Deqin is at the end of a long road. The standard approach is by bus from Shangrila (Zhongdian), which takes three to four hours on a winding mountain road that climbs from around 3,200 metres to over 4,000 metres before descending to Deqin at 3,550 metres. The road passes through spectacular scenery including the Baimang Snow Mountain pass and the first views of Meili Snow Mountain. Buses run several times daily from Shangrila bus station.
From Lijiang, the journey requires either a change at Shangrila or a direct but infrequent bus service. Driving from Kunming takes around twelve hours. There is no train and no airport — arriving by air means flying to Shangrila (Diqing Shangri-La Airport) and continuing by road. Altitude sickness is a real consideration: if you have flown directly from a low-altitude city to Shangrila and are continuing immediately to Deqin, you are gaining altitude too fast. One acclimatisation night in Shangrila at the minimum is strongly advised before continuing.