9 Days Yunnan Tour to Lijiang, Shangri-La and Dali

Today you will take the flight to Kunming. When you arrive, we will pick you up from the airport and transfer you to the hotel check-in. The rest of the day you can have a rest at the hotel or enjoy your leisure time in Kunming on your own.

Buffet breakfast at the hotel, then drive along the new expressway to Stone Forest. Stone Forest is 75 kilometers from Kunming and is accessible by a bus ride of 70 minutes. The Stone forest belongs to the typical Karst landform, it consists of innumerable bizarre-shaped ancient limestone cliffs and peaks created by wind and water erosion some 200 million years ago, and this area is praised as the “First Wonder Under Heaven”. Next, we are going to Jiuxiang, which is a national geopark. Due to the erosion of the surface water system, the area was formed more than 500 million years ago, with multi-layer Karst caves, rift canyons, cave waterfalls, and other Karst geological wonders.

After breakfast, we will visit the Dragon Gate in West Hill, also known as Biji Mountain and Kunming West Mountain. It is one of the most scenic spots worth visiting in Kunming. It is located between Luohan Mountain and Hang Bang Mountain and creates the beautiful scenery of nine floors and eleven pavilions of Longmen, West Mountain. Next, we are going to visit the Jinma Biji Square, built during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty, which is a symbol of Kunming and the most representative historical and cultural district of the Qing Dynasty. It is 12 meters high and 18 meters wide. It was rebuilt in 1998. Continue to Nanping Street and Nanqiang Street, are the showcase of the city, showing Kunming's history, culture, and customs, and becoming a center of communication with business.

Today first pay a visit to the Monastery Santasi (Three Pagodas)， a symbol of the history of Dali City and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. It occupies a scenic location at the foot of Mt. Cangshan and faces Erhai Lake with a history of over 1,800 years.

Today we will take a cable car up to Cangshan Mountain, trekking on Yudai Road for two hours, and then have a vegetarian lunch in Jizhaoan Monastery. It is very famous for its gardening and vegetarian food. Next, take a small boat to visit Erhai Lake. After an hour on the boat, we will visit Tianjin Island. You can walk through Bai minority houses and taste local food. You can find many caverns on the island, like Jade Dragon Palace. You also could have a cycling tour along the lakeside for 2-3 hours.

After visiting the Old Town of Dali, you can drive back to see the weathered gray granite which stands at 2,100 meters on a long, narrow rice plain between the Cangshan Mountains and the Erhai Lake. This natural setting seems specially designed for a good and bountiful life. The format of the old town is like a chessboard with four gates guarding in the directions of east, south, west, and north, a design that was adopted by most towns in ancient China.

Early in the morning, we will first go to Shaxi Town, a town with a long history dating back to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period 2,400 years ago. It is an ethnic minority residence dominated by Bai, Han, Yi, and Lisu. In the old town, we can also visit the ancient opera stage and Sideng Street. Just outside Shaxi town is Yujin Bridge, which played an important role in the traffic position of the ancient Tea Horse Road at that time.

Next, we will go to the Xingjiao Temple, the only remaining Bai "Azhali" Buddhist temple in the Ming Dynasty. It was built in the 13th year of Yongle in the Ming Dynasty (1415). There are 12 Buddhist murals in the Ming Dynasty in the main hall. Following is the Pioneer Bookstore, tucked away in an ordinary residential complex. Entering the courtyard of Bai Nationality Book House, the main building is the granary of the village in the past. The architect's design concept of "repairing the old as old" makes it still maintain the old appearance when it was used as a granary.

After breakfast, drive to Shangri-La, and first visit Songzanlin Monastery, which is one of the most important Buddhist monasteries in Yunnan. Here, tranquillity prevails, as its 700 monks and acolytes (often beginning their training at the age of five) go about their daily lives – just as they have done for more than three centuries. 

Then travel to Napa Lake. Napa Hai ("Lake behind the forest") Nature Reserve is a state-designated wetlands area situated some 8 kilometers north of Shangri-La County (aka Zhongdian County) on the Yunnan - Guizhou Plateau in northwestern Yunnan Province. Not surprisingly, this wetlands area is a true paradise for all types of birds, most especially for waterfowl. In spring, the higher, drier parts of the reserve are a prairie landscape carpeted with flowers. Parts of this prairie are farmed, the main crop being highland barley.

Later in the day, head to Dukezong Ancient Town, Dukezong Ancient Town is Located on the southeast corner of Shangri-La County in Yunnan province, Dukezong Ancient Town is an ancient Tibetan town with a history of more than 1,300 years. Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture was built for the Tubo Kingdom of the Tang Dynasty. "Dukezong" is a Tibetan pronunciation, meaning "Moonlight City" and "castle built on stone”. Just behind Dukezong is Guishan Park with the world's biggest prayer wheel. Climb up to the temple on the top, and enjoy the panoramic view of the city. At night, you can join locals dancing in the square.

Today we will drive to Lijiang and visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge on the way. The Tiger Leaping Gorge, or Hutiaoxia in Chinese, is the Yangzi's best-known gorge after the Three Gorges in Sichuan and Hubei. Wedged tightly between titanic cliffs, the river is so narrow here, as legend tells us, that a hunted tiger made his escape to the other side in a single bound. 

Afterward, we will go to visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site -- Ancient City of Lijiang. It can be traced back to more than 800 years ago. Besides its unique architecture and local ethnic culture, it is also known for its orderly arrangement of bridges and waterways. Walk along the winding cobbled paths — it is said that you won't get lost as long as you follow the water.

What a fantastic day today! In the morning, we will go out early to visit the magnificent Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which is the snow mountain closest to the equator of the Northern Hemisphere. Taking 25 25-minute cable car to Glacier Park, you will see the vegetation changes with ascending altitude. Walk along the plank road to reach 4680m and appreciate the fairyland with ice and snow. Take a cable car down, and drive to visit Blue Moon Valley with turquoise-colored water.

After that, drive you to Yushui Village, It retains the traditional style of Naxi nationality. From the building facilities to every detail of life, you can feel the traditional Naxi nationality culture.

oday is the last day of your trip. After a relaxing morning in Lijiang, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight based on the schedule. Wish you a pleasant journey home and hope to see you again in your next China tour!