Lugu Lake
Historic SitesBodies of Water
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Monday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Tuesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Wednesday
12:00 AM - 11:59 PM
Thursday
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Friday
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4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles888 reviews
Excellent
645
Very good
205
Average
28
Poor
7
Terrible
3

MiAlGa
Beijing, China36 contributions
1.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2020
Despite having all green health codes and being in China since 5 months the access to non Sichuan people was denied. My friend with a Dalian ID (green health codes) and myself a foreigner with all necessary green health codes were rejected. I believe that the Lugu Lake Management should strongly rethink their access policy as there is no government instructions to not allow guests who are healthy into their premises. Made a trip of 300 km for nothing! Be careful if you travel this year there as they might keep this ridiculous own rule going. Call before you travel there.
Written 13 May 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Indiajudd
Shanghai, China56 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2022
great scenery and in these covid times very few tourists. The natural beauty does not disappoint. The human impact is significant - as ever ugly construction every corner - often cheapest possible then left to ruin. Natural vegetation ruined, standard plants then used to replace them. Its sickening this is happening in 2022. There is an airport now nearby
Written 13 May 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

KodoDrummer
Buenos Aires, Argentina70,623 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Business
I could only enjoy evening views and runs along the lakeshore as I was busy attending a conference。 The fresh air and sunset views with the hilly backdrop are phenomenally beautiful。
Written 18 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

yipjcs88
Hong Kong, China9,964 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2019
The lake is huge, spanning over Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. It offers amazing and panoramic views. The Grass Lake and Walking Marriage Bridge areas are great photographic areas, particularly so on a sunny day. I went there on a mostly cloudy day, apart from some sunshine at sunset whilst I was at the Walking Marriage Bridge. The lake areas are on high altitude but mostly below 3000 m ASL, so mountain sickness is not likely to happen.
Written 22 December 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dorothy T
Shanghai, China2 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2013 • Family
We were keen on Lugu lake as several people whom we talked to raved about it. However, in one of our day trips, we heard a guide mentioned that the drive to Lugu lake will be longer than the usual 3+hours, or was it 5 hours? Anyway, we stopped by a tour agency in the old city (the one we signed up for our Jade Mountain trip and were quite pleased with his service) and enquired about the Lugu lake trip. The mgr of the shop convinced us that the trip should take no more than 5 hours of car ride as we will be going by a private van and he will be taking alternative route but should still not be more than 5 hours. It turned out that indeed the usual road to Lugu lake was under repair (and will be for about 3 years) and the driver took us on a rocky, bumpy, mountain road that took almost 8 hours to reach our destination. He was a careful and slow driver, but turned out to be a pleasant guy. But I would advise anyone with young children to think twice as the ride was quite tough. 2 out of our 3 kids threw up on the way as the motion sickness was too much for them. They are 10 and 15-years old. The views at the lake were really nice, air was very fresh, water was crystal clear, but the long and bumpy ride was tough and not quite worth it if we knew what we were in for.
Written 19 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Victoria101
London10 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
The drive to Lugu Lake from Lijiang was one of the highlights of my trip to Yunnan. We hired a driver to allow us to stop whenever we wanted to which was a really good idea because the whole journey is along these dramatic mountainous roads through villages where the local population still wear ethnic dress to go about their daily lives. There are both Yi villages and Mosuo villages on the route. Frankly, Tiger Leaping Gorge had nothing on the scenery in this area - although the six hours it took was a bit painful!

The road is pretty good for most of the route although it is cobbled for about a third of it and there are landslide issues. I'm not sure I'd have wanted to do it during heavy rain or snow. Our Naxi minority driver knew the roads really well and also knew which toilets were the least traumatising (although he didn't speak any English)!

The guidebooks state that the villages round the lake are full of Mosuo culture. This is not quite true. If you really want Mosuo culture then you need to stay in the mountainous bit in between Lijiang and Lugu Lake. The buildings in the villages have been restored / rebuilt in a culturally sensitive way but every building is geared towards tourism (there are plans for an airport and a five-star hotel is being built). Lige, the village we stayed in, has a Mosuo dance performance in the evening which feels phoney and to be honest, the Mosuo are not great dancers - it's just walking round in a circle for about an hour before the Mosuo singers take on the Han Chinese tourists at a sing-off!

Still, that shouldn't put you off going because the lake is stunning. Our driver stopped the car before we reached the shores to look down on the lake and the combination of blue lake, red soil, mountains and bright blue sky was captivating. We stayed in a guesthouse called Paradise which was on the spit of land at the end of Lugu Lake. It is not the smartest or the cheapest guesthouse (although it was clean with a Western bathroom and comfortable beds) but the balconies are the best feature. All the guesthouses have views over the lake but generally there is a road in front of you and people walking past. The Paradise (http://www.luguparadise.cn/) has nothing in front of it except water and the view is gorgeous. When we went there seemed to be plenty of accommodation available and so I reckon you could just rock up and see what takes your fancy. BTW, the people at Paradise don't speak English so if you want to book, it's worth getting a hotel earlier in your trip to do it for you.

In terms of food, the main dining in Lige seems to be spit roast and DIY BBQ which every restaurant seems to offer. We went to one with lots of photos which was good - you chose your meat and there was a table out the front where you could choose your veggies. The aubergine they cook in the embers of the spit roast, slit open and fill with a herby vinegrette is not to be missed! Beer or a warm cider are the main drink options.

In terms of activities, the Mosuo women offer boat rides in their dug-out kayaks which is fun - they are really strong women, quite unbelievable. The main thing about Lugu Lake is being chilled at what feels like the end of the world, sitting on your balcony watching the stars!

Thoroughly recommended.
Written 19 April 2009
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Frozzy L
22 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2018 • Friends
I didn't know how beautiful it was until I get to see it myself. Lugu lake definitely become highlight for my trip to Yunnan. At first I thought it would be just like another pretty Lake in China, but then I realized why the government take a lot of effort to protect this place. The view is amazing. This is a must visit if you plan to visit Yunnan.
How to get to Lugu Lake:
1. From Lijiang: take a bus with destination to Lugu Lake, but I recommend to ask your hotel or guesthouse to ask about another transportation because bus would take longer than car. You don't have to charter the whole car, it would be too expensive. Book a seat or two in the car (you will be placed with another people with the same destination). It cost around 100yuan per trip. Book with your hotel in Lugu Lake for your trip back to Lijiang.
2. From Kunming: there is direct flight available from kunming to Lugu lake airport. Last time I checked there are 2 flights available in the morning to Lugu Lake. It can be expensive so book ahead of time. The distance from airport to Lugu Lake is pretty far but the view from the top is amazing.
Buy the bus ticket from the counter at the airport (you will see lots of people swarming at that counter with 30yuan and 50yuan price written on it). Buy the ticket to your destination, make sure you know in what area you are staying, because there are two buses with different destination. And then take the ticket and ask the driver is this the right bus for your destination and hop on.

Tips for area to stay in Lugu Lake:
1. Daluoshui: this area is the most crowded, with most shops and restaurants around. So if you don't want to be bothered to worry about food, stay here.
2. Langfang: quieter area, less crowded and less restaurants to choose from.
3. Lige: farthest from these two areas, and have less hotel and restaurants. Very quiet but the view is beautiful.

You will need to rent a car if you want to go around the lake in one day.
We tried to walk from langfang to daluoshui and it took us 3 hours total (plus photo time)
Written 23 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

masenmao
Somerville, MA12 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2014 • Couples
Lugu Lake is, without a doubt, the most beautiful natural scenery I've seen in China. So why only 3 stars?

1. The bus ride from Lijiang is brutal and dangerous. 9+ hours, two bus changes, at least one near-death experience on a mountain pass. We were crammed into seats too small for our legs and jolted around like popcorn. By the end of the ride, my girlfriend was ready to dump me.

2. The people in Luoshui are, by and large, jerks. The town is a tourist trap / cartel run by a bunch of Sichuanese hustlers who charge 3x more for things. Rowers refuse to leave without full boats, then rush you through the trip. A bike renter screamed at me when I didn't rent his bike. There is no good food. And so on.

3. The so-called "Women's Kingdom" has been utterly commercialized and sentimentalized for tourists. Picture the Epcot Center in Disney World. The real Mosuo people have abandoned most of their traditions, the "culture" that's left is packaged up and sold by the government.

That said, the lake IS stunning. And if you book a driver and get away from the lake, there are still some unspoilt Mosuo villages to discover, within a day's drive. Just know what you're getting yourself into.
Written 14 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

zwu
San Francisco, CA90 contributions
3.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2019 • Couples
Writing this review because lots of the info I found on TripAdvisor was out of date.

Transportation to the lake:
We came over to Lugu Lake from Lijiang, which is about a 4 hour car ride. You can go to the bus station and get shared minibus for 100rmb/person. Note: Remember to do this at the bus station though as there are other services that are sort of sketchy offering the same price.

Transportation around the lake:
We ended up hiring a private driver to take us around the lake for 300rmb/day. Note: There no electric bike rentals and they closed all the walking trails surrounding the lake. The only 2 options is either car or bike. The car ride was around 5 hours, so I dont reccomend a bike.

Be careful with these drivers though as ours tried to RIP us off multiple times. Luckily we did our research and knew the right prices.

Only place he did RIP us off was the boat ride. He charged us 150rmb/person for the boat ride. After talking to some of the other tourist they told us it is actually only 50-75rmb/person. Note: Give this directly to the boat person, not the driver. Ours made us give it to him directly.

Food:
Our driver tried to RIP us off here too. The first restaurant he took us tried to charge us 200rmb for a fish. I got pissed and looked up our own restaurants and went there, which was way cheaper. Note: Any restaurant you go to remember to ask for the price per dish before you order or they will over charge you.

Luckily we read chinese so we used an app called 大众点评, which is basically chinese Yelp/Tripadvisor.

PRO TIP: Get wechat. It will make your travels in China way easier.

The good:
Even thought there was so many bad experiences from the locals trying to scam you, the place is still pretty nice. You just have to make sure you do your research or follow this review.

Hope this will help you guys on your future travels.

Written 7 April 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

chyi
Singapore, Singapore296 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2016 • Friends
Travelled with another female friend.

Lugu Lake is a 5 - 6hr drive from the main town of Lijiang. We booked our mini-van transfer online and had another 5 passengers with us. The journey comprises of steep winding roads through mountains hence those with motion sickness, please bring along some food and medication. The expressway will open after May which will cut the journey by half.

Best times to visit include early Spring as it is the off-peak season or in October for autumn sights. Peak seasons begin in May - end August hence I will recommend to avoid that.

Two main villages to stay in - DaLuoShui 大洛水 and LiGe 里格村 - which we feel are overly commercialised. We booked Sky Lake Resort 云湖瓦舍 via Booking.com, which is a lovely 16 room property located right beside the lake (owner's contact / wechat: +86 888-3029333). The only issue was transportation out of SanJia Village 三家村 where it was located but the lovely owner offered to send us out to the entrance when we arrived and left.

Private tours around the lake can be arranged or you could join a group tour. We wanted to visit at our own pace and booked a private transfer at RMB300 from the hotel. The lake sits in between the borders of Sichuan and Yunnan, and the tour around various spots of the lake took the entire day.

Ask to visit the LuShan 庐山 cable car point to the caves - the open-air cable line up took approx 20-25mins and thereafter you would need to climb some wooden steps to get to the peak of the mountain, which is also the entrance of the Goddess Cave 仙人洞.

We also joined a mini-tour to the MuoShuo homes 摩梭人 in NvErGuo 女儿国. Interesting insight to their cultures and believes so do join the tour - you can book that with your driver or hotel.

Travel Tips:
* Be sure to check out the weather and plan your trip when it isn't raining as most activities are outdoors.
* Ideally 2 - 3 nights will be required at Lugu Lake.
* Bring sufficient cash as there are no money changers in China, and ATM is not easily found at Lugu Lake. Most hotels / restaurants do not accept global credit or debit cards.
Written 5 April 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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