Xiangcheng is genuinely remote. The most common approach is from Kangding to the north, a 12 to 14 hour bus journey over mountain roads. Buses run daily in both directions and are the standard way independent travellers arrive. The road is paved but mountain-standard, and journey times depend heavily on conditions.
From the south, daily buses connect Xiangcheng to Shangri-La in Yunnan in seven to nine hours — the continuation of the same high-altitude road that makes this overland route between Sichuan and Yunnan one of the more dramatic land journeys in western China. The town has no airport and no railway. Accommodation fills quickly in the tourist season (June to October), particularly on national holidays.