Yunnan Odyssey at China Tour Hub

Home > China Tours > Classic China Tours

CTH-013: Yunnan Odyssey

Tour code: CTH-013
Tour Type: Adventure,Architecture,Culture,Minority,Photography
Destinations: Kunming - Dali - Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorges - Zhongdian - Yuanyang - Jianshui - Jinghong - Xishuangbanna
Tour overview: A fantastic journey that odyssey the utmost sites in colorful Yunnan, from the modern city Kunming to the old and unsophisticated villages in Shangri-la and Xishuangbanna. This trip contains dramatic landscape in world-famous Tiger leaping gorges, awe-inspiring Yunyang rice terraces; tranquil ancient town Lijiang, Dali and less touristy Jianshui...Just immense in the wonderful scenery and have an idea about the customs of Bai, Naxi, Tibetan, Hani, Dai and other ethic groups that coexisted in this region.

Enquire about or Book this Tour
Call us at 800-87542136

Highlights

Kunming
Walking in the forest of stone pillars to see unique aesthetic peaks, grotesque rocks, strange caves, flying-down cascades, mountain lakes and the ethnic culture and customs

Dali
Cruise on ear-shaped Erhai Lake and visit the Bai-style villages

Lijiang
Cable car journey up to the cloud-caped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and just stroll on the cobblestone-paved road of Lijiang Old Town; tracking along the Tiger Leaping Gorges

Zhongdian
Songzanglin Monastery,

Yuanyang
Breath-taking Yuanyang Rice Terraces, stretching from the various villages situated at the tops of the mountains down to the depths of the dark valleys; visit to see the local Hani people's village

Jianshui
An old town that has few travelers

Jinghong & Xishuangbanna

Witness the wild elephant in natural environment; in Dai minority's village, enjoy tropical rainforest, renowned peacock dance...

Tour Date	City	Tour Brief
1	Kunming	N/A
2	Kunming	Stone Forest, Western Hill and Dragon Gate, Dianchi Lake
3	Kunming - Dali	Dali Old town
4	Dali	Erhai Lake, Yan Family Compound, Batik Factory
5	Dali - Lijiang
6	Lijiang	Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baisha murals, Lijiang old town
7	Lijiang	Shuhe Old Town, Black Dragon Pool, Dongba Culture Museum
8	Tiger Leaping Gorges
9	Tiger Leaping Gorges - Zhongdian
10	Zhongdian	Nixi Pottery Village, Bitahai Lake, Shudu Lake
11	Zhongdian - Kunming - Yuanyang
12	Yuanyang	Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Hani Minority Village
13	Yuanyang - Jianshui	Swallow Cave
14	Jianshui - Kunming	Chao Yang Lou
15	Kunming - Jinghong	Wild Elephant Valley, Jinuo Minority village
16	Xishuangbanna	Ganlanba, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden
17	Xishuangbanna - Kunming	Xishuangbanna National Forest Park

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1

City:	Kunming
Activity:	Arrive at Kunming Airport. Our guide will greet you at the exit of Arrival Hall
Attractions:	N/A
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 2

City:	Kunming
Activity:	Kunming Visit the Stone Forest and Sani Village en route, take a cable car up to Western Hill and have a panoramic view of Dianchi Lake.
Attractions:	Stone Forest A grand karst site, located outside Kunming, features countless stone pillars, unique aesthetic peaks, grotesque rocks, strange caves, mountain lakes, and interesting ethnic culture and customs. Western Hill and Dragon Gate Located at the west of Kunming city, the western hill features lush vegetations and peaceful, charming environment. It contains several Buddhism and Taoist temple. And the Dragon gate, a magnificent stone-carving project was built on the cliffy hill. Dianchi Lake a crescent-shaped lake embraced by mountains on Yungui Plateau, with charming scenery changeable in different time of a day. It is also the paradise of sea birds in winter.
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 3

City:	Kunming - Dali
Activity:	Transfer to airport and fly to Dali. Be met and transferred to Landscape Hotel (deluxe room). Visit the old Dali town.
Attractions:	Dali Old town Built 1500 years ago, the Old Town of Dali shows an example in the harmonious relationship between man and nature, with its abundant ecological intelligence. All literal descriptions are redundant, photos will explain everything.
Hotels:	Landscape Hotel
Meals:

Day 4

City:	Dali
Activity:	Take a cruise on Erhai Lake, visit nearby fishing village, Yan Family Compound of Bai architecture and Batik Factory.
Attractions:	Erhai Lake Known as "pearl of the plateau", it’s the second largest freshwater lake in Yunnan. Bamboo rafting in the crescent-shaped lake, you’ll be in an atmosphere of peace and calm. Yan Family Compound A group of typical Bai residential buildings in Xizhou - the miniature of Bai society; Beautiful scenery, splendid culture and exquisite Bai architecture here attract countless visitors every year. Batik Factory The factory devotes itself to developing tie-dye art, manufacturing a wide variety of arts crafts for many years. Batik today is used for clothing, hangings, furnishing etc. It is not "pure" art but combined with other technique now.
Hotels:	Landscape Hotel
Meals:

Day 5

City:	Dali - Lijiang
Activity:	Take an express bus to Lijiang. Be met and transferred to Wangfu Hotel.
Attractions:
Hotels:	Wangfu Hotel
Meals:

Day 6

City:	Lijiang
Activity:	Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and take a cable car up to Cloud Fur Meadow, Baisha murals and Lijiang old town. Enjoy Naxi Ancient Musical in the evening
Attractions:	Jade Dragon Snow Mountain The holy mountain - "God of Sanduo" of Naxi people; it stretches 35 km from north to south with 960-square-kilometers of snow-capped area. Looking from afar, you can see that the mountain just looks like a huge dragon lying in the cloud. Baisha murals Painted in Baisha Town in Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it’s a wonderful sight with their smooth lines, bright colors, vivid pattern and harmonious composition. The mural is an interesting co-existence of Buddhism, Taoism and Lamaism in the artworks. Lijiang old town Known as "Oriental Venice", it’s an exceptional ancient town set in a dramatic landscape. The charming Old Town attracts more tourists for its traditional ethnic customs, inimitable buildings and wonderful natural scenery.
Hotels:	Wangfu Hotel
Meals:

Day 7

City:	Lijiang
Activity:	Cycling tour to Shuhe Old County in the morning (about 4 hrs), visit Black Dragon Pool and Dongba Culture Museum (Naxi culture).
Attractions:	Shuhe Old Town At an altitude of 2440 meters, it is a tranquil town with a population of about 3000 people. Along with its sister town Lijiang, it is also part of the UNESCO Heritage site. But the town is less touristy and polished with more original characters. Black Dragon Pool Coming from melting snow water, the pond flows downstream into Lijiang. As its water is as green and lucid as jade, the pond also gets the name "Yuquan" or Jade Fountain. Dongba Culture Museum Dongba culture refers to ancient Naxi culture. The main architecture of the museum is similar to the Naxi courtyard, and fully uses the advantage of its landform. It holds a remarkable collection of Naxi relics and cultural display.
Hotels:	Wangfu Hotel
Meals:

Day 8

City:	Tiger Leaping Gorges
Activity:	Private car to Qiaotou. Visit Changjiang No.1 Bend en route. From there, you will trek to Tea-Horse Trade Guest House (4-5hrs).
Attractions:
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 9

City:	Tiger Leaping Gorges - Zhongdian
Activity:	Continue trek about 4 hours toward Tina's Guest House at Half Way, where the car will pick you up and drive to Zhongdian.
Attractions:
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 10

City:	Zhongdian
Activity:	Visit Songzanlin Monastery, Nixi Pottery Village, a Tibetan village (inclusive of home visit) and Pudacuo National Park (Bitahai Lake, Shudu Lake).
Attractions:	Nixi Pottery Village Nixi Pottery Village is the most "Shangri-la" part of Shangri-la. It is a nice place for tourists to visit for the typical rural sight and well-known hand-made pottery, which has a history of 1,000 years. Bitahai Lake Located 25km from Zhongdian county, Bitahai Natural Reserve boasts its flora, fauna and picturesque landscapes. Unspoiled natural environments hide rare animals. When azalea blooms in early spring, petals gone with wind dye entire hillside red. Shudu Lake Shuduhai Lake is 35km away from Zhongdian county, water in lake is so transparent that you can see fishes shuttling. Since Shuduhai has plenty of pasturage resource, herds of yaks and sheep wonder on green carpets leisurely.
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 11

City:	Zhongdian - Kunming - Yuanyang
Activity:	Transfer to airport and fly to Kunming. Be met and transferred to Yuanyang (6 hours).
Attractions:
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 12

City:	Yuanyang
Activity:	Excursion to Jinkou and Laohuzui (meaning tiger mouth) rice terraces and Hani Minority Village.
Attractions:	Yuanyang Rice Terraces Crowned as one of the China's 17 most attractive scenic spots, Yuanyang is located in 326KM south from Kunming. The ancestors of Hani people worked out these terrific irrigation system 2500 years ago. There is only one precious harvest each year. Hani Minority Village With a population of over 1.25 million, Hani minority habitat in Yunnan Province mostly. The most marvelous masterpiece is terrace fields on hill slopes. Their village is formed by hundreds of two or three-stories houses make of bamboo or stones.
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 13

City:	Yuanyang - Jianshui
Activity:	Further excursion to the terraced rice fields and Hani minority village. Take car to Jianshui (3.5 hours), and visit Swallow Cave on the way.
Attractions:	Swallow Cave Just as its name implies, habitants in swallow cave is thousands of swallows. Twittering here has become deafening echoes which indicate vivid swallows hovering on your head. Most breathtaking is the performance of picking up swallow nests.
Hotels:	Family Zhu Compound
Meals:

Day 14

City:	Jianshui - Kunming
Activity:	Visit Confucius Temple, Chao Yang Lou and ancient wells in town. Then After lunch, drive back to Kunming.
Attractions:	Chao Yang Lou Built in 1389 A.D., Chaoyanglou is located in Jianshui town is a symbol of the frontier in China. The gate-tower is supported by 48 huge pillars, which sustain it in the earthquake. Grand gate-tower, like a giant, stands quietly and guard quietly.
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 15

City:	Kunming - Jinghong
Activity:	Fly to Jinghong, the capital city of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture in the morning. Visit Wild Elephant Valley by one-way cable car and Jinuo Minority village.
Attractions:	Wild Elephant Valley About 300 wild elephants reside here, to visit them looks like a top topic. People set up small rooms on top of forests to observe behaviors of elephants, such as bathing and drinking. Dai minority people consider elephants symbol of luck. Jinuo Minority village With only 18000 populations, Jinuo minority people live in compact communities near Jinghong municipality. Before the liberation in 1949, they were still in the primitive stage, residing in wood or bamboo house, worshiping and playing Sun Drum Dance.
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 16

City:	Xishuangbanna
Activity:	Visit Ganlanba (home to peacocks) and Xishuangbanna Botanic Garden. You will have chance to celebrate the Water-splashing Festival with local Dai people. Evening Dai Food with Dai Songs
Attractions:	Ganlanba 30KM from Jinghong municipality, hundreds of Dai ethic families live here for hundred years, so Ganlan Ba or Olive Dam features rich tropical sceneries and fruits. Typical minority nationality buildings and Water-Sprinkling Festival are the focus. Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden Known as the base of Tropical Plants Research Institution of Chinese Academy of Science, this garden possesses a great many rare plants from domestic and abroad. The garden is regarded as the "Green Germ on the Crown of the Plant Kingdom".
Hotels:
Meals:

Day 17

City:	Xishuangbanna - Kunming
Activity:	Visit Xishuangbanna National Forest Park in the morning, transfer to take flight to Kunming in the afternoon. Service ends.
Attractions:	Xishuangbanna National Forest Park Covering over 18.8 square kilometers, the park is highlighted by three major themes: "primeval forest", "wild animal", and "ethnic folklore". Visitors enjoy wild animals' performances and folklore very much, such as peacocks
Hotels:
Meals:

Related Tours

How to Book a China Tour

Suggestions & Reviews

Questions & Reviews are preferred here. For anyone who intends to enquire for booking a tour,
please fill in our Online Enquiry.

( The * are required. )

Find a China Tour

Destination
Length
Type
Enter Keywords:

China Tour Packages

Name*	e-mail Country Phone
Content*
Code*