Yubeng requires reaching Deqin first, then continuing to the trailhead at Xidang. From Deqin, minibuses and shared taxis run to Xidang (about an hour, road conditions permitting). The walk from Xidang over the pass to Yubeng takes six to eight hours on foot, or several hours by mule. Arriving at Xidang by midday gives enough time to reach Lower Yubeng before dark; an early morning departure is better.
Most travellers base themselves in Shangrila or Deqin before making the approach. From Shangrila to Deqin by bus takes three to four hours; add the Xidang transfer and the walk, and reaching Yubeng in a day from Shangrila is technically possible but exhausting. Two days is more sensible: one night in Deqin to acclimatise, then the approach the following morning. The onward exit from Yubeng follows the same path back through Xidang.