Daocheng Yading Transportation

Daocheng is located in far Southwest Sichuan, which makes it difficult to get there. Thanks to the Construction of Daocheng Yading Airport and the ring way, visitors can get there easily by air and by road. And the local transportation is relatively convenient for tourists to get around.

Chengdu to Daocheng

If you plan to go to Daocheng from Chengdu, there are three kinds of transportation available for you to choose- by plane, by car or by bus. Taking a plane to Daocheng is very fast which only takes about 1 hour while taking a bus or car takes about 22 hours. But it is easier for you to get a high altitude sickness by air.

By Air from Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to Daocheng Yading Airport

You can take a plane from Chengdu to Daocheng at Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport. Located in the Haizishan, north of Daocheng, the Daocheng Yading Airport is about 50 kilometers away from the county. With an elevation of 4,411 meters, which is higher than the Qamdo Bamda Airport, the Daocheng Yading Airport is the highest civilian airportin the world. So far, besides Chengdu, Chongqing, Xian and Luzhou also have non-stop flights to Daocheng. Flights from Chengdu, Chongqing and Luzhou will take about one hour while flight from Xian will take about two hour.

4 Days Chengdu Daocheng Yading Flight Tour

Daocheng Yading Airport

By Bus from Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus Station to Daocheng Bus Station

If you choose to go to Daocheng by bus, you can go to Chengdu Xinnanmen Bus station to take a regular bus from Chengdu to Daocheng which leaves at 10:00am every morning. It will take 2 day on the way. The bus will stop at Kangding for the first night. The accommodation in Kangding will be arranged by yourself. The bus will set out at about 6:30am of the second day and arrive in Daocheng around 6pm. But be noticed that it will be canceled affected by the bad weather condition. Tourists should call and check the schedule with the bus station before they go.
Xinnanmen Bus Station Phone Number: 028 - 85433609
In addition, Kangding Bus Station has buses leaving for Daocheng from Kangding every morning at 06:00, which costs 133.5 yuan.
Kangding Bus Station Phone Number: 0836-2822211

By Car

You can rent vehicles to Daocheng at the car rental agency. SUV and commercial vehicle are recommended. The prices vary based on the types of vehicles. For the road to Daocheng is a little bit steep, and the international driving license can’t be used in China, it is suggested to rent vehicles with experienced drivers.

The Map of Chengdu to Daocheng

Tips:

1.The Haizishan Scenic Area is on the way to Daocheng County from the aiport. So it is suggested that you take the chartered vehicle to Daocheng, which will cost 50 yuan per person. Thus, you can take photos wherever you want.

2. The location of the airport is a little bit high, which will cause altitude sickness from Chengdu to Daocheng within just one hour. Visitors should take Oral Liquid of Rhodiola Rosea or other anti-hypoxic medicine in advance.

10 Days Daocheng Yading Siguniangshan Danba Hailuogou Panorama Tour

Zhongdian to Daocheng

There are no planes from Zhongdian to Daocheng. You can only go to Zhongdian to Daocheng by bus or by car. To charter a car is more convenient since you can decide your traveling time as you like. But taking a regular bus is cheaper than taking a chartered car.

By Bus

You can take the bus from Zhongdian to Daocheng at Zhongdian Bus Station. The distance from Zhongdian to Daocheng is more than 400 km, taking about 12 hours.
The route: Zhongdian- Derong- Xiangcheng- Daocheng

By Car

There are two routes available if you go to Daocheng by chartered vehicle as follows. The whole distance of the first route is about 330km. The second route is more than 100km further than the first route. But the road condition of the second route is better than that of the first route.
The first route: Zhongdian- Xiaoxueshan- Daxueshan- Xiangcheng- Daocheng.
The second route: Zhongdian- Derong- Xiangcheng- Daocheng.

The Map of Zhongdian to Daocheng

Lijiang to Daocheng

The transportation from Lijiang to Daocheng is similar to that from Zhongdian to Daocheng. There is no plane from Lijiang to Daocheng. You can only choose to go to Daocheng by a regular bus or by a chartered car.

By Bus

There is no direct regular bus from Lijiang to Daocheng. You have to take a bus from Lijiang to Zhongdian. The distance is about 200km, taking 4 hours. Then, you transfer at Zhongdian bus station and take a bus from Zhongdian to Daocheng.

By Chartered Vehicle

There are two transport routes from Lijiang to Daocheng as follows. The first route has shorter distance than the second route, but its road condition is worse than that of the second route. It is more convenient for you to stop to enjoy the beautiful landscapes during the way.
The first route: Lijiang- Zhongdian- Xiaoxueshan- Daxueshan- Xiangcheng- Daocheng
The second route: Lijiang- Zhongdian- Derong- Xiangcheng- Daocheng.

The Map of Lijiang to Daocheng

Getting Around in Daocheng County

Daocheng County is small. Since taking a public bus is not very convenient for traveling, you can choose to charter a car or take a taxi.

By Chartered Vehicle

If you want to travel around in Daocheng County, the most convenient way is by a chartered car. The chartered car will stop at anywhere you like.

By Taxi

It is cheap to take taxi to get around in Daocheng. About 8 yuan, you can get anywhere in the county.

From Daocheng to Yading Nature Reserve

There are three ways available for you to get to Yading Nautre Reserve - by bus, by car and by shuttle bus. You can choose one of them according to the place you are at.

By Bus

When you arrive at Daocheng Bus Station, you can take a regular bus to Shangri-La town which takes about 2 hours. And then you can take a scenic bus to Yading Nature Reserve. The distance from Shangri-La town to Yading Nature Reserve is about 36km.
The route: Daocheng Bus Station- Shangri-La town (Riwa Town) - Yading Nature Reserve

By Car

No matter where you are in Daocheng, you can charter a car to Shangri-La town. The one-way price is around 260-300RMB. Then, you can take a scenic bus to Yading Nature Reserve.
The route: Daocheng Bus Station/Daocheng down town/ Daocheng Yading Airport- Shangri-La town (Riwa Town) - Yading Nature Reserve

By Shuttle bus

If you are at Daocheng Yading Airport, you can take a shuttle bus directly to Shangri-La town, which costs 85RMB per person. When you arrive at Shangri-La town, you can take a scenic bus to Yading Nature Reserve.

If you are at Daocheng down town, you can take the shuttle bus from Daocheng down town which takes about 90 minutes. It will take three hours to get to Sahngri-La Town, costing 50RMB per person. The bus to Shangri-La town from Daocheng down town is waiting at the Airport Hotel in Daocheng County. In Shangri-La town, you can take a scenic bus to Yading Nature Reserve.

Getting Around in Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve

It needs too much energy to travel around Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve. In order to save your energy and protect the environment, the nature reserve provides shuttle buses, sightseeing buses and horses for visitors. Visitors can choose the transportation according to their traveling time and physical states.

By Shuttle Bus

To enter Yading Scenic Area, the only way is take a scenic bus provided by the nature reserve from Shangri-La town (Riwa town) to Zhaguangbeng. The scenic bus fee is 120 RMB per person for a round trip.

By Sightseeing Bus

From Chonggushi to Luorong Cattle Camp, you take a sightseeing bus. The ticket is 80 per person (round trip), taking about 20 minutes, costing 300RMB.

By Riding Horse

The mountain roads from Luorong Cattle Camp to Niunai Lake and from Luorong Cattle Camp to Pearl Lake are steep for tourists to get through, which will take about 4 hours by riding horse to make a round trip.

By Hiking

If you have enough energy, you can choose to hiking from Luorong Cattle Camp to Niunai Lake, which will take about 6 hours for a round trip. From Cattle Camp to Pearl Lake, you can also choose hiking.