21 Days Yunnan Natural Scenery Depth Leisure Tour with Beijing and Xi'an
Day by Day Itinerary
B=Breakfast,L=Lunch,D=Dinner
Day 1 Sat 11-Apr-09 Meal(s) () Hong Kong / Kunming
Transfer via: UO141 1050-1310 (arranged by us)
Program: Arrive in Kunming, you will be met and transferred to hotel, visit Flowers and Birds Market, West Hill and Dragon Gate
-Flowers and Birds Market: Traditional wooden houses with grass growing from their roofs line the streets where a variety of products are sold, including of course a small alley devoted to flowers and cage birds.
-West Hill and Dragon Gate: known as "Sleeping Beauty," it is a natural forest park in Kunming with a series of winding steps, tunnels, and statue-filled grottoes.
Accommodations: Fairyland Hotel Express***
Day 2 Sun 12-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Kunming / Dali
Transfer via: by overnight train-soft sleeper (arranged by us) N810 2215-0727
Program: Full day tour for Stone Forest, Yuantong Temple, Dian Lake (Dianchi), then be transferred to railway station and take train to Dali, stay overnight on the train
-Stone Forest: About 200 million years ago numerous stone peaks, pillars, and stalagmites rose abruptly from the ground and towered into the sky, looking like a vast forest of stone, hence the name "the Stone Forest".
-Yuantong Temple: is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in Kunming, with the history of 12000 years. Its architecture is one of the best classical styles in Yunnan province.
-Dian Lake (Dianchi): the sixth largest freshwater lake in China, also known as Kunming Lake or Kunming Pond (Kunming Chi).It was formed by the subsidence of a fault zone.
Accommodations: On the train
Day 3 Mon 13-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Dali
Program: Arrive in Dali, be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Ancient Dali town, Three pagodas, Butterfly Spring
-Ancient Dali town: It was built during the Ming Dynasty in 1382 and is one the 24 most famous historical and cultural cities in China. Featuring stone walls, grey-tiled roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, and gardens of varying sizes, the dwellings of Dali have an air of classic sanctity.
-Three pagodas: built in the late Tang Dynasty these three wonders of architecture are typical famous pagodas of Chinese style.
-Butterfly Spring: In spring thousands of butterflies flutter among the branches and over the spring water forming a dazzling "Kingdom of Butterflies".
Accommodations: Landscape Courtyard, Dali***
Tel: 0872-2666188, Fax: 0872-2666189
Day 4 Tue 14-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B) Dali
Program: Free at your own leisure time
Accommodations: Landscape Courtyard, Dali***
Day 5 Wed 15-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Dali / Lijiang
Transfer via: by private vehicle
Program: Visit Erhai Lake, Houses of Bai People in Xizhou, Tie-Dyeing Zhoucheng, then drive to Lijiang directly. Arrive in Lijiang, be met and transferred to hotel, visit Lijiang Ancient Town
-Erhai Lake: making it the second largest highland lake of China, after Dianchi Lake. Its circumference reaches 116 km, its average depth is of 11 m and the total storage.
-Houses of Bai People in Xizhou: where the Bai minority people live. You will appreciate their traditional culture there.
-Tie-Dyeing Zhoucheng: where the Bai minority people live. You will appreciate their traditional culture there. -Lijiang Ancient Town: The town was built in the late Song dynasty and the early Yuan dynasty and was listed by the UNESCO on the list of the world's major cultural heritages in 1997.
Accommodations: Lijiang Sanhe Hotel***
Tel: 0888-5120891, Fax: 0888-5120892
Day 6 Thu 16-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Lijiang
Program: Full day tour for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yak Plateau, Lijiang Mural, Dongba Village
-Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: The Mountain consists of 13 peaks. Among of them, the highest peak is 18000 feet above sea level. It is a treasure of wild plants and rare animals.
-Yak Plateau: It is the part of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where the Yi and Zang Minority ethnic Tribes live.
-Lijiang Mural: It is located in the Baisha Village on the plain north of Lijiang. It is a mixture of artists of Chinese Taoist, Tibetan and Naxi Buddhists and local dongba shamans. This rich fusion had resulted in a tremendously powerful art.
-Dongba Village: sanctuary of the Naxi ancient culture.
Accommodations: Lijiang Sanhe Hotel***
Day 7 Fri 17-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B) Lijiang
Program: Free at your own leisure time
Accommodations: Lijiang Sanhe Hotel***
Day 8 Sat 18-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Lijiang / Diqing (Shangri-la)
Transfer via: by private vehicle
Program: Morning drive to town Qiaotou, on the way, visit First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and then you will hike by yourself and make our own accommodation
-First Bend of the Yangtze River: It is where the Yangtze River, following a northwest course, plunges head-on into a high and cragged cliff and takes a sharp U-turn.
-Tiger Leaping Gorge: It is a canyon on the Yangtze River located 60 km north of Lijiang City, Yunnan in southwestern China. It is a contender for the world's deepest river canyon.
Accommodations: Halfway House arranged by yourself
Day 9 Sun 19-Apr-09 Meal(s) () TLG Trekking
Program: Hike by yourself
Accommodations: Sean's Guesthouse arranged by yourself
Day 10 Mon 20-Apr-09 Meal(s) () Diqing (Shangri-la)
Program: The local guide and driver will pick up you to Sean's Guesthouse, then drive to Diqing directly. Arrive in Shangri-la, be transferred to hotel
Accommodations: Songtsam Hotel***
Day 11 Tue 21-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Diqing (Shangri-la)
Program: Full day tour for Napa Lake, Bitahai Nature Reserve, Songzanlin Monastery, Tibet Family
-Napa Lake: a lake in the depths of the Yila Grassland. The mirror-like lake lies peacefully in the vast grassland. Here you can sometimes spot birds (including the endangered Black Necked Crane) from November to April.
-Bitahai Nature Reserve: is a huge alpine lake, surrounded by forests, with a small tree-covered island in its middle.
-Songzanlin Monastery: Don't miss the most important Lamasery of Tibetan Buddhism in Yunnan province.
-Tibet Family: experience authentic Tibet Culture. Visit a local family and enjoy a Singing and dancing show.
Accommodations: Songtsam Hotel***
Day 12 Wed 22-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B) Diqing (Shangri-la) / Dali / Kunming
Transfer via: by bus (arranged by us) & by overnight train-soft sleeper (arranged by us) N804 2225-0721
Program: In the morning, you will be transferred to the bus station and catch the bus to Dali. Arrive in Dali, you will be met and transferred to railway station and take train to Kunming, stay overnight on the train
Accommodations: On the train
Day 13 Thu 23-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Kunming / Yuanyang
Transfer via: by private vehicle
Program: Arrive in Kunming, you will be met and driven to Yuanyang directly with 7-8 hours
Accommodations: Yunti Hotel***
Day 14 Fri 24-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Yuanyang
Program: Full day tour for Yuanyang rice terraces, there are four spots: Tiger Mouth Pass Qingkou Hani Ethnic Village Bada Village Duoyishu Village
Yuanyang rice terraces are without any doubt the most beautiful and spectacular paddy fields around China! Located all around Yuanyang Old Town, those rice fields have been carved on the Mountain by the Hani people for centuries. Catch a sunrise or sunset on those terraces full of water are one of the greatest highlights to any trips in China. The landscape is spectacular.
Accommodations: Yunti Hotel***
Day 15 Sat 25-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B) Yuanyang / Kunming / Xi'an
Transfer via: HU7850 2300-0050 (arranged by us)
Program: In early morning, you can enjoy the terraces at sunrise. After the tour, drive back to Kunming, then transferred to airport for Xi'an. Arrive in Xi'an, you will be met and transferred to hotel
Accommodations: Xi'an City Hotel***
Day 16 Sun 26-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Xi'an
Program: Full day tour for the Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the Bell Tower
-The Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses: The greatest archaeological findings of the century: the army of terra-cotta warriors and the bronze chariots entombed in vast underground vaults at emperor Qin's tomb.
-Big Wild Goose Pagoda: It is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.
-The Bell Tower: The wooden tower, which is the largest and best-preserved of its kind in China, is 36 meters (118 feet) high.
Accommodations: Xi'an City Hotel***
Day 17 Mon 27-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Xi'an / Beijing
Transfer via: by overnight train-soft sleeper (arranged by us) Z20 2016-0717
Program: Visit History Museum in Xi'an, The Great Mosque of Xi'an, The Ancient City Wall, then be transferred to railway station and take train to Beijing, stay overnight on the train
-History Museum in Xi'an: It is a magnificent architectural complex in the Tang Dynasty style. The Museum possesses a treasure of 113,000 historic and cultural artifacts unearthed in Shaanxi, and it covers an area of 1,100 square meters for exhibition.
-The Great Mosque of Xi'an: It is the largest and best preserved of the early mosques of China. Built primarily in the Ming Dynasty when Chinese architectural elements were synthesized into mosque architecture.
-The Ancient City Wall: It is the largest and best preserved present city wall in ancient China and is probably the best military battlement in the world.
Accommodations: On the train
Day 18 Tue 28-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Beijing
Program: Arrive in Beijing, you will be met and transferred to hotel, then visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven
-The Tian'anmen Square: The largest city square in the world.
-The Forbidden City: The largest imperial palace in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years.
-The Temple of Heaven: The place where the ancient emperors used to pray for the God's bless of the whole nation.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Central Plaza****
Day 19 Wed 29-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Beijing
Program: Full day visit the Badaling Great Wall, the Ding Tomb, the Sacred Road. On the way back to hotel, you will be driven to visit the main 2008 Beijing Olympic venues, take an exterior visit of both the Beijing National Stadium (Bird's Nest/Olympic Stadium), National Swimming Centre('The Water Cube') ,feel free to take some photos of the stadiums
-Badaling Great Wall: One of the eight wonders in the world and the symbol of China.
-The Ding Tomb: The only underground tomb of the thirteen tombs of the emperors in the Ming Dynasty.
-The Sacred Road: The way guarded on both sides with stone statues by which the ancient emperors went to hold a memorial ceremony for the ancestors.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Central Plaza****
Day 20 Thu 30-Apr-09 Meal(s) (B, L) Beijing
Program: Full day visit Hutongs, Xiushui Street, the Summer Palace
-Hutongs: The old narrow paths where common people lived. All the Hutongs crisscross with each other, dotted with the Kindergarten, the Bell Tower, the Drum Tower, the Tea House, and the lake, House of Gong Infante and local people's houses among them.
-Xiushui Street: A market near the embassy area where you can find a number of duplicates of clothing in traditional Chinese style such as clothes, caps, gloves. Enjoy bargains with sellers and pleasant surprise of finding a real treasure if you are lucky enough.
-The Summer Palace: The largest and best-preserved royal garden in China with a history of over 800 years.
Accommodations: Holiday Inn Central Plaza****
Day 21 Fri 1-May-09 Meal(s) (B) Beijing / London
Transfer via: by air TBA-own arrangement
Program: Free at leisure, and then you will be transferred to airport for your flight to next destination
Quick Questions
Our team is waiting for your questions. Please feel free to ask us any questions you might have about our China package tours, Chinese culture, or the sites available. We will gladly help you with any special needs you might have and all questions, like our trip designing is completely free of charge.
