Summary
For this 8 days Yunnan classic tour, you will visit the highlights of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La. This is also a minority discovery tour, because you will find minority diversity during your trip, the minorities such as Yis, Bais, Naxis and Tibetan. Moreover, the Tiger Leaping Gorge will be the most impressive part of your trip, you could be shocked by the ruggedness and magnificence of Tiger Leaping Gorge and the mountains around when you are there. This part can not be missed.
Day 1 Arrive in Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Kunming
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Welcome to Kunming, the Spring City of China! Upon arrival at the Kunming airport/train station, the local tour guide and driver will meet you in the arrival hall and escort you to your hotel.You'll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming.
Day 2 Kunming - Dali( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Stone Forest, Green Lake, Flowers And Birds Market,
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After breakfast, you’ll be driven 86 km to the renowned Stone Forest, the 'First Wonder of the World'. You'll marvel at its natural stone masterpieces and be bewitched by the intricate formations. You feel like come into a 'stone world'.
After the lunch, be transferred to Kunming and visit the Green Lake Park , ,a charming area of tea houses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings.. Here you can share the happiness of local people’s doing tai chi, performing local opera, and other vibrant activities; later move and stroll in the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown and Nanping Shopping street nearby before the evening transfer to railway station for the overnight train to Dali
Day 3 Dali( L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery, Erhai Lake,Zhoucheng Village, Dali Ancient Town
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Arrive in Dali Raiwai Station ( Breakfast on your own account ) , meet your local guide and driver, transfer to the hotel to drop off your luggage
Dali which is a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. Afterwards, you visit the Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake. Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle.
After lunch, you’ll cruise in Erhai Lake by the small boat to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island.In Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.
Visit Zhoucheng Village and the Bai people's Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style. At last, you will visit the Dali Ancient Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. After climbing up to the City Wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.
Day 4 Dali - Lijiang( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Xizhou Town, Black Dragon Pool,Dongba Museum, Lijiang Old Town
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After breakfast, you will head for Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture.
After the tour , you will continue drive to Lijiang (2.5hrs ). Upon arrival, you’ll head for the scenic Black Dragon Pool and the Dongba Museum to explore the rich Naxi minority culture.
Finally explore Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Old Town has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people. After dinner, you will attend the Naxi Orchestral Music in Naxi Concert in Lijiang Ancient Town.
Day 5 Lijiang( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Ganhaizi Meadow, Baishui River, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression Lijiang Ethnic Show,Baisha Mural
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Morning drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around 1 hours in the original forest in Yak Meadow (3700M). After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.In the afternoon, you'll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.
Day 6 Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Shangrila( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Shigu Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge , Dukezong Ancient Town
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From Lijiang, you'll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, visit the Iron Chain Bridge,the Red Army's Long March Memorial Monument in the Shigu town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks. You will have an experience of the floating from the First Bend of the Yangtze River to Longpan Town, after one hour floating, meet the driver and trasVisit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.fer to Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Day 7 Shangrila( B )
Sightseeing and Activities:Ganden Sumtseling Monastery,Bita Lake & Shudu Lake, Guishan Hill , Tibetan's family
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In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias - 'the little Potala Palace ', so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.And afterwards you'll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park Pudacuo National Park is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China's land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country's plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.
Visit Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town in the late afternoon, climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town. Finally, you will have an option to visit a Tibetan's family to experience the local life in the bonfire party with Tibetan dance and music and you will try Tibetan home-made yak and cheese
Day 8 Departure from Shangrila( B )
Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Shangrila
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Pick up from hotel and transfer to airport for the departure flight to next palace
What's Include
Accommodation with daily breakfast as indicated in the hotel list as below.
Chinese lunches and dinners as listed in the itinerary.
All land transfers & transportation with private air-conditioned coach.
All transfers and sightseeing with skilled English-speaking tour guide.
All entrance fees as mentioned in the itinerary.
Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.
Service charge and all government taxes.
Luggage transfers between airport and hotels.
Travel Agency's Responsibility Insurance coverage.
What's Exclude
Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets.
Any meals which are not specified in the tour itinerary.
Chinese visa fees.
Excess baggage charged by Airlines.
Single room supplement.
Tips to guides and drivers.
Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff.
Personal travel accident insurance.
All optional programs.
