12 Days Amazing Yunnan Guizhou Guilin Minority Culture Tour (Lijiang, Dali, Kunming, Guiyang, Yangshuo, Guilin)

Summary

Day 1 Kunming Arrival
Day 2 Kunming: Stone Forest, Jiuxiang Scenic Resort
Day 3 Kunming-Dali: Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple, Dali Old Town, Er'hai Lake
Day 4 Dali-Lijiang: Xizhou Village
Day 5 Lijiang: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression Lijang Ethnic Show, Baisha Old Town
Day 6 Lijiang-Guiyang: Lijiang Old Town
Day 7 Guiyang-Kaili: Wind and Rain Bridge, Kaili Ethnic Culture Museum
Day 8 Kaili: Langde village, Matang Village, Qingman Miao Village
Day 9 Kaili-Zhaoxing: Datang Miao Village, Upper Langde Miao Village, Jidao Miao Village
Day 10 Zhaoxing-Guilin: Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave, Fubo Hill
Day 11 Guilin-Yangshuo: Li River cruise, West Street
Day 12 Guilin Departure

Day 1 Kunming Arrival

Pick up service can be arranged at Kunming train station or Kunming International Airport, our Kunming local guide will meet you at the exit with a welcome sign "China Private Tour". Transfer to your hotel in Kunming. 

After a short rest in your room, our guide will take you to visit the visit the Western Hill which is called “Sleeping Beauty Hills”, looking like a beautiful young lady lying beside Dian Lake. It will be a perfectly lovely trip to walk in this long wedge of parkland and explore the famous temples (Huating Temple and Taihua Temple included) and other cultural relics. If you do not come to Dragon Gate, you haven't been to Western Hills. Make some effort to climb up to magic Dragon Gate where you’ll appreciate the panoramic view of Dian Lake as well as see a group of grottoes and sculptures.

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

Day 2 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, head to Jiuxiang Scenic Resort: Known as the "museum of karst caves", Jiuxiang boasts more than 100 karst caves and is the largest cave group system in China. The cave formations are very varied and the rivers, waterfalls, and natural rock bridges are very enchanting. The local saying goes, "If one spent his entire life counting the caves in Jiuxiang he may not finish the job". 

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

Day 3 Kunming-Dali

After breakfast, transfer to Kunming train station to catch your train to Dali, it takes around 2 hours by "D" train. Once you arrive, our Dali local guide will meet you at the exit of the train station.

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…

After that, 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.

The last spot for today is Dali Old Town. Used to be the ancient capital of Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms, Dali Old Town is formed in the square-shaped structure, laid out on a typical north-south, east-west axis with five north-south and eight east-west streets. Wander leisurely through the historic streets with weeping willows dancing and colorful flowers blooming in the sunshine.

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

Day 4 Dali-Lijiang

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, transfer to Lijiang and check in your Lijiang hotel. The rest day is free on your own to explore 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.

Continue your tour to the Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan town. Visit Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. 

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

Day 6 Lijiang-Guiyang

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 Lijiang airport to catch your flight to Guiyang. It takes around 1.5 hours from Lijiang to Guiyang. Once you arrive, our local guide in Guiyang will meet you at the exit of the airport with a welcome sign. Transfer to your Guiyang hotel directly.

Day 7 Guiyang-Kaili

After breakfast, transfer to Guiyang train station to catch your high speed train to Kaili. It takes around 40 minutes. Upon on your arrival, our guide will meet you at the exit of the train station with a welcome sign. Our guide will take you to visit the typical Diaojiaolou and the Wind and Rain Bridge. The local females here wear the traditional long skirt which is distinguished with other Miao people. After that, we will visit the Datang Miao Village, where the local females wear traditional short skirts. Here you will see the unique building in Miao village, with barns above water.

Next, you will visit the Kaili Ethnic Culture Museum in Kaili city center, it is a museum designed in the Miao and Dong minority style. We will learn about their traditional dress, articles for ancestor worship and experience the daily life of the Miao and Dong people in Yuan. 

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

Day 8 Kaili

After breakfast, pay a visit to Matang Village where you can see Gejia group who are not listed into 55 minority groups in China just because of their small population. You will appreciate the traditional Gejia batik in the village, and learn the art of batik.

Next, proceed to visit Qingman Miao Village, where the women wear a kind of traditional short-skirt. In a local household, you may see the traditional way of dying cotton material.

In the afternoon, head to visit the Langde village which is a Miao ethnic village, where you can find classic Miao People architecture- wooden Diaojiao building. Miao people normally live close to a river and surrounded by mountains. Due to the weather in the mountain areas, Miao people use wood to build their house, which is good at ventilated. There are usually three floors in the Miao houses. The first floor is used to feed animals or stock sundries. The second floor is the living place.

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

Day 9 Kaili-Zhaoxing

After breakfast, drive you to Zhaoxing from Kaili. Along the way, you will visit the Datang Miao Village, also called Xinqiao Miao Village, is another branch of Miao live for hundreds years. This village is special for the unique “miniskirts”, as short as 10 centimeters, that the local women wear all year round. You could enjoy and participate in the local dance in the village square. 

After lunch, go sightseeing at Upper Langde Miao Village is 30 km away from Kaili. Visitors to Langde Village are welcomed by the 12 courses of “block-way” rice wine, then visit the traditional Miao-style stilt houses enjoy sweet Miao folk songs.

Lastly, you will visit the Jidao Miao Village, it remains original and tranquil with idyllic surroundings. Visit Shangzhai and Xiazhai and explore Old Geomantic Trees, time-horned granaries, the Cave of the Immortal, the Footprints of buffalos and Horses and more sites.

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

Day 10 Zhaoxing-Guilin

After breakfast, transfer to Congjiang train station for yoru train to Guilin, it takes around 1 hour. Upon on your arrival, our Guilin local guide will meet you at the exit of the train station. Transfer to Guilin city for your tour. 

Firstly, take a visit to the iconic Sight-Elephant Trunk Hill, which is one of the four top Guilin attractions that all visitors coming to town usually stop by. Regarded as the symbol of Guilin city, the site is the most famous karstic hill formation out of the many rising straight out of the ground throughout the city. 

Then we head to Fubo Hill, which another of Guilin's unique scenic spots. Natural scenery - rocks and stalactites and the man-made cloister and pavilions blend to make this a memorable sight. Climbing along the winding stone stairway to the hilltop provides a panoramic view of Guilin City.

Continue your tour to Reed Flute Cave, which is known as "the Palace of Natural Arts” is located in the northwest of Guilin City, 5 kilometers away from the center of the city. It is a cave on the southern shoulder of the Guangming Hill (Bright Hill) ancd is one of the most extraordinary scenic spots in Guilin. Counted as "must-see" sights in Guilin as well as Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill and Folded Brocade Hill.

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

Day 11 Guilin-Yangshuo

After breakfast, you will take take about 1 hour to drive to Li River from downtown. The boarding time is scheduled at 9:30 am, and the whole journey takes about 4 hours. Embark and enjoy your Li River cruise to Yangshuo. Li River is the highlight of Guilin tour, and whoever come to this city will be impressed by its natural beauty. The landscape is decorated with rolling hills, steep cliffs, fantastic caves, leisurely boats and is lined with bamboo. The water reflect the mountain and the sky, forming a picturesque scenery.

Disembark at Yangshuo in the afternoon around 1:00pm. Have a short exploration of the old town. Yangshuo West Street is a place where you will find a lot of unique shops selling traditional handcrafts, hand-made scarfs, snacks of local flavor etc. There are some optional activities available, such as cycling, bamboo rafting, watch an impression show and etc.   

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

Day 12 Guilin Departure

Today, you can get up early to explore the countryside scenery and experience the local life at Yangshuo. Transfer to Guilin train station or Guilin airport for your next destination at a suitable time.

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.