Minority lady at the Dali market / nightly performance in Lijiang / Lijiang lady
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CHINA 3: COLORFUL YUNNAN / 11 DAYS
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Minority lady at the Dali market / nightly
performance in Lijiang / Lijiang lady
| Day | Daily schedule | Overnight in |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Visit the Stone Forest outside of Kunming | Kunming |
| 2 | Go to the Western Hills and visit Yunnan Nationalities Village | Kunming |
| 3 | Drive to Dali, see the three pagodas and the monastery. Dali is home of the Bai minority | Dali |
| 4 | Boat trip on Erhai Lake | Dali |
| 5 | Drive from Dali to Lijiang and go up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Lijiang is home of the Naxi minority | Lijiang |
| 6 | To the Tiger Leaping Gorge | Lijiang |
| 7 | To Lugu Lake. Lugu is home of the Mosu minority | Home stay with local Mosu family |
| 8 | Boat trip in dug out canoe on Lugu Lake | Home stay with local Mosu family |
| 9 | Drive to Zhongdian through beautiful scenery. Zhongdian is home of the Tibetan minority | Zhongdian |
| 10 | Visit the Songzanlin monastery | Zhongdian |
| 11 | flight back to Kunming |
Bai architecture in Dali / Erhai lake
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Included |
* car and driver for above itinerary * flight from Zhongdian to Kunming * hotels (3-star) * English speaking local guide in each city |
|---|---|
| Excluded |
* meals * entrance fees |
| Price |
Price for 2 persons: RMB 10.950 p.p. Special group rates are available on request. (Price will be higher during the Chinese holidays: 1-7 May and 1-7 October.) Calculate exchange rate |
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Best travel time |
Whole year round |
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Remarks |
This tour can be combined with the "Undiscovered China: the minorities of Guizhou" tour. |
Itinerary:
Day 1: Start of the tour is in Kunming. Today we visit the
spectacular Stone Forest 120 km outside of Kunming. This is a "forest" of
limestone pillars which over the years have eroded into all kinds of different
shapes. In the afternoon back to Kunming.
Day 2: The Western Hills are situated 16 km south west of Kunming and these beautiful green hills have many temples dotted around. On the top of the hill you have a good view of the Dian lake, one of the biggest lakes in South West China. We will visit the Dragon Gate Cave, which consists of a number of sculptures, caves and corridors hacked out from the rocks. After visiting the Western Hills, we will go to the Yunnan Nationalities Village where you can see model minority villages representing all the 25 minorities living in Yunnan province.
Day 3: We travel by private car to Dali, some 5 hours away. In the afternoon you will visit the Three Pagodas in Dali as well as the impressive monastery which has been built behind these pagodas.
Day 4: In the morning you will make a boat trip on the famous Erhai Lake where we also make a stop on Jinsuo island to get a glimpse of the local life there. In the afternoon you are free to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of Dali's " Foreigner Street" with its many cosy bars and restaurants. Dali is the home of the Bai minority, wearing beautiful hats.
Day 5: Today we drive from Dali to Lijiang. Lijiang is a picturesque town, home of the Naxi minority. Lijiang is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In the afternoon you will visit one of the absolute highlights of Yunnan: the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We will go to to the Glacier park where a chairlift will bring you to an altitude of 4506 meters! This is a great adventure and the view of the glacier is awesome.
Day 6: Today you will go to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world. At one point the gorge is so narrow, that legend has it a tiger once leaped across it. The gorge has soaring cliffs on both sides and very beautiful scenery.
Day 7: Today we leave Lijiang behind and head for Lugu lake, home of the Mosu minority. The Mosu are a subgroup of the Naxi, so even though their culture is similar, they still practice many old traditions now lost in Lijiang. Near the lake, we will stay in a local house with a local Mosu minority family.
Day 8: Today is spend on the Lugu lake. In a dug out canoe you will visit several islands on the lake.
Day 9: Zhongdian is our next destination. Most of the day will be spend on driving to Zhongdian, through spectacular scenery with green valleys and snow capped mountains around.
Day 10: Visit the Songzanlin monastery in Zhongdian, a Tibetan buddhist monastery with about 600 monks in residence. This is a very important temple, and many Tibetan buddhist pilgrims travel for days to pray here. In the afternoon you have free time to walk around in Zhongdian.
Day 11: Flight back to Kunming.