6-Day Xichang Lugu Lake Escape Tour with Qionghai & Mt.Lu

The panoramic view of Lugu Lake.
The closer panoramic view of Lugu Lake.
Rent a boat and wandering the Lugu Lake.
Never miss out the sunrise in the first rays.
The sunset is gorgeous as well.
Walk along the world's longest wooden bridge.

Tour Outline: 6 Days & 5 Nights
Chengdu(1N) - Xichang City(1N) - Qionghai Lake - Lugu Lake (2 N) - Mt.Lu - Xichang City(1N) - Chengdu

Overview
Itinerary
Service Inclusion
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Trip Overview

You couldn't believe that the matriarchal society still exists in the world until you are treated by a Mosuo local family and experience it by yourself in Lugu Lake. We will arrange you to visit the Mosuo family and taste their home-made "Sulima Wine" and "Tuotuo mutton" and hear the story of the walking-marrige custom which still retain here. Escape from the loud and turbulent cities and take the time here to relax and enjoy the tranquility of the untouched beauty of the lake and a hike or bicycle ride. Except Lugu Lake, the Qionghai lake and Lu Mountain are the highlights of this trip as well.

Lugu Lake is accessible from either Chengdu or Yunnan, about 14 hours from Chengdu and 6 hours from Lijiang. This trip connects Chengdu, Xichang city, Qionghai Lake, Lugu Lake and Lu Mountain and please check our tailor-made Lugu Lake tour from Lijiang if you prefer to access from Yunnan.

[Qionghai Lake] Visit the second plateau freshwater mirror-like lake of Sichuan province; taste the Qionghai local flavor food;
[Lover Bridge] Walk along the world's longest man-made traditional wooden bridge crossing over 300-meters grass sea;
[Mosuo Family visit] Treated with their home-made food and experience the local custom of walking marriage;
[Moped Ride] Rent a moped and ride around the Lugu Lake for 60KM for the blue sky, crystal water & gorgeous scenery;
[Lugu Lake sunrise] Enjoy the sunrise in the first rays and the sweet love songs from the lake;
[Lu Mount] Visit the rare stones, pine tree, water and have a panoramic view of Qionghai Lake in Lu Mount;

Best Time to Visit

all year round
Physical Demands

Very leisure tour; zero physical demand

Day by Day Itinerary

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Day 1: Chengdu Arrival

Upon your arrival at the Chengdu Shuangliu international airport, our tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel in Chengdu downtown. The rest of the day is yours to relax and have a good rest.

Direct International Flights to Chengdu

Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport offers more than 65 international airlines ranked the fourth domestic airline after Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. The direct airlines directly link Chengdu with Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne, New York, London, Vancouver, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Anchorage, Paris, Frankfurt, Seoul, Bangkok, Tokyo and more. Click here to check the map of Chengdu direct international airlines.

Day 2: Chengdu-Xichang County-Qionghai Lake (435km)

The Xichang City Cetner

The blue sky and clear water in Qionghai Lake

Today after breakfast, we will head to Xichang, the capital county of Liangshan and the biggest place of the Yi people living in. In the afternoon, we will visit the Qionghai Lake, the second plateau freshwater lake of Sichuan province. The crowds of Egretta garzetta, the Moon bay and Qinglong Bay are the highlights of Qionghai Lake. We will have the Qionghai local flavor dinner with drunk shrimp and Liangshan Barbecue.

Drive 435KM, about 6 hours
High Altitude: Xichang (1500M)
Internet & Wifi
Xichang local hotel (standard room with private bathroom)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 3: Xichang-Yanyuan County-Lugu Lake (280km)

Lugu Lake Impression

Wooden Lover Bridge of Lugu Lake

After breakfast at the hotel around 7:30am and we will set off to Lugu Lake. Enjoy the beautiful landscape of Little Liang Mountain, Mo Pan Mountain, Highland Mountain, Yalong River and Yanyuan County along the way. Have the lunch in Yanyuan County and arrival at Lugu Lake in the afternoon about 15:30. After check- in, we will head to the Lover Bridge, the world's longest man-made traditional wooden bridge crossing over 300-meters Grass Sea; wander on the bridge and enjoy the sunset scenery. Have a Mosuo local flavor dinner with "Sulima Wine" and "tuotuo mutton" to the Lugu Lake. Join the fire party after the dinner and enjoy the folk songs and dance with the local people in a big courtyard.

Lugu Lake, situated in the mountains on the border between Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, the remoteness of the region has long preserved traditions, is the historical home of the Mosuo, one of the last matrilineal societies in the world. The mirror-like lake surrounded by the lush peaks has the crystal clear water and here you can see many metres down into the water and the plant life below. Just clicking your camera shutter, there is the blockbuster photo same as the ones you find on the internet even you are using the basic photography facility.

Mosuo people still retain the custom of Walking marriage, which means "male does not marry, female does not marry." If two people like each other, the young man climbs up a tall wall and crawls into a window to have intimate relation with a girl at night and leaves before day break secretly. Lovers have no economic or any legal relationaship, and continue to live in their mother's home when they have children. The females are called "Azhu" and the the males are called "Axia".

Drive 280KM, about 5~6 hours
High Altitude: Lugu Lake (2500M)
Internet & Wifi
Faceing the Lake Hotels (Standard Room with private bathroom)
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Day 4: Lugu Lake One Day Tour (60km)

You can rent either a bike or moped to ride around Lugu Lake

Lige Penisula of Lugu Lake

We will rent a moped and spend the whold day riding around the lake. It is about 60km to Lige peninsula located at the north side of Lugu Lake, surrounded on three sides by water and connected with a 2-meters lane in the north side. In the afternoon, check in the facing lake hotel in Lige penisula. You can taste the roast suckling pig for the dinner and have some drinks and relax in the bars.

Moped/Walk 60km
High Altitude: Lugu Lake (2500M)
Internet & Wifi
Facing-lake local hotel (standard room with private bathroom)
Breakfast

Day 5: Lugu Lake-Xichang County (280km)

Lugu Lake sunrise in the first rays

Panoramic view of Xichang and Qionghai Lake from Lu Mount

After breakfast at about 7:30, enjoy and shoot the beautiful sunrise of Lugu Lake in the first rays and listen the sweet lover songs from the lake. Then say goodbye to the calm lake, warm sunshine, boundless forest, blue sky and all over the sky stars. Return back to Xichang county and after lunch, head to visit the Mount Lu, about 5km south away from Xichang county, with the best scenery in the southern Sichuan. Mount Lu is 2317 meters with mirro-like Qionghai Lake on the east, winding Anning river on the west, historical Xichang county on the north and beautiful Mount Luoji on the south. The pine tree is all over the mountain and walk through the forest for the ancient tower, Yin Yang Pine, earthquake forest of steles and have a panoramic view of Qionghai Lake. Get back to Xichang County after the tour.

Drive 280KM, about 5 hours
High Altitude: Xichang (1500M)
Internet & Wifi
Xichang Local Hotel (Standard room with private bathroom)
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Xichang County-Chengdu (435km)

Today we will get back to Chengdu, and it takes about 6 hours. We will transfer you to your hotel in Chengdu, or the airport/train station for your next destination.

Price Details & Guide

Price Inclusions

Private transportation to the destinations and sites listed in the itinerary; ranging from 4WD land cruiser to bus depending on the group size and trip route; car gasoline, road toll and in-transport refreshments (free bottles of water, air pillow and headscarf) are included; Bicycle or moped rental in Lugu Lake is included as well;
Lodging: one night in Chengdu business hotel; two nights in Xichang business hotel; two nights in Lugu Lake facing-lake hotel;
Private experienced English-speaking trip leader;
Airport/railway station pick-up and send-off services at the beginning/end of the tour;
Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the itinerary;
Meals listed in the itinerary (5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches, 1 Dinner);
First aid kit;
A coverage of 300,000RMB Chartis travel insurance;

Price Exclusions

International and domestic flight/train to Chengdu (Note: we accept the domestic flight/train tickets booking to Chengdu from other cities in advance, check the updated ticket availibility and cost with your travel consultant);
Meals that are not specified in the itinerary (Averagely a meal in the 3rdpole region cost 3~10USD per person);
Tips and gratuities for the trip leader and driver;
The expense of a personal nature like alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc;
Optional activities and excursions not specified in the itinerary;
China Entry visa fees;

Itinerary Alteration

Once we receive your tour deposit, which is followed by signing the contract, your reservation is secured with legitimacy. Our staff will reserve the accommodation, vehicle, site tickets, meals and more, and pay the deposit for our suppliers. So if you want to alter to another itinerary, you need to cover the deposit we've paid, while no service charge is needed if you make some changes on the itinerary you booked.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel the tour beacuse of your personal issues, you will be liable to pay cancellation charges that are bounded by 3rdpoletour.com cancellation policy as follows:

1.) If you cancel the tour more than 30 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 10% of the total land cost per person;
2.) If you cancel the tour 15-30 days prior to your trip start date, 20% of your total land tour cost will be forfeited as a cancellation fee.
3.) If you cancel the tour 7-15 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 30% of land cost.
4.) If you cancel the tour 7 days prior to your tour start date, you will forfeit 50% of land cost.
5.) If you fail to show up or cancel at your scheduled arrival time without prior notice or later than that, you will forfeit 100% of the land cost.

If the tour has to be cancelled because of the natural disaster or the government restrictions that is beyond both parties control, we will charge only USD50 per person, this is just the service fee and larbor fee during the preparation. This is a rare occurrence!

The cancellation fee charged by 3rdpoletour.com will be kept under your name (person who contacted us) for a usable period of 2 years. Within the applicable period you can use it for next time or you can kindly pass your authority to any of your family, friends or colleagues to use by booking a tour with 3rdpoletour.com. A certifying email from you is necessary to pass the cancellation fee to others, but it is only applicable for private group.