The Elephant Performance in Wild Elephant Valley
The Water Sprinkling Festival of Dai
Temple in Xishuangbanna
Kunming Stone Forest

6-Day Kunming Xishuangbanna Highlights Tour

Tour Outline: Kunming - Jinghong - Kunming

Overview
Itinerary
Service Inclusion

Trip Overview

Xishuangbanna is one of the most popular destinations for domestic and international tourists. It is the best place to see the wild elephant in tropical forest, learn about traditional festival and customs of the Dai People, taste the world’s famous Pu’er Tea and see the most typical rare plants of tropical rainforest and more.

Especially it is better to visit Xishangbanna on the days from 12 to 18 of April by Dai calendar, because the Water-Splashing Festival and New Years Day will be celebrated in the Jinghong City Proper.

[Stone Forest] Have a stroll in this unique natural forest of stones, and be bewitched by the stone peaks, pillars and stalagmites;
[Golden Temple Park] Stop here to visit this large Taoist Temple and Golden Temple;
[Wild Elephant Valley] Appreciate the wild elephants herding and moving, watch the trained elephants performing dancing, greeting and bathing;
[Tropical Botanical Garden] Visit the Garden, you will be astonished by this plant kingdom in miniature;
[Tea Plantation] Drink a cup of Pu’er Tea, and learn about tea culture and tea planting in depth.

Best Time to Visit

all year round
Physical Demands

Very leisure tour; zero physical demand

Day by Day Itinerary

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Day 1: Kunming Arrival

Welcome to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province, is dubbed as "the city of Eternal Spring" due to its warm weather with an average of 20 degrees for the whole year. Our tour guide and chauffeur will escort you to your hotel in Kunming downtown.

Spend the rest of the day at your leisure. If time is enough, ask your guide for some advices about Kunming city visiting and local featured food and restaurants.

Altitude: Kunming (1895m)
Internet & Wifi
Kunming business hotel
Meals: NO

Day 2: Kunming - Stone Forest - Kunming (171.6km)

Kunming Stone Forest

Today after breakfast, we will head to visit the Stone Forest which is known as "the first wonder of the world". Marvel at its natural stone masterpieces and be bewitched by the stone peaks, pillars and stalagmites rising abruptly from the ground and extending as far as the eye can see.

After the tour in the afternoon, return back to Kunming city. En route, we will stop by the Golden Temple Park, a large Taoist temple in Yunnan, located on the Mingfeng Mountains, 7KM to the east of Kunming city. There is a fine building made of bronze, commonly known as Jindian (the "Golden Temple").

After the tour, be accompanied to your hotel in Kunming.

Drive about 171.6KM for approx. 4 hrs
Altitude: Kunming (1895M), Stone Forest (700M);
Internet & Wifi
Kunming business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Kunming flight to Jinghong, visit the Wild Elephant Valley (64km)

Xishuangbanna Tropical Rainforest

Elephant Performance in Wild Elephant Valley

In the morning, you will escorted to the airport to take a flight to Jinghong City in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Upon your arrival at Xishuangbanna Gasa International Airport, our tour guide meet and escort you to check in your hotel in downtown.

After lunch, we drive 32km to visit Wild Elephant Valley Nature Reserve, passing through the tropical rainforest.The valley is the only region in China where wild elephants are living. Here, you will appreciate the wild elephants herding and moving, watch the trained elephants performing dancing, greeting and bathing.

Flight to Xishuangbanna from Kunming, drive 64km
Altitude: Jinghong (580M)
Internet & Wifi
Jinghong business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Jinghong - Ganlanba - Tropical Botanical Garden - Jinghong (124km)

Dai Minority Flavor Performance in Ganlanba

Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden

Today we will drive 62km along the Mekong River to the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden in Menglun Town. En Route, you will visit the local market, a minority family and the temple in Ganlanba where is a place full of tropical scenery and Dai minority flavor. In the local minority family, you will learn about the exotic custom.

Upon your arrival at the Tropical Botanical Garden, you will be astonished by this plant kingdom in miniature. If Xishuangbanna is described as evergreen boundless forest, the Garden would be the soul of its. Here, you could see the most typical rare plants of tropical rainforest. Afterwards, be transferred back to your hotel in Jinghong.

Today drive about 124km
Altitude: Jinghong (580M), Menglun (1400m)
Internet & Wifi
Jinghong business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Jinghong - Menghai - Jinghong (134km)

Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion

Xishuangbanna Dai Minority Flavor

Today, we drive 67km to Menghai County to visit the Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion, which was built in the honor of Sakyamuni by the local Dai people. The Dai Buddhists usually have meetings and some important religious activities here. Then visit the Hani People’s Village where you could experience traditional and interesting custom of despoiling marriage. Xishuangbanna is the home of the world famous Pu’er Tea. You will have a chance to visit the Tea Plantation and learn about tea culture and tea plants in depth.

In the afternoon, we will drive back to Jinghong and visit the Manting Park, the oldest park in Xishuangbanna, where you could enjoy its beautiful scenery, appreciate unique constructions and taste traditional culture of the Dai People.

Today drive about 134km
Altitude: Menghai (1300m)
Internet & Wifi
Jinghong business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 6: Jinghong flight to Kunming, Kunming Departure

Today, you will be free until your tour guide escorts you to the airport for your flight back to Kunming, and then for your next destination.

Flight to Kunming and departure
Altitude: Jinghong (580M), Kunming (1895M)
Internet & Wifi: NO
Hotel: NO
Breakfast

Price Details & Guide

Price Inclusions

Private transportation to the destinations and sites listed in the itinerary; ranging from 4WD land cruiser to bus depending on the group size and trip route; car gasoline, road toll and in-transport refreshments (free bottles of water, air pillow and headscarf) are included;
Lodging: two nights in Kunming business hotel, three nights in Jinghong business hotel;
Private experienced English-speaking trip leader;
Airport/railway station pick-up and send-off services at the beginning/end of the tour;
Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the itinerary;
Meals listed in the itinerary (5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches);
First aid kit;
A coverage of 300,000RMB Chartis travel insurance;

Price Exclusions

International and domestic flight/train to Kunming (Note: we accept the domestic flight/train tickets booking to Kunming from other cities in advance, check the updated ticket availability and cost with your travel consultant);
Meals that are not specified in the itinerary (Averagely a meal in the 3rdpole region cost 3~10USD per person);
Tips and gratuities for the trip leader and driver;
The expense of a personal nature like alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc;
Optional activities and excursions not specified in the itinerary;
China Entry visa fees;

Itinerary Alteration

Once we receive your tour deposit, which is followed by signing the contract, your reservation is secured with legitimacy. Our staff will reserve the accommodation, vehicle, site tickets, meals and more, and pay the deposit for our suppliers. So if you want to alter to another itinerary, you need to cover the deposit we've paid, while no service charge is needed if you make some changes on the itinerary you booked.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel the tour beacuse of your personal issues, you will be liable to pay cancellation charges that are bounded by 3rdpoletour.com cancellation policy as follows:

1.) If you cancel the tour more than 30 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 10% of the total land cost per person;
2.) If you cancel the tour 15-30 days prior to your trip start date, 20% of your total land tour cost will be forfeited as a cancellation fee.
3.) If you cancel the tour 7-15 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 30% of land cost.
4.) If you cancel the tour 7 days prior to your tour start date, you will forfeit 50% of land cost.
5.) If you fail to show up or cancel at your scheduled arrival time without prior notice or later than that, you will forfeit 100% of the land cost.

If the tour has to be cancelled because of the natural disaster or the government restrictions that is beyond both parties control, we will charge only USD50 per person, this is just the service fee and larbor fee during the preparation. This is a rare occurrence!