8 Days Yunnan Classic Tour: Kunming – Dali – Xizhou – Shaxi – Lijiang

Upon your arrival at Kunming airport, the local driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to downtown hotel for check-in. Free and easy on your own for rest of the day.

After breakfast, drive 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. Visit the Lesser Stone Forest and listen to the legendary story of “Ashima”. It will be a real treat to visit the extraordinary natural stone forest. You feel like come into a "stone world".

Visit the most picturesque park in Kunming urban area - the Green Lake Park. Here you can share the happiness of local people’s doing tai chi, performing local opera, and other vibrant activities. Next, pay a visit to Yuantong Temple which locates at the foot of Yuantong Hill in the northern part of Kunming. With a history of more than 1,200 years, it is one of the grandest as well as the most important Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. Last, drive back to your hotel.

In the morning, follow your guide to explore Kunming Dragon Gate, also called Longmen, is known for its long history of Taoist and Buddhist grottoes. It is located on the sharp cliff side of the West Hill. The history of the huge project of Dragon Gate can be dated back to the period of the Qing Dynasty (from 1781 to 1853), taking seven decades to complete.

Next, move on to Golden Temple, located on Mingfeng Hill, 11km northeast of Kunming, is also known as Taihe Palace (the Hall of Supreme Harmony) and Tongwa Temple (the Bronze Tile Temple). Built in 1890 with 250 tons of solid bronze, the present temple, 6.7 meters in height and 7.8 meters in width, is reputed to be the largest bronze hall in China, which gleams like gold under sunlight. Hence it got the name of "Golden Temple". Except for staircases and balustrades, which are made of marble, the walls, columns, rafters, roof-tiles, altars, Buddha statues, wall decorations, even the banner near the gate tower, were all made of copper.

After the visit, transfer to train station for you to catch the 4-5pm high speed train to Dali. Upon your arrival at Dali train station, there will be the local tour guide and driver picking you up and transfer to local hotel.

Today’s visit starts with the Three Pagoda Temple. The Temple is formed by three independent pagodas arranged on the corners of an equilateral triangle. Their history can date back to Nanzhao Kingdom and Kingdom of Dali.

Erhai Lake Park consists of the Haixin Pavilion, swimming pool, promenade, zoo, botanical garden, flower garden and the place for fishing. To the south of Wanghai Tower, there is a colorful garden. All kinds of Dali famous flowers like camellia, rhododendron, plum, lily, compete for beauty. On the north side of the sea promenade is 300 grades of bluestone steps that are more than 3 feet wide, like a waterfall rushing down, directly to the beach in the middle of the park.

Later, transfer to Zhoucheng Village where you can closely visit the Tie-dying workshop operated by local Bai people. If you have interests, you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.

After that, come to Dali Ancient Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people.

Today will start with Cangshan Mountain.

First, you’ll take a cable car to get to trail. Then experience this 15km-long paved walking trail which passes some temples, waterfalls, caves and shrines. In good weather, views off the mountain take in the whole Erhai Lake, with plenty of birdlife, the odd squirrel and colorful flowers alongside the path.

Later, move on to Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture.

Last, drive around 2.5 hours to Shaxi for overnight.

Morning visit Shaxi Old Town. Shaxi is the last remaining ancient market town of its kind on the Tea & Horse Caravan Trail. This trail is a trading route that connected Tibet, Sichuan, and Yunnan to countries in southeast Asia, also called the Southern Silk Road. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) has listed Shaxi as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world in 2001.

Later, drive around 2 hours to Lijiang, continue to explore Lijiang Ancient Town. Lijiang Ancient Town has a history of more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.

In the morning, drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain which is 30 kilometers away from Lijiang Old Town. Visit Ganhaizi Meadow, then take the sightseeing bus to visit Baishui River, which is well-known as the Blue Moon Valley from the glacier of the snow mountain. Take chairlift to visit the Glacier Park in the snow mountain.

Later, head to Baisha Village and appreciate the ancient Baisha Mural Paintings. Visit Dabaoji Palace and Liuli Temple to view murals painted over 1000 years ago which is a combination of Tibetan Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism.

Then, it is followed by a trip to Shuhe Ancient Town - one of the earliest settlements of Naxi people as well as the well-preserved stop of the Ancient Tea Horse Route. Transfer back to your hotel in the end.

The 8 days tour will end by today. Our driver will pick you up from the hotel lobby and see you off at the airport (no guide service).