Tiger leaping gorge

Day 1: Kunming

You'll begin your journey to diverse and captivating Yunnan Province from the capital city, Kunming. Upon your arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide who'll bring you to the hotel by private vehicle. If you have time, take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of tea houses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If you have enough time, you can visit the interesting Kunming City Museum (9:30—17:00), where you can get informed about Kunming’s history and specifically on its role in the past decades (WWII).

Option for the evening: if you like you can visit the Dynamic Yunnan Show in Kunming's Art Theatre – an original ethnic dance musical. It was directed by Yang Liping and has been an outstanding gain to the Chinese stages in recent years. Primitive, unsophisticated folk dances and a fresh artistic concept converge in the program, giving audiences a unique "Yunnan Impression." The show starts at 20:00h and lasts for 1.5 hours. It is highly recommended by Wonders Of Yunnan Traveland tripadvisor. For people interested in minority culture, this is a must-see and not to be missed when in Kunming!

Day 2: Kunming - Stone Forest - Dali

Your guide picks you up from your hotel lobby in the morning at 9am. First, we will drive you to Stone Forest (about 90 km, 1.5 hours, mostly highway), and enjoy a local Yunnan lunch before we enter the scenic area. According to an old saying it is a pity not visiting the Stone Forest while you are in Kunming. After lunch, we will have a full afternoon to visit this wonderful landscape. Enjoy the beautiful views of the sight and spend about 2-3 hours in the park.

Afterwards you are driven back to Kunming and dropped off at Kunming train station from where the overnight train is leaving to Dali.

Day 3: Dali

Upon your arrival in the early morning, your local Dali tour guide and driver meet you at the train station and take you to have breakfast first. We enjoy the beautiful view from the outside of the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monasteryafterwards which are the symbols of Dali. Check into your comfortable hotel and take a rest. After having enjoyed a traditional Dali lunch we will visit Dali Old Town, climb the City Wall and stroll through the souvenir roads which are very famous in Dali. You are free to explore the lively Dali street culture, shop for souvenirs or whatever you are up to.

Travelers visit Dali Old Town for its traditional architecture, minority cultures (mostly Bai but also with many Yi and Hui nationalities) and simply to relax. 

Day 4: Dali - Lijiang

Today, we take you to the morning market of Xizhou Town to experience traditional local life. We will visit Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste the typical fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore the Bai's distinctive culture. Xizhou is 19 kilometers north of Dali Old town and lies between Erhai Lake and the Cangshan Mountain Range. It is famous for Bai culture with its old and well-preserved folk houses. But it's not only a historically famous city but also a typical commercial center of Bai Ethnic Nationality. The Bai minority are very present at Xizhou. With a more mixed population and cosmopolitan background, it is considered a must for travelers. Here, you can enjoy lovely local clothes, decorative architectures and wonderful handicrafts.

Afterwards we are going on a cruise on close Erhai Lake to Jinsuo Island – a local fishing village. Enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain Range and the Three Pagodas from far as well as lots of birds flying over the lake.

After lunch, get driven to Lijiang (about 170 km, 2.5 hours, mostly highway), check in your hotel and enjoy your free and easy evening in Lijiang.

Day 5: Lijiang

The next morning starts with a visit at the Black Dragon Pool and Dongba Museum to explore the rich Naxi minority culture. Then we'll visit to the Jade Lake Village (Yuhu Village): from here, you will enjoy a fantastic view over the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We visit the museum dedicated to the life of Joseph Rock, an explorer and biologist who lived in the area in the early 20th century.

We then have the opportunity to join a 2-hour guided horse trek leading you along the mountain slopes. The trek passes ancient Naxi deer farms, the ruins of Jujian Temple, the King Ranch of the Naxi, ancient tree populations, stone inscriptions and many other nice and interesting places. We meet our driver again afterwards and get driven back to the hotel.

Day 6: Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Shangri-La

Today after breakfast, we'll drive about 60 km to the First Bend of the Yangtze River, which is close to Shigu and can be marveled at before we head further north to the Tiger Leaping Gorge with an imposing gorge scenery (about 88 km, 1.5 hours, partly highway, partly country roads). It's one of the deepest gorges in the world with 34 rapids. The gorge measures 16 km long and a steep 3900m from the waters of Jinsha River to the snow-capped mountain tops of Haba Snow Mountain to the north-west and Yulong (or Jade Dragon) Snow Mountain to the south-east. The inhabitants of the gorge are primarily the indigenous Naxi people, who live in a handful of small hamlets. The Tiger Leaping Gorge is another top attraction of Yunnan!

Later in the afternoon the tour proceeds to Shangri-La (102 km, 2.5 hours), the former Zhongdian which is well-known as the paradise destination for every traveler. 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.

Day 7: Shangri-La

After the breakfast we go to see the Ganden Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Then we’ll visit a local family and get close to the real life of Tibetans.

After lunch we have a closer look at Baiji Temple which is very close to west of the Dukezong Ancient town, from where a great view over the city can be enjoyed. 

We then invite you to a relaxed break in Shangri-La’s High Mountain Resort to enjoy a cup of coffee, facing beautifulNapa Lake and enjoy great views into the local nature. Spend a free and easy evening around Dukezong Ancient Town.

Day 8: Shangri-La (Departure)

Have breakfast in your hotel. Your driver is already waiting for you to take you wherever in town you need to be brought to this morning (Shangri-La Airport, bus terminal, etc.). This tour comes to an end and we’d be happy welcoming you in Yunnan again!

Planning  unique private tour to Yunnan ?     In this trip, We will show you the real Yunnan where is home town of different ethnic minorities and  is famous for beautiful mountain and rivers.

This trip covering highlight of Yunnan mixed with sights of the off the beauten tracks,  join us to explore Yunnan !

Day 1,  Arrive Kunming in the early morning

-   Driver’s Private pick up service from airport and check in hotel In Dali

Day 2, Dali- Shaxi

-          3 Pagoda park, Xizhou town by horse carriage

-          Enjoy 3 course tea and Bai people’s dancing

-          Enjoy peaceful time at shaxi town

Day 3, 10 Nov,  Shaxi- Lijiang

-          Visit shibaoshan mountain and buddhsim temple

-          Monkey forest

-          Lijiang old town

Day 4, Tour of Jade dragon snow mountain

-  watch impression show directed by Zhangyimou

-  Cable car to glacier park(4506m above sea level)

-  visit Blue moon valley

Day 5, Lijiang- Tiger leaping gorge- Shangrila

-  Visit Tiger leaping gorge

-  Enjoy the cozy time at shangrila old town

-  Visit The turtle hill and big prayer wheel

-  Join dancing at the moonlit square 

Day 6, Tour around Shangrila

-   Songzanlin monastery

-   Visit Napa grassland and Tibetan village

-   Home visit to Tibetan family 

-   over night at Shangrila

Day 7,  Shangrila -Kunming by afternoon flihgt

-    Tour around Shangrila

-    Private pick up service to Shangrila airport

-    Pick up from airport check in hotel and relax 

Day 8, Tour around Kunming, fly back to home by evening flight

-           Day tour of stone forest and Jiuxiang cave

-           Private transport to Kunming airport

--Tour van, tourguide, hotel/Guesthouse, return domestic flight and entrance fee is included in the quote, Minimum tourist :  5 person

Contact me to tailor made the trip for you if you have different flight schedule..

Haba mountain is 5396m above sea level, a popular hiking destionaton for hikers around the world.  hiker can climb to the top if the weather is good. best season to hike to haba mountain is middle of March to middle of November.  Please  contact me for  planning to to hike on Haba mountain .  here is a rough daily schedule ：

Day 1, Arrive Lijiang, tour around Lijiang

Pick up from Lijiang airport/train station,  Visit Black dragon pool park, Shuhe old town, Lijiang old town ,  over night at Lijiang.

Day 2. Lijiang- Tiger leaping gorge- Haba village

Drive to tiger leaping gorge , Visit Tiger leaping gorge and drive to Haba village

Day 3. Haba village-Base camp

Hike to base camp from Haba village , over night at Base camp(4100m)

Day 4. Hike haba mountain-Haba village

Hike to Haba mountain from base camp then back to Haba village , Over night at Haba village 

Day 5.   Haba village-White water village-Shangrila

Drive from Haba village to Shangrila ,  Visit White water terrace， Shangrila old town

Day 6. Shangrila tour and departure from Shangrila

Songzanlin monastery ,  Tibetan family visit , transfer to Shangrila airport.

The first day we can visit Jade dragon snow mountain. I will meet you at the hotel and then we will go to Jade dragon snow mountain. It will take 40 minutes. We will saty there 4 to 5 hours and then back to Lijiang to share the leisure Lijiang Style life and enjoy the local flavor.

Second Day: Go to Tiger Leaping  Gorge. It will be take 1.5 hrs to get there and then we may stay there for 4 to 5 hrs. Then we would go to Shangri-La and live there for one night.

Third Day: Go to the Pudacuo National Park. It will take about 1 hour from Shangri-la to the park and we will stay there 3 to 4 hours and then back to Shangri-la.

Fourth Day: We may visit Songzanlinsi temple and then go home. 

The four resorts are most interesting place I think. If you want to go to other places. Don't hesitant to tell me and we can discuss and make out a perfect itenery.