10-day Yunnan-China Tea Horse Road Tour

Destinations: Kunming, Dali, Shaxi, Lijiang

Tour code: TCG-YN-03       

Shaxi Old Town in Jianchuan County is an original town of the Tea Horse Trade Caravan, it is also the highlight of this 10 days Yunnan tour package. The grottoes in Shibaoshan Mountain are more than 1000 years; they will take you to experience the Buddhist culture of the Dali Kingdom (937 - 1254). You will visit the Ancient Tea-horse Road along Kunming, Dali, Jianchuan, Shaxi, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-la. Jiantang Ancient Town is also the important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Yunnan to Tibet and India.

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  • Day 1 Kunming

    Transfer via: flight - your arrangement

    Activities for today: Airport to hotel transfer

    Upon arrival in Kunming, you will be met by the local guide. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

    -- Kunming is the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, a primarily agricultural province of 45 million. Kunming has a population of five million and is located in one of the world's most geographically, ethnically, biologically and linguistically diverse regions. Situated at 1,900 meters (6,233ft) above sea level and 25° north of the Equator it has a rather unique and pleasant climate for a Chinese city.

  • Day 2 Kunming / Stone Forest / Kunming

    Transfer via: private vehicle

    Activities for today: Stone Forest, Guandu Old Town

    After breakfast at the hotel, meet the guide and drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. An old local saying says that 'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.' Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan.

    After lunch drive back Kunming to visit the Guandu Old Town which is a famous historical & cultural town in Kunming; it keeps the main architectural style of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

    Optional evening activity: Enjoy the large-scale dance drama "Dynamic Yunnan" - It has been an outstanding innovation on the Chinese stage in recent years directed by Yang Liping. Primitive, unsophisticated folk dances and a fresh artistic concept converge in the programme, giving audiences a unique "Yunnan Impression." Sixty-two drums and 120 masks of strong ethnic characteristics are incorporated in the performance.

  • Day 3 Kunming / Dali

    Transfer via: domestic flight - on our arrangement

    Activities for today: Three Pagodas, Erhai Lake, Dali Old Town

    Morning transfer to the airport and take a flight to Dali. Dali is a historically and culturally famous city of China. It was renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. Upon arrival, you will be met and drive to visit the Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake.

    After lunch, you’ll take a small boat in Erhai Lake to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island.In Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.

    Today's tour ends at the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. After climbing up to the City Wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.

  • Day 4 Dali / Shaxi

    Transfer via: private vehicle

    Activities for today: Xizhou Town, Local Market, Shaxi Old Town

    In the morning, drive to visit Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture. Visit Zhoucheng Village and the Bai people's Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.

    If you are lucky enough, you also visit the Shaping Bazaar happened every Monday in Shangguan Town. Shaping Market is only held on Monday,the Bai people from the surrounding villages of Lake Erhai, including Dali, come to buy and sell fruits, vegetables, poultry, animals, hardware, so-called "antiques" and whatever.

    Drive about 3 hours to Shaxi Ancient Town, located at the foot of Fozhong Mountain, west of Yousuo Town in Eryuan County. You will walk around Shaxi Ancient Town and explore the local ethnic life.

  • Day 5 Shaxi / Lijiang

    Transfer via: private vehicle

    Activities for today: Shibaoshan Mountain, Shizhong Temple and Grottoes, Lijiang Ancient Town

    Today you will drive about 10Km away from Shaxi Ancient Town to visit Shibaoshan Mountain. From Baoxiang Temple you can hike 3 hours to look around that area, in the mountains there are many small old temples. On the path, you can see very nice views of forest, fields with crops, villages in big valley. Visit Baoxiang Temple is a Chinese Buddhism Temple from Yuan Dynesty, about 3 hundred wild monkeys live with kulapatis around the Baoxiang temple.Visit the Shizhong temple in the mountain. There are eight grottoes of Shizhong temple for 800 years old.

    In the afternoon you will drive to Lijiang and enjoy the wonderful night view of Lijiang Old Town.

  • Day 6 Lijiang

    Activities for today: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Spruce Meadow, Impressive Lijiang Show, Baisha Village and Murals

    Enjoy the sunrise of Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeig bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Spruce Meadow at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around 1 hour in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).

    After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). 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, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.

    After that, you'll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

  • Day 7 Lijiang

    Activities for today: Black Dragon Pool, Dongba Culture Museum, Lion Hill, Shuhe Ancient Town

    In the morning, you will visit Black Dragon Pool Park which is the water source of the Jade River in Lijiang Ancient Town. Learn about local minority culture at Dongba Culture Museum. Then climb up to the top of the Lion Hill, you will have a panoramic view of Lijiang Ancient Town and Lijiang New City from Wangu Tower.

    After lunch, drive or cycling to visit Shuhe Ancient Town which is the town of the Ancient Tea-Horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. Its central part covers an area of about 5 square kilometers with a population around 3,000. In 1997, Shuhe was ranked as an important part of Lijiang Ancient Town which was already the World Cultural Heritage named by UNESCO.

  • Day 8 Lijiang / Shangri-La

    Transfer via: private vehicle

    Activities for today: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Dukezong Ancient Town

    Today you'll drive about 60KM to the Qiaotou Village, visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist.

    Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.

  • Day 9 Shangri-La

    Activities for today: Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park

    In the morning, visit visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias - 'the little Potala Palace', so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.

    And afterwards you'll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park. It is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China's land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country's plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.

  • Day 10 Shangri-La Departure

    Transfer via: flight - on your arrangement

    Activities for today: Hotel to airport transfer

    Be free untill you are escorted to the airport for the flight to your next destination.

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