Jade Dragon Snow Mountain tour: Glacier, meadow, performance

Cross four elevations: glaciers, spruce forest, limestone river, and mountain outdoor stage in 8-10 hours

A private tour of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang, China, with a live guide in English or Chinese, combining cableway rides to glacier viewpoints and alpine meadows with the Impression Lijiang performance staged outdoors on the mountainside. You choose which stops to include (glacier only, glacier and meadow, or both plus the performance), and whether to add lunch, oxygen and winter clothing rental, scenic train rides, or hotel pickup. The mountain holds 13 peaks, the highest reaching 5,596 meters. The glacier cableway climbs 1,150 meters vertically and ranks among Asia's highest.

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

• Visit Yulong Snow Mountain peaks
• Take cableway to Glacier Park
• Walk to highest viewing platform
• See Blue Moon Valley
• Shuttle to Yunshanping Cableway
• Visit Spruce Meadows and Baishui River
• Watch Impression Lijiang performance

The experience

The tour runs 8 to 10 hours and centers on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the southernmost snow peak in the Northern Hemisphere. A live guide in English or Chinese meets you and manages the day's pacing, so you move at your own speed rather than following a fixed schedule. The mountain itself is the draw: 13 peaks with the highest, Shanzidou, rising 5,596 meters above sea level, and 19 oceanic glaciers (hanging and cirque types) scattered across the summit.

The cableway to Glacier Park climbs 2,914 meters in length with a vertical drop of 1,150 meters, one of Asia's highest-elevation cable rides. After you exit at the top, a walking platform reaches 4,580 meters, the mountain's highest viewing point. From there, the glaciers spread across the peak. If you choose the Spruce Meadows stop instead or in addition, a second cableway takes you to a 3,240-meter-high lawn hidden inside an original spruce forest. The meadow's colors shift with the seasons, and on clear days the snow-capped peaks frame it against the sky. Near the meadow, the Baishui River, the upper reach of the Yangtze, flows white from crushed limestone sediment. Folk dancers in ethnic dress perform on the meadows and in the forest: Naxi girls wear sheepskin capes, Dai girls wear colored-thread hats.

The Impression Lijiang performance is an hour-long singing and dance show staged outdoors at 3,100 meters, directed by Zhang Yimou, with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as the backdrop. It runs only in certain tour options. Inclusions vary by the option you pick: some include oxygen bottles and winter clothing rental, others add a scenic train ride (a 2-way trip on the mountain railway), hotel pickup, or a snow kitchen buffet lunch. A personal travel consultant handles your booking and stays reachable via instant messaging to adjust the itinerary before you arrive. Free cancellation is available up to 1 day before the tour date.

What’s included

• Depending on the option you select, the tour includes one or both cableway rides (glacier and/or Spruce Meadows).
• the Impression Lijiang performance in some options.
• a scenic train ride in others.
• oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental in certain packages.
• snow kitchen buffet lunch on select options.
• hotel pickup on some bookings.
• and a live guide in English or Chinese with real-time support from your personal travel consultant.

Options for this experience

16 options

Option 6 SpruceGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeSpruce cableway and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, 2-way scenic train

Option 3: two-way scenic train tripGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeNo tour guide; 2-way scenic train; admission tickets included

Option 1 GlacierGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier cableway and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, no transport

See 13 more options

Option 2 pairing Glacier with SpruceGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce: Glacier and Spruce cableway and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, no transport

Option 4 GlacierGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier cableway and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, Snow Kitchen buffet lunch, 2-way scenic train; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental

Glacier and Spruce, Option 5Guide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce cableway with shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, Snow Kitchen buffet lunch, 2-way scenic train; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental

Option 11 GlacierGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier: Glacier cableway and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, Snow Kitchen buffet lunch, hotel pickup/drop-off; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Glacier and Impression, Option 7Guide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Impression Lijiang: Glacier cableway, Impression Lijiang and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel transfer and 2-way train; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Glacier and Spruce option, number 12Guide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce: Glacier and Spruce cableway and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, Snow Kitchen buffet lunch, hotel pickup/drop-off; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Option 9: Glacier plus VIPGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and VIP: Glacier cableway, VIP Impression Lijiang and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel transfer and 2-way train; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Option 13, combining Glacier with ImpressionGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Impression: Glacier cableway, Impression Lijiang and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel pickup/drop-off; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Option 8 Glacier+Spruce+ImpresGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce + Impression: Glacier and Spruce cableway, Impression Lijiang and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel transfer and 2-way train; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Glacier with VIP, Option 15Guide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and VIP: Glacier cableway, VIP Impression Lijiang and shuttle bus to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel pickup/drop-off; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Option 14 Glacier+Spruce+ImpreGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce + Impression: Glacier and Spruce cableway, Impression Lijiang and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel pickup/drop-off; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Option 10 Glacier+Spruce+VIPGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce + VIP: Glacier and Spruce cableway, VIP Impression Lijiang and shuttle to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel transfer and 2-way train; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

Option 16 Glacier+Spruce+VIPGuide in English or Chinese · No fixed timeGlacier and Spruce + VIP: Glacier and Spruce cableway, VIP Impression Lijiang and shuttle bus to Blue Moon Valley, no tour guide, hotel pickup/drop-off; includes one 1000ml oxygen bottle and winter clothing rental; pickup is included

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (3 to 80 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Aether Tours

Is this one for you?The tour's flexibility (you pick which stops and add-ons suit your interests and fitness level) works best if you want to see the glacier and meadow without committing to a fixed group schedule. The cableways and high elevation mean this tour is not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, poor cardiovascular health, or pregnancy. If you have concerns about altitude or physical demands, discuss them with your consultant before booking.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

8 verified traveler reviews

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

How high does the glacier cableway climb, and what's the viewing platform elevation?

The glacier cableway rises 1,150 meters vertically over a 2,914-meter length, one of Asia's highest-elevation cable rides. The walking platform at the top reaches 4,580 meters above sea level, the mountain's highest viewing point.

What's the Impression Lijiang performance, and where is it staged?

Impression Lijiang is a one-hour singing and dance show directed by Zhang Yimou, performed outdoors at 3,100 meters above sea level with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as the backdrop. It demonstrates the traditions and lifestyle of local ethnic people and is included in some tour options only.

Can I choose which stops to visit, or is the itinerary fixed?

You choose your stops at checkout: glacier only, glacier plus Spruce Meadows, or both plus the Impression Lijiang performance. A live guide manages the pacing, so you move at your own speed within the 8 to 10 hour timeframe.

What is Spruce Meadows, and what happens there?

Spruce Meadows is a 3,240-meter-high lawn hidden inside an original spruce forest on the mountain. Folk dancers in ethnic dress perform there, and the meadow's colors change with the seasons. The Baishui River, the upper reach of the Yangtze, flows nearby with a white appearance from crushed limestone sediment.