11 Days Southwestern China Highlights Exploration Tour

Day 1 Guilin Arrival

Upon on your arrival, our guide will meet you at Guilin train station or airport with a welcome signage "China Private Tour". Then, drive you to your hotel in Guilin downtown, our guide will help you to check in. The rest day is free on your own to explore Guilin city or rest in your hotel.

Day 2 Guilin

After breakfast, you will take a boat cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo (5 hours). And you will have a lunch on the boat. From Guilin to Yangshuo, the prominent landforms are karst peak clusters. The Li River flows around these mountains to form valleys. The scenery is the best in Caoping, Yangdi and Xingping. There are beautiful scenes of Nine Horses Fresco Hill, Yellow Cloth Reflection, and Half Side Ferry. The Li River landscape's appearance varies at different times of the year, from different viewpoints, and during different climates. 

After disembarkation, we will drive you to see the picturesque countryside of Yangshuo-West Street, it is the oldest street in Yangshuo with a history of more than 1,400 years. Situated at the center of Yangshuo County, the street has become, since the 1980's, a window of eastern and western culture and the biggest 'foreign language center' in China.

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

D3 Guilin

After breakfast, you will visit the Reed Flute Cave. It is a natural limestone cave in Guilin, Guangxi Province of China and has been one of the most interesting attractions for over 1200 years in Guilin. It is also known as "the Palace of Natural Arts". The place is called Reed Flute Cave because of the abundance of reed plants present outside the cave. The reeds are used by the locals to make flutes.

Then, drive you to visit the Elephant Trunk Hill (Xiangbishan), it is regarded as the symbol of Guilin. The name was chosen because the hill looks like a giant elephant dipping its trunk into the river. The green water of Li River in front of it and the clear spring at the foot make Elephant Trunk Hill one of the most famous hills in Guilin City. The Elephant Hill has several features: - Water Moon Cave (Shuiyue dong), Elephant's Eye Stone, and Pagoda for Puxian and Yunfeng Temple.

Next, you will visit the Fubo Hill. It is well known as the "Wonderland on Wave" with its exquisite peak rising high and its foot half in water and half on land. The east of the cave curbs the river stream, causing the formation of a deep pool

D4 Guilin--Lijiang

After breakfast, transfer to Guilin airport to catch your flight to Lijiang, it takes 2 hours. Once you arrive, you will be picked up from Lijiang airport by our local guide.

After lunch, check in your hotel. Our guide will take you to explore the Lijiang Ancient Town, it is the center of the Naxi people, a relatively small minority group with a rich culture. The Old Town is an intimate mountain town made of stone and tiles, laced with swift canals. In 1997, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.

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

D5 Lijiang

After breakfast, our guide will take you to visit the Black Dragon Pond, it is a relaxing little park where the locals come to hang out with their loved ones. The greenery is refreshing. The park is a good break from the hustle and bustle of the city life.

Next, you will visit the Dongba Culture Museum, it is a sort of like an active museum in the Yushui Village Scenic Area with people who are transmitting the Dongba culture and hieroglyphic writing system to students and visitors. You can Learn more indepthly about the ancient but almost extinct Naxi culture, writing system and belief system that is called Dongba from the old teachers or the other people there

The Last stop for the tour is Baisha Village, it is one of the oldest zones in the city of Lijiang. It got its name of “Baisha,” meaning “white sand,” from the typical natural white sand in the area. Baisha was the cradle of the Tusi Dynasty which evolved from the Mu clan, and was also the earliest settlement of the Naxi people.

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

Day 6 Lijiang

After breakfast, our guide will take you to visit the Yulong Snow Mountain. Yulong Snow Mountain also know as "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain" near Lijiang, in the Yunnan province and has the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere. Looking from the city of Lijiang Old Town in the south which is nine miles (15 kilometers by Asia standards) away, the snow and fog covered mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence the name. 

You will have lunch after Yulong Snow Mountain at a nearby local restaurant.

In the afternoon, pay a visit for Yufeng Temple. The temple is one of the well known lamaseries among five in Lijiang. The highlight of Yufeng temple is a 500 year old Camellia in the Northern courtyard. This tree has an intricate pattern of twisted stems, and shows thousands of flowers. a less respectable age of only 200 years.

Next, visit Baisha Mural. As one of three ancient towns, Baisha has its unique aspect that there are many Mural Paintings in temples. Most of the temples were built from the early days of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), and the Mural Paintings were created at the same time, over the course of about 300 hundred years. In Lijiang, it was an era of rapid economic development, mutual acculturation of multinational culture, and the growth of religions. 

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

Day 7 Lijiang-Kunming

After breakfast, transfer to Lijiang train station to catch your train to Kunming, it takes around 3 hours by "D" Trains. Once you arrive, our guide will meet you at the exit of the train station and take you go for lunch.

In the afternoon, you will have chance to visit the famous Stone Forest in Kunming. It located in Lunan Town around 1.5 hour from downtown Kunming. The stone forest is a remarkable ensemble of bizarre-shaped limestone rocks formed by erosion of water and rain some 200 million years ago.

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

Day 8 Kunming--Chengdu

Free on your own to explore Kunming city until transfer to Kunming Changshui Airport for your flight to Chengdu. It takes around 2 hours for one way. Once you arrive, our Chengdu local guide will meet you at the exit of the airport, take you to your hotel in Chengdu downtown.

You will have famous Chengdu hot pot dinner at a local restaurant. Hot pot-the Dragon’s Treat for Visiting Tourists in Chengdu When you ask a local on what place to see in Chengdu.

After hot pot dinner, you will be taken back to your hotel.

Day 9 Chengdu

After breakfast, you will have chance to visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, which is about 10 km from Chengdu downtown. This beautifully laid out park is the home of about 80 giant pandas and some other rare animals, such as red panda, black-necked crane, white crane ect. Walking along the excellently designed walkways, you could have a good angle through the open enclosures of giant pandas.

Next, head to visit the Jinsha Site Runis, which is the museum established in the Jinsha ruins site, and is also a museum to show categories of ancient Shu culture in Sichuan area during Shang and Zhou dynasty.

In the afternoon, take the chance to visit the Wenshu Monastery. It is the best-preserved Buddhist temple in Chengdu. It is the home of the Buddhist Association of Sichuan Province and Chengdu City

The last stop for the tour is Jinli Ancient Street. It is “The First Street of Shu Kingdom”, and it’s a famous snack street in Chengdu. The ambiance was like stepping back into the past, well presented and historically brilliant. Evening stroll is extreme beautiful, and picturesque with the lanterns lit up and the street performances are also wonderful. 

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

Day 10 Chengdu

After breakfast, drive about 2 hours to visit the famous UNESCO site around Chengdu-Leshan Giant Buddha. Sitting on the confluence of three rivers in Leshan, the 71-meter-high Leshan Giant Buddha is the largest Maitreya Buddha statue carved out of a cliff in the world. Ancient wisdom and regilious faith of Buddhism created the giant and magnificent cultural treasure, and now is world-known as an amazing UNESCO Natural & Cultural Heritage property in Leshan, nearby Chengdu.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Dujiangyan Irrigation System. It is the great technological achievement of ancient China. For more than 2,300 years of irrigation, Dujiangyan has benefited the local people just as it prevents Min River basin from annual flooding

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

D11 Chengdu Departure

After breakfast, our guide will take you to experience real life in Chengdu at Renmin Park where you can see how locals spend thier leisure time, strolling in the park, you will see local people drinking tea, playing mahjong or cards, dancing, singing, and playing music.

After the tour, drop off at Chengdu train station or Chengdu 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.