Shangri-La's Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG) has connections to Kunming, Chengdu, Lhasa, and a few other Chinese cities. The runway sits at 3,287 metres and the flights are weather-dependent; cancellations are not uncommon in winter and during the summer storms.
The classic overland approach is the road north from Lijiang, about five hours by bus or shared van on a paved but twisting mountain road. The drive itself is part of the experience — the road climbs from the rice terraces of the lower Yangtze gorge through Tiger Leaping Gorge and up onto the Tibetan plateau. Most travellers come this way.
The route continuing north of Shangri-La to Deqin and the Meili Snow Mountain (about eight hours by road) is the next stage if you are pushing on toward Tibet proper. From Deqin, the road continues into Tibet Autonomous Region — though foreigners need a Tibet travel permit and a guide before crossing the regional boundary.