Top China Hiking Destinations: Discover Breathtaking Trails and Scenic Routes in 2023/2024

China is a vast country with a variety of landforms. For those who like hiking, the magnificent mountains, deep gorges, endless grasslands, and long riverbanks are the must-go destinations.

The recommended hiking destinations include both the relaxing places with beautiful sceneries and the plateau areas where are only available to the strongest trekkers.

Mount Kailash – The Most Sacred Place for Four Religions

Mount Kailash is the most sacred place for Jainism, Hinduism, Bonism, and Tibetan Buddhism. Normally, tourists need three days to finish the 52-kilometer long trek. It is not long, but most trekking sections are located on 4000 to 5000 meters high mountain paths. Tourists who have serious altitude sickness have to cancel the trek. According to our experience, 10% of them need to give up.

During the trekking, tourists can admire the highest peak of the Mount Kailash and other breach-taking plateau sceneries and see the most devout pilgrims, who will do religious rituals while trekking.

3-Day Recommended Mount Kailash Trekking Itinerary

• Day 1 – Darchen to Drirapuk Monastery (14 km)
• Day 2 - Drirapuk Monastery to Dzultripuk Monastery (22 km)
• Day 3 - Dzultripuk Monastery to Darchen (16 km)

Religious Rituals during Mount Kailash Trek

Daocheng Yading – The Last Shangri-La

Due to its breath-taking sceneries and peaceful atmosphere, Daocheng Yading enjoys a reputation of the “Last Shangri-La”. The snow-capped mountains and colorful grasslands and forests are the best attractions during the trekking. The altitude of Daocheng Yading is between 3000 and 4000 meters.

2-Day Recommended Daocheng Yading Trekking Itinerary

• Day 1 – Drive from Daocheng to Yading (3 hours), Yading to Longtongba (3 km) to Chonggu Monastery (4 km) to Pearl Sea (1.5 km) to Yading (8.5 km).
• Day 2 - Yading to Longtongba (3 km) to Chonggu Monastery (4 km) to Luorong Pasture (7 km) to Milk Sea (5 km) to Five-Color Sea (0.3 km) to Yading (19.3 km).

You can easily take a shuttle bus or battery car during the trek.

Snow-capped mountains and grasslands in Daocheng Yading

Siguniang Mountain – Chinese Alps

The Siguniang Mountain’s sceneries are similar wit the south Europe, so the 6250-meter high mountain is also called the “Chinese Alps”. The altitude of the itinerary on Siguniang Mountain is less than 4000 meters, so many beginners like to start their first trekking challenge on this mountain.

3-Day Recommended Trekking Itinerary

• Day 1 – Lama Monastery to Kushu Beach (6 km) to Muluozi (9 km)
• Day 2 – Muluozi to Shuidaba (8 km) to Chazigou (6 km)
• Day 3 – Chazigou to Yakou (6 km) to Sankeshu (6 km) to Panyanghu (2 km)

Hiking route around Mount Siguniang is relatively smoother

One of Great Wall Sections – A Meaningful Trip

The Great Wall is a symbol of China. Traveling to one Great Wall section is a must-do tourist activity. The Great Wall is so long and there are so many sections that it takes quite a while to select a section for hiking.

Most tourists will take a day trip to the most popular sections near Beijing, such as the Mutianyu, Jiankou, Badaling, Simatai or Gubeikou. Some others may visit the Jiayuguan in Gansu. The Great Wall fans like to hike on the wild sections in Shanxi or Inner Mongolia. Our recommended itinerary is from Jiankou to Jinshanling. The length is around 9 kilometers and it takes around 4 hours.

Jinshanling Great Wall

Tiger Leaping Gorge – Enjoy the Thrilling Gorge View

Many tourists may get scared when they see the tumultuous torrent below the steep Tiger Leaping Gorge. However, it is absolutely safe due to the advanced tourist facilities. What you only need to you is enjoying the spectacular gorge views. Quite a few trekkers prefer more adventurous itinerary, where are not as safe as the most-visited parts. It is not a problem if those trekkers keep careful.

3-Day Recommended Trekking Itinerary

• Day 1 – Take a bus to the start point – the road sigh which reads “14 km”. And then walk along the village path to the restaurant Half Way. After lunch, continue trek to the Guesthouse Tina’s. Today’s trek takes around 6 hours.
• Day 2 – Trek from your guesthouse to the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and go back to your guesthouse from Yixiantian. Today’s trek takes around 5 hours.

You need to ask your guesthouse to arrange your transportation to your next destination. Normally, it is the city of Lijiang.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Yubeng – A Hidden Village in the Meili Snow Mountain

Like the Mount Kailash, the Meili Snow Mountain is also one of the sacred mountains of Tibetan Buddhism. The Yubeng Village is located in the remote area of the Meili Snow Mountain. The village is the start point of various trekking itineraries, but what interesting is that you have to trek to the start point, because there is no paved road to the village.

Normally, the Ice Lake, Sacred Waterfall, and Sacred Lake are the must-go places for trekkers. The distance between Yubeng Village and these three places are respectively six kilometers, four kilometers, and ten kilometers. They are not far, right? Please know the fact that the altitudes of the itineraries are nearly 4000 meters. So, you need at least one day for a round-trip trek to any one of these three places from Yubeng.

Yubeng Ice Lake

Li River – Leisure Sightseeing Hike

For most tourists, the best way to admire the beauty of Li River is taking a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. However, there are some Li River fans, who want to see the postcard-worthy river longer and explore the surrounding area of the river. A leisure hike along the river is their best option.

The best hiking route starts from the Yangdi Port and ends at the Xingping Town. It takes around 6 hours to finish this 17-kilometer long Li River hike. It is suggested to take a bus to Yangshuo County and taste the local Beer-Boiled Fish after the hike.

Li River Leisure Sightseeing Hike

Yellow Mountain – Excellent Mountain View

If you want to see wonderful mountain views, but worry about the altitude sickness, the Yellow Mountain is your ideal destination. The highest peak of the mountain is only 1864-meter high. Many tourists hike on the mountain to see the excellent mountain views, such as the sunrise, sea of cloud, and various plants and animals. If you are tired during the hike, just take a battery car, shuttle bus, or cable car. If you want higher level hike, the West Grand Canyon is recommended.

Yellow Mountain West Grand Canyon