From Lijiang there are several nice excursions you can make. You can visit the following places on your own, or go to one of the local travel agencies in Lijiang and book an organized tour.
The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 30 minutes north of the city. You can get there by bus or taxi. To get to the top of this always snowy mountain, you can take a cable car or hike.
The Yufeng Temple and the 10,000 Camellia Tree, only 15 minutes from Lijiang city by bus or taxi.
The First Bend in the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, is less than two hours west of Lijiang.
The Jade Water Village, where the American botanist Joseph Rock had his house, now a museum. In this area you can also do some mountain climbing and horseback riding.