7 Days Classic Tour to Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la

Your will be picked up at Kunming’s airport by the local guide and transferred to the hotel in the city. You can spend the rest of the day exploring the city at your own pace.

 Breakfast & lunch

After breakfast, you’ll be chauffeured to the Stone Forest scenic area, which is located 90 kilometers to the south of Kunming. Due to a process of weathering and erosion, nature has created an art gallery of limestone sculpture there. You’ll be amazed to discover the striking resemblance between the stones there and trees, animals and even fungi. The quintessential karst landscape will make every visitor lost in wonder. Altogether, you’ll explore a variety of bewitching landscapes including the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, the Naigu Stone Forest, the Zhiyun Cave, the Long Lake, the Da Dieshui Waterfall and the Qifeng Cave.

 Breakfast

Take the morning flight to Dali and be transferred to the hotel. We’ll head north to visit the enchanting Xizhou Old Town. Xizhou is a cozy ancient city where a cluster of traditional Bai ethnic architectures are well preserved. You’ll sample the fragrant three-course tea and explore the distinctive culture of the Bai ethnic group there.

Yan’s Compound is a must-visit destination for travelers sightseeing Xizhou Ancient Town. The sprawling estate covers a land area of over 3,000 square meters and comprises five courtyards. It was constructed in Qing dynasty by the once wealthiest family of the district—the family of Yan, who had accumulated tremendous fortune by exporting tea products to other southeastern countries. Being the home of an outstanding collection of Bai-style architectural splendor filled with artworks, the place is lavishly adored with exquisite wood sculptures and stone carvings. Wandering in this gorgeous building will constantly remind you of its prestigious past. The trip of cultural relic is further complemented by a series of extra treats including enjoying the ancient music, watching the dance performance and sampling the delicately-made local tea—the three-course tea (Sandaocha) that signifies the bittersweet nature of life.

Afterwards, you’ll spend the rest of the day exploring the Dali Ancient Town, which hosts a large collection of traditional Bai architectures. Once served as a vital gateway of cultural exchange and trade with southeastern Asian countries, the city retains its unique ancient charm despite of the constant stream of tourists it accommodates each year. You’ll visit the Tie-dying workshop there,which will sedate your curiosity about this ancient art and uncover the craftsmanship behind its sophisticated and time-consuming process. The Foreigner Street is lined with an abundance of bistros and trendy restaurants serving both modern dishes and regional delicacies. You can embark on a culinary tour and gorge on the local feasting when hunger strikes.

 Breakfast & Lunch

You’ll be chauffeured to Lijiang today. On your way there, you’ll visit Baisha Village.Drive to Lijiang, visit the Baisha Murals , the Black Dragon Pond and the Square Street of the Lijiang Old Town.

You’ll be chauffeured to Lijiang today. On your way there, you’ll visit Baisha Village. Baisha Village is named after the signature white sands abound in the area and is located 16 km to the northwest of Lijiang Ancient Town. It’s the earliest settlement of the Naxi people and houses myriad cultural relics and ancient buildings. One of the biggest tourist draws in the village is the exquisite Baisha Mural, which consists of a series of paintings created 600 years ago, representing the first-class craftsmanship at that time and reflecting the spiritual pursuit and mundane life of Naxi people in ancient times. Not only does it stand out as a rare treasure of art, but it also serves as an important source of information for research on national religions, arts and history.

Head to the picturesque Black Dragon Pool with the towering Jade Dragon Mountain as its backdrop.

After that, you’ll be escorted to visit the veteran Lijiang Ancient Town. This well-preserved UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site covers an immense area of 1255 square kilometers. Once the habitation of local Naxi people, the place is now crammed with a profusion of fancy restaurants and boutique hotels, yet its enduring allure never fails to fascinate visitors. You can have an exploration of what the stores have to offer at daytime and stroll through its meandering streets when the whole place is lit up by lanterns and neon at night. The city was found on the streets radiating out from the landmark Square Street, which can help you better navigate the maze-like place just in case you get lost in your ambling.

 Breakfast & lunch

We’ll head to Shangri-la today. On your way there, you’ll visit Tiger Leaping Gorge. As a primary tributary of the upper Yangtze River, the Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest river canyons in the world. The gorge has a series of rapids surging under its steep cliffs and a maximum depth of approximately 3,790 meters from the base to the mountain peak, and it holds a dramatic allure for adventures and trekkers all over the world. Despite its odd danger, it’s gorgeous almost every single step along the way.

After that, you’ll visit the gorgeous Stone Drum Town on the bank of Yangtze River. Stone Drum Town is 70 kilometers away from the city of Lijiang and is easily accessible from the highway. The old town is named after a drum-shaped marble plaque it hosts. Built during the Jiaqing era of the Ming Dynasty, the stone drum is a monument commemorating the victory of Lijiang’s Naxi ruler over an invading Tibetan army. Throughout time, Stone Drum Town was always a significant strategic military area where many famous historical events have been taken place. In April 1936, the Second Route of the Red Army crossed the river here and continued to march north. There are memorials here honoring the people whose histories are entwined with the Stone Drum Town. The area is now home to 8 ethnic populations and boasts a greet scenery of swirling rice terraces and trembling willows.

You’ll then head west to visit the Iron Chain Bridge, a bridge built in late Qing dynasty to help villagers cross the galloping Chongjiang River under the feet. Next up, you’ll climb uphill to ascend to a high spot where you can take in the panoramic view of the First Bend of Yangtze River. It is named as such because a sudden V-shaped bend has been formed when the Yangtze River flowing by, which creates views of wonder. Get prepared to snap a photo of the meandering water embraced in lush valleys.

 Breakfast & lunch

Today, you’ll embark on a spiritual journey to the majestic Ganden Sumtseling Monastery. Built in 1679, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province and is referred to as the Little Potala Palace. The monastery used to boast 2,000 monks at the peak of its past spiritual influence. Today, it houses 700 monks in 200 associated houses with a combined architectural style of both Tibetan and Han Chinese features. It retains a timeless charm and offers a fascinating insight into a unique Tibetan Buddhist culture. Being immersed in a sublime ambience and surrounded by packs of reverent monks and pilgrims, you’ll be expected to reemerge with a reformed perspective on life and religion.

Next up, you’ll visit Bita Lake in Potatso National Park (including Shudu Lake, Bita Lake resort and Xiaji Resort).At the end of today’s trip, you can either choose to spend the night in Shangri-la or take a flight back to Kunming one day earlier.

You’ll take a flight back to Kunming. Upon arrival, you’ll visit the Golden Temple.Located only 11 kilometers away from Kunming, the gorgeous Golden Temple sits on top of Mingfeng Hill in a surrounding of sweeping greenery. It’s the most renowned Taoist shrine in Yunnan province and is largely decorated in gleaming copper. You can spot copper-made Buddha statues, wall decorations and banners almost everywhere. When approaching the temple by climbing uphill on winding stone steps and passing through a series of ‘Heavenly Gates’, the outline of the temple will gradually appear on sight and will enchant you almost immediately with its elaborate architectural style and sedative tranquility.

Afterwards, you’ll spend some time exploring the bustling Jingxing Flower and Bird Market. The equable climate in Kunming is conducive to the blooming of flowers and the living of birds. The market is a window into the city’s biodiversity. It showcases a wide range of flowers and fauna thanks to its proximity to nature and temperate climate. You can explore the more worldly side of the city there, which makes an ideal place for market stall browsing or aimless wandering.

At the end of the journey, you’ll be transferred to the airport for your departure.