[2025 Shangri-La Attraction] Travel Guide for Niru Village (Updated Mar)

Save this now!⭐️ Alpine Rhododendrons Undeniably the top attraction in Yunnan in spring🔝 Hidden deep in the heart of the Three Parallel Rivers region Known as Shangri-La's last secret realm This is Niru📍 🏔️While tourists flock to Pudacuo, experienced hikers have already turned their sights southwest - to a hidden gem called the "world's best eco-village" by *National Geographic*. Every year from May to June, the Niru River Valley, at an altitude of 3,000 meters, undergoes a grand spectacle of color. Hundreds of thousands of alpine rhododendrons, nourished by snowmelt, grow wild, spreading from the valley to the ridges like flowing brocade. This is not just an ordinary flower viewing trip, but a five-sense awakening journey through virgin forests, colorful waterfalls, and Tibetan pastoral songs🌳 📖If you are a seeker of the Shangri-La imagery in *Lost Horizon* and are willing to put in the physical effort for breathtaking views, the Niru rhododendrons are an absolute visual feast you can't miss🌺 ⭐️Hidden Gem 👉Along the road from Shangri-La to Niru Village, there is a little-known rhododendron sea, covering an area the size of one or two mountaintops. It's grand, dreamy, and totally Instagrammable💯 (see pictures 1-5). You can locate it by searching for Xilianpen Pass📍. It's hidden behind the virgin forest and not visible from the road, so be sure to get out of the car and walk into the woods on the right-hand side🌳 🔻Itinerary Day 1: Chartered car from Lijiang to Niru Village, viewing alpine rhododendrons along the way (It's recommended to gather in Lijiang, not Shangri-La, to reduce the risk of altitude sickness) 📍 Niru Village altitude: 2,700m 🏡Accommodation: Tibetan homestay (book in advance) ⏱️Hiking: Acclimatize to the altitude, stroll around the village Day 2: Niru Village → Seven-Colored Waterfall (altitude: 2,900m) ⏱️Hiking: 4 hours uphill + 2 hours downhill 📣It is recommended to visit the Seven-Colored Waterfall before Nanbao Pasture to reduce the risk of altitude sickness 🏡Accommodation: Return to Niru Village homestay Day 3: Niru Village → Nanbao Pasture (altitude: 3,800m) ⏱️Hiking: 6-7 hours (recommended to start at 8am) 🌌Overnight stay: Tent at the pasture (guide required for camping) Day 4: Nanbao Pasture → Dinglang Lake → Niru Village 🏡Accommodation: Return to Niru Village homestay Day 5: Niru Village → Shangri-La → Lijiang 🚶Pre-trip Tips ✅ Best time to visit: May - mid-June (blooming period varies with altitude) 🎒 Equipment: Waterproof hiking boots + snow gaiters (muddy during rainy season), windproof jacket, warm down jacket, raincoat, and insulated water bottle ⚠️ Note: There is no cell phone signal at Nanbao Pasture, inform your family in advance While city dwellers seek dopamine in concrete jungles, the rhododendrons of Niru are inscribing the life code of billions of years into each ice-crystal-laden petal - some blooms are born to stir the soul!

1️⃣ Tiger Leaping Gorge Trail Shangri-La, Yunnan 🥾 25 km ⏰ 2 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 1,800 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Beginners with some hiking experience and those with good physical fitness One of the world's top 10 classic hiking trails. Face the surging river and towering cliffs, and feel the awe of nature. 2️⃣ Yubeng Trail Deqin County, Yunnan 🥾 57 km ⏰ 4 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 4,980 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Hiking enthusiasts with good endurance who yearn for primitive scenery "Go to Yubeng if you can't go to heaven." Every step feels like walking into a painting. 3️⃣ Niru Trail Shangri-La County, Yunnan 🥾 52 km ⏰ 4 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 4,200 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Hikers who love nature and exploring biodiversity A paradise of biodiversity, with rare flora and fauna everywhere. Explore the natural treasure trove. 4️⃣ Abujee Lake Trail Shangri-La, Yunnan 🥾 39 km ⏰ 4 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 4,400 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Those who love natural scenery and hiking Get up close to Tianbao Snow Mountain. The scenery is stunning, and the fun is endless. 5️⃣ Shitou City Trail Yulong County, Yunnan 🥾 28 km ⏰ 2 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 2,800 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Beginner hikers interested in history, culture, and unique architecture One side faces the river, and the other three sides are cliffs. It's ancient and mysterious, like traveling back in time. 6️⃣ Biluo Snow Mountain Trail Lanping County, Yunnan 🥾 48 km ⏰ 3 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 4,200 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Hikers with experience who want to embrace primitive nature The pristine ecology is amazing, like walking into an isolated fairyland. 7️⃣ Gaoligong Trail 🥾 29 km ⏰ 2 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 3,100 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Beginner hikers who want to experience plateau hiking Rich vegetation makes it an excellent choice for beginner plateau hikers. Easily enjoy the plateau scenery. 8️⃣ Meili North Slope Trail 🥾 50+ km ⏰ 5 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 5,200 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Hiking enthusiasts with good physical fitness and experience who love snow-capped mountains and glaciers Snow-capped mountains, glaciers, and dense forests. Every scene will make you say "Wow!" 9️⃣ Meili Outer Trail 🥾 150 km ⏰ 8 days 🌄 Max. altitude: 5,200 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Experienced hikers with good physical fitness who are interested in religious culture Also known as the Meili Grand Circuit, it's a classic pilgrimage route for Tibetans. The scenery and religious culture blend together for an unforgettable experience. 🔟 Haba Snow Mountain Climb Shangri-La, Yunnan 🌄 Max. altitude: 5,396 m 🏃‍♂️ Suitable for: Hikers with good physical fitness who want to challenge themselves on a snow-capped mountain The only 5,000-meter snow-capped mountain in Yunnan that allows climbing. It's beginner-friendly, and reaching the summit to overlook the mountains and sea of clouds is a great achievement. How many of these classic hiking trails in Yunnan have you tried? Share your experience in the comments! ------------------------------ For more details, click the link below. 👇 Book in advance! No detours! ------------------------------    

Back to my spiritual home Yunnan after two months Dragon Boat Festival Special Forces Niru Trekking 3D2N 🟡 "Niru" means "the place where the sun shines". It is not overdeveloped, but it is covered by the hiking infrastructure of Pudacuo National Park, with clear signs and rest stops, and rich knowledge of flora and fauna... The innkeeper's truck 🚛 is used to transport us and the cattle to the mountains for a walk, the tenacious Tibetan aunt helps the hikers to carry their luggage and also puts the horses under the shining flowers, and the Nambo Ranch is still home to a family of hundreds of cattle who do not sell water or food... A perfect trail experience, with forests, rivers, lakes, meadows, and shepherd's huts all the way, and the highland rhododendrons blooming in the sun and white clouds... We were also lucky to catch the sun rain, 🌈, sunset, and starry sky... 🟡 DAY1️⃣ Niru Village (2,800m) - Parking Lot Trailhead (3,000m) - Mailiang Ranch - Xirenlong Ranch - Lizhan Ranch - Changhua Marsh Wetland - Selie Lake - Nabo Lake (Black Sea) - Nambo Ranch ⛺️ (4,000m) Hiking about 12km, climbing 1,000m, climbing for the first 8km DAY2️⃣ Nambo Ranch (4,000m) - Shuo'e Ranch - Dinglang Lake - Niru Village (2,800m) - Colorful Waterfall - Xiadiange Ranch ⛺️ (3,100m) Hiking about 22km, climbing 900m, descending 1,600m DAY3️⃣ Xiadiange Ranch (3,100m) - Dijitang Ranch (Deji Ranch, 3,800m) - 🚗Shangri-La Hiking about 10km, climbing 800m

👉Today, I will take you to a little-known but breathtaking place—Niru! 🌈Before I set foot on this land, the magnificence and purity of Namjagbarwa had always been the pinnacle of beauty in my heart. But when I actually stepped into Niru, all my perceptions were redefined. 🌈Niru is a Tibetan name. "Ni" means sun, and "ru" means shine, so Niru means "a place where the sun shines". Niru is a Tibetan village surrounded by primitive forests in the secret land of Shangri-La, known as the "secret land within the secret land". There is no hustle and bustle of the city, no commercial disturbance, only the purest natural scenery and simple folk customs. Surrounded by primitive forests, clear streams flow through the mountains, and every place is a landscape that makes people feel relaxed and happy. For me, a hiking enthusiast, Niru is undoubtedly a paradise. 🏠Niru Village is relatively primitive, and there are two routes to the Colorful Waterfall and Nanbao Pasture, which are in two different directions, and you need to return to Niru Village for the night in between🌃 🟢Nanbao Pasture Route: It is tiring to hike back and forth in one day, so you can ride a horse up and down the mountain, or you can choose to camp in the pasture. 🌈Colorful Waterfall Route: The road is good, and half a day is enough to return. 🦹‍♀️Culture and customs: 🏯Ancient Tibetan villages maintain a traditional semi-farming and semi-pastoral lifestyle. 🚶The daily life of Tibetans, working at sunrise and resting at sunset, shows the simple farming culture. 🏠Unique Tibetan architecture and religious beliefs, such as temples and prayer flags. 🚌Transportation and 🏠Accommodation 🚖It takes about 6 hours to drive from Lijiang to Niru Village, and about 3 hours from Shangri-La. 👉Due to the remote location and inconvenient transportation, it is recommended to find a guide or charter a car. 🛏Accommodation is limited, mostly Tibetan homestays or simple inns, more inclined to experiential tourism rather than luxury vacations. 👉Reference itinerary: 👉Day 1️⃣➡️Lijiang➡️Shangri-La➡️Luoji Township➡️Niru Village 👉Day 2️⃣➡️Niru Village➡️Xirenlong Pasture➡️Selie Lake➡️Nanbao Pasture (15 km hike) 👉Day 3️⃣➡️Nanbao Pasture➡️Shuo'e Pasture➡️Dinglang Lake➡️Niru Village (14 km) 👉Day 4️⃣➡️Niru Village➡️Colorful Waterfall➡️Dijitang Pasture (15 km). 👉Day 5️⃣➡️Dijitang Pasture➡️Conggu Pasture➡️Potatso National Park➡️Shudu Lake➡️Lijiang (8 km). End of a wonderful journey

🌈Highlights: Niru Village is a hidden gem deep in Shangri-La, like a fairytale world. The natural scenery here is breathtaking and makes people yearn for it. You can ride horses here, feel free and comfortable, and experience the simplicity and nature of the ancient Tibetan village. Forests, snow-capped mountains, grasslands, lakes, cattle, sheep, and flowers all seem so harmonious. At night, the stars twinkle, and the whole world quiets down, making people feel peaceful. 🚗Transportation: 👍️Must-see attractions: Colorful Waterfall: The waterfall is set off by green plants and golden leaves, and the mist is looming, as if a rainbow is shuttling through the waterfall. Niru Village - Nanbao Ranch: Here you can see the mountains and the vastness, the fireworks of the world, as if you are in hell, but your eyes are in heaven. Nanbao Ranch and Daocheng Yading are separated by two mountains. If you have enough time, you can visit them by the way. Secret Land: Entering Niru Village, the air is fresh, the original scenery is in full view, and there is also the local Tibetan culture, as if you have truly embraced nature. 💗Other tips: The rainy season in Niru Village is from June to October. It is recommended to go when the weather is good, otherwise, the mountain roads are difficult to walk and dangerous. There is no signal in the forest area, so it is recommended to download the map in advance. Protect the natural environment and do not litter. Respect local culture and do as the locals do. Niru Village, a truly primitive secret place, is waiting for you to explore!

📍 Location Information 📍 - Address: Niruo Village, Luoji Township, Shangri-La City, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province - Altitude: Approximately 2,705 meters - Distance from Shangri-La City: About 88 kilometers 🚗 Route Guide 🚗 - Self-driving route: - Start from Shangri-La City and navigate to Niruo Village, a total distance of about 116 kilometers, approximately a 3-hour drive. - The first 40 kilometers are on the Shangri-La East Ring Road, which is in good condition; the next 40 kilometers are on the Ergang San County Road, mostly mountain roads. - After passing Luoji Township, enter the Niruo Road, drive carefully, and watch out for falling rocks and narrow sections. 🏞️ Scenic Spots 🏞️ - Seven-Colored Waterfall 🌈: One of the most famous attractions in Niruo Village, suitable for family hiking. - Nanbao Pasture 🐑: Alpine meadow, ideal for viewing highland lakes and grassland scenery. - Duojipamnei (Fairy Cave) 🗻: A mysterious natural cave, a legendary holy site. - Diji Grassland 🌾: A vast grassland where you can ride horses or fly kites. 🎫 Ticket Information - Niruo Village itself does not charge an entrance fee, but some attractions may require a small fee. 📸 Check-in Spots 📸 - Seven-Colored Waterfall 🌈: Capture the rainbow-like waterfall. - Nanbao Pasture 🐑: Take photos with yaks and experience the life of herdsmen. - Diji Grassland 🌾: Capture silhouettes under the golden sunset. - Niruo Village Entrance 🏘️: Take a commemorative photo at the village entrance sign. - Secret Realm Welcome Sign 🏷️: Take a photo at the must-pass road into the village. ⚠️ Notes ⚠️ - Weather: Always check the weather forecast to avoid the rainy season. - Safety: The Niruo Road is dangerous, drive carefully. - Equipment: Bring enough food and water, as well as warm clothing. - Environmental Protection: Protect the environment, do not litter. - Communication: Some areas along the way have no mobile signal, download maps in advance.

Yunnan Niru Village Yunnan Niru is known as the secret among the secrets, the world's first ecological village. One of the rarely visited secrets, let your soul take a walk here. Niru Village

Up in the mountains of Yunnan, about 3 hours' drive from Shangri La, is the village of Niru. Tiny shops and guesthouses line the single road that winds up and down, around the mountainside, through the village. If you stay at the right guesthouse, you can watch the sun rise a little different every morning, colorful and lovely over the valley, while smoke rises from houses in the village below. In June, the barley is harvested, fields shimmering with golden treasure. Hiking trails up to the Tibetan Plateau begin here, leading deep into the mountains and true wilderness, far, far away from phone signals or civilization. Niru is a beautiful place to rest away from modern society for a while. . . . #mountains #yunnan #爬山 #群山 #行山 #云南 #hiking #hikingtrails #sunrise #instatravel #china #中国 #中华