Mini-bus to Lugu Lake from Lijiang costs 70 rmb, while the return ride costs only 50 rmb. These are the market prices. So, unless there is a special discount due to a particular situation, everyone pays the same prices. But while everyone pays the same, not everyone gets the same. With the same cost, you may be arranged to a comfy 20-seater bus, with spacious legroom and headroom, or a crappy, tiny 14-seater with little or no air-con, legroom, headroom, whatsoever.
So, my suggestion: always ask for more details when you book for a ride. Ask about the car model, the departure and arrival time, the stops made in between, the number of seats that are planned to leave empty to put luggages… it just won’t hurt to ask more 
Yik and I didn’t know any better before we went to Lugu Lake from Lijiang. So we ended up taking this fully loaded 14-seater bus for our 8-hour bumpy ride to Lugu Lake. Lucky that everyone in the car was good passenger though; at least nobody was sickly coughing, or had car sick, or snored loudly when sleeping in the car, etc, etc.
This is the 14-seater we rid to Lugu Lake. O ya, we had a flat tier too… 
We didn’t take the 14-seater bus back to Lijiang, but this 20-seater bus. They cost the same, but the 20-seater was so much better!
Hi Sandy
I am planning for my trip to Yunnan. Just wondering, what is the bus schedule from Lugu Lake back to Lijiang? Been searching for hours but I couldn’t find this information…
Hi Rey,
Sorry for the delayed reply. As far as I know, due to the long ride it takes, most buses, if not all, leave Lugu Lake for Lijiang around 8-9 in the morning. When you buy tickets to Lugu Lake in Lijiang, you can buy the return ticket as well.
Let me know if there is more I can help.
Happy Travel!
Hey Sandy
Thanks for the tip!
I’m choosing between Yunnan, Guangxi or Xinjiang for my trip. Your blog entries on Guangxi are really helpful too!