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Overview

Tailored trip to China

Discovering Yunnan means diving into a multi-faceted world where the variety of landscapes is matched only by that of the ethnic groups. Often considered the most beautiful province of the Middle Empire – with good reason – this territory at the southwestern reaches of China has an authentic personality unlike any other destination. From the terraced rice fields of Yuanyang to the peaceful plains around Kunming and Jianshui by way of the legendary valley of Shangri La, mysterious doorway to Tibet, Yunnan is a stunning kaleidoscope of natural treasures. Visit remote tribes whose lifestyles seem timeless, and discover their fascinating traditions. Around Xizhou, meet the Bai, also known as “Tea Masters”, and learn how this miraculous herb has been an important part of their daily life for hundreds of years. Sample the local cuisine, visit some workshops, learn a few new dance moves with a group of Tibetans, and try your hand (or head!) at meditation in a Buddhist monastery: all this and more awaits you on this tailored trip to China. With Yunnan’s surprising flavors and breathtaking scenery, don’t be surprised if China becomes your favorite travel destination!

Contact Uniktour’s China expert for more information on this beautiful tailored trip to Yunnan!

Itinerary

Day 1| Kunming – Western Hills and Dragon Gate (by cable car) – Flower market – Yuantong Temple - Temple of the Understanding of all Things – Dinner at Yikeyin Restaurant
Your local guide will welcome you upon your arrival in Kunming. Visit the Western Hills, west of Dian Lake, known for the beauty of their forest reserve and caves, particularly Dragon Gate Cave. Visit a traditional Chinese pharmacy, where you’ll learn about traditional remedies, and then head to one of China’s largest flower markets.
After lunch, visit Yuantong Temple, also know as the Temple of Understanding of All Things. First built by the Tang dynasty (618-907), then rebuilt by the Yuan (1276-1368), this is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Kunming and is a great example of classical Chinese Buddhist design. Dinner in Yikeyin Restaurant. Overnight at the hotel.

Day 2| Kunming – Dali Flight - Three Pagodas – Old Town – Dinner at the Temple
Enjoy breakfast at the hotel before being taken to the airport for your flight to Dali. Your guide will meet you at the airport. Visit San Ta Si and its three elegant pagodas. Take a stroll in the old town, whose narrow alleys, ancient shops, and old walls create a charming atmosphere. Dinner at Chong Sheng Temple, known for its authentic cuisine. Overnight at the hotel.


Day 3| Dali - Shaxi – Meet the Bai around Xizhou - Batik Workshop- Shaxi Village
Breakfast at your hotel. Discover the Bai people in Xizhou. The Bai started growing and making tea ages ago, and have developed their own specific methods. Sipping their tea, which is sometimes accompanied by a ceremonial song and dance, is known as “Three-course tea of the Bai”: the first sip is bitter, the second a little sweeter, and the third is more nuanced – this is the aftertaste. Visit a batik workshop. After lunch, head to Shaxi village, on the old road between Dali and Lijiang for a beautiful adventure off the beaten path in Yunnan. Overnight in Shaxi.

Day 4| Travel to Lijiang - Shibaoshan – Old Town – Black Dragon Pool – Rice Noodles Dinner
Breakfast at your hotel. A car will then take you to Lijiang. Visit Shibaoshan: this site features sculptures built between the 9th and 13th centuries that display a blend of Buddhist and pagan styles that is unlike any other in China. Lunch on the road. After your arrival in Lijiang, enjoy a nice stroll in the old town. Visit Black Dragon Pool, from where you get beautiful views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Enjoy Yunnan’s famous rice noodles for dinner.

Day 5| Lijiang - Bike Tour - Longquan and Yushui villages
Breakfast at your hotel. Take a bicyle (or car) to the village of Basha, then visit the villages of Longquan and Yushui. Lunch on the way. Enjoy some free time in the afternoon. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6| Shigu Village – Tiger Leaping Gorge – Old Town
Breakfast at your hotel. Visit Shigu village. This is where you will catch your first glimpse of the curves of the Yangzi River. Stop for a visit to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Grab some lunch and then head to Zhongdian, also known as Shangri-La, 198 km northwest of Lijiang. Zhongdian was once the last stop on the itinerary for travelers in Yunnan. It is also the point of departure for those wishing to enter Tibet through the back door. Rumor has it that the road from Yunnan to Tibet should be open in the next couple of years. When you get to Zhongdian, visit the old town. In the evening (around 7:30 pm), enjoy a traditional Tibetan dance along with the locals. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7| Songzanlin Tibetan Monastery- DabaoSi Temple – Return to Kunming
Breakfast at the hotel. Visit Songzanlin Tibetan Monastery, an important 300-year-old spiritual temple complex that is home to hundreds of monks. Then visit DabaoSi Temple, a Gelupta monastery located about 20 kilometers from Zhongdian. Lunch and dinner on the road. Transfer to the airport for your flight to Kunming. Transfer to your hotel upon your arrival.

Day 8| Kunming - Jianshui – Stone Forest - Zhu Garden – Old Town
Explore Shilin Stone Forest. 270 million years ago, this area was underwater, and the forest submerged by the sea. Over the years, erosion created a maze of strange rocks, chaotic surfaces, and needle-like boulders, each with its own comical or poetic name. A two-kilometer-long trail will allow you to explore this surreal landscape. You then head to Jiangshui, a pleasant stopover town (3 hours on the road). Lunch on the road. Visit the Zhu Family Gardens, an ideal place to relax and take a closer look at traditional Chinese architecture and decoration. Enjoy a pleasant stroll in Jianshui’s old town. Dinner and overnight at your hotel.

Day 9| Jianshui – Yuanyang – Confucius Temple – Zhang Residence – HongHe Valley
After breakfast, you have two sites to explore. First off, the Temple of Confucius, located in a vast park. The Zhang Residence is just a few kilometers away, in the village of Tuanman, on the road to Shiping, which belonged to a rich merchant about a century ago. Interesting fact about this village: everyone here is named Zhang! Imagine the joys of mail delivery in this town! It’s truly an open-air, living museum where humble peasants live peacefully, surrounded by rich paintings, decorated gates and doorways, and a variety of beautiful aging frescoes.
A car will then take you to Yuanyang, (about 3½ hours on the road). Overlooking Hong He River, Yuanyang is the gateway to the beautiful rice terraces sculpted by the Hani people. The scenery is here is simply stunning. With their beautiful rice paddies, the Hani show us that it is possible for man to transform nature without destroying it. Yuanyang is also a great departure point for hikes to Hani and Yi villages, scattered on the hillsides, surrounded by small groves. Take a walk in HongHe Valley. Lunch on the road. Overnight at hotel.

Day 10| Laohuzui Rice Terraces – Qingkou – Duoyi – Old Town
Enjoy breakfast, then visit the Rice Terraces around the villages of Laohuzui, Qingkou, and Duoyi, where the Hani still prosper. Lunch on the road. Return to Yuanyang to visit the old town. Overnight at your hotel.

Day 11| Tonghai Village - Kunming
Enjoy breakfast before taking the road back to Kunming (approx. 6 hours).

Budget

**Rates published on this website are for information purposes only and are not legally binding (since departure dates are not given). Prices on this website are known to fluctuate frequently in relation to changes in currencies and hotel pricing. In order to obtain a definite quote, please click here.

Other fees

Lodging

List of hotels:

Jianshui: Zhu Garden
Yuanyang: Yunti hotel (3-Star)
Kunming: Jin Jiang hotel
Dali: Landscape hotel (privately-run)
Shaxi: Laomajia Hotel (3-Star)
Lijiang: Chez Garden Hotel (privately-run)
Zhongdian: Songjiang Hotel (privately-run)

Overview

China is forever linked to its ancient civilization, friendly people, and many of the world's most revered treasures, such as The Great Wall, Terra-Cotta Warriors & Horses and the Yangtze River.
Today, one can also find spectacular architecture and towering skylines in Shanghai
and Beijing (site of the 2008 Summer Olympics), a wealth of luxury accommodations – and as always – exquisite cuisine.

Come and see why China is drawing millions of visitors from all over the world. And, why each and everyone of them returns home smiling :)

Source ; china tourism office (http://www.cnto.org )

Tourism

Visitors are often surprised to find out how modern China really is.
Since the early 90's China has been in the middle of a building boom and infrastructure upgrade that has brought its tourism industry up to Western standards almost overnight.

Tourist facilities and transportation in large cities are almost on the same level as of the United States. All major cities and tourism centers have undergone a total metamorphosis in visitor comfort and transportation facilities. Complaints of poor facilities, service or transportation have all become memories of the past.

Today you can tour China with ease and safety (the crime rate is very low there), stay in comfortable 4 & 5-star hotels, try new Chinese delicacies, enjoy familiar Western cuisine, shop in modern designer boutiques, or explore centuries-old markets and shopping arcades. You can tour the countryside in modern motor coaches, relax in first class train compartments, or speed to the next destination by jet while exploring one of the oldest cultures of the world, and seeing some of the most extraordinary sights any where and there is much to see in this vast country of 1.3 billion people.

Geography

China's land drops off in the escarpments eastward to the ocean, letting in humid air currents and leading many rivers eastward.
Among the rivers totalling 220,000 kilometres in length in China; the Yangtze and the Yellow are the two major ones.

China has a diversity of land formations including mountains, hills, highlands, plains and basins. The highlands and hill regions account for 65 percent of the country's land mass. The highest mountain peak is Qomolangma (Everest), 8,848 metres above sea level; the lowest point is the Turpan Basin, 154 metres below sea level.

Culture

China is the most populous country in the world, with 1.25909 billion people at the end of 1999, about 22 percent of the world's total.
This figure does not include many Chinese in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Taiwan Province and Macao Special Administrative Region. The population density in China is 130 people per sq km. This population, however, is unevenly distributed. Along the densely populated east coast there are more than 400 people per sq km; in the central areas, over 200; and in the sparsely populated plateaus in the west there are less than 10 people per sq km. The population in cities and towns makes up 30.4 percent; and that in rural areas, 69.6 percent. The male population is 50.8 percent; and the female population is 49.2 percent. People 14 years or younger make up 25.7 percent; those from 15 to 64, 67.6 percent; and those 65 or older, 6.7 percent.

Climate

China is characterized by a continental climate.
The latitudes span nearly 50 degrees, its southern part is in the tropical and subtropical zones, and its northern part near the frigid zones. The northern part of Heilongjiang province has long winters but no summers; while Hainan Island has long summers but no winters. The Huaihe River valley is marked by distinctive seasonal changes, but it is spring all year round in the south of the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. China's high tundra zone is situated in Qinghai-Tibet, where the temperature is low in all four seasons.