Field desk / planning help
A second opinion on your Lijiang route
You have a plan, or the shape of one. Send it over and the field desk will tell you what works, what is too tight, and what to cut. Independent advice, quoted before any work begins.
Plain English / reply in 1–2 days
Best for
- First trips with 3–7 days
- Families and older travellers
- Photographers chasing mountain light
- Anyone deciding between bases
Most Lijiang itineraries are not wrong so much as badly sequenced. A mountain day after a late arrival, Lugu Lake before a flight, two bases in three nights: each looks fine on paper and feels rushed on the ground. A review is mostly about altitude, transfer times, and what happens when the weather changes.
What a review covers
Day-by-day sequence
Whether each day is physically possible, including check-in, luggage, and transfers.
Base decisions
Dayan, Shuhe, Baisha, or the new town, and how many nights each deserves.
Mountain plan
Which cableway, ticket timing, altitude, and the weather fallback.
What to cut
The stops that cost half a day and add little, and what to do instead.
Food and evenings
Where to eat near each base, and what is open when you arrive.
Booking order
What to reserve now, what can wait, and what not to prepay.
Choose the depth
01 / Quick check
One decision
A short reply on a base, a cableway, a transfer, or whether a side trip fits. No charge for a brief answer.
Free / 1–2 days
02 / Written review
The route, line by line
A written response on your existing plan: sequencing, altitude, transfer times, weather fallback, and what to cut.
Quoted before work
03 / Full plan
Built from scratch
A day-by-day plan with alternatives, booking order, food notes, and a mountain-day branch. One revision included.
Quoted before work
There is no online checkout. Scope, deliverable, and fee are agreed in writing before any paid work starts. The desk does not book hotels, tickets, or tours.
How it works
- 01
Send the shape of the trip
Dates, number of people, ages and mobility, where you fly in and out, and any bookings you have already made. A rough plan in a message is enough; no template needed.
- 02
Get a short answer first
If the question is simple, the reply is free: which base, which cableway, whether Lugu Lake fits, or how to handle a late arrival. Short answers usually come back within a day or two.
- 03
Quote before any full review
For a full day-by-day review, the scope and fee are agreed in writing before work starts. You get a written plan with transfer times, alternatives, and the reasoning. No subscription, no booking markup.
What to send
- Dates, including arrival and departure times.
- Number of travellers, ages, and any mobility or dietary needs.
- Your rough plan, even if it is only a list of places.
- What you have already booked and cannot change.
- The one decision you are stuck on.
Do not send passport numbers, card details, or booking references. Dates and the shape of the trip are enough to start. The booking timeline explains the order to reserve things; the start here page covers the first decisions.
What this is not
This is not a booking service. The field desk does not sell hotels, cableway tickets, or train tickets, and does not take a commission on what you book. It is also not a tour operator: you remain responsible for your own reservations and travel insurance.
It is not a visa or immigration service. Entry rules change; verify them with the official channels for your passport. And it is not a 24/7 concierge: messages are answered in order, usually within one or two days.
Field desk / direct line
Send the dates and the rough plan
Describe the trip in plain English. If the answer is short, it is free. If it needs a full review, you get a scope and a fee before anything starts.
Independent advice. No bookings, no commissions, no visa service.