9-Day Yunnan Panoramic Private Tour of Kuming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La

Meal: Not Included
Hotel: Overnight in Kunming

Welcome to Kunming, the Spring City of China! Your local guide will meet you at the arrival hall of airport. Then you will be escorted to your hotel in a private vehicle. The rest of today is on your own to explore this city.

Attractions: Stone Forest, Jiuxiang Scenic Area
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Kunming

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.

There is a saying goes: See stone forest above ground and explore Jiuxiang underground. After stone wonderland exploration, let’s go to discover Jiuxiang Scenic Area after driving about 40 minutes (36 kilometers). Boasting more than 100 different sized Karst caves, Jiuxiang is praised as the “Museum of Karst Caves” and the “Hometown of Karst Caves” for world visitors to explore the incredible underground palace. You will take a sightseeing boat at the emerald gorge and then go down to be immersed into the dazzling world with diverse shaped stalactites lit in rich colors, layers of amazing stalagmites like terraced fields, iridescent underground river, etc.

After today’s visiting, be escorted back to your hotel in Kunming downtown. Have a good sleep!

Attractions: Yunnan Nationalities Village, West Hill
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Dali

Following morning pickup from your Kunming hotel, venture to the Yunnan National Village to learn more about the province’s different communities and cultural traditions. The beautiful and big park that reunites Yunnan’s 26 ethnic groups. Every single of Yunnan’s ethnic minority has their own village built in their own unique style. People from these ethnicities live here to show their colorful and traditional way of life, showing their rituals, dances, crafts, festivals and so on.

Up the West Hill, cultural temples are mixed with natural cliffs, Taoist grottoes, flowers and forests. Especially when you go through the stone corridor carved into the face of the cliff, you can really imagine how dangerous and difficult work it must have been to build all this. You can visit a big Taoist Grotto close to the famous Dragon Gate and on the mountain top, you can enjoy a big panoramic view of Kunming. After that, transfer to train station, take high speed train to Dali.

Upon arrival, drive to stay overnight in Dali Ancient City.

Attractions: Xizhou Ancient Town, Zhoucheng Tie-dye, Lijiang Ancient Town
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Lijiang

After breakfast, visit Xizhou Ancient Town. Set eyes on the local morning market. Walk into the “the Museum of Bai Architecture” and appreciate the exquisite residential complexes. Taste Bai’s Three-Course Tea in bitter, sweet and mixed flavors and experience the tea ceremony. Then, visit Yan Family Compound to learn more about the fine Bai ethnic architecture. Then, transfer to “Hometown of Bai People’s Tie-dye Art” – Zhoucheng Old Town for an appreciation of Tie-dye. You’ll visit local indigo workshop in Zhoucheng and know the way of making.

Later, transfer to Lijiang. Upon arrival, wander in Lijiang Ancient Town (Dayan Ancient Town). Walk to the central area of the old town and visit Mufu Palace. Then, wander through the old alleys, old bridges, featured shops and bars to Sifang Street Square. If time permits, join the Naxi people and tourists to dance happily in a round. (Optional Activity: Take a leisure walk up to the Lion Hill and climb up the 33-meter-tall Wanggu Tower – the landmark building of Lijiang to enjoy a panoramic view of the whole old town and overlook the magnificent Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance.)

Attractions: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baisha Village, Yufeng Monastery
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Lijiang

Your private guide and personal driver will meet you in your hotel lobby and then visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain(Yak Meadow section). You will take cable car up and down the mountain. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain now is a famous scenic spot for sightseeing, mountaineering, 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 Lunch, the guide will take you to Baisha Village to see the ancient Fresco and visit Yufeng Monastery. Baisha Village is much quieter because it is not commercialized. If you want to witness the authentic life of the Naxi People and appreciate their culture, but are tired of overcrowded Lijiang, here, at Baisha Village, you can experience the Naxi people’s peaceful daily life. Heading for this village, the Baisha Murals cannot be missed.The paintings were finished by Han, Tibetan and Naxi painters as well as painters from other nationalities.

At about 4pm, the driver will take you back to your hotel.

Attractions: Yuhu Village, Baisha Murals, Shuhe Ancient Town, Dongba Culture Museum, Black Dragon Pool Park
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Lijiang

First, be transferred out of Lijiang Old Town to Yuhu Village. Explore leisurely around this Naxi Village and then go to explore the Former Residence of Joseph Rock. Later, head to Baisha Village and appreciate the ancient Baisha Mural Paintings. (Optional experience: You can have in-depth cultural experience to learn how to make Baisha embroidery instructed by the local masters in Baisha Village.) Then, it is followed by a relaxing trip to Shuhe Ancient Town. Take a nice stroll here to explore local cultures, folk customs and traditions over several centuries.

After that, transfer to Dongba Culture Museum. Take a gentle walk to Black Dragon Pool Park to enjoy gorgeous view and peaceful surroundings. If weather permits, get to the best spot to overlook the snow-capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and shoot some amazing pictures.

Attractions: First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Shangrila

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, 16 km 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.

Attractions: Songzanlin Monastery, Tibetan Family Visit, Baiji Temple, Napa Lake
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Overnight in Shangrila

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.

Afterwards, you will visit a local Tibetan family to experience the real Tibetan life.

After lunch, you will visit Baiji Temple, which means “Hundred Chicken Temple” in Chinese, and is very close to Dukezong Ancient Town. From there you can enjoy a magnificent view of the city and see many chicken, (if you want to know why all those chicken live in that monastery, you will have to go there to find the answer.)

Then you will go to Napa Lake, a beautiful highland meadow full of yaks, horses and birds, which looks different in every season. At the end of the day you will head back to Dukezong ancient town for overnight stay.

Attractions: Not included
Meal: Not included
Hotel: Not included

Today is free for you to explore Dukezong Old Town until your tour guide and driver escort you to the airport in time for the scheduled flight/railway station to other destination. Tour ends.