Itinerary Day By Day
Day 1 – Arrival in Kunming
Our guide will meet you at Kunming Airport and transfer you to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Kunming enjoys a temperate climate and is often referred to as the ‘Spring City’.
Day 2 – Kunming
Attractions: East Pagoda and West Pagoda, Yunnan Provincial Museum and Western Hills
After breakfast, you will start today’s tour with a visit to the East Pagoda and the West Pagoda. These two pagodas are not far apart.
Next you will head for Yunnan Provincial Museum which houses an exhibition centered on Yunnan’s ethnic minorities, as well as a collection of artifacts from tomb excavations at Jinning on the southern rim of Lake Dian.
Afterwards you will visit Xishan (Western Hills) which boasts an excellent environment with flourishing flowers and dense forest, providing tourists with tranquility and marvelous scenery. Soar silently above the treetops as you ride the cable car up. On top of the mountain, there are wonderful scenic spots such as Huating Temple, Taihua Temple, Sanqing Pavilion, and Dragon Gate.
High above Dianchi Lake you will discover that tunnels and tracks have been carved into the face of the cliff and the Dragon Gate is located several hundred metres above the lake. The project was begun by Wu Laiqing, a Taoist monk who commenced work in 1781. After his death other monks continued chiseling until the final cave was finished in 1853.
There are many things to see as you walk back down the hillside. Then your English speaking guide and driver will take you back to Kunming.
Day 3 – Kunming
Attractions: Green Lake Park, the Flower and Bird Market, the Stone Forest, Dynamic Yunnan Performance
After breakfast, you will visit Green Lake Park, which is located just opposite Yunnan University and is one of the most picturesque parks in downtown Kunming. There are nine spring outlets at the north of the lake, so it was also named “Nine Dragon Pond” in ancient times. Here you may take a leisurely walk and enjoy the performances (Taichi, Mahjong and local operal) by local people. In November and December every winter, huge flocks of red-beaked gulls migrate there from Siberia, constructing a nice scene.
Kunming Flower and Bird Market was originally the site for selling flowers, birds, pets, insects and goldfish. As business prospered and attracted more and more visitors, various tour operators began to bring tour groups to visit the market, and it gradually developed into an enchanting shopping and sightseeing center with a true local flavor. A multitude of shops and stores stand along the long and narrow street, displaying a huge variety of flowers, various kinds of rare plants and different seeds and fertilizers.
The Stone Forest is a fantastic natural phenomenon located 90 km southeast of Kunming where the tall rocks look like trees made of stone. A combination of weathering and erosion has created this strange landscape of rock.
The Stone Forest area is the home of the Sani people and their folk customs present a spectacular scene. The colorful embroidery and minority dances combine with the natural scenery, which will surely leave you with a deep impression.
In the evening you will enjoy the Dynamic Yunnan Performance which is a grand ethnic musical performance that does not have a story line but uses themes from many stories. This performance tells the audience about the universe, nature, culture, the pursuit for the origins of life, the praise of life and the wish for everlasting life.
Day 4 – Kunming to Dali, Express Bus from Kunming to Dali
Attractions: Dali Old Town
After breakfast, our Kunming guide will see you off on the Kunming to Dali express bus. It takes about 4 – 5 hours’ drive through spectacular scenery. Our Dali English speaking guide will be waiting for you at the Dali bus station once you arrive in Dali. Then our guide will take you to your hotel and help you to check in.
Our guide will take you on a walk around Dali Old Town, where you will see limpid streams passing through the town and local people wearing their ethnic costumes. The street that goes from the South City Gate to the North City Gate is now a prosperous market street, selling marble, tie-dyeing and other souvenirs.
Day 5 – Dali
Attractions: Erhai Lake, Three Pagoda Temple, Houses of Bai People in Xizhou
After breakfast our guide will escort you to the Erhai Lake near Dali old town. The lake is shaped like an ear, hence its name, which means ear shaped sea in Chinese.
Afterwards, pay a visit to the Three Pagoda Temple that faces Erhai Lake. As its name implies, there are three ancient independent pagodas standing in a symmetrical triangle inside the temple. With a history of more than 1,800 years, the Three Pagodas have been symbolic constructions of the ancient Dali City.
Today, your tour ends with paying a visit to the Houses of the Bai People in Xizhou, which is not only a famous historic city, but also a typical commercial town of the Bai people. It is one of the cradles of National capitalism of the Bai people, and a famous hometown to overseas Chinese in Yunnan. You will see typical Bai traditions and dresses there. Some buildings are old and typical ancient architectures, which are the real local houses. On the outside walls of each house, there are numerous exquisite paintings showing the art atmosphere.
Day 6 – Dali to Lijiang, Express Bus from Dali to Lijiang
After breakfast when you are ready, our tour guide will take you to Dali bus station and will see you off on your bus which heads to Lijiang. This takes about 3-4 hours. As soon as you arrive, our Lijiang English speaking guide will be waiting for you at Lijiang bus station. Then our guide will take you to your hotel and help you to check in. The rest of the day is at your leisure.
Day 7 – Lijiang
Attractions: Lijiang Ancient Town, Wangu Tower, Black Dragon Pool, Baisha Village and Shuhe Ancient Town
The morning will be spent exploring Lijiang Ancient Town which is the cultural center and capital of the Naxi people. At the center of the ancient town four main streets radiate in four directions and are connected by many narrow lanes. While walking through the old town, you will immediately get overwhelmed by small bridges, swift streams, cobbled streets and the grey tiled roofs of the local houses. You will also see many local Naxi people wearing traditional costumes and headgears.
Wangu Tower is the landmark building of Lijiang ancient town. This pure wood building is 33 meters (108 ft) tall, overlooking the scenery of Lijiang at its foot, and looking out to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance. It is only a short walk to the incredibly stunning Black Dragon Pool where the imposing snowcapped peak of Jade Dragon Mountain dominates the skyline and helps to frame your photos.
Then we will visit the village of Baisha to see the remaining ancient murals. Also Shuhe Ancient Town which is regarded as a living specimen of the Naxi ancestors’ transition from an agricultural civilization to a commercial culture. Similar to Lijiang Ancient City, Shuhe Ancient Town is surrounded by a murmuring river and interlaced with smooth flagging.
Day 8 – Lijiang to Shangri-la
Attractions: The Stone Drum Town (Shigu Town), Tiger Leaping Gorge
After breakfast we will follow the Yangtze River north on the Yunnan Tibet road. We will stop along the way and view the first bend of the Yangtze and see the historical village of Shegu. The scenery here is very spectacular as we travel through huge gorges dotted with small villages.
We will stop at the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge and view this incredible sight. The Gorge is situated in between two large mountains, Jade Dragon Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, which at one point drops three kilometers to the river below. The drive takes you through pretty Naxi countryside and farmlands growing rice, sorghum, beans, corn and other crops like tobacco, apples and pears. As we rise in altitude we pass pine forests. After seeing Tiger Leaping Gorge, we will continue our tour to Shangri-La. Upon arrival at Shangri-La, our guide will help you to check in at the hotel.
Day 9 – Shangri-la
Attractions: Songzanlin Temple, Pudacuo National Park, Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town
Today’s tour will begin with a visit to the biggest Tibetan Buddhist Temple in Yunnan, Songzanlin Temple. This temple collects the elite of Tibetan religious culture and presents splendid architecture. Because of its similar appearance and layout to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, it is often called the ‘small Potala Palace’. Then, you will travel to Pudacuo National Park to visit Bitahai Lake and Shudu Lake. Fed by small streams from the encircling Snow Mountains the lake is shaped just like a trumpet shell. In the color of azure with snowy mountains and trees reflecting in it, the gorgeous lake is a wonderland to appreciate the beauty of nature. There is also another lake of beauty and peacefulness, Shudu Lake. The plants around the lake are lush and the wild animals are various.
In the late afternoon we will visit Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town then climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill where you will see the largest Prayer Wheel in the world and have a panoramic view of Shangri-La county and Dukezong Ancient Town.
Day 10 – Shangri-La to Lijiang
After breakfast your tour guide and driver will pick you up to go back to Lijiang. It is about four hours’ drive. The rest of the day is at your leisure. When you get back to Lijiang, you might like to buy some souvenirs for your family and friends back home or just walk around and enjoy the beautiful old town.
Meals: Breakfast at your hotel
Day 11 – Depart Lijiang
Our guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take you to the airport for your flight to your next destination.