Car hire and driving in Shangri-La
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In China traffic drives on the right. Picking up at DIG means 5 km (3 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648851 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2807090.
Drives from Shangri-La
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shangri-La to Lijiang | China | 118 km (73 mi) | about 1 h 48 min |
| Shangri-La to Lushui | China | 238 km (148 mi) | about 3 h 38 min |
| Shangri-La to Panzhihua | China | 242 km (150 mi) | about 3 h 41 min |
| Shangri-La to Xichang | China | 251 km (156 mi) | about 3 h 50 min |
| Shangri-La to Dali | China | 254 km (158 mi) | about 3 h 53 min |
| Shangri-La to Xiangcheng | China | 276 km (171 mi) | about 4 h 12 min |
| Shangri-La to Baoshan | China | 306 km (190 mi) | about 4 h 40 min |
| Shangri-La to Kangding | China | 326 km (203 mi) | about 4 h 59 min |
| Shangri-La to Tengyue | China | 336 km (209 mi) | about 5 h 8 min |
| Shangri-La to Chuxiong | China | 360 km (224 mi) | about 5 h 29 min |
| Shangri-La to Longling County | China | 374 km (232 mi) | about 5 h 42 min |
| Shangri-La to Zhaotong | China | 399 km (248 mi) | about 6 h 5 min |
| Shangri-La to Chongqing | China | 695 km (432 mi) | about 10 h 36 min |
| Shangri-La to Chengdu | China | 528 km (328 mi) | about 8 h 3 min |
| Shangri-La to Guangzhou | China | 1,456 km (904 mi) | about 22 h 12 min |
| Shangri-La to Shenzhen | China | 1,558 km (968 mi) | about 23 h 46 min |
| Shangri-La to Wuhan | China | 1,445 km (898 mi) | about 22 h 2 min |
| Shangri-La to Xi’an | China | 1,132 km (703 mi) | about 17 h 16 min |
| Shangri-La to Dongguan | China | 1,507 km (936 mi) | about 22 h 59 min |
| Shangri-La to Hefei | China | 1,751 km (1,088 mi) | about 26 h 42 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Shangri-La?
The right, as everywhere in China.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 14 September 2026. Hotel and hostel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.