By air: Lijiang Sanyi International Airport receives direct flights from most major Chinese cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Shenzhen — with flight times ranging from 2.5 to 4 hours. Kunming is the main hub for connections; flights there take under an hour. The airport is about 25 kilometres east of the old town; taxis cost around ¥80–100 and take 40 minutes.
By train: Lijiang railway station sits at the end of a high-speed rail spur from Kunming. The Kunming-Lijiang high-speed train takes around 3.5 hours and is comfortable and punctual; multiple departures daily. There is no direct rail link north to Shangri-La — that section requires a bus.
By bus: Long-distance buses connect Lijiang to Kunming (around 7 hours by express bus), Dali (3 hours), and Shangri-La (4–5 hours). The bus to Tiger Leaping Gorge (Qiaotou village) leaves from the north bus station and takes about 1.5 hours. Buses are the only realistic overland option for Shangri-La.
From Dali: The most common approach for travellers doing the classic Yunnan circuit is Kunming → Dali → Lijiang → Shangri-La, either by bus or train throughout.