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6-Day Lijiang Shangri-la Kunming Tour

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Overview

Tour Type: Private Tour: Flexible Travel Date & Travel Routes
Guide & Driver: Chinese-English-speaking guide & air-conditioned
  • Transport yourself back in time with a visit to the Old Town of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and see how the people of the Naxi culture live;
  • Hike alongside Tiger Leaping Gorge through the awe-inspiring scenery between the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Haba Snow Mountain;
  • Explore the real Shangri-la with a Tibetan monastery, primitive forests, crystal lakes and hospitable people;

Itinerary Day by Day

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Day1  Arrival in Lijiang
Welcome to Lijiang, home of the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Old Town of Lijiang! Your local guide and experienced driver will meet you at the airport or train station to transfer you by private car to your local hotel and help you check in. You will have a bit of time to refresh yourself before we start exploring the ancient city.

Your exploration of Lijiang begins with a visit to Lijiang Ancient Town, the oldest part of the city that has been preserved much as it has been throughout its 1,000 year history. We will stop at the Ming Dynasty-era Mufu Palace, sometimes called “The Forbidden City of Lijiang”, where you can learn about the ancient rulers of the city and the Naxi people. We can stroll around the ancient alleyways over old bridges and see many shops and bars on our way to Sifang Street Square, an open square where people relax amidst a lively atmosphere. We may be able to join some of the local Naxi people in a nightly dancing ceremony as they dance to native music around a fire in the evening. You may also want to climb up Lion Hill to the top of the Wanggu Tower to enjoy a panoramic view over the entire Old Town with the snow-capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance.

Accommodation:Overnight in Lijiang

Day2  Lijiang – Yuhu Naxi Village, Baisha Village & Mural Paintings, Dongba Culture Museum, Black Dragon Pool
After a nice local breakfast at your hotel, your tour guide and driver will meet you at your hotel to take you to the Yuhu Village, which is an authentic Naxi village where you can see ancient stone houses, Naxi women in their traditional dress and the peaceful Yuhu Lake. We will have time to leisurely explore the village and visit the home of Joseph Rock, an Austrian-American botanist who lived in the village for 27 years while researching the Naxi minority people.

After Yuhu Village we will travel on to Baisha Village to see and appreciate the ancient Baisha Mural Paintings. The Baishi Village is probably the most authentic ancient village in the area, with its Dabaoji Palace and the Liuli Temple containing murals that were painted more than a thousand years ago in the various styles of Tibetan Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. After a visit to Baisha, we will move on to Shuhe Ancient Town, another ancient and well preserved village about 4 kilometers (2 miles) outside of the Lijiang Old Town. Shuhe was one of the earliest of the Naxi people’s settlements, and it served as an important stop along the Ancient Tea Horse Caravan route.

Our exploration of the Lijiang area continues with a visit to the Dongba Culture Museum. This museum traces history of the ancient Dongba culture of the Naxi minority people with more than 10,000 cultural relics in its collection. After visiting the museum, we can walk over to the Black Dragon Pool for picturesque views in a calm and peaceful setting. During clear weather this is also a great place to see the beautiful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance.

After we see the Black Dragon Pool, we will take you back to your hotel for the night.

Accommodation:Overnight in Lijiang

Day3  Lijiang – Shangri-la, First Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge
This morning we will check out of the hotel and drive around 45 kilometers (28 miles) for a fantastic panoramic view of the First Bend of the Yangtze River, a horseshoe-shaped section of river that bends around a small mountain. We’ll also stop in the town there, Shigu, to see the Iron Chain Bridge and the ancient “Stone Drum”, which is a stone monument with a stone plaque placed there around 500 years ago to commemorate a Naxi victory over Tibetans in battle.

Moving on from Shigu we will visit one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world at Tiger Leaping Gorge, which was carved by the Jinsha River, one of the major tributaries of the Yangtze River. The maximum depth from the river to the top of the canyon is 3790 meters (12,434 feet), creating some amazing views. Legend has it that a tiger jumped across the river using a rock that is still visible there in the middle of the river, thus the name Tiger Leaping Gorge.

From the magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge we will travel on to what may be the real life Shangri-La, which is about a 2-hour drive through some beautiful scenery along the way, and then check into our hotel for the night. You will have the rest of the night free to rest and relax in your hotel room or explore the local area on your own.

Accommodation:Overnight in Shangri-la

Day4  Shangri-La – Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park
“Shangri-La” is a fictional place from James Hilton’s classic novel Lost Horizon, but there is evidence to suggest that this area of northern Yunnan Province was Hilton’s inspiration for the place. A National Geographic resident explorer, Joseph Rock (whose former residence we will have visited in Yuhu Village), published articles in the National Geographic magazine about this area in the late 1920’s and early 1930’s that may have influenced Hilton’s book, which was first published in 1933.

To begin our exploration of the “real” Shangri-La, we will first visit the Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling Gompa), an ancient monastery of the “Yellow Hat” sect of Tibetan Buddhism situated at an elevation of 3,380 meters (11,090 feet) above sea level. First built in 1679, it is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan Province with around 700 resident monks at the present time. It is sometimes referred to as “The Little Potala Palace” due to the main monastery’s resemblance to the Potala Palace in Tibet. The main hall also houses an 8 meter (26 feet) tall gilded statue of the Shakyamuni Buddha along with paintings of events in his life and numerous ancient scriptures written on palm leaves. We can explore the three main lamasery buildings to see the various Buddhist treasures and the resident monks going about their daily lives, and if the weather permits, we can walk around the tranquil Lamuyangcuo Lake to enjoy the spectacular natural scenery there.

After our visit to the monastery, we will drive on to Pudacuo (also known as Potatso) National Park, the first national park in China to meet International Union for the Conservation of Nature standards and also a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site known as the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas. This 1,300 square kilometer (500 square mile) national park reportedly contains more than 20% of China’s species of plants, around one-third of its mammal and bird species and nearly 100 endangered species. The main sections of the park are Shudu Lake, Militang Grasslands and Bita Lake. We will start our exploration of the park by walking along the wooden plank road to enjoy the scenery around Shudu Lake (3.3 km, 1 hour of hiking) and Bita Lake (4.2 km, 1.5 hours hiking) while enjoying the Militang Grasslands between the two lakes.

After visiting the park, we will be welcomed into the home of a local Tibetan family for some special Tibetan snacks and yak butter tea. Fresh off of some authentic Tibetan hospitality, we will drive back to the hotel in Zhongdian to spend the night.

Accommodation:Overnight in Shangri-la

Day5  Shangri-La - Kunming, Western Hills, Dragon Gate, Yunnan Minority Village
This morning we will wrap up our time in Shangri-La with a visit to the 1,300-year old Dukezong Old Town, where we can climb to the top of Guishan (Tortoise) Hill for a panoramic view over the old town and Shangri-La County. Although the town was mostly destroyed by a massive fire in 2014, the old town has been painstakingly restored to its former glory and it is well worth a visit.

After explore Dukezong, we will take you to the local airport for the short 1-hour flight to Kunming. Upon your arrival at the Kunming airport, your local guide will greet you and escort you by private car to your downtown Kunming hotel to check in. After a bit of time to refresh yourself, we will take you to see the Western Hills of Kunming. Sometimes referred to as “Sleeping Beauty Hills” because of their alleged resemblance to a young lady lying beside the lake, this protected forest area is located about 12 kilometers (7 miles) outside of the city of Kunming. There are numerous ancient cultural sites throughout the Western Hills, with two of the most famous being the Huating Temple (est. 1320 A.D.) and the Taihua Temple. The highlight of the Western Hills is the Dragon Gate Grottoes – a complex of caves, temples and pavilions lying on the western edge of Dianchi Lake. The spectacular Dragon Gate Grotto Complex was created over a 72-year period from 1781 – 1853, consisting of a stone archway, a stone room and a number of stone sculptures all carved out of the same rock at the summit of the hill. From here you will be able to get a panoramic view of the lake while also enjoying the intricate carvings of the grotto.

After the Western Hills and the Dragon Gate, we will travel on to the Yunnan Minority Village to experience the lives of the ethnic minority people of Yunnan. Here we can learn about the different ethnic architectural styles, costumes, music, dances and more while interacting with the local minority people.

After our visit to the Yunnan Minority Village, we will drive you back to your hotel to spend the night.

Accommodation:Overnight in Kunming

Day6  Kunming – Shilin Stone Forest, Departure from Kunming
After a nice breakfast at your hotel, we will take you by private car about 90 kilometers (65 miles) outside of the city of Kunming to see one of nature’s miracles at the Shilin Stone Forest. These amazing natural karst stone formations were formed over 270 million years ago by the erosion of limestone that left towers of stone rising up from the ground, thus creating the “stone forest”. We will take you to visit both the Greater Stone Forest – where you can climb up to a pavilion for a panoramic view of the fantastic landscape, and the Lesser Stone Forest, where you can learn about the Yi Minority legend of “Ashima” and what happened when she was forbidden from marrying her true love.

From the magnificent landscape of the Shilin Stone Forest, we will drive back to downtown Kunming to see the 1,200-year old Yuantong Buddhist Temple. This beautiful temple was first built in the late 8th and early 9th centuries with major restorations in the late 15th century and again in 1686 A.D. under Emperor Kangxi, leading to its present configuration with covered corridors, bridges and a grand hall surrounded by water that is unique amongst Buddhist temples in China.

After visiting the ancient temple, we will move on to visit Green Lake Park, a hub of local life in urban Kunming. Local people can be found here practicing tai chi and relaxing amongst the year-round green trees and tranquil waters. During the winter, black-headed gulls migrate here from Siberia, entertaining the locals as they feed them bread that is sold there in the park.

From the park, we will take you on to the Kunming airport or train station for your departing flight or train on to your next destination. Please note that this tour requires a departure time after 5 p.m. on this last day, but we can customize a tour to fit your particular arrival and departure schedules. Please contact our friendly travel consultants and we can put together the tour itinerary that best fits your needs.

Accommodation:None

What's Included

Professional licensed English-speaking guide;
Entrance tickets for places listed in the itinerary;
Private transfers as listed in the itinerary;
Accommodation listed in the itinerary
Our service charge, including tour planning, handling, operational and communication charges.
Personal expenses;
All meals;
Tourist sites which are not listed in the itinerary;
Recommended optional activities in each city;
Airport (or train) pick up and drop off; Tips to guides, drivers, etc.

Additional Info

Alterations of Itineraries

The travel date, service items, itinerary and number of visitors, visitors’ ID information, etc. can be modified free of charge 30 days or more before the trip. If the visitor needs to make a second modification, an additional service fee of 5% of the deposit will be charged. Every time the content of the travel contract is modified, the company reserves the right to re-quote.

Cancellation Policy

Once the deposit is paid, your trip is confirmed. If you need to change or cancel your itinerary, please contact your travel consultant by email, phone, instant messenger, etc. There will be a charge for Cancellation or modification. The policy is as follows:

1. Notice of trip cancellation due to personal reasons before the trip starts
Cancellation 30 days or more before the trip starts, 10% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 29-15 days before the trip starts, 20% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 14-7 days before the trip starts, 30% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation 6-2 days before the trip starts, 50% penalty of the deposit.
Cancellation within 48 hours prior to the trip starts, no refund of your deposit.

2. Trip cancellation due to irresistible factors before the trip starts

If you have to cancel the itinerary due to irresistible reasons such as traffic, weather, politics, etc., the deposit will be fully refunded by the company (for loss related to air ticket/train ticket, please take reference of the first item).

Reviews

 Mary C
Travel Date:July 6, 2019

We worked with Shirley to build an itinerary of cycling through Tibet to EBC. She was incredibly helpful and responsive. She designed a trip that met our requests and exceeded our expectations. She worked with our tour members who would be traveling from North America and China to make sure we were all set with plenty of time to get visas and permits.

Our trip was 10 days in Tibet, with a rest and sightseeing day in Lhasa (Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple). Our amazing guide Phuntsok handled travel, permit, and hotel logistics with expertise and flexibility. He was a 5-star guide in every way- making sure we had everything we wanted and needed, giving cultural + historical context to the sights we saw, and having lots of fun with us.

We had 2 drivers (the van and a truck for our bikes) who were both very helpful, friendly, and good company.

We were worried it would get into rain season while we were there - instead we had beautiful, sunny days 9.5 out of our 10 days.

Thank you to all at Tibet Odyssey Tours for a trip we will remember for a lifetime.

 Bine
Travel Date:June 8th 2018

This is my first trip to Tibet, so I have high expectation to my Tibet trip. First, our guide, Jack, arranged for visit to temples and monasteries. Also, they're able to adjust our itinerary quickly. I'm glad I had a great Tibet trip.

 YairM79
Travel Date:September 30, 2019

Last week we (4 of us) traveled to Tibet one way by train and return by flight.

Upon arrival to Lhasa a tour guide Mr. Chimpel waited for us in the train station and took us to the hotel.

A first class hotel big rooms very clean and best restaurants.

The guide made a plan for the 3 days tour including all relevant sites of Lhasa and out of town.

He's very knowledgeable and I feel like being in a class.

At the end we (all the four of us) were very grateful to Amy who arrange all and our travel agency Asia Odyssey Travel.

I will definitely recommend your office to any friend who will want to visit Tibet

Best wishes.

 Logen143
Travel Date:May 27, 2019

Amy local agent have done great job in arrange the 15days tour. She is always ready to answer any queries and keep checking on us during the trip. Our guide Ngawang local Tibet guy was excellent in guide and take care us individually to complete this tour without any problem.with his expertise manage guide us well and very accommodating for all our needs.

For first time traveler to TIbet, please clear all your doubts and explain well your expectations on food and accommodation so Amy will able arrange it accordingly. Overall it was pleasant trip.Thanks to Amy and Ngawang

 KanikaJ
Travel Date:August 19, 2019

- From arranging our Tibet Permit, organizing paperwork, answering all sorts of questions/doubts, our travel consultant SHIRLEY was amazing. A big thanks to her for making us highly trust the company.

- And a big shout out & thanks to our guide DAWA TSERING (guide) - DAWA GANTESN (driver) from TCT, for an amazing time & experience.

Both were welcoming, polite, helpful, knowledgeable, kind.

- Amazing trip..

 Wiko22
Travel Date:August 17, 2019

Wir haben zuvor einige Touren und Agenturen verglichen. Natürlich ist es schwierig auf die Entfernung und mit den doch wenigen Rezessionen einen Überblick zu bekommen, sind aber sehr froh uns letztendlich für diese Agentur und Route entschieden zu haben.

Von Anfang hat uns unsere Ansprechpartnerin Claire bei allen Fragen geholfen - inkl. Visaantrag und Einreiseerlaubnis. Wir haben wirklich etliche Mails hin und her geschrieben und wurden immer fürsorglich behandelt.

Vor Ort wurden wir am Flughafen empfangen und unsere Guides waren alle sehr nett. Die Ausflüge super interessant und man hat einen tollen Einblick bekommen. Das Programm war nicht zu viel und nicht zu wenig, wirklich toll gemacht!! Die Hotels waren weit besser als wir erwartet haben. Wir haben oft Tips für Restaurants oder bestimmte Gerichte bekommen. Es gab überhaupt keine Probleme bei Ausflügen, Organisation oder den etlichen Kontrollen im Land. Wir wurden selbst noch bis hinter die Passkontrollen an der Grenze zu Nepal begleitet. Erst als unser Guide wirklich nicht weiter durfte, haben wir uns verabschiedet.

Die Gruppen waren nett gemischt und die Wagen alle europäischer Standard.

Wir würden die Agentur und die Route jedem empfehlen!

Liebe Grüße und vielen Dank für eine unvergessliche Reise!