Kunming Dali Lijiang Shangrila

10 days tour

D1

Kunming Arrival

Hotel: Overnight in Kunming

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 and help you check in. The rest of the day is on your own to explore the comfortable cityscape and leisure atmosphere there! Have a good rest!

D2

Kunming - Stone Forest - Dounan Flowers Market-Kunming

Hotel: Overnight in Kunming

Good morning! After breakfast, your local guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then escort you to discover Stone Forest first for about 1.5 hours’ riding (85km)!

Kunming Stone Forest as the “Essence of World Karst Landform” has been listed as the UNESCO World Natural Heritage with the incomparable coverage of 12 square kilometers’ stone pinnacle groups. Take the sightseeing bus to visit the Greater Stone Forest Scenic Area to admire the typical concentrating cinerous stone pinnacles by walking through the maze of stone peaks and jumping high for the panorama of the forest of protruding stone peaks. Also, you will see the famous peak on many photos and even stones towering over 40 meters.

Then, continue to ride the bus to explore the Lesser Stone Forest to closely look at the iconic stone “Ashima” like a young lady, listen to the touching love story of Ashima, and fill your eyes with the emerald garden-like park of wilder stone peaks surrounded by lush green plants and blossoms. Take the sightseeing bus to exit the scenic park.

The fresh flowers were transacted in the “Flower Street” in the past. Now, the Flower Market covering an area of over one hundred mu is a multi-functional system of information transaction, storage, commercial residence, finance, air transportation and technical consultation. Kunming International Flower Auction Center established here is connected to Holland Flower Auction and Transaction Market famous in the international world. With five to six million cut flowers traded every day, Dounan Flower Market has become the largest cut flower transaction center in China. There are over 500 flower shops in the transaction hall with more than 300 species of flowers falling into 60 categories planted at home and abroad traded. Various flowers such as fragrant lily, rose, forget-me-not, carnation, butterfly orchid, African daisy, and gypsophila produce a “Sea of Flowers”. The flowers in Dounan are very cheap. When the flowers go on the market, you can buy butches of carnations with two or three Yuan and fill your room with flowers. In fact, the flowers are cheaper than vegetables.

D3

Kunming - Dali-Dali Old Town-Three Pagodas Park

Hotel: Overnight in Dali

Take a early high speedy train to Dali, then visit the Three Pagodas Park and Dali old town.

Dali driver and guide will pick up you from Dali train station and then drive you to Chong Sheng Temple which is famous for its Three Pagodas can be dates back to 1200 years ago. After wards you will walk around in Dali old town.

Dali Old Town is about 13km away from Xiaguan in Dali City and is one of Dali's Three Ancients-ancient city, ancient pagoda and ancient steles. History of Dali can be dates back to 1382 during the Ming Dynasty and it has been listed among the top historic cities of China.

The Three dazzling pagodas in Chongsheng Monastery, which faces Erhai Lake and has a history of over 1,800 years. A visit to the pagodas should not be missed by any visitor to Dali City.

After the three pagodas, we will wander around in Dali Ancient City, which is one of the 'Three Ancients' (Ancient Cities, Ancient Pagodas and Ancient Steles) of the Dali Scenic Spot. History of Dali can be dates back to 1382 during the Ming Dynasty and it has been listed among the top historic cities of China. The traditional Bai ethnic minority folk houses give the city distinctive feel, unlike any other Chinese city. The delicacy, freshness and elegance of their construction may be called first-class among folk residences in Southwest China. When people walk along the cobble-paved streets in the ancient city, a sense of primitive simplicity and elegance will be invoked. After enjoying the feeling of walking through the tranquil town, the driver will take you back to your hotel.

D4

Erhai Lake Cruise-"S" bend cycling - Xizhou old town-Zhoucheng ti-die village

Hotel: Overnight in Dali

Early starting then have a cruise in the vast blue Erhai Lake, enjoy the beautiful birds flying around the boat, after that you can have a nice cycling around the Erhai lake surounding road, then visit Xizhou old town, a peaceful Bai peoples village. At here, we can learn about the unique dwellings with typical Bai People's features. After this, we will drive to Zhoucheng Village and know about ethnic Bai People's Tie-dyeing Cloth

Covering an area of 251 square kilometers, it is one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China and the second largest lake in Yunnan. The peaks of Cangshan Mountain are often mirrored in the lake, making majestic scenery. It would be a great pity if people traveling to Dali without going for a boat ride in the lake.
Dali - Lijiang

After Erhai lake sightseeing, you will visit to the Bai Minority Traditional Houses in Xizhou. The layout of these houses is distinctive with the features of wood and stone carvings and paintings on lime powdered walls. Xizhou is the place where the best and most of Bai Minority Traditional Houses are preserved. Over there, you will also get a chance to learn cooking a special local delicacy, call Baba, a scone-like baked bread mainly made of wheat flour.

Then you will continue to the nearby Zhoucheng Village, where you will visit the traditional hand-made Tie Dyeing, in the local people's home.

Day 5: Dali-Shaxi village-Lijiang Ancient Town
Hotel: Overnight in Lijiang

Shaxi Old Town.Shaxi Old Town has (aka Shaxi Ancient Village) a long history that can be traced back to the the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States Periods (770BC -221BC), and it is the only one surving market town in the ancient Tea Horse Road.

Shaxi Ancient Town is a famous attraction once played an important role as a bustling trade point on the Tea Horse Caravan Road.Walking down the streets of Shaxi is indeed like stepping back into history. The 700-year-old theatre, wonderfully scenic Yujin bridge, 600-year-old Xingjiao Temple, spectacular Ouyang Courtyard and vibrant Friday market make it a perfect fit to meet old China.

Arrive at Lashi Lake and have a half-day tour to visit it which has been approved as a plateau wetland nature reserve in Yunnan in 1998. You will experience the traditional, rural Naxi lifestyle in a beautiful and peaceful setting. You can watch a variety of protected migratory bird species such as the black-necked crane, whooper swan and black stork on spring. After paying a visit to Naxi Minority houses of local residents.

Rent horse from local villagers and ride it along the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. The ancient Tea-Horse Road plays a similar role as the Silk Road does, and is a vital part of the international trade in the history (between China, India and Middle Asia). What's more, it was a road linking culturally Tibetans and other Chinese in the history, and promoting the spread of Buddhism. In late afternoon transfer back to Lijiang, and overnight at the hotel in Lijiang.

After this, continue drive to hotel and check in, you can explore Lijiang old town and walk around there by yourselves..

Lijiang Ancient Town: It is also named Dayan Ancient Town, famous for its scientific architectural layout. Crisscrossed by crystal-clear rivers and meandering cobbled streets, Lijiang Ancient Town is a treasure in the field of urban construction in China. 

Day6: Lijiang

Hotel: overnight in Lijiang

Visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression lijang show, Blue Moon Valley and Baisha old town.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: The mountain is ten miles from Lijiang, its landscape includes one of the southernmost glaciers in the world. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain has 13 peaks, the main peak is 5,596 meters above sea level, and is annually snowcapped. Scientists say that the mountain formed over 230 million years ago from ancient geosynclines when dinosaurs roamed on the Earth. In the Naxi People¡¯s language, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain means the place for loves that die for their love. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain has rich vegetation coverage, featuring distinct and complete alpine vertical ecosystem from subtropical zone to frigid zone.

Your private guide and personal driver will meet you in your hotel lobby and then visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You will take cable car up and down the mountain (Glacier park, 4506 meters high or Spruce Meadow, 3200 meters high). Jade Dragon Snow Mountain now is a famous scenic spot for sightseeing,skiing, exploration, scientific research and taking holiday. Besides, widespread legends and myths of the Naxi ethnic minority and the unclimbed Shanzidou are all important attractive spots for those who come here. Besides, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is a sanctuary for rare animals and wild plants.

After the go down from the mountain, then watch a famous show of Impression Lijiang, it is directed by famouns and No. 1 directour, Zhang Yimou who directed 2 times olympics opening ceremony in Beijing. You can see around 500 men and women dancing togeather in the snow mountain. It is a window to learn about the locam ethenic groups.

After that, we take a shuttle bus to Blue Moon Valley, a amazing and beautiful place at the middle way of the snow mountain. At here, you can see many bule lakes and waterfalls, and the blue lake water is from the snow mountain glacier melts.

Baisha Old Town: One of the 3 famous old towns in Lijiang, it i also the heritage site place, the old architecture here reflects the Naxi civilization, it is the culture town of Lijiang, travellers can see the local embroidery school, the last Black Smith's working house and Dr. He's chinese medicinal clinic.

At about 5 pm, the driver will take you back to your hotel.

D7

Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangrila

Attractions: First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge
Hotel: Overnight in Shangrila
Duration: 6 hours roughly

You will be picked up from your hotel in the early morning, and be transferred to the First Bend of the Yangtze River, where you can see fatanstic landscapes as well as important historical stories.

Then you will continue the journey further north to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world, 23 kilometers long with a sheer 3900 meters between the wild waters and the top of the snow capped Haba Snow Mountains next to it. After lunch, you will continue to Shangri-La, and on the way, you will notice that the landscapes and architecture gradually changes as you go further into the Tibetan cultural areas, with barley fields and yaks scattered across the valleys. On the way to Shangri-La,you will visit a local Yi Minority Village. Then you will arrive at your final destination: Dukezong Ancient town, a key stop on the old Tea-Horse road. You can enjoy your free time and relax in the ancient town.

D8

Shangri-la
Attractions: Songzanlin Monastery, Napa Lake, Tibetan Family Visit, Dukezong old town
Hotel: Overnight in Shangrila
Duration: 5 hours roughly

After breakfast, your driver and tour guide will pick you up from your hotel, then take you to Songzanlin Monastery, the largest and most beautiful Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, with a rich history and Tibetan culture.

Then you will go to Napa Lake, a beautiful highland meadow full of yaks, horses and birds, which looks different in every season. Afterwards, you will visit a local Tibetan family to experience the real Tibetan life.

After lunch, you will visit Dukezong old town,

it was once the biggest and best-preserved Tibetan residents in China. It was the transportation hub of the Ancient Tea Route. It is located in Shangri-la county. It has a history of over 1300 years and a center of economy and culture among Tibet, Yunnan and Sichuan. The name Dukezong in Tibetan language has two meanings: one is a castle built on the rock, the other is moonlight city. When the old town was being built, they obtained raw material locally. There is a kind of white clay being used to paint the outer wall. Therefore, the residents paint all the outer walls in white. The style still remains today. In the night, the moonlight shines on the white walls, which makes the town more charming.

D9

Balagezong Grand Canyon

Attractions:

Balagezong Mountain, Bala Village, Glass Deck View Point, Echo Wall

Hotel: Overnight in Shangrila

Balagezong Scenic Area, located about 31 miles (50km) northwest of Shangri-la County. It earns very high admiration for the mysterious ancient Bala Village, hospitable villagers, holy snow mountains, plank road over Gangqu River, and precipitous gorges, especially Shangri-la Grand Canyon. It is a pure land isolated from the outside world, waiting for visitors to discover its unique beauty with rich Tibetan culture.

D10 Shangrila-Kunming

Attractions: No

Hotel: Overnight in Kunming

Today, you will take a bulletin train for 5 hours roughly to Kunming, you can have your own time at there, walking around at the flowers market or relax in the coffee bar.