Above The Clouds Beyond The Glass

• 1848: French missionaries brought the Bible and Rose Honey vines into this remote valley, introducing European viticulture to a Tibetan cultural landscape.

• The following century: Winemaking took root in local Tibetan households, where home-crafted wine became part of everyday life and a rare point of cultural exchange.

• 2008: Shangri-La Winery released its Cabernet Sauvignon, marking the region’s move from household tradition to commercial production.

• 2012: After a four-year search across China for a site capable of producing a world-class fine wine, the LVMH group chose Shangri-La and established the foundations of Ao Yun.

• 2024: Ao Yun 2020 received 99 points from James Suckling, becoming their highest-scoring Chinese wine of 2024, and the only Chinese wine selected for James Suckling’s Top 100 World Wines 2024 - drawing global attention to Shangri-La

• 2026: With its dramatic mountain terroir, tiny production and rising international acclaim, Shangri-La had emerged as one of China’s most compelling fine-wine regions.

•LVMH’s world-class Chinese fine-wine estate, created after a four-year search to identify a terroir capable of producing a truly top-level wine in China.

•Ao Yun 2020 received 99 points from James Suckling, became his highest-scoring Chinese wine of 2024, and was the only Chinese wine included in James Suckling’s Top 100 World Wines 2024. Wine Advocate has also rated the 2020 vintage 96 points.

•Visits are typically limited rather than set up as a standard public walk-in experience, which adds to the rarity of access.

•Part of Songtsam, one of China’s most distinctive luxury Tibetan hospitality brands; Songtsam states that over 92% of its employees are drawn from local villages.

•The property we visit, Songtsam Lodge Cizhong, was named to TIME’s World’s Greatest Places 2026 and is presented by Songtsam as the brand’s first winery lodge / wine resort.

•The wider Songtsam brand has also received international recognition through Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List, reinforcing the level of hospitality and experience design behind the visit.

•It offers one of the region’s most complete and internationally polished introductions to Shangri-La’s wine culture and terroir.

•A regional pioneer and one of the earliest large-scale commercial players in Shangri-La’s modern wine story, established in 2000.

•It remains one of the benchmark names of the region, standing at the forefront of Shangri-La’s early commercial development and the area’s broader rise onto the international fine-wine map.

•Its Sacred Legends Rongzhong Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 received 94 points and a Silver Medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards.

•A highly distinctive white-wine-focused estate in Shangri-La, known for its high-altitude Riesling and for pushing the conversation around what fine white wine can look like in this region.

•Its winery was created from a 55-year-old Tibetan house and has already received international architectural recognition, including a 2025 Architecture MasterPrize Honorable Mention and a place on the Archello / Archello Awards longlist.

•It is one of the most design-led and characterful boutique estates in the region, where architecture, landscape and wine experience come together in a particularly memorable way.

•Founded by two independent local women and built largely by hand, it brings a rare sense of intimacy, authorship and local perspective to the Shangri-La wine story.

•An art-led boutique winery shaped by a strong guqin sensibility, with wines and naming references closely tied to the world of traditional Chinese music.

•Entirely hand-crafted, with a strong focus on expressing high-altitude Cabernet Sauvignon and Pinot Noir with precision and individuality.

•Located in one of the region’s most promising terroir zones, defined by ample sunshine, dramatic day-night temperature shifts, and snow-mountain meltwater.

Songtsam Cizhong offers a refined and intimate stay in Cizhong Village, making it especially suited to travellers who value quiet luxury, strong sense of place, and a more cultural style of comfort. With only 10 rooms, the lodge feels private, thoughtful, and deeply connected to its surroundings.

Set in the Upper Mekong valley at around 2,200 metres, the lodge is surrounded by mountains, river views, vineyards, and the layered cultural identity that makes Cizhong so distinctive. It is also one of the best bases for experiencing the village’s rare blend of Tibetan life and Catholic heritage, including views toward the century-old Cizhong Church.

The room is well proportioned for a boutique stay, and the overall experience is elevated by Songtsam’s design language, atmosphere, and location rather than by scale alone.

After a full day of village walks, vineyard visits, or riverside scenery, guests can return to a lodge that feels calm, cultured, and quietly memorable. For clients seeking a stay with authenticity, intimacy, and polish, Songtsam Lodge Cizhong is a strong choice.

High Mountain Resort – Meili Hotel is one of the most practical and visually rewarding stays in the Meili Snow Mountain area, especially for travellers who want direct access to the classic Feilai Temple viewing zone. Its appeal lies in combining comfort with an exceptionally strong snow-mountain setting.

The hotel sits above the Feilai Temple viewing area, facing Meili Snow Mountain across the valley. This makes it particularly well suited to guests who want an easy and comfortable base for sunrise viewing, broad mountain panoramas, and a more immersive experience of the region’s alpine atmosphere.

After a day shaped by mountain light, crisp air, and dramatic views, guests can return to a hotel that feels spacious, straightforward, and highly aligned with the destination itself. For clients prioritising scenery, comfort, and room size, this is a very solid Meili option.

LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan offers a more design-led and internationally polished stay, ideal for guests who appreciate contemporary comfort with strong local character. As an 18-room boutique hotel, it feels exclusive, curated, and well suited to travellers looking for a more elevated interpretation of this part of Yunnan.

Perched above Benzilan, the hotel draws inspiration from traditional local townhouses while incorporating cleaner modern lines and higher-end finishing. The result is a property that feels stylish yet grounded, with a visual identity that sits naturally within the landscape rather than competing with it.

After a day on the Tea Horse Road route, guests can return to a hotel that feels refined, distinctive, and quietly luxurious. For clients who prefer boutique design, polished service, and a more contemporary premium feel, LUX* Tea Horse Road Benzilan is one of the strongest options in the area.

Shujia Wuxiang Luoguqing is best suited to travellers looking for a more immersive countryside stay, where comfort is combined with local life, landscape, and a stronger sense of discovery. Rather than functioning like a standard hotel, it offers a more experience-led retreat in a secluded Pumi village setting.

The property is distinctive because its guest rooms are distributed across 13 Pumi family courtyards, with original wooden village houses carefully adapted into boutique accommodation. This creates a stay that feels deeply rooted in place, while still incorporating the level of comfort expected from the Shujia brand.

After a day of light trekking, village walks, or simply taking in the valley landscape, guests can return to a retreat that feels peaceful, low-key, and genuinely different from a conventional resort. For clients who value nature, culture, and a more hidden luxury experience, Luoguqing is a memorable choice.

Inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003, the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas was recognised under all four natural criteria — a rare distinction for a natural heritage site.

The site brings together the upper reaches of the Yangtze (Jinsha), Mekong, and Salween, which run roughly parallel through immense gorges, glaciated peaks, and one of China’s most dramatic mountain landscapes.

More than a backdrop, it gives the journey a sense of geological scale and grandeur that is exceptional even within China.

Home to Kawagarbo, the highest point in Yunnan, the Meili Snow Mountains hold profound spiritual significance in Tibetan belief and remain one of the region’s most revered sacred landscapes.

Within the wider Three Parallel Rivers mountain system, the range forms part of a spectacular glaciated skyline, with Mingyong Glacier descending to an unusually low altitude for its latitude.

The golden first light over Meili is among Shangri-La’s most iconic spectacles — fleeting, weather-dependent, and unforgettable when seen in full clarity.

Cizhong Church stands as one of the clearest expressions of the region’s unusual meeting of Catholic heritage and Tibetan village life. Built by French missionaries in 1867, it has remained a landmark of Cizhong for more than a century.

Architecturally, it is especially distinctive: a cross-shaped church with bell towers, yet enriched with Chinese and local decorative elements, creating an unusually harmonious blend of Western and regional styles.

Set against mountains and farmland in the Lancang valley, it gives rare depth to the journey — showing that Shangri-La’s story is not only about wine and landscape, but also about faith, exchange, and layered cultural history.

Dongzhulin Monastery is one of the most important Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in the Deqin region, dramatically set above the Lancang valley.

Traditionally dated to 1667 and associated with the Fifth Dalai Lama, it remains an important Gelug monastery and a major centre of religious life in the area.

For this journey, it adds a deeper spiritual and cultural layer — revealing that Shangri-La is shaped not only by terroir and landscape, but also by living belief and long-standing tradition

The Luoguqing route is known for its snow-mountain views, primeval forest, Danxia landforms, flower-filled woodland scenery, and rare alpine plant life. It brings an active, immersive dimension to the journey, allowing guests to experience the region’s mountain ecology at ground level rather than only from the road.

•Premium ground transport, such as a Buick GL8 or similar, according to group size

•An experienced local driver and English-speaking guide throughout

•Arrival and departure transfers as stated in the itinerary

•Real-time support from your travel concierge

In-vehicle oxygen support available where needed

1.Enquire to check availability

2.Receive departure status and the latest journey details

3.Pay a 60% deposit to reserve your place

4.Receive written booking confirmation within 7–14 days, subject to final availability

5.Pay the remaining balance 8 weeks before departure

Please note:

•Scheduled departures operate with a minimum of 4 guests and a maximum of 8 guests

•Solo travellers are welcome and may join subject to availability.

•Departure status is usually confirmed by around 8 weeks before travel.

•If a scheduled departure is not confirmed, all monies paid will be refunded in full.

1.Share your preferred dates and guest numbers

2.Receive a tailored itinerary and quotation

3.Pay a 60% deposit to confirm the journey

4.Receive written booking confirmation within 7–14 days, subject to final availability

5.Pay the remaining balance 8 weeks before departure

Please note:

• Private departures are available for groups of 4–8 guests.

• We recommend allowing around 3 months for planning and estate access.

• For bookings made within 8 weeks of departure, full payment may be required at the time of booking.

The journey generally ranges from around 2,100m to 3,100m. Most overnight stays are at approximately 2,000m, while one day may reach a higher altitude for mountain views. The pace is comfortable overall, with some light walking, mountain roads, and support such as hotel oxygen systems and in-vehicle oxygen available where needed.

Yes, where advance notice is provided. Please let us know at the time of booking, ideally at least 6 weeks before departure, so arrangements can be made in advance.

A 60% deposit is required to confirm the booking, with the balance due 8 weeks before departure. For bookings made within 8 weeks of departure, full payment may be required at the time of booking. If a scheduled departure does not reach minimum numbers, all monies paid will be refunded in full. Detailed cancellation terms will be provided with the booking confirmation.

Featured estates and hosted experiences are subject to final confirmation. Where needed, we will arrange a comparable winery experience, or a privately hosted tasting of wines of a similar standing. Guests who prefer a slower or more tailored pace may also request a fully customised version of the journey.

This journey is generally best suited to adult travellers, given the altitude, wine-focused experiences, and overall rhythm of the programme.