10 Days Guizhou & Yunnan Southern Minority Food Culture Learning Tour

Summary

Day1 Guiyang Arrival: private transfer to hotel
Day2 Guiyang-Kaili: Take train to Kaili, Gejia villages, Xijiang Thousand Miao Villages
Day3 Kaili-Libo: Jidao Miao villages and Langde Miao villages, Local family visiting & food cooking
Day4 Libo-Guiyang-Lijiang: Xiaoqikong scenic spot, Take train to Guiyang & Take flight to Lijiang
Day5 Lijiang: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Shuhe Anicent Town
Day6 Lijiang-Dali: Lijiang Ancient Town, Transfer to Dali
Day7 Dali: Xizhou village, Erhai Lake
Day8 Dali-Kunming: Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple, take train to Kunming, Yunnan Mushroom hot pot
Day9 Kunming: Stone Forest, Western Hills, Zhuanxin Wet Market & Ethnic Food Cooking Class
Day10 Kunming Departure

Day 1 Guiyang Arrival

Pick up service can be arranged at Guiyang train station or Guiyang airport, our Guiyang local guide will meet you at the exit with a welcome sign "China Private Tour'. Transfer to your hotel in Guiyang, the rest day is free on your own to explore Guiyang city or take rest in your hotel. Guiyang is the capital city of Guizhou province and the center of the culture, political, education, economy.

Day 2 Guiyang-Kaili

After breakfast in your Guiyang hotel, transfer to Guiyang train station to catch your train to Kaili. Once you arrive, our guide will take you to visit the Gejia villages in Matang. This is a settlement for Gejia people. So, there, you can enjoy the special Lusheng dance, ancient song for bench dance, flying song, drinking song, love song and welcome song. Still, appreciate the exquisite wax printing and embroidery made by Gejia women.

After lunch, head to Xijiang Thousand Miao villages, a place which has the most complete “original ecology” culture of Miao nationality. It is consists of over ten natural villages built depending on mountains and is the biggest village group in China and also the world. It is a great place to learn the history and development of Miao nationality and is just the live museum. The annual new year of Miao, eating new festival and Guzang festival (every 13 years) are all famous all over the world. Besides, there is a village whose residents are good at making silver jewelry.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Kaili.

Day 3 Kaili-Libo

After breakfast, you’ll visit another two Miao villages; they are Jidao Miao villages and Langde Miao villages. Jidao Miao villages is famous for its old roads, old granaries, old songs, old trees, etc. As for Langde Miao villages, you can enjoy yourself with singing and dancing, viewing diaojiao building, national etiquette, etc.

By this tour, you will have chance to get an insight visit to the local ethnic family to learn how to make local food. Kaili is a cultural hub for China's ethnic minority groups with many minority villages scattered over the nearby mountains. Miao and Dong people are fond of spicy and sour food and they pickle a variety of vegetables and meat all year round. Other local people also like fish, living near rivers as they do. Typical dishes are Sour Soup Fish and Miao King Fish. Feel free on your own to stay at local people's home or walk around the village.

After the tour, transfer to your hotel in Libo.

Day 4 Libo-Guiyang-Lijiang

After breakfast, you will visit Xiaoqikong scenic spot, which was added into the world natural relics list in 2007 and is one of the most beautiful places in China. There are caves, forests, lakes, waterfalls, stones and waters. People visit the Xiaoqikong scenic spot in Libo county. The name was derived from the area's landmark—a stone bridge built in 1836. Xiaoqikong, which means "bridge with seven little arches", is renowned as a wonderful summer resort in Libo county, Southwest China’s Guizhou province.

After the tour, transfer to Kaili train station for your return train to Guiyang. Once you arrive, you will be taken to Guiyang airport for your flight to Lijiang. Our Lijiang local guide will meet you at the exit of airport, transfer to your hotel in Lijiang.

Day 5 Lijiang

After breakfast, drive about 30KM to visit the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Yak Meadow of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You will hike around 1 hour in the original forest in Yak Meadow.

In the afternoon, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow. A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, with a cast of over 500 people and a number of horses.

Lastly, our guide will take you to explore Shuhe Anicent Town, it is a quiet and best preserved village in Lijiang.  Small rickety houses line narrow streets bordered by softly gurgling streams. You will find locals chilling bottles of beers and sodas in these streams. The nearby organic farms produce strawberries that tastes like liquid sunshine, and brought me back to my childhood sneaking ripe berries from my grandpa’s garden.  There are plenty of little cafes and eateries for visitors to meander through, and stop for a bite or a sip.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Lijiang.

Day 6 Lijiang-Dali

After breakfast, our guide will take you to explore the Lijiang Old Town. It is famed as one of four best-preserved ancient towns along with Langzhong Old Town, Pingyao Old Town. Lijiang Ancient Town was included into UNESCO's World Heritage Lists. With ubiquitous bridges and canals, elegant wooden houses, charming inns and bars, Lijiang Old Town is hailed as the ''Oriental Venice'' and "Suzhou in Highland".

After the tour, transfer to Dali by private vehicle. You will be taken back to your hotel in Dali, the rest day is free on your own to explore Dali.

Day 7 Dali

After breakfast, our guide will take you to visit the Xizhou Village which is made by Bai ethnic group. This village is surrounded by Erhai Lake, and it is famous for historic traditional style living quarters clustering around. You will be escorted to visit homes of local peasants. The farmer’s homes are all traditional Chinese rectangular courtyard with a screen wall facing the gate. You are expected to be treated with genuine tea ceremony of local Bai ethnic group along with a song and dance performance. In Xizhou you will visit the home for local residence in Qing Dynasty and taste the local appetizer-Xizhou Pan baked bread too.

In the afternoon, go to have a relaxing boat trip on the vast Erhai Lake with crystal clear water and charming landscape, which is reputed as the “Immaculate Jade between Mountains”. On Erhai Lake cruise, you’ll enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and Three Pagodas from afar as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake. Enjoy an excursion to one of the famous islands for an in-depth look at the peaceful Bai fishing village and other sites on island.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Dali.

Day 8 Dali-Kunming

After breakfast, you will visit the Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple. Built in 10th century in Nanzhao Kingdom, Three Pagodas is made of one big pagoda and two small pagodas forming a symmetric triangle. If you look at it from a distance, the pagodas are like three giant ballpoint pens breaking up the landscape of the never-ending mountains. Here, you’ll get close to look at the pagodas to know more history and stories, visit the royal temple in Dali - Chongsheng Temple, take awesome photos of Three Pagodas and the reflections.

Later, transfer to Dali train station to catch your train to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. Once you arrive in Kunming, our guide will meet you at the exit of train station, you will be taken to your hotel in Kunming.

At 17:00 pm, you will be transferred to one of the most popular mushroom hot pot restaurants in Kunming. Your unique dining experience will begin when you step into this restaurant. 3 different wild mushroom will be served with a chicken broth hot pot. You will also taste 5 other different vegetable. A safe and elegant gourmet experience is guaranteed.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Kunming.

Day 9 Kunming

After breakfast, drive about 1.5 hours from your Kunming hotel to visit the famous tourist sites Stone Forest in Kunming. A local saying states: "A visit to Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest is not completed". Stituated close to the bustling city of Kunming, it is a famous scenic area boasting an array of captivating limestone formations. Walking through the site, visitors marvel at the natural stone masterpieces and are bewitched by the intricate formations. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape creates countless labyrinthine vista.

In the afternoon, our guide will take you to visit the Western Hills in Kunming. Western Hill is a forest park, a beautiful place with fabulous views. You can overlook the Dian Lake on the Western Hill, and there are also wonderful temples. The most amazing part is the Dragon Gate on the top of Western Hill. You can also visit the Dragon Gate which is located on the sharp cliff side of the West Hill and it known as the Taosit & Buddhist Grottes.

You will get a chance to learn how to cook the ethnic food in Yunnan at Kunming local culinary school with a chief. You will be amazed by the numerous products selling on this market. Different spices, fresh meat, living animals, etc. You name it. On the market your guide will help you to choose the best ingredients and purchase 3-5 different ingredients to cook. By the way, you are free to taste the food you cooked and take it away as a souvenir.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Kunming.

Day 10 Kunming Departure

Free on your own to explore Kunming until transfer to Kunming train station or Kunming airport for your next destination.

Price Per Person in US Dollars

Price Includes 1. All transfer and city transportation 2. Air-conditioned car or van 3. Hotels specified in the itinerary, all based     on two persons sharingone standard room; 4. Meals specified in the itinerary: Western     breakfast in hotels Chinese lunch and     dinner in local restaurants 5. Sightseeing: All arrangements mentioned     in the itinerary will be covered All first     admission/entrance fees in the itinerary 6. Tour guide: Conducted by a professional     tour guide

Price Excludes 1. International air-tickets 2. Airport departure tax. 3. International or domestic air tickets which     are not listed in the itinerary. 4. Insurance coverage of personal loss, illness     or damages incurred during your trip 5. Tips to the tour guide and driver 6. Meals not specified in the itinerary. 7. Personal expenses: phone bills, laundry,     optional tours, postage, excess baggage     charge, entertainment fees out of the     itinerary. 8. Single Room Supplement.