Summary
In the 12 Days tour , you will visit the main import cities in Southwest. You can see the difference culture and history of ethnic groups in Yunnan , and exploring the panda base in Chengdu , moreover , enjoy the beautiful landscape of Guilin and Yangshuo.
Day 1 Arrive in Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Kunming
Accommodation:
Meals:
Arrive in Kunming airport by the flight from Hong Kong. Meeting your guide at exit , then drive to Kunming downtown to check in your hotel.
Day 2 Kunming-Dali ( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Stone Forest, Green Lake Park, Flower and Birds Market
Accommodation:
Meals:
In the morning, our tour guide pick up you from your hotel lobby, then 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'.
Afterwards, transfer back to Kunming downtown and stroll in the most picturesque park in Kunming urban area - 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. If you visit the park in November or December, you will see the grandeur of huge flocks of red-beaked seagulls that migrate there from Siberia. Then stroll in the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown and shopping area –Nanping Street nearby before the evening transfer to Kunming railway station for your overnight train to Dali
Day 3 Dali ( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Three Pagodas, Cruise in Erhai Lake , Dali Old Town
Accommodation:
Meals:
Early in the moring , you will be picked up by the guide from Dali from exit. Then drive to hotel to drop off your luggage and have breakfast
Afterward, 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.
After landing, 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. Visit Zhoucheng Village and the Bai people's Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.
In the late afternoon, you will visit the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people.
Day 4 Dali -Lijiang ( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Xizhou, Black Dragon Pool, Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation:
Meals:
In the morning, have a stop at Xizhou is located in the north of Dali, about 34 km from Dali Old Town. It’s known as a historical town, a classic Bai ethnic town and the hometown of “Five Golden Flowers”.
After tour, transfer to Lijiang 2-2.5hrs Upon arrival, make the tour of Black Dragon Poor Park a famous pond in the scenic Jade Spring Park located at the foot of Elephant Hill,a short walk north of the Old Town of Lijiang. It was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty and offers a spectacular view on the region's tallest mountain, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, over its white marble bridge.and Dongba Museum nearby
You will be relaxed around Lijiang Old Town, a well-preserved old city of ethnic minorities with brilliant culture, is a central town of the Lijiang Autonomous County of the Naxi Ethnic Minority in Yunnan Province. Located on the plateau which is 2,400 meters above the sea level and embraced by the tree-covered Lion Mountain in the west, Elephant and Golden Row Mountains in the north, vast fertile fields in the southeast and crystal clear water running through, the old town looks like a big jade ink slab, therefore got the alias the Town of Big Ink Slab (Dayanzhen).
Day 5 Lijiang ( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Jade snow Dragon Moutain, Yuhu Village , Baisha Mural, Shuhe Old Town
Accommodation:
Meals:
This 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 Spruce Meadow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).
After lunch,you'll visit Yuhu Village and the Former Residence of Joseph Rock who was an Austria-American botanist and explorer, lived in Yuhu village and other places in that region from 1922 to 1949. He was also a naturalist and Photographer, and the first foreign scholar to introduce Lijiang ethnic culture to the western world.
Stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Naxi style old town. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.
Further your trip to Shuhe Old Town lies a compact village hidden in the forest, the Shuhe Ancient Town. UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) has listed it as an important component of Lijiang as it is a well-preserved example of a town along the ancient tea route and one of the earliest settlements of the ancestors of Naxi people. It is called 'the hometown of springs'.
Day 6 Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Shangrila( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:First Bend on the Yangtze River, the Iron Chain Bridge,the Red Army's Long March Memorial Monument , Tiger Leaping Gorger
Accommodation:
Meals:
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.
Visit 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.
Day 7 Shangri-La( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Pudacuo National Park, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town
Accommodation:
Meals:
Early morning, you'll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in 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.
Make the tour of 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.
Afterward, 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.
Day 8 Shangri-La - Chengdu ( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Wuhou Temple , Jinli Old Street
Accommodation:
Meals:
This morning you will take the flight to Chengdu , Upon arival , make a stirring visit to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breedingwhich is not only the most important panda scientific research center, but also dwelling home for more than 100 Giant Pandas. Walk at leisure through the bamboo framed paths, and closely observe giant pandas of different ages eating bamboos, playing with each other, tumbling, climbing trees, etc. Don’t miss the chance to watch female pandas nursing their cubs in the nursery rooms. There is also a very informative Panda Museum for you to learn more scientific facts about Giant Pandas.
Then you will move on to Wuhou Temple, a shrine integrated with tombs of Liubei and Zhuge Liang. Surrounded by old cypresses and classical red walls, the temple creates an atmosphere of nostalgia. When stepping into the temple, you get the chance to immerse yourself into a sea of ancient profound culture and history.
At the late afternoon, you will move on to Jinli Old Street with Three Kingdom culture. Time steals away from you quietly while walking on the lively streets which are full of delicious local snacks, delicate artifacts, interesting folk shows, etc. For photographers, visit here in the evening will be the best time to get better photos with all the red lanterns lit up in the dusk.
Day 9 Chengdu- Guilin ( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Reed Flute Cave , Elephant Trunk Hill
Accommodation:
Meals:
Transfer to airport for your morning flight to Guilin SC4764 ( 11:20-13:00)
Pick up from Guilin airport by your guide , transfer to visit the gorgeous Reed Flute Cave (1 hour) - offering a magic fairyland of stalactites, stalagmites, stone columns scenery. And then, the next stop will be the Elephant Trunk Hill- the landmark of Guilin.
After that, be transferred to the hotel and have a rest of this day.
Day 10 Guilin-Yangshuo( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Li River Cruise , West Street
Accommodation:
Meals:
n the morning you will be driven to the Zhujiang Pier for the Li River Cruise (about 4 hours, simple set menu lunch is including in the boat ticket). Savour the fairy-tale scenery while cruising down the meandering river to Yangshuo.
After disembarkation and check-in hotel with help of your tour guide, you can have a walk along the famous West Street and enjoy the free leisure time there.
Day 11 Yangshuo( B , L )
Sightseeing and Activities:Biking tour of 4 hrs, Fulli Old Town
Accommodation:
Meals:
In the morning, after breakfast, you will have a 4 hours biking tour to Moon Hill through the countryside road, on the way we can enjoy the scenery of dragon river,old villages or something...when we arrive to Moon Hill.we will walk up to the top of Moon Hill,it takes about 1hour go up and down,
In the afternoon, transfer to make a tour of Fuli Old Town. vFuli is famous for making the traditional paper fan in China.It is also a riverside town with paperfan-making workshops,ancient dock , towers,temple.old houses are also well preserved there)
Day 12 Yangshuo-Guilin-Hong Kong Departure ( B )
Sightseeing and Activities:Yangshuo-Guilin-Hong Kong Departure
Accommodation:
Meals:
Free at leisure before our guide pick up from your hotel. Then transfer back to Guilin airport for your flight back to Hong Kong.
What's Include
Transfers and tours with local English speaking guides in private air-conditioned vehicles
All entrance fees, boat fees as mentioned in the programme
Accommodationwith breakfast as listed;
Train tickets : Kunming/Dali (soft berth tickets)
What's Exclude
International airfare: entry & departure China
Domestic - International flight Shangri-la/ Chengdu / Guilin/Hong Kong ( ECO class with tax )
Optional tours
Tips to tour guides and drivers
Any lunch or dinner during the trip
Personal travel insurance
Personal expenditure, such as drinks, souvenirs, laundry, camera fees, communications, postage, gratuities etc
Meals and services other than mentioned in the programme
Drinks with meals
Chinese Visa application
