Discover Yunnan: 5 Days Kunming, Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La Highlights Tour

Day 1 Kunming Arrival

Pick up service can be arrnaged at Kunming train station or Kunming airport, our guide will meet you at the exit with a welcome sign "Kunming Private Tour".

Firstly, drive about 85 km to the typical Karst landform - Stone Forest. Walk into the Greater Stone Forest, marvel at groups of gray-black stone peaks and climb up a pavilion to have a panoramic view of the intricate stone forest. 

After the tour, transfer to Kunming train station for your train to Dali. You will be picked up from Dali train station and transfer to your hotel in Dali.

Day 2 Dali

After breakfast, our guide will take you to visit the Xizhou Old Town which is located about 18 kilometers north of Dali. Xizhou Village is one of the Bai ethnic minority villages around the Erhai Lake and has historic prominence with a cluster of over 100 protected buildings. Your tour guides will lead you into the courtyards of several families and experience the lifestyle of the Bai people.

Your lunch will be arranged at the local restaurant popular with the local people to stay away from the tourists' meals. (At your own expense or ask your guide to recommend some other restaurants if you have special dietary needs.)

After lunch, drive to Erhai Lake, you will take a leisure cruise on Erhai Lake, and you can visit temples and small islands in the lake. In the simple ceremony, three different kinds of Bai tea are served. Islands in the lake include Guanyin Ge (Guanyin Pavilion), Jinsuo Island, NanzhaoFengqing Island and Xiao Putuo Island. Then wander in the Ancient City of Dali to enjoy a nice evening.

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

Day 3 Dali-Lijiang

After breakfast, drive you to visit the Lijiang Ancient Town.  It is located on the outskirts of the present-day city of Lijiang, Yunnan Province. The old, original village is built around the concept of a network of canals that were intended to provide water to each and every household. The source of the water is Black Dragon Pool, a natural spring from which arises 3 small rivers, denoted simply as the East, West, and Middle rivers.

Then pay a visit to Black Dragon Pool, enjoy the wonderful reflection view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the pool.

Your lunch will be arranged at the local restaurant popular with the local people to stay away from the tourists' meals.

In the afternoon, move on to the Dongba Culture Museum. Dongba Culture Museum is a museum in Lijiang City, which deals with the Dongba culture of the Naxi (Nakhi) people. The Dongba culture is a most inclusive term referring mainly to the language and scriptures. The museum has more than 10000 Dongba cultural relics and various other historical relics and offers the "Dongba Culture Exhibition". 

After the tour, drive you back to your hotel in Lijiang.

Day 4 Lijiang–Tiger Leaping Gorge–Shangri-La

After breakfast, drive about 45 kilometers to view the First Bend of Yangtze River, an extraordinary turn nearly about 180 degrees with beautiful and marvelous views like a wonderful landscape painting unfolding before you. 

Then transfer to visit the one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world - Tiger Leaping Gorge. It measures 16 kilometers in length and is a giddy gorge of 3900m meters from the waters of Jinsha River to Haba Snow Mountain and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. You’ll walk about 1,000 stairs along the plank road from the entrance to the Tiger Leaping Rock. Take a moment to enjoy the magnificent gorge view and rolling waves. 

After the tour, you will be taken to your hotel in Shangri-la.

Day 5 Shangri-la Departure

Today, you will first visit the Songzanlin Lamasery, it is the largest Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan, built during the Qing Dynasty and established by the Fifth Dalai Lama in 1679and also one of the 13 famous Lamaist monasteries in Tibetan regions. The lamasery is built on the slope. It extends from the foot to the top of a mountain, with an imposing and elegant shape. It takes the pattern of the Potala Palace in Lhasa and hence has another name “Small Potala Palace”.

Your lunch will be arranged at the local restaurant popular with the local people to stay away from the tourists' meals.

In the afternoon, move on to the Potatso National Park. Potatso National Park is located in Shangri-La County. The park was announced on June 25, 2007, and is notable as the first national park in China to meet International Union for Conservation of Nature standards. It incorporates the Bita Lake Nature Reserve and the Duhu Scenic Area in the Hongshan region. As such they are part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site.

After the sightseeing, drive back to the Shangri-la airport for your flight to your next tour destination. 

Price Per Person in US Dollars