8-Day Classic Yunnan Tour (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La)

The Gate of Stone Forest

The Train to Dali from Kunming

In the morning, your tour guide will pick you up from your hotel in Kunming city. You will be invited to a Yunnan Pu’er Tea Ceremony before heading to Stone Fores. Pu’er Tea is one of the most popular teas in China. During the Pu’er Tea Ceremony, you will not only taste the local Pu’er tea, but also learn more about the tea culture of China and the history of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Also, it is a good idea to take some Pu’er tea, a symbol of Yunnan province, with you as gifts for your family and friends.

After the Pu’er tea ceremony, you will take a 1.5 hours’ drive to Stone Forest, and enjoy a local Yunnan style lunch before entering the scenic area. The Stone Forest in Yunnan is vast in area with lots of towering stones with peculiar shapes, creating a picture of stone world. The Stone Forest Scenic Area covers an area of 1,460 square kilometers in total and the Karst Stone Forest has been formed 500,000 to 300 million years ago. You can enjoy the marvelous landscape of stones in different shapes.

Then, you will be driven back to Kunming downtown and dropped off at Kunming train station for taking an overnight train to Dali.

• Drive 90km to Stone Forest Scenic Area
• Altitude: Stone Forest (1500m-1900m), Kunming (1895m)
• Stay Overnight on the Train to Dali
• Breakfast, Lunch

Dali Ancient Town

Three Pagodas of Dali Old Town

After you arrive at Dali Railway Station in the early morning, your Dali local tour guide and your driver will meet you at the train station and take you to have breakfast first. You can enjoy the pretty view from the outside of the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monastery which are the symbols of Dali. Then, you will check into your comfortable hotel and take a rest.

You will enjoy a traditional Dali lunch. Afterwards, you will visit Dali Old Town. Dali Old Town is traditionally the habitation of the Bai and the Yi minorities. Tracing back the glorious history of Dali, it was once the capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom in 738. In 937, the Autonomous Kingdom of Dali was founded and lasted outsit Han-run China until the Yuan Dynasty, when the Mongol rulers finally breached the Dali fortifications and brought Dali into the province of Yunnan.

When you visit the Old Town of Dali, you can climb the City Wall and stroll through the souvenir roads which are very famous in Dali. You are free to explore the lively Dali street culture, shop for souvenirs or whatever you are up to.

• Drive 40km from the Train Station to Dali Old Town
• Altitude: Dali Ancient Town (2052m)
• Dali Ancient Town Hotel
• Breakfast, Lunch

Old Houses in Xizhou Town

Local Fishermen in Erhai Lake

Today, you will get to the morning market of Xizhou Town to experience the authentic traditional local life. Located 19 kilometers north of Dali Old Town, Xizhou is lies between Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain Range. The well-preserved old folk houses in this town are a good presentation for the Bai culture. Futhermore, Xizhou is a typical commercial center of Bai Ethnic Nationality. Here, you can explore the traditional lifestyle of the local ethnic groups as well as join in their recent life, enjoying lovely local clothes, decorative architectures and wonderful handicrafts in the old town.

Next, you are going to take a cruise on Erhai Lake to a local fishing village, called Jinsuo Island. You can enjoy the green Cangshan Mountian Ranges and the famous Three Pagodas from far.

After lunch, we will drive about 2.5 hours to Lijiang, another famous ancient town along the ancient Tea Horse Road. Upon your arrival in Lijiang Ancient Town, you will check in your hotel and enjoy your free and easy evening in Lijiang.

• Drive 170km to Lijiang
• Altitude: Lijiang (2400m)
• Lijiang Ancient Town Hotel
• Breakfast, Lunch

Lijiang Old Town

Naxi People in Lijiang Old Town

After breakfast, you will visit the Black Dragon Pool and the Naxi Dongba Museum, where you can learn Naxi pictograph character and explore the rich Naxi minority culture.

Then, we will move on to the Jade Lake Village (Yuhu Village), from which you can enjoy a fantastic view over the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Also, you will visit the museum dedicated to the life of Joseph Rock, an explorer and biologist who lived in this area in the early 20th century.

Then, you can take a 2-hour guided horse trek along the mountain slopes, passing ancient Naxi deer farms, the ruins of Jujian Temple, the King Ranch of the Naxi, ancient tree populations, stone inscriptions and many other nice and interesting places.

After tour, you will get back to your hotel in Lijiang. The well-presented Old Town of Lijiang has retained a historic townscape of high quality and authenticity. You can find different elements from several cultures that have come together over many centuries from its architecture. Also, the ancient water-supply system in Lijiang Old Town still functions effectively today. While visiting Lijiang Ancient Town, you can experience the harmony of different cultural traditions as well as the splendid urban landscape of this town.

• Drive about 30km
• Altitude: Lijiang (2400m)
• Lijiang Ancient Town Hotel
• Breakfast, Lunch

The First Bend of Yangtze River

Tibet Leaping Gorge on the Way to Shangri-La

Today, you will firstly drive about 60 kilometers to the First Bend of the Yangtze River, which is close to Shigu Town.

Then, we will drive further north to Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the top attractions in Yunnan Province. As one of the deepest gorges in the world with 34 rapids, it measures 16 kilometers long and a steep of 3900 meters from the water of Jinsha River to the peaks of Haba Snow Mountain to the north-west and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to the south-east. The inhabitations of the gorges are primarily the indigenous Naxi people, who live in a handful of small hamlets.

Later in the afternoon, after a 2.5 hours drive, you will arrive in Shangri-La, formerly known as Zhongdian. Shangri-La, as the“Eden in Dream”, is well-known as the paradise destination for every traveler. It was first mentioned in the book Lost Horizen that written by British novelist James Hilton in the 1939. It was known as a mysterious place which could not possible exist here on Earth. And its name, Shangri-La, means the sun and the moon in heart in Tibetan. The continuous snow mountain ranges, the endless grasslands, steep and grand gorges, pure lakes and the idyllic villages always leave a deep impression on all the visitors.

Upon your arrival in Shangri-La, you will going to the Tibet cultural area and enjoy the landscapes of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys.

• Drive about 80km to Tiger Leaping Gorge and 105km to Shangri-La
• Altitude: Tiget Leaping Gorge (1800m-2670m), Shangri-La (3280m)
• Shangti-La Local Hotel
• Breakfast, Lunch

Shangri-La Songzanli Monastery

Prayer Flags at Baiji Temple in Shangri-La

After the breakfast in your hotel, we will go to visit the Ganden Songzanlin Monastery, which is the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Then, we will visit a local family and experience the real life of the local Tibetans.

After lunch, we will pay a visit to Baiji Temple, which is very close to the west of Dukezong Ancient Town. You can enjoy a great view of the city from Baiji Temple.

Then, we invite you to have a relaxed break in Shangri-La’s High Mountain Resort to enjoy a cup of coffee. Facing the beautiful Napa Lake, you can enjoy a marvelous view of the local nature.

The evening is free for you to look around Dukezong Ancient Town by yourself. This region is inhabited by many different ethnic groups, with the Tibetans comprising the majority of the population. You can experience the local Tibetan life and learn about their lifestyle, religion and taste the authentic local Tibetan cuisine.

• Drive 20km in total
• Altitude: Shangri-La (3280m)
• Shangri-La Local Hotel
• Breakfast, Lunch

This day is free for you until you head to your next destination or take flight to get back home.

We’d be happy welcoming you in Yunnan again!

Service end.

• Altitude: Shangri-La (3280m)
• Breakfast