Kunming Arrival

Green Lake (Cui Hu) - Start your adventure through the diverse landscapes of China’s most stunning province in Kunming, the regional capital. An English-speaking tour guide and a professional driver will escort you directly to your hotel, allowing ample time to unwind after a long flight. If time permits, enjoy a leisurely walk around the arched bridges and Chinese pavilions of Green Lake Park.

Dynamic Yunnan - Kunming offers theatrical experiences like the highly recommended Dynamic Yunnan Show at Kunming’s Art Theatre. Here, beautifully costumed dancers and musicians perform drum-inspired choreography from ethnic village dances and sing exotic songs that are sure to move you. (This is not included in the tour price but can be arranged upon request.)

Stone Forest and Jiuxiang Caves

Stone Forest - Travel approximately 1.5 hours to one of Yunnan’s greatest marvels, the Stone Forest in Shilin County. Over time, weather has shaped a vast karst labyrinth that feels like a forest, with ancient stone formations towering above. Each rock formation has its own touching story or thrilling legend, shared by the Sani minority, a branch of the Yi ethnic group, who have lived here for generations. You can still find them in the park, singing folk songs or creating embroidery.

Jiuxiang Scenic Region - After lunch, explore another natural masterpiece, the Jiuxiang Caves, part of China’s largest cave system, featuring rivers, gorges, waterfalls, forests, and natural stone bridges. Enter the caves through a narrow green canyon and view the cave entrance hidden in the forest from above as you glide over it in a cable car.

Kunming - Dali

Dali Ancient - Your guide and driver will take you to Kunming Railway Station to catch a train to Dali (approximately 2 hours). We recommend train D8672, 09:24 – 11:32, but earlier or later options are available upon request (check the link for train schedules). Upon arrival at Dali Railway Station in Xiaguan City, your Dali tour guide will greet you and take you to Dali Old Town. This is the heartland of the prosperous Bai people, known for their colorful costumes and traditional lifestyle. When envisioning ancient China, Dali is the image that comes to mind, with wooden houses featuring ornate eaves and stone streets worn over centuries. Dali has long been a cultural melting pot, and you’ll see the Bai, Yi, and Hui people in their traditional attire.

Dali Ancient - Dali is renowned for its relaxed atmosphere, making it a perfect town for a leisurely stroll. Enjoy a drink in one of the many cozy bars or warmly decorated coffee shops, or wander its lively main streets where local artists sell beautiful handicrafts.

Dali - Lijiang

Xizhou Town - In the morning, visit the ancient market town of Xizhou, just 19 kilometers north of Dali Old Town. Explore the morning market, where locals in traditional minority clothing sell and buy local fruits, freshly cut meat, fragrant spices, livestock, and more. Experience a traditional Three Course Tea ceremony and admire a stunning example of Bai-style courtyard homes.

Erhai Lake - Take a short boat trip on Lake Erhai to Tianjingge Island and enjoy the majestic views of the green and clouded Cangshan Mountain Range looming over Dali’s lands, while flocks of birds fly peacefully over the tranquil lake.

Old Town of Lijiang - China - After lunch, drive to Lijiang (2.5 hours) and head directly to your hotel, allowing you to enjoy Lijiang Old Town by night, a place renowned for its romantic charm. Its pretty streams wind through a maze of enchanting alleys, part of an ancient water-supply system that still functions today. Lijiang was a key stop on the Tea Horse Road and has long attracted traders, merchants, bandits, and slavers. The town is set in an exceptional mountain landscape that will leave a lasting impression.

Lijiang

Yulong (Jade Dragon) Mountain - Begin your day with an early start, embarking on an exciting journey to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. First, enjoy the breathtaking Impression show at Ganhaizi, located at the mountain’s base. Then, explore the enchanting Blue Moon Valley and ascend to Glacier Park via a scenic cable car ride.

Lijiang Mural in Baisha Village - After this majestic adventure, visit the charming Baisha Village, where you’ll be captivated by the intricate Baisha murals, showcasing the rich cultural heritage of the Naxi minority.

Shuhe Ancient Town - Conclude your day with a visit to the picturesque Shuhe Old Town before returning to your hotel, allowing you to soak in the charm and tranquility of this ancient settlement.

Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Shangri-La

Yangtze River First Bend - Shortly after breakfast, your driver will take you to the First Bend of the Yangtze River at Stone Drum Town (1.5 hours) to witness the impressive scenery, where the third longest river in the world makes a sudden V-turn. This area is part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.

Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia) - Continue north to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, nestled deep below the snow-capped peaks of Haba Snow Mountain to the north and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the south. This is one of the world’s deepest gorges, 16 km long with a sheer 3900 meters between the wild waters of the Jinsha River and the top of the Haba Snow Mountains. The gorge is primarily inhabited by the indigenous Naxi people, who live in small hamlets. Your new tour guide will meet you here.

Dukezong Ancient Town - Later in the afternoon, the tour continues to the legendary Tibetan city of Shangri-La, at an altitude of over 3,000 meters (10,000 feet). On the way, you’ll feel a sense of excitement as you journey to the far corner of the world, up to the Tibetan plateau, inhabited by robed monks and wild plateau nomads. Observe the landscape and architecture gradually change, with barley fields and yaks scattered across the valleys and the year-round snow-capped mountains always towering above. Arrive at your final destination: Dukezong Ancient Town, the ancient town center in Zhongdian city, where locals still preserve the old Tibetan way of life, crafting traditional jewelry made of silver or horn, instruments, earthenware, and daggers. Let this charming mountain town welcome you, and spend your free time exploring the narrow alleys and cobbled winding lanes or relaxing from the day’s adventures.

Shangri-La

Sumtsaling Monastery - After a delightful Tibetan breakfast, your driver and guide will take you to the restored Songzanlin Monastery, also known as the ‘Little Potala Palace,’ as this 17th-century monastery is modeled after the Potala Palace in Lhasa. It is the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, with over 700 monks actively practicing Tibetan Buddhism. The huge golden roof is a bright shining beacon that attracts Buddhists from all over Asia. There will also be an opportunity to visit a local family and experience the real life of a herdsman in the high steppe.

Potatso National Park - After lunch, embark on an exciting exploration of Potatso National Park, where you’ll be immersed in the stunning natural beauty and ecological diversity of this remarkable conservation area.

Shangri-La Departure

Shangri-La County - This is your last chance to enjoy a cowboy’s breakfast of prime yak steak and fried mushrooms before your driver takes you to Shangri-La airport. It’s also your final opportunity to shop for gifts for loved ones back home, and Shangri-La boasts some of the best markets in Yunnan. Here, you can stock up on prayer flags, thangkas, and Khampa Cowboy Hats for your colleagues, friends, and family.

We hope you had a wonderful time during your Yunnan trip and look forward to welcoming you again!

• Supplement for the meals for the tour guide and driver
• Entrance tickets to the attractions listed in the itinerary
• 2 half-liter bottles of drinking water per day
• Private transportation and transfers, including pick-up and drop-off
• Experienced and licensed local English-speaking tour guide
• High-speed train from Kunming to Dali (2nd class seat)
• 24/7 English speaking customer service
• All taxes, fees and handling charges
• 7-night accommodation including breakfast (as per chosen category, based on twin-bed room for 2 pax)
• Breakfast
• Supplements for meals and accommodation for driver and tour guide

• Flight tickets
• Chinese visa
• Meals not listed in the program
• Dynamic Yunnan Show tickets
• Personal travel insurance
• Personal expenses
• Tips for tour guide and driver (not requested, but highly appreciated)
• Single room supplement if the guest requests a private room in the hotel
• Additional days caused by unexpected nature disasters. e.g. landslides etc.
• Possible surcharges for upgrades from standard twin-bed rooms to double-bed rooms
• Anything not listed in inclusions

Experience a different side of China, well away from the factories and big cities. A wild mountainous region that many people do not even realise exists. Travel along the 1000-year-old Tea Horse Caravan Road and experience old trading posts such as the ancient Dali Kingdom and Xizhou, home to wealthy Tea-Horse merchants for centuries. Follow in the footsteps of Victorian explorers in romantic Lijiang Old Town in the Himalayan foothills. See the Yangtze River up close surge wildly through the Tiger Leaping Gorge and discover the mythical Shangri-La in Tibetan borderlands from the famous novel Lost Horizon.

• IMPORTANT NOTE: to register your tour legally with the local authorities, we need your passport information as mentioned below. We will contact you by message via TripAdvisor. Until we received your reply with your passport information, we will NOT start arranging your tour. We are not responsible if we cannot arrange a tour guide, private transportation or hotel due to the customer’s own late reply or lack thereof (for example during national holidays or high season). Thank you for your understanding.
• Please advise any specific dietary requirements at time of booking
• At time of booking full name as mentioned in passport, passport number, birthday, expiry date, gender and country are required for all participants.
• The daily working time for driver and tour guide during this tour is maximum 10 hours per day. Overtime working hours will be charged extra.
• Children must be accompanied by an adult
• Tipping drivers and tour guides is custom in China. We recommend giving 2 – 3 USD per person per day to the driver and 4 – 5 USD per person per day to your tour guide.

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.