15 Days Yunnan & South China Tour

Day 1: Arrival Kunming

You'll begin your journey to diverse and captivating Yunnan Province from the capital city, Kunming. Upon your arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide who'll bring you to the hotel by private car. If you like, take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of tea houses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If you have enough time, you can have a look at the interesting Kunming City Museum and other sites across the city.

Optional for evening: Dynamic Yunnan show (8:00pm – 9:30pm every day except during Spring Festival)

Day 2: Kunming - Stone Forest - Dali

Your guide will pick you up from your hotel in the morning. First, we will drive you to Stone Forest (86km,1.5 hours), and enjoy a local Yunnan lunch before we visit Stone Forest. According to an old saying it is a pity not visiting the Stone Forest while you are in Kunming. After lunch, we will have a full afternoon to visit this wonderful landscape. Enjoy the beautiful views of the sight and spend about 2-3 hours in the park.

Afterwards you will be driven back to Kunming where you'll be dropped off at the train station to catch the overnight train to Dali.

Day 3: Dali

Upon your arrival, the tour guide from Dali will meet you at Dali Train Station in the early morning and take you to have breakfast first. We will enjoy the beautiful view from the outside of the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monastery which are the symbols of Dali. Check into your comfortable hotel and take a rest. After having enjoyed a traditional Dali lunch we will visit Dali Old Town, climb to 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.

Day 4: Dali - Lijiang

On the next morning we take you to the Xizhou Morning Market in Xizhou Village to experience traditional local life. We will visit Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste the typical fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore the Bai's distinctive culture. The Bai minority are very present at Xizhou. With a more mixed population and cosmopolitan background, it is now a "must" for the travelers. Afterwards we are going on a cruise on close Erhai Lake to Jinsuo Island - an interesting fishing village. Enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain Range and the Three Pagodas from far as well as lots of birds flying over the lake. After lunch we drive to Lijiang, check in your hotel and enjoy your free evening in Lijiang.

Day 5: Lijiang

The next morning starts with a visit at the Black Dragon Pool and Dongba Museum to explore the rich Naxi minority culture. Then we'll visit to the Jade Lake Village (Yuhu Village): from here, you will enjoy a fantastic view over the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Visit the museum dedicated to the life of Joseph Rock, an explorer and biologist who lived in the area in the early 20th century. Afterwards we go on to Baisha Village to have lunch and visit Baisha Mural; it’s about 600 years old and part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO since 1997. You can have walk through this quiet village and get a good impression of the local people’s life.

Day 6: Lijiang – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Shangri-La

After breakfast, we'll drive about 60 km to the First Bend of the Yangtze River with an imposing gorge scenery and then head north to Tiger Leaping Gorge (88km, 2 hours), one of the deepest gorges in the world with 34 rapids. This gorge is a scenic canyon on a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River, called Jinsha River (Golden Sands River) in this area. It is part of the UNESCO protected World Heritage Site Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan.

Later in the afternoon the tour proceeds to Shangri-La (102 km, 2.5 hours), the former Zhongdian which is well-known as the paradise destination for every traveler. Upon arrival in Shangri-La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yak scattered in the valleys.

Day 7 : Shangri-La

After breakfast we’ll visit the Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Then we’ll say hello to a local family and get close to the real life of Tibetans. After lunch we will visit Pudacuo National Park, it is a natural park with beautiful scenery and good eco-environment. Enjoy lakes, forest, marsh, valley and alpine meadows. All major spots are connected by walkable planks which offer a closer distance for you to experience the natural environment. Bitahai Lake, the highest lake in Yunnan, is 3,500m above the sea level. You can find century-old pines and cypresses grow around the lake, in which the water is crystal clear. And Shudu Lake with clear water, lovely fish, herds of cows and sheep at it shores.

Shangri-La is the "Eden in dream". Since it first appeared in British novelist James Hilton's Lost Horizon in the 1939, it has been associated with the mystique of a place which could not possibly exist here on Earth. In Tibetan, Shangri-La means the "sun and moon in heart"; an ideal home only found in heaven. The lofty and continuous snowy mountains, endless grasslands, steep and grand gorges, azure lakes and the idyllic villages always leave a deep impression on visitors.

Day 8: Shangri-La - Chongqing

After breakfast, stroll around the streets of Dukezong Ancient Town and enjoy your last day in alpine Yunnan. Your private driver will drop you off at Shangri-La Airport to catch your flight to Chongqing (about 2.5 hours). Your private driver picks you up at the terminal and brings you to the hotel of your choice.

Day 9: Depart Chongqing

After breakfast, get picked up by your private driver and local tour guide. We visit Chongqing's downtown and spend the day trying local snacks and enjoy sightseeing in one of the biggest city of the world! Chongqing is situated in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River at the confluence of the Yangtze and Jialing Rivers. The city is the economic and transportation centre in Southwest China with busy rivers and highways radiating out in all directions. Board the river boat at around 7:00pm to start the Yangtze cruise shortly after. An English speaking cruise guide will be available on the ship.

Day 10: Yangtze River Cruise / Fengdu or Shibaozhai

The first shore excursion will take place in Fengdu "Ghost City" or Shibaozhai (choice of excursion will be fixed shortly before the cruise start only). Take part at the river briefing and Captain's Welcome Party as well as welcome dinner in the evening with the crew's cabaret.

The town of Fengdu, said to be the abode of devils, is one of the first stops on your Yangtze River cruise. The famous “Ghost City” definitely deserves a visit. Situated on the northern bank of the river between Zhongxian and Fuling, the city was depicted as the City of Ghosts in two ancient, classic Chinese novels “Journey to the West” and “Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio”. The pagoda in Shibao is one of a highlight of the Yangtze River cruise. From the dock this magnificent structure majestically stands above its surroundings. The pagoda was built against the rocks; so only three walls were man-made. One of the first things you will notice about this pagoda is that its windows are round, which is unique for a pagoda. Also, the temple walls are painted in red with colorful decorations.

Day 11: Yangtze River Cruising / Shennong Stream or Lesser Three Gorges

A morning optional tour is available to the White Emperor City at Fengjie (please contact us for details). We pass through the first two gorges - Qutang and Wu Gorge before taking an excursion by rowing boats through the Shennong Stream or Lesser Three Gorges (choice of excursion will be fixed shortly before the cruise start only). Then we enter the Xiling Gorge, the last of the three. In the evening, sail through the Three Gorges Dam ship lock.

Qutang Gorge extends eastward from White Emperor City to Daxi Town. Since the gorge is no more than eight kilometers long a downstream voyage is a short trip away. Located at the western entrance of the Qutang Gorge on the north bank of the river, 8 kilometers from Fengjie county seat, Baidi City, also known as White Emperor City, clings to grandeur hills and cliffs. It is actually a mini-city scattered with temples and gates on top of Baidi Hill. Baidi City was built by Gongsun Shu, an official turned soldier, as the site of his headquarters during the end of the Western Han Dynasty.

Day 12: Yangtze River Cruise / The Three Gorges Dam Site & Arrival at Yichang

We participate at a morning excursion at Sandouping to the Three Gorges Dam. Arrival in Yichang at approximately 11:30am and disembark.You are getting picked up by your private driver who is already waiting for you at the dock and drives you to the Yichang East Station where your train leaves in the early afternoon. Upon arrival at Zhangjiajie Railway Station in the early evening, your local tour guide and driver will bring you to your hotel. (Train example: 13:25 – 18:26, K1473)

Day 13: Zhangjiajie & Tianzi Mountain

After your breakfast at the hotel, you will be driven to the main entrance Wulingyuan Scenic and Historic Area covering overall 264 square kilometers. Once inside, get shuttled to the cable car station from where the Bailong Sky Lift takes you up to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. From here you can see so called Halelujah Mountains shown in the movie Avatar. Up there, we visit Tianzi Shan and take the lift back down afterwards. Your driver and tour guide take you back to your hotel in Zhangjiajie.

Tianzi Mountain is located at the northwest of Wulinyuan National Park, forming a triangle with Zhangjiajie Park and Suo Xi Valley. The altitude of the highest point in this area reaches to 1500m. It is the remarkable representative of the Zhangjiajie landscape, with stone pillars, walls and peaks as well as stalagmites. Tianzi Mountain was named after Xiang Wang Tianzi (Xiang Dakun), the hero of Tujia people who led them into the fight against the feudal central government in the Ming Dynasty in Hong Wu years (1368-1398). There are over hundreds of nature viewing platforms, among them, the Cloud Sea two thousand stone peaks and various streams and waterfalls. Snow during winter time and the glowing of the sun in the area are most magnificent.

Day 14: Zhangjiajie – Changsha

After breakfast, the Tianmen Mountain Scenic Area is awaiting you. The 7km long cable car will take you up from where the wonderful landscape can be overviewed. We have a look Tianmen Cave, giant hole in the mountain with its 999 steps, known as the Stairway to Heaven. Back at the foot of Tianmen Mountain your driver brings you to the train station to catch the night train to Changsha (train example: 19:00 – 06:10, K9033).

Tianmen Cave (Heaven’s Gate Cave) at an elevation of 1264m is over 130m high and 60m deep. The narrowest point at the gate is not less than 28m. The cave got famous in December 1999 when so called masters of aerobatics flew over the cave for the first time, which attracted a lot of attention.

Day 15: Changsha

After a night on the train, your private driver and guide in Changsha will pick you up at the train station and have a breakfast together. Drive some 130km to Shaoshan, the former residence of Mao Zedong with the Dripping Water Cave and Mao Zedong Square. After the visit of this historic town get driven back to Changsha airport or train station where your South China Tour comes to an end.

Shaoshan is the hometown of former Chairman Mao. Shaoshan is a small mountain village, with some fairly beautiful scenery and a once typically Hunan village atmosphere, Shaoshan has been irreparably changed by history. On the 26th December 1893, a baby was born in a little house in this village, to a relatively wealthy peasant couple. The child grew up to become China’s most famous leader in the 20th century, and it was in this region that Mao spent his childhood and youth, attending school and helping his father with his work. As Mao's hometown, Shaoshan is now one of the most important tourist zones in Hunan province. Among other relics, this major tourist site includes the former residence of Chairman Mao, the Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the Dripping Water Cave and other historic sites.