This route is quite demanding due to the long travel distance, high requirements, and great difficulty. It requires good physical fitness and fast walking pace. It is recommended for hiking enthusiasts with some experience.
The entire trip from Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge and back to Lijiang can be completed in two days. The actual hiking time is 11 hours, covering a total distance of 43 kilometers.
The detailed route is: Lijiang - Qiaotou - Changsheng - Zhongluoyu - 28 Zigzag Paths - Two Families - Ben Diwan - Dashengou - Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge Riverside - Skyline - Heguoyuan (accommodation), Heguoyuan - Huashiban - Old Ferry Port - Daju - Lijiang.
The earliest bus from Lijiang to Zhongdian (via Qiaotou) departs at 7:30 AM and arrives at Qiaotou around 10:00 AM; it reaches Changsheng Village at 10:30 AM and Zhongluoyu at 12:00 PM, where lunch is served at Naxi Family Restaurant (NAXI FAIMRY). Departure at 1:00 PM, reaching the top of the 28 Zigzag Paths (the highest point of the entire hike) by 2:00 PM at Gan Yanfang, arriving at Two Families at 3:00 PM, Ben Diwan at 4:00 PM, Dashengou at 5:00 PM, Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge Riverside at 5:40 PM, passing through Skyline, and reaching Heguoyuan at 7:00 PM. Dinner and accommodation at "Woody Inn" or "Shanquan Guesthouse". On the second day, wake up at 7:30 AM, freshen up and have breakfast, depart at 8:30 AM, pass Huashiban at 9:30 AM, reach Old Ferry Port at 11:00 AM, and arrive at Daju before 12:00 PM. Catch the scheduled bus (12:00 PM or 1:00 PM) back to Lijiang, arriving at 3:30 PM.
Comparing the two days, the first day is more rushed while the second day is relatively relaxed. The reason for the tight schedule is that the latest bus from Daju to Lijiang departs daily at 1:00 PM. If you cannot reach Daju before 1:00 PM, you will have to take a private car back to Lijiang or spend the night in Daju. Therefore, to complete the entire route, you must stay overnight at Heguoyuan. For experienced hikers with sufficient speed, such a schedule on the first day is not too stressful because I walked leisurely all the way, stopping frequently to take photos, and even had time to visit each inn and teahouse in every village.
On the second day, you can also choose to cross the new ferry port to Daju, which allows you to reach Daju before 12:00 PM. However, there are steep uphill and downhill paths at the new ferry port, which are tiring and somewhat unsafe. Additionally, if the boat owner delays, it might waste time.
Finally, the old saying still holds true: "Safety first when traveling!"
(To be continued)