Unknown China: Yunnan in a small group

View photos

China, Yunnan (China)

Information

Planned itinerary

Accommodations

Day 1.

Day 2. KUNMING(1800m)

Arrival in Kunming capital of Yunnan province and transfer to the hotel. Kunming is known in China as "The City of Eternal Spring" and its location allows the traveler to enjoy a mild climate throughout the year.

(Today is dedicated to transfers from the airport to the hotel. For those who arrive earlier, the guide will indicate what to do/what to visit until dinner time when the whole group meets.)

OUR WELCOME DINNER WILL BE IN A BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONAL HOUSE/RESTAURANT THAT BELONGED TO AN IMPORTANT GOVERNOR OF KUNMING, WE WILL BE ABLE TO TASTE LOCAL SPECIALTIES THAT WILL SURPRISE US.

Day 3. KUNMING – SHILIN OR STONE FOREST - YUANYANG

After breakfast we will start our way to the Yuanyang area (approx. 6/7 hours of travel). In this small town, located at 1800m above sea level and home to the Yi and Hani minorities , are the most beautiful and spectacular rice terraces in the world included in the UNESCO World Heritage list since 2013.

En route we will visit Shilin or Stone Forest. The Stone Forest, included in the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2007, is one of the most spectacular examples of karst landscape and is considered an extraordinary natural phenomenon and a global geological reference.

Arrival in Yuanyang and accommodation.

Day 4. YUANYANG

Today we will dedicate the day to discover the surroundings of Yuanyang with its spectacular rice terraces and authentic villages that seem to have been stuck in the past, as well as its markets where the local ethnic groups, mainly Yi and Hani, come to buy their provisions.

for next week or that they sell their products in the market. The busy market is to be savored for its traditional hustle and bustle and bright, vivid colours.

Overnight in Yuanyang.

Day 5. YUANYANG–TUANSHAN–JIANSHUI

Today we will go to the small town of Tuanshan (approx. 4 hours drive) where we will walk through its perfectly preserved ancient streets and enjoy its magnificent traditional architecture from the Ming era. We will also visit the Shuanglong Bridge or the

Two Dragons , built during the Qing Dynasty. This bridge is considered a masterpiece among the bridges in China.

Next we will continue to Jianshui . From this ancient city located on the Silk Road of Southwest China , better known for the ancient route of tea and horses, the passengers who were heading towards Vietnam were controlled, hence it became the XIII century in a center
very active politician and military. Today this small town is like a real museum of ancient architecture.

Arrival in Jianshui and accommodation.

Day 6. JIANSHUI-KUNMING

This morning we will visit the ancient city of Jianshui, its Temple of Confucius , the second most important in the country with a beautiful park where the lotus blooms during the months of June, July and August. We will also visit the garden house of the Zhu Family who were governors of Jianshui during the Qing dynasty. A magnificently preserved spectacular house where every corner invites to be photographed.

TODAY WE WILL ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRY ONE OF THE LOCAL SPECIALTIES, RICE NOODLES AND ITS MOST FAMOUS DISH, NOODLES ACROSS THE BRIDGE . (LUNCH INCLUDED).

At the agreed time we will start our way back to Kunming (approx. 4 hours drive), Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight in Kunming.

Day 7. KUNMING – DONGLIANHUA - WEISHAN

Today we will go to the town of Weishan (approx. 6 hours drive). En route we will visit the town of Donglianhua , inhabited mainly by the Hui Muslim ethnic group. Most of them are descendants of Muslim soldiers who conquered Yunnan province for Kublai Khan's Mongol armies in the 12th century. Donglianhua was also an important trading post for the Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan and later controlled large parts of the commodity trade to and from Burma.

In the afternoon, we will visit the ancient city of Weishan , home to the Yi and Hui ethnic minorities , built more than 600 years ago during the Ming Dynasty, considered one of the oldest towns in the country.

Overnight in Weishan.

Day 8. WEISHAN – WEIBAOSHAN, TAOIST MOUNTAIN - DALI (1974m) - XIZHOU

In the morning we will visit Weibaoshan Mountain, considered one of the fourteen most important Taoist mountains in the country.

Then departure to the town of Dali (approx. 1 hour and a half journey). Dali, a town located in an incomparable natural setting , between the majestic mountains of Cangshan with an average height of 4000m and Lake Erhai. Dali is mainly populated by the Bai minority who settled on the shores of the lake about 3,000 years ago. This small and attractive city is located within walls that date back to the Ming dynasty and for the most part, the city retains the traditional architecture of the Bai. Arrival and visit of the ancient city.

Then transfer to the small town of Xizhou, also inhabited by the Bai ethnic group and less touristy than Dali. Here we will stay in a charming hotel located in a beautiful old house that belonged to a very important family that traded tea.

Overnight in Xizhou.

Day 9. XIZHOU - ZHOUCHENG - SHAXI

In the morning we will visit the Bai populations of Xizhou and Zhoucheng where we will discover their typical architecture, their local market and we will try one of their specialties. Then departure to the town of Shaxi (approx. 2 hours).

Arrival in Shaxi and rest of the day free to visit the ancient city. Located in the southeast of Jianchuan County, this town was also an important trading town on the ancient Tea and Horse Route during the Qing and Han Dynasties. Since the times of the Tang Dynasty, the town of
Shaxi was already an important communications center between the Chinese province of Sichuan, Yunnan and Tibet. In this place, the transactions of tea, brown sugar, Yunnan and Sichuan cloth, furs and other products from the Tibet region were carried out. Although this route no longer works, the
Shaxi's population still retains its cobbled streets and traditional houses as they were a thousand years ago.

Overnight in Shaxi.

Day 10. SHAXI – SHIBAOSHAN/STONE TREASURES MOUNTAIN- ZHONGDIAN (SHANGRI-LA) (3200m

Continuation of the road route to Zhongdian (Shangri-La) . En route we will visit Shibaoshan or the mountain of stone treasures. Shibaoshan is a mountainous area located 12 km from the town of Shaxi known for its sculptures carved in stone more than 1300 years ago and representing the life of the kingdom of Nanzhao (748-902) and the influence of Mahayana Buddhism in Yunnan from the Tibet.

The town of Shangri.la is located in a valley surrounded by mountains, 3,200 meters above sea level. This place marks the beginning of the Tibetan world . Also known by the name of Shangri-La, land where peace and serenity reign, thanks to the novel by James Hilton

LostHorizon. Arrive and transfer to the hotel.

Overnight in Zhongdian.

Day 11. ZHONGDIAN

Today we will visit the Songzanglin Monastery, also known as the "Little Potala". This Tibetan monastery is the largest and most important in the province and has more than 600 monks and the Tibetan people located next to the monastery.

We will take a tour of the ancient city and we will have the OPPORTUNITY TO TRY ONE OF THE MOST VALUABLE AND TASTY PRODUCTS OF THIS TIBETAN AREA, YAK MEAT , ALSO WE WILL DO IT IN A BEAUTIFUL TIBETAN STYLE HOUSE/RESTAURANT (LUNCH INCLUDED).

In the afternoon we will visit the Lake Napa Nature Reserve , one of the largest prairies in the area, with wonderful landscapes and a wide variety of animals, horses, yaks, sheep, wild ducks, etc.

Accommodation in Shangri-la

Day 12. ZHONGDIAN – TIGER LEAPING GORGE - SHUHE (LIJIANG) (2500m)

After breakfast drive to the ancient city of Lijiang . This town preserves the old town intact and in its entirety, made up of small cobbled alleys, centuries-old traditional houses and small canals that run through the city with pure and frozen water from the Jade Dragon Mountain (5550m) that serves, with its top permanently covered with snow, a symbol of the Naxi minority, the inhabitants of Lijiang. Lijiang was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999.

En route we will visit the impressive Garganta del Salto del Tigre. Here the waters of the Yangtze River have created one of the deepest gorges in the world. It stretches for 15 kilometers, and at some points its walls are 3,900 meters high.

Arrival and transfer to the charming hotel located in the town of Shuhe, smaller and less touristy than Lijiang . Free time to visit the ancient city of Shuhe and overnight.

Day 13. LIJIANG – BAISHA – HEILONGTAN PARK - SHUHE

In the morning we will visit the ancient city of Lijiang, we will also take a tour of its local market, one of the largest and most varied in the province. . WE WILL ATTEND A TASTING OF PU'ER TEA THAT IS PRODUCED IN THIS PROVINCE AND THE VARIETIES AND
PROPERTIES OF THIS FAMOUS DRINK (ACTIVITY INCLUDED).

In the afternoon we will go to the town of Baisha and the beautiful park of Heilongtan .

Overnight in Shuhe.

Day 14. LIJIANG – NEXT DESTINATION OR ORIGIN

At the agreed time, transfer to the airport to catch our flight to home or any other point in China (Peking, Shanhgahi...) or beach area

Day 15.

We use small local hotels with special charm and local style

KUNMING: Grand Park Hotel, 4* Sup. (Hotel located very close to the Green Lake Park, the most beautiful area of Kunming)
JIANSHUI : Hanlinyuan Hotel (Nice Charming Hotel)
YUANYANG: Oness Resort, 4* (Beautiful hotel recently opened)
WEISHAN: Xiongzhao Hotel, 3* Sup.
XIZHOU (Dali): Sky Valley Heritage Boutique Hotel or Linden Center (Beautiful boutique hotel, local Bai ethnic architecture)
SHAXI: Aoding Courtyard or Landscape Hotel (Charming Country Hotel)
ZHONGDIAN: Songtsam Hotel (Beautiful charming hotel, Tibetan style)
SHUHE (Lijiang): The Bivou (Beautiful Charming Boutique Hotel)