Sharing a travel experience from Shangri-La to Balagezhong National Park

First, let me share a bit about the trip — we booked both the flight tickets and the Seyearn Hotel (located near Songzanlin Monastery) through Trip.com. It was super convenient, the system was user-friendly, and there were notifications for every step, so no worries about the journey at all. 💙

A day before heading to the park, we informed the Seyearn Hotel to help us book tickets to the park. The hotel contacted the tour company for us, making everything so easy. 💕

On the travel day, the hotel staff called a taxi to take us to the old town gate to pay for the tickets. A tour staff member was already waiting there to assist us — no worries at all as they took care of everything.

⏰ We chose the 8:00 AM bus.
💰 The price was 230 yuan per person, which is the same for all tour companies as it’s a regulation by the Chinese authorities. Very fair pricing.

For seniors aged 60 and above, the price is 175 yuan.
For those over 70, it seems to be free.

This price includes:
1️⃣ Round-trip bus between the old town and the park
2️⃣ Park entrance fee
3️⃣ Internal park bus (stopping at around 4 points)

However, it doesn’t include additional activities such as:
🚣 Rafting
🪂 Ziplining
🚠 Cable car to Shambala peak

We opted to take the bus up to Shambala, which required an additional 75 yuan per person. The driver was very kind and even helped us buy tickets when he saw we didn’t have them yet. 🥰

Just show a picture to the staff or driver of where you want to go, and they’ll point you to the right bus. It’s very simple and worry-free.

During the internal park bus ride, the driver played a music video about Balagezhong. We couldn’t understand the lyrics, but the hook went, "Wo Ai Ni Balagezhong," and it became quite catchy after a while.

📸 At Shambala, you get about 1–1.5 hours to explore and take photos. The views are absolutely stunning — a must-visit at least once in your life. 💚 Expansive grasslands, herds of yaks, and the majestic Shambala mountain views.

A few tips:
🚍 If you want to visit Shambala, it’s best to leave Shangri-La on the earliest bus at 8:00 AM and return on the evening bus at 5:30 PM. If you choose the 3:30 PM return, you might not make it back in time after descending from Shambala.

Afterward, the bus will drop you off at the north gate of the old town. The journey from the park to the town takes about 2 hours, just in time for dinner.

If you have any questions about the trip, feel free to comment, and I’ll help answer them. ❤️