You'll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming. Upon arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.
 
You will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If time permits, you will have a Kunming city tour. Enjoy welcoming dinner of Yunnan Flavouring food with crossing Bridge Rice Noodle and Steam Pot Chicken/Qiguoji.
 
-- Kunming is the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, a primarily agricultural province of 45 million. Kunming has a population of five million and is located in one of the world's most geographically, ethnically, biologically and linguistically diverse regions. Situated at 1,900 meters (6,233ft) above sea level and 25° north of the Equator it has a rather unique and pleasant climate for a Chinese city.

You will drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. An old local saying says that 'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.' Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. After lunch drive back Kunming to visit the Guandu Ancient Town which is a famous historical & cultural town in Kunming; it keeps the main architectural style of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.

After dinner, you will have an option to enjoy the large-scale dance drama "Dynamic Yunnan" which has been an outstanding innovation on the Chinese stage in recent years directed by Yang Liping. Primitive, unsophisticated folk dances and a fresh artistic concept converge in the programme, giving audiences a unique "Yunnan Impression." Sixty-two drums and 120 masks of strong ethnic characteristics are incorporated in the performance.

 -- The Stone Forest is in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 120 kilometers from Kunming and requires only a three-hour drive. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. The Stone Forest has unique karst topography which is one of the best of its kind within China. There are six scenic spots in the Stone Forest: the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, the Naigu Stone Forest, the Zhiyun Cave, the Long Lake, the Da Dieshui Waterfall and the Qifeng Cave.

-- --Guandu Ancient town is of long history, it is the birth place of Dian Culture. As early as Nanzhao Dali period, it was a big town and hub of the east bank of Dian. It was inhabited 4000 years ago. It has a ferry in Song Dynasty, and many official boats stopped at the ferry, got out of the boat and rode a horse or sit in the litter to get into Kunming. So it got its name “Guandu” (Guan Means official, Du means Ferry). In Ming and Qing Dynasty, it became a developed business and handicraft center.

Take the morning flight to Dali which is a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. After landing, you visit the Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake. Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle.

After lunch, you’ll cruise in Erhai Lake by the small boat to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island.In Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.

At last, you will visit the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. After climbing up to the City Wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.

Enjoy the quiet sunrise view of Dali Ancient Town and Erhai Lake from the City Wall in the morning, then start the 3 hours driving to Yunlong County. Yunlong county is located at west part of Dali district, total population amount is 200000, covering area is 4400.95 square kilometers, it is the south end of three rivers collecting together sight scene area which as world natural legacy, with long history, thick and deep culture, united nationality, pure national tradition and rich tourism resource, it is as treasure land for development.

Drive through Taiyi, Beidou and Tuanjie Yi Ethnic Towns, and arrive in Shimen Town. After checking in Yunlong Hotel, you will drive half an hour more to visit the Ancient Salt Well and Bai ethnic wells in Nuodeng Ancient Village. After lunch, visit the Natural Eight-Diagram(Ying and Yang Symbol),While waltzing along the Bi River towards Nuodeng, you’ll walk right past this amazing coincidence of nature and not even realize it£®Or, even if you know it’s there, from the ground you can hardly appreciate it£®

This is where nature really can seem to be messing with you£®The Bi River here is forced into a serpentine roll, and the result, seen from above, is a remarkable naturally formed Yin-Yang symbol£®When the weather is right-cooler nights and warmer days, especially November through January according to locals the mists here are preternaturally lovely£®Best photo—op times are mid to late afternoon£®

Visit Tianchi Lake or Heaven Lake at last, walk around the lake and enjoy the fresh air with green pine trees as well as the wild birds. Come back to Yunlong Hotel in the late afternoon, you can walk leisurely to Qingyun Bridhe over the Bi River about 1 kilometer away from the downtown.

--Nuodeng was established way back in the 7th century during the Tang Dynasty and has been churning out high quality salt since. The place has withered of due to the accessibility of salt from elsewhere in the world. It is therefore a bit of a backwater, with little in the way of facilities for tourists.The village itself hangs on the side of the mountain with salt mines all around. Many of the homes date as far back as the Ming Dynasty - from 1368 - and are of the Bai traditional mud brick.Things to see in Nuodeng include the Old Salt Wells, a 1,000-year-old Taoist Temple, burial grounds, and bridges. For hikers, Nuodeng is a pretty cool place as it's off the beaten path and has many established trails nearby.

--Nuodeng Village and natural universe diagram view cultural tour area is located in Yunlong County. The natural diagram is on the back part of the county, since the river has been rounds into a “S” shape here, it become the natural geography spectacular sight of the formation which is similar religion of Taoism’s “Universe” pattern; at “Universe” diagram’s both east and south has the religion of Taoism buildings, the natural view and the humanities views all unify on the religion of Taoism principle, becoming Chinese traditional religion of Taoism in “Trinity” and the cultural tour view of the Confucianism “the nature and man united as one”. The whole view district includes four scene zones: “Natural universe diagram” zone, thousands years Bai minority village zone, Hutou Mountain district and Tianchi Pond zone.

Today is long day driving about 5 hours to Shaxi Ancient Town in Jianchuan County. On the way you will visit some ancient bridges of the Ancient Tea-Horse Trade Caravan, Bai and Lisuethnic villages and farmland, as well you will drive along the Lancang River, the upper part of Mekong River. Arrive in Shaxi Ancient Town in the late afternoon, walk around Shaxi Town, local hourses.

--Shaxi once played an important role as a bustling trade station on the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, an important branch of the Silk Road. Just over one thousand years ago, this ancient trade route connected Tibet with Eastern China. In exchange for teas from Yunnan, Tibetans traded their famous breed of horse to Song Dynasty officials in eastern China, who were busy defending their territory from invaders from the north. Thus the Tea and Horse Caravan was born. Shaxi became the main trade station along this route.

Today you will drive about 10Km away from Shaxi Ancient Town to visit Shibaoshan Mountain. From Baoxiang Temple you can hike 3 hours to look around that area, in the mountains there are many small old temples. On the path, you can see very nice views of forest, fields with crops, villages in big valley. Visit Baoxiang Temple is a Chinese Buddhism Temple from Yuan Dynesty, about 3 hundred wild monkeys live with kulapatis around the Baoxiang temple.Visit the Shizhong temple in the mountain. There are eight grottoes of Shizhong temple for 800 years old.

After the mountain, you will drive to Jianchuan Town and visit Thousands of Lions(Qianshishan) Mountain. Thousand Lions Mountain is 1.5 km from Jianchuan. These stone-carved lions are from the Song (906-1279) to Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). You will find countless lions and endless steps. Stone Carving Jianchuan has a long history of stone carving.Influenced by the grotto of Shizhongshan Mountain,the crafts of stone carving is very skillful,especially in the area of Meiyuan and Yangcen around Jianyang Town.

In the late afternoon you will drive to Lijiang and enjoy the wonderful night view of Lijiang Ancient Town.

You'll visit Ganhaizi Meadow, Baishui(White Water) River; take the chairlift to visit the Spruce Meadow(3700M) in the Yulong Snow Mountain. After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijiang Ethnic Show directed by Zhang Yimou. It is held in Ganhazi Meadow about 3100M above the sea level. In the afternoon, you'll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. 
 
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The highest peak named Fan Peak (Shanzidou in Chinese) which is about 5596 meters above sea level. There are three cablecars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park(4500M), the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M).

Check out in the hotel, drive about 100KM to Qiaotou Tow(Tiger Leaping gorge Town). Drive along the Naxi ethnic villages and the upper Yangtze River, with a panoramic view of the First Bend of Yangtze River on the way. You will start the trekking of Tiger Leaping Gorge, as one of the world's four great gorges, is honored as one of the deepest and most marvelous gorges with 3900 meters in depth.

Start the trekking form the Qaiotou Primary School, after half an hour, arrive in Changsheng Village, pay a visit to Changsheng Hope Primary School. Arrive in Zhong Nuoyu village at noon and have lunch in Naxi Family Guesthouse. After lunch, you will start the most difficult part trekking to the 28 Zigzag Bends trail and reach the top peak at the elevation of 2670m.

You will arrive at Half-Way Guest House to finish today's trekking. There is a nice platform on the roof of Halfway Guesthouse, aftr dinner, you will drink and enjoy the wonderful Jade Dragon Snow Mountain facing to Bendiwan Village.
 
Note: While you are walking in the gorge, our support t eam will take all of your luggage to meet you at Tina's Inn, so you only need to carry two bottles of water, chocolate and camera on the trip.

Get up in the early morning, hiking down to Tina’s Guest house passing a small but high waterfall on the way. The trail from Halfway Guesthouse to Guanyin Waterfall is much easy but very small ,but you will have a nice view of the middle gorge from the cliff. After the Guanyin Waterfall, you will walk down and through the Bamboo Forest, then arrive at Tina's Hostel.

Note:It is an option to hike down to the Middle Rapids of Tiger Leaping gorge, because it is very steep, verticle and a challenge hiking down to the river. Actually you do not have time to hike in the middle rapids, because you will continue the trip to Baishuitai and Shangrila.

You will have an option trekking further down to the Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge and back,it will take you about three hours, you will firstly trek from Tina’s Guesthouse down to Teacher Zhang’s Guesthouse, where you can have a nice view fo the middle gorge looks like a big gate.It is quite steep trail from Teacher Zhang’s Guesthouse down to the Middle Rapids.

From the Middle Rapids,there are two small trails back to the road, the first is climb the Tianti or “Sky Ladder” to the Sky Ladder Guesthouse about 200KM away from Tina’s Guesthouse, this is a challenge, vertical and dangerous climbing. Usually we choose the lower trail and trek to the Walnut Grove Garden, this is a nice trekking along the Yangtze River. Take the minibus for a short driving back to Tina’s Guesthouse for one night stay, because Tina’s is the best location to enjoy the scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Drive to White Water Terrace at the foot of Haba Snow Mountain Guesthouse , where the Naxi culture originated. The name of the Baishuitai Village comes from the white rock formations shaped like small rice terraces located just above the town. Another 3-4 hours drive west and reach Shangri-la, the former name "Zhongdian", a small town on the Tibetan Plateau at 3300 meters above the sea level. In Dukezng Ancient Town, around 7:00 at night,some Tibetan people and tourists will dance around Sifang Square in Dukezong Ancient Town,you will be warm welcomed by local people.

--Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge as the most perilous section features a huge drop in water level. Six km away from the upper gorge is a waterfall where the river crashes down over 100 meters hitting the rocks in the river bed and creating violent currents. In one 100-meter section are numerous reefs, and the current is torrential. The gorge is rarely traversed by humans, but on the slope between the Middle and Lower Tiger Leaping Gorge there is a small village -- Hetaoyuan Village, which has little contact with the outside, and where villagers lead a simple and natural life, dwelling in stone-plate houses.

--Baishui Terrace or White Water Terrace is situated in Baidi village at the foot of the Haba Snow Mountain. Baishuitai in Naxi means 'growing flower'. Not only a place of beautiful scenery; it is also one of the birthplaces of Dongba Naxi culture, widely known around the world. Amid the Haba Snow Mountain is a stretch of crystal terrace it is the largest area of sinter terrace in China. Baishui Tableland is also the birthplace of Dongba culture of the Naxi Minority Group. Each year, on the eighth day of the second lunar month, the Naxi people will gather here to celebrate their traditional festival by singing and dancing all day and night.

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias - 'the little Potala Palace ', so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere. Walk around Songzanlin Monastery.

And afterwards you'll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park Pudacuo National Park is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China's land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country's plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.
 
In the late afternoon, walk around Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town which was an important town of the Tea-horse Trade Road from Yunnan to Tibet and India for the tea trading.Climb up to the top of Tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel in the world, have a panoramic view of Jiantang Town and Dukezong Ancient Town as well as some white pagodas,tibetan colorful prayer flags and monasteries.
 
Finally, you will visit a Tibetan's family to experience the local life in the bonfire party with Tibetan dance and music and you will try Tibetan home-made yak and cheese.

In the morning, drive 6 to 7 hours to Deqin County (3400m altitude) which is 187km away from Shangri-La. The view along the way is fantastic with different kinds of trees, streams down the valley, prayer flags and stupas, and Tibetan villages. From Shangri-La, after half an hour driving, you will have a panoramic view of Nixi Pottery Village; drive town to the river valley, continue the nice scenery along the Jinsha River to Benzilan Town where you will have lunch.

After lunch, drive uphill to the Dongzhulin Monastery which is located in Shusong Village, Benzilan District, Deqin County, and 105km from the seat of Zhongdian County. The Yunnan-Tibet Road passes behind the temple and cars can get straight to the temple. The Dongzhulin Monastery was built in 1667, the sixth year of the Kang Xi Period in Qing Dynasty.  Visit the First Bend of Jinsha River or Moon Bend, which is the boundary between Sichuan and Yunnan. This is different from the First Bend of Yangtze River in Lijiang City. The bend in Shigu Town changes the flow direction of the Yangtze River but in Benzilan, the Moon Bend is just a grand bend between the mountains with an impressive scenery. Visit Baimang Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, you will be able to view Baimang Snow Mountain if the weather is clear, pass the top part of today at 4292m altitude at 156km.

Arrive in Feilaisi in the late afternoon, you will have a nice sunset view of Meili Snow Mountain from the Sightseeing Platform, where you can see the 13 white pagodas meaning of the 13 peaks of Meili Snow Mountain over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) above sea level, known as the "Prince's 13 peaks".
--Meili Snow Mountain (Meili Xueshan), also called Kawakarpo, is a UNESCO nature site located in Deqin County dividing Yunnan from Tibet, a wonderful place to hike and explore both nature and Tibetan culture.Rising between the Salween River and the Mekong River in the extreme edge of Northwest Yunnan, the Meili Snow Mt. region is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.Legend says that the Meili Snow Mountain is a god guarding Tibetan Buddhism. With 13 peaks over 6000m in the range, the main peak Kawakarpo ("Kawagebo" in Chinese) is a sharp snow mountain with an altitude of 6740m,which has never been conquered yet.

Early in the morning, you will enjoy the magnificent sunrise view of Meili Snow Mountain from Feilaisi, then drive to Mingyong Village. Hike from Mingyong village to Mingyong Glacier (2600m) which is the low altitude glacier of the lowest latitude in the world.

After lunch in Mingyong Village, you will trek down directly to the edge of Meikong River(2,050m/6,724ft) . Walk along the Mekong Grand Canyon and arrive in Xidang Village(2,200m/7,216ft) where you can visit some scattered Tibetan houses in the village. Drive to along the Lancang-Mekong River to Cizhong Village in Yanmen Town.

Drive south along the Mekong Grand Canyon to Cizhong Village in Yanmen Town with some Tibatan villages en route, here you can see the different hoses from Shangri-la. Visit the Tibetan Catholic Church built by French missionaries in 1867, the church is used by Tibetan, Naxi and Lisu people. They still have the grapes planted by missionaries and old the traditional way of making wine.

--Lancang River is the longest river flowing from north to south in China. It takes its source from the Zhaqu of the Guangguori Peak of Tanggula Mountain Range in Qinghai Province, China. It is called the Lancang River after it reaches Changdu. The river runs south until it leaves China at the Nanla Bay out of Yunnan Province and therefrom changes its name from the Lancang River to the Mekong River. The Grand Canyon of the Lancang River is famous for not only its deep and long vale, but also the rushing water. The river water is limpid and rushing in winter, but turbid and onrushing in summer. As the river becoming narrow in the Grand Canyon, high waves are striking against the banks and making a sound like thunder. What a fantastic spectacle! Such steep mountains, deep valley and miraculous geographic structure are seldom seen all over the world.

Drive further south along the Mekong gorge to Weideng Township, you will drive through these Lisu and Naxi ethnic towns with Badi Town(°ÍµÏÏç),Yezhi Town(Ò¶Ö¦Ïç) ,Baohe Town(±£ºÍÕò) in Weixi LisuAutonomous County of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, and finally arrive in Tacheng Town(Ëþ³ÇÕò£©for one night stay. All of these towns are located at the bank of Lancang River with a wonderful view on the driving.
Enjoy the landscape of the Mekong with mountains, terraces, villages on the both sides of the valley, and we will make stops to visit Naxi and Lisu villages and a church en route, people here live in the traditional houses built with wooden walls and tile roofs. As the road construction work is going on here, we may need to wait sometimes.

Arrive in Tacheng Town in the late afternoon and pay a visit to Tacheng Black Snub-Nosed Monkey National Park of Weixi County. Overnight at the guesthouse in Tacheng Town.

--As a national park integrating primitive ecology, Neolithic sites, religious pilgrimage place, paradise of black snub-nosed monkey and multi-national style, the scenic area is particularly distinguished with the religious culture and temple scenic sports such as the dense forest, valuable and rare animals and Patriarch Bodhidharma's Cave as well as “Re Ba” of Tibetans and customs of Lisu Nationality. Samage Nature Reserve has hundreds of black snub-nosed monkeys, a national Grade I protection animal.

As a national park integrating primitive ecology, Neolithic sites, religious pilgrimage place, paradise of black snub-nosed monkey and multi-national style, the scenic area is particularly distinguished with the religious culture and temple scenic sports such as the dense forest, valuable and rare animals and Patriarch Bodhidharma's Cave as well as “Re Ba” of Tibetans and customs of Lisu Nationality. Samage Nature Reserve has hundreds of black snub-nosed monkeys, a national Grade I protection animal.

In the morning, you will drive along the Yangtze River to Shigu Ancient Town. Visit the Stone Drum, the Iron Chain Bridge which is the relic of the Ancient Tea-horse Road from Yunnan to Tibet and India. On the mountain at the river's bend stands Stone Drum (Shigu) Town. This ancient town is named after a drum-shaped marble plaque. Built during the Jiaqing era (1548-1561) of the Ming Dynasty, the stone drum is a monument commemorating the victory of Lijiang's Naxi ruler over an invading Tibetan army. It is one point five meters (five feet) in diameter and zero point five meters (two feet) in thickness. The stone drum has an obvious vestige of what appears to be a "rip" in it. It is said that the stone drum would rupture prior to any war and then fold when peace returned.

After lunch, you will have a chance to float in the Yangtze River from Shigu Town to Longpan Town. After one hour floating, you will meet your driver and come back to Lijiang. Visit Lijiang Ancient Town and enjoy the night life.

--The First Bend of the Yangtze River is located on the north side of the highway leading from Dali to Lijiang, about 70 km. from lijiang Town. The upper reaches of the Yangtze River is named the Jinsha River, which originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Jinsha River flowed southward along the Hengduan Mountain ranges and was forced to the turn to north because of the Alpine movements which caused changes in the earth's physiognomy. When the river reaches Shigu Township, it makes an abrupt turn and flows further northward, forming the rare V-shape bend.

Transfer to Lijiang International Airport for returning.
Service ends.