Paying on the trail in Yunnan
What takes Alipay, what needs cash, and how much to carry on Tiger Leaping Gorge and in Yubeng.
The short answer: pay by app where there is signal, carry cash for when there isn’t. Foreign cards are almost never accepted on the trail.
Tiger Leaping Gorge
| What | How people pay |
|---|---|
| Gorge entry ticket | At the gate; app or cash |
| Guesthouse rooms and meals | Alipay, WeChat Pay or cash |
| Bag storage and forwarding in Qiaotou | App or cash |
| Mules on the 28 Bends | Cash preferred; agree the price first |
| Private-path fees to Middle Tiger Leaping Stone | Cash, small notes |
Signal is good along most of the High Trail, so apps work for most things.
Yubeng
| What | How people pay |
|---|---|
| Meili scenic-area ticket | At the checkpoint; app or cash |
| Guesthouses in Upper and Lower Yubeng | WeChat Pay, Alipay or cash |
| Horses over the Nazongla Pass | Cash preferred |
| Snacks and drinks on the trails | Cash; signal is patchy |
How much cash to carry
Carry enough yuan for horses, path fees and one night’s lodging in case the network goes down. Get it from an ATM in Lijiang or Shangri-La before you head into the mountains. ATMs are scarce or absent in the villages.
Prefer not to think about it?
We can prepay tickets, guesthouses and horses so you only need cash for snacks and tips. Guided treks include all of this.
Walk it with a guide
Small groups with an English-speaking leader and a local guide. Bags carried, rooms booked, transport arranged.
Go independently, we'll book it
Drivers, guesthouses, tickets and horses, booked in Chinese by our licensed agency and confirmed to you in English.