You can rent a van to tour the whole gorge. Upper gorges has the most spectacular riptide. Middle part is fine. If you have a car, you may have the upper, middle and lower gorges in one day. To save time, a reliable and good guide is helpful. Perhaps, you may join a Lijiang tour(https://www.travelchinaguide.com/package/lijiang.htm) , which offer vehicle and guide both.