8 Days Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la Essence Tour

Tour Description and Itinerary

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Day 1  Arrival in Kunming

Pick up at airport of Kunming: the capital and largest city of Yunnan Province, known as the City of Eternal Spring.

Hotel drop off.

Day 2  Kunming-85km-Stone Forest—Kunming-Overnight Train-Dali (B,L)

Drive for (1.5h) to visit Stone Forest, a notable set of Karst formations with many looking like trees made of stone, creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. (2.5h)

After lunch, drive back to visit the Yuantong Temple, the most famous Buddhist temple in Kunming. In the 1950s, it hosted a grand ceremony to greet and send on the sacred teeth of the Buddha and so became important in Southeast Asia. (1h)

Take overnight train to Dali.

Day 3  Dali (B,L)

Dali, a county-level city in and the seat of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, northwestern Yunnan province of Southwest China.

Go boating on the Erhai Lake, an alpine fault lake in Yunnan province. Its name means "Ear-shaped Sea", due to its shape as seen by locals and travelers. (2h)

Then visit the Three Pagodas, an ensemble of three independent pagodas arranged on the corners of a equilateral triangle, near the town of Dali, dating from the time of the Nanzhao kingdom. (1h)

Visit along with their mother building Chongsheng Monastery: once the royal temple of the Kingdom of Dali and one of the largest Buddhist centers in south-east Asia. (1h)

Stroll in the Dali Old Town, built during Ming Dynasty emperor Hongwu's reign (1368–1398). (1.5h)

Day 4  Dali-180km-Lijiang (B,L)

Attend morning market at Xizhou Old Town, which is famous for the Bai minority culture, and well preserved houses, streets with Bai’s typical features. (1.5h)

Afterward, visit Zhoucheng Village: famous as the 'Hometown of Bai People's Tie-dyeing Art', which originated from the central plains area in ancient China over 1,000 years ago. (1h)

Drive to Lijiang, enjoy the beautiful views along the way. (3h)

Go sightseeing at Lijiang Old Town, has a history of more than 800 years. It’s famous for its orderly system of waterways and bridges, and was named as one of the World Cultural Heritages by UNESCO in 1997. (3h)

Day 5  Lijiang (B,L)

Shuhe Old Town: 6km northwest of Lijiang center. A staging post at ancient Tea & Horse Road. It is a tranquil town, as well as part of the UNESCO Heritage site. (1.5h)

Baisha Village: One of the oldest towns in Lijiang City. It got its name “Baisha” meaning “white sand” from the natural white sand in the area. It was also the earliest settlement of the Naxi people. There are many ancient constructions built in the Ming Dynasty: the Dabaoji Palace, the Liuli Temple and the Wenchang Palace.

08:00 AM pick up at hotel and start off. (1h)

Yuhu Village: is on the outskirts of Lijiang Basin at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The houses were made of a unique stone called monkey head by Naxi people. (1h)

Visit the Former Residence of Joseph Rock, an Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist, who came to Lijiang in 1922, and lived here for 27 years. (1h)

Black Dragon Pool Park: As the water is as green and lucid as jade, the pond is also entitled "Yuquan" or Jade Fountain. One can see arbours and pavilions beside the pond, temples hidden in the trees and variegated flowers found everywhere. (1h)

Dongba Culture Museum: the best place to get a close look at Dongba culture. The museum has more than 10000 Dongba cultural relics and various other historical relics and offers the "Dongba Culture Exhibition".

Day 6  Lijiang-100km-Tiger Leaping Gorge-100km-Shangrila (B,L)

Drive 50km/1h to the First Bend of Yangtze River, which originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. When the river reaches Shigu Township, it makes an abrupt turn and flows further northward, forming the rare U-shape bend. (0.5h)

Stone Drum Town: Owning a Memorial Monument of Red Army’s Long March, and been an important site in the ancient times of Tea-Horse trade caravan. (0.5h)

Tiger Leaping Gorge (HuTiaoXia): A contender for the world's deepest river canyon. Around 15 km in length, the gorge is located where the river passes between 5,596m Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and 5,396m Haba Snow Mountain in a series of rapids under steep 2000 meter cliffs. Legend says that in order to escape from a hunter, a tiger jumped across the river at the narrowest point (still 25 meters wide), hence the name. (2h)

Drive to Shangri-la. (2.5h)  

Stroll in the Dukezong Old Town, a 1300-year-old Tibetan town, experienced both the flames of war and prosperity of frontier trade. It has authentic Tibetan dwellings, majestic prayer halls and pagodas, winding lanes offer sanctuary to all those seeking refuge from the bustle city. (1h)

Day 7  Shangrila (B,L)

Shangri-La County: a primarily Tibetan county, formerly called Zhongdian County, and was renamed in 2001 after the fictional land of Shangri-La in the 1933 James Hilton novel Lost Horizon.

Morning, visit The Ganden Sumtseling Lamasery, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery built in 1679, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, and is referred to as the Little Potala Palace. (1.5h)

Napa Lake: is 3270 meters (10,728 ft.) above sea level and covers 660 square kilometers (254 square miles). Approximately 8 kilometers northwest of Shangri-La, the lake fills up a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains which are covered in snow during winter and spring time. (1h)

Day 8  Departure from Shangri-la (B)

Hotel pick up.

Airport drop off.

Service ends.

Service Inclusion
- Airport Pick-up/See-off;
- Hotel Pick-up/Drop-off;
- Luggage transfers between airport and hotels;
- Accommodation with breakfasts as listed;
- Private land transfers;
- All Entrance fees as listed above;
- Experienced English-speaking guide;
- Travel Agency's Responsibility Insurance;
- Service Charge & Government Taxes;
- 6 Chinese Lunches;
- Kunming-Dali Overnight Train (Hard Sleeper; There is no soft Sleeper);

Service Exclusion
- Any flights;
- Dinner;
- Personal Travel Accident Insurance;
- Any other optional programs (show/performance/concert etc.);
- Chinese visa fees;
- Personal Consumption (shopping etc.);
- Tips (Suggested: 5$ per person per day to Guide;   3$ per person per day to driver);

Payment Methods: 1.Cash to tour guide 2.Credit card 3.PayPal 4.Bank remit(wire transfer)

Please Contact Us Send Enquiry, if you want to Customize This Tour or Have Any Questions.

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