 2: Hike into Upper Yubeng
It was 7:30am and we just finished our breakfast downstairs. The hotel helped us to arrange a ride to Xidang, the starting point of our hike into Yubeng Village, for 25 RMB each. The driver advised us to the follow the vehicle road to the village.
Most blogs mentioned that it was impossible to drive in, hence allowing the village to be undiscovered for 800 years. I guess tourism development has already taken off here. Initially, we did not meet other hikers since most people start hiking at around 11am. However, cars packed with tourists passed us occasionally and they looked at us with curiosity.
It was a fairly steep hike with almost 1000m altitude gain, from Xidang (2645m) to the highest point at Nanzheng Col (3729m). After 4 hours of ascending, the amazing view starts to peek through when you descend into the village. The first glimpse of the snowy peaks will make your fatigue fade – it is so majestic up close! As we continued downhill, I could not stop looking 360 degrees around me to admire the scenic view.
Find a place to stay in Yubeng Village
After 2 more hours, we finally reached Upper Yubeng and we explored the village to find a nice place to stay. I was so excited to begin our adventures, but the altitude sickness headache came back to me after lunch. We checked in at one of the simple guesthouses (้ด้ๆถๅ ), then visited “Hi I’m Joe” (ไฟๅนณไฝ ๅฅฝ), a quaint Hong Kong style cafe, for milk tea and dessert. We chatted with other travelers, Joe the owner, and a local who helped him build this place. He It was truly unforgettable to chill around a wood stove while looking out at the magnificent snowy peaks.
Day 3: Glacier Lake hike
It’s 8:30am and we had just finished our breakfast at the same Hong Kong cafe. This was an amazing day because we saw the glacier lake, a sight I did not expect to see in Asia. I estimated that it would take 8-10 hours including rest and lunch time.
We started by going uphill in the forest for 2 hours, before following a flat trail for 1 hour to Xiaonong Pasture (3608m). This was the only place selling food, so I recommend stopping by for lunch if you haven’t brought anything. It’s cool to eat there too because this little shed is run by local Tibetans. We saw them making milk curd and cooking fried rice over a fire. They will also let you rest and warm up by the fire, so it’s a great place to chat with other hikers too.
After lunch, we continued walking through this meadowy pasture that’s also used as a base camp. There were more river crossings before we began the last 300m ascend to the Glacier Lake. It started raining, but thankfully we had rain jackets on. When we finally reached the end, I was almost prancing around with joy!
The Glacier Lake (3900m) is so beautiful and you can see the huge glaciers where the lake water comes from. As I walked onto the ice around the lake, I could see and hear the water flowing under these sheets of compact ice. I was in awe of this landscape and I thoroughly enjoyed the hike down despite the rain. We arrived back in Upper Yubeng at 5:30pm, our legs sore but our hearts so full with contentment.
Day 4: Sacred Waterfall hike
Unfortunately, we did not have time for this 6-8 hour hike but we heard so much about it from other travelers. If you are Tibetan, this hike is the only one you would do if you had limited time. It is a sacred place for the locals and you will see a lot of prayer flags along the way. If you want to, you can join the locals in circling around the waterfall and then standing under it. No doubt it will be cold afterwards and the trail will be muddy at times, but if you wanted to experience Tibetan culture, this is it.
We chatted with several locals over the past few days, workers in Yubeng often take the day off to hike there for prayers. On the other hand, not many of them have hiked to the Glacier Lake. If you are going to hike this, it is advisable to switch accommodation on Day 4 to Lower Yubeng. It is on the way to the waterfall and the exit trail. This would just be a 40 minute walk downhill, and saves you effort to walk back uphill to Upper Yubeng after your hike.
Day 5: Hike out to Ninong Village
Sadly, it is time to leave Yubeng and I wish we could have stayed on longer. I will miss waking up to the mountains, hearing horse and pig noises and hiking early in the morning. We started our journey out at around 9am, and happened to bump into someone we met at the cafe. He was looking to share a ride to Shangri-La, so we asked him to join us to ๅ ่ฝฆ from Ninong Village.
We contacted the same driver (WeChat ID: bainiu1717) that brought us to Xidang Village the first day. Alternatively, you can choose to hike out to Ninong Village as early as possible, get a ride out to Deqin bus station and catch the last bus to Shangri-La at 2:40pm. This journey would cost about 100RMB per person, compared to booking a car which costs at least 500RMB per car.
The hike out was fairly easy because it was just a 1100m descend to Ninong Village. It was rainy season so the river was overflowing a little. Occasionally, we had to walk a little slower to avoid the water that was spilling out to the trail. It became warmer and the air was easier to breathe now that we were at 2200m altitude.
When we got to Shangri-La, we had a wonderful Tibetan hotpot dinner with our friend. It felt like a long day, but at least our hostel in Shangri-La was pretty. I will miss Yubeng a lot, and the feeling of hiding in the mountains.
Estimated Yubeng Village hiking costs
Since it was only 2 of us who shared the costs, the following reflect the average cost for each person. We stayed in mid-range guesthouses, so if you are budget conscious there are plenty of cheaper options.
| Day | Cost breakdown (excluding food, misc., etc) | Total (RMB) |
| 1 | 15 (ride from airport) + 125 (accoms) | 170 |
| 2 | 62 (bus to Deqin) + 20 (car to Feilaisi) + 140 (accoms) | 260 |
| 3 | 25 (car to Xidang) + 65 (Yubeng fee) + 110 (accoms) | 340 |
| 4 | 110 (accoms) | 220 |
| 5 | 70 (accoms) | 150 |
| 6 | 200 (car to Shangri-La) + 125 (accoms) | 420 |
| 7 | 15 (ride to airport) | 50 |
The estimated total cost is about 1600 RMB (S$320) for the whole week. Flights from Singapore cost between S$500-800, so this week-long trip can be done for ~S$1100. I think this is such a bargain for anyone who wants to go adventuring on a budget.
If you love the outdoors and are looking for something a little more unconventional, I highly recommend Yubeng Village. It is culturally rich and scenic, simply unforgettable. Go there to see and experience it for yourself – I am glad I did. Finally, check out this post for some tips on how you can take great hiking photos of yourself during this adventure.
Read more:
Hiking The Pilgrimage Trek: Yading Nature Reserve
Tiger Leaping Gorge 2-Day Hike: Was It Difficult?
Beginner Hut-To-Hut Hiking Trails You Need To Try
Hey Janice, amazing pictures! Just wondering how was the bus situation from Shangri-La to Feilaisi?
Hi Su Ann, thank you for your comment! There wasn’t anything fancy, mostly what you will expect from paying a budget price for a bus ride. The other passengers were local Tibetans and overall decent company. There’s a lunch and toilet break too, so you have to seize these opportunities haha. Hope this helps, I should probably describe this ride a little more in the post. ๐
Hey Janice! Thank you so much for this article! It’s been so helpful to read as I’m planning my Yubeng Village trek. I wanted to ask what places you stayed at each night, if you’d recommend them, and how far in advance you needed to book?
Once again, appreciate your help and sharing this post! Warm regards –
B
Hi! We stayed at ้ด้ๆถๅ because it was fairly cheap, but I think you might find more options there now ๐ I had the impression they still had vacancy when we were there, so I think at least a few weeks before should be fine? maybe not too last minute though
Hi Janice,
Enjoyed your posts about trekking in Yunnan. They are very useful as I am heading there and wanted to do some trekking. Can I find out which month were you in Yunnan and how was the weather then?
Hi Carol, thanks so much for your kind comment. Yunnan is so beautiful, great for trekking!
I went there in early July – the weather was pretty much a warm-ish summer at lower altitudes. When you’re hiking up towards Yubeng it definitely gets colder, especially near the glacier where it may be below 10 degrees Celcius. It rained a little bit so we needed rain coats/rain jackets. Good to have waterproof bag or at least ziplock bag to protect your belongings if you’re going hiking then.
Hey Janice! Loved the article. Iwas just curious what time of year you had your trip? My girlfriend and I are here in China now and are planning to go to Yubeng in a few weeks so we were curious when your pictures were taken.
Hi Jacob! We visited in early July ๐ It might be a bit colder if you’re going in June, so bring more warm clothes and prepare for wet weather too.