Ticket: Y128 per person. The ticket office is located along the main road after the Riwa Village (recently renamed to Shangri-La).

Maps: Yading Nature Reserve, Around Yading.

Horseback riding routes:
1. Entrance -> Chonggu Lodge -> Pearl Lake -> Chonggu Lodge -> Luorong Pasture -> Entrance.
The park fixed the price for this one-day journey at Y140 per horse.

2. Entrance -> Chonggu Lodge -> Pearl Lake : Y60 / Chonggu Lodge -> Luorong Pasture: Y35
If you stay overnight in the park either at Chonggu or Luorong, don't pay wranglers in advance for the next day's journey.

The horseback riding is not necessary if you don't suffer from Yading's high altitude. Leave unnecessary luggage at a hotel in Daocheng. The walk from the entrance to Pearl lake or Luorong Pasture is quite easy.

3. Kora - the circuit of Chenresig: Luorong Pasture -> Milk Lake -> Two cols -> Chonggu Lodge: Y150 - Y200
The trail from Luorong Pasture to Milk Lake is quite steep and narrow. Wranglers are not allowed to rent their horses to tourists due to security reasons. To rent a horse for the circuit, don't ask people working in the Luorong Tent-Lodge, talk to wranglers directly.

When to visit: Raining season: from June to September, with more than 20 raining days in the month of July and August. It is cold and dry from November to April. Best time to visit is in April, May, October and November. Temperature drops dramatically in the night. At dawn travelers get up to admire the sunrise, and will find their camera batteries become stagnant due to the cold temperature.
Average temperature: April: 4.4°C, May: 9.2°C, June: 11.5°C, July:11.9°C, August: 11.1°C, September:9.7°C. October: 5.2°C. November: -0.6°C.

Access by road:

1) Daocheng - Yading: 110km. The road was completed just before the National Day (Oct 1st) in 2003.
Public bus service would be added to link Daocheng directly to the entrance of Yading Nature Reserve during the high season. The bus is expected to leave Daocheng at 8:00 and arrive at the entrance at around 11:00. The return trip is scheduled at 15:00. However the bus would leave as soon as it becomes full. One way ticket: Y60.- per person.
Collective taxi: It will be less expensive than the bus if you manage to find enough travelers to share a taxi which costs Y300 for the trip to the entrance. Another advantage is that you can ask the driver to stop along the road to take pictures or even visit the monastery.

2) Muli - Yading: This road is still under construction. Muli is close to Xichang in Sichuan province.

Access by foot: See Other Hiking Trails.

There are two simple lodges in the reserve, accessible only by hiking or horseback riding. (Location: See map Yading Nature Reserve) No lodges or hotels are allowed to be built in the reserve so as to protect the environment.
Compared with the comfortable, cheap, and family-operated lodges along the High Trail of Tiger Leaping Gorge, these two awful lodges run by Yading Reserve's administrator could test your nerves. How can people be capable of building such a hell in “a garden fit for gods”. A sleeping bag is recommended here.

Luorong Pasture Tent-lodge (4100M): 200 beds, Y40 per person, 12 km from the park entrance.
It is the worst accommodation that I have ever experienced, and cradled in the most beautiful valley that I have ever seen (see left photo 3). Luorong pasture offers fantastic views of three sacred mountains. (See left photo 2, Chenresig's east face seen from Luorong).

Lying between damp sheets and blankets, accompanied by numerous insects, in addition to the high altitude effect, few people would manage a sound sleep in the Luorong Tent-lodge. I put my raincoat under the sleeping bag and selected the least damp blanket to cover the sleeping bag. It was extremely cold even during the nights in September. However such an ordeal can be easily compensated for by the magnificent sunrise on three sacred mountains.

The staffs were not friendly. Their restaurant has vegetables and meats. But it took a long time to cook. I ordered the noodle soup twice, Y8.-. Be careful with WC (latrine), there are many gaps between the planks. I wonder if someone had fallen down.

Chonggu Lodge: (3800M): Y30 per person, 3km from the park entrance, below Chonggu Si. See left photo 4 and 5.
This lodge is better than Luorong Tent-lodge. It accommodates a maximum of 150 persons, with average 20 persons per room. The lodge supplies plenty of dry blankets. A sleeping bag is still necessary as the blankets seem never having been washed.

The monk-staffs are quite friendly and preparing a lot of hot water for travelers. Its latrine is not the worst that I have seen in China. A restaurant nearby offers simple meals with reasonable price. Chinese style breakfast costs Y8.- with rice soup, steamed breads (mantou), one egg and a cup of Tibetan drink. You have to book the breakfast at the restaurant the night before.

Chonggu Lodge provides marvelous views of Chenresig's north face and Chanadorje's west face. It's not possible to see Jampelyang.

From Mauro: "Some updating of August, 2005:

"Luorong Tent is still as horrible as you describe it. and very expensive according to Chinese standards: 50 yuan per bed, in the cold and damp tents, Chonggu lodge is 40 yuan right now, and the meal cheaper and better than in Luorong."

"Hotels in Daocheng are cheap and easy to find. On the old road at the center of town, we slept in a hotel for 40 yuan in double room, clean, silent and tidy. 50 yuan with bathroom (quite stinky....)"

"From Daocheng to Yading, no buses. Renting a minivan is about 350-400Y return, but sometimes you can get cheaper prices asking aroudn for drivers going there anyway. is about three hours, and the last hour a bit stressing. "

" the ticket to enter Yading is extremely expensive according to chinese standards: 168 yuan. But any student ID will be accepted to reduce the price to 68, which is reasonable."