Start in: Beijing
End in: Beijing
Special Experience: Minority villages tour in Yunnan, Li River cruise in Guilin
Superb China Natural Tour
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Beijing / Kunming
Accommodations: Kunming Hotel 
Sightseeing: West Hill and Dragon Gate,The bird and flower market
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
Today you will take the flight from Beijing to Kunming. Upon your arrival at Kunming, "the Spring and Flower City", our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure. The tour in the afternoon will bring you to the West Hill and Dragon Gate, and the bird and flower market.
- West Hill and Dragon Gate: located by the Dian Lake, known as "Sleeping Beauty," it is a natural forest park in Kunming with a series of winding steps, tunnels, and statue-filled grottoes leading to the top. After taking the cable car up to the Cablecar Station, you can walk along the path in the mountain, and stop now and then to enjoy the beauty of the scenery: blue skies, green water with slow sailing fishing boats and so on.
- The bird and flower market: located in the old section of the city, it is a bustling market not just selling birds, flowers, but also jade, so-called "antiques", handicrafts and so on together with lots of food stands for local specialities.
Accommodations: Asia Star hotel Dali
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Stone Forest
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
Today, you will enjoy a full day trip to the Stone Forest which is about 90km to the south of Kunming. When you come back to Kunming city, our local guide will escort you to airport for your flight to Dali. Upon your arrival, be met and transferred from airport to the your hotel by our local guide.
- Stone Forest: a 270-million-year-old limestone karst formation of tightly bundled gray rocky outcrops, a natural wonder acknowledged as "World Karst Landscape Museum", the Stone Forest shows a variety of unique shapes, such as sword, mushrooms, tower, pillar and castle, representing the greatest miracle that nature can present to human beings.
Accommodations: Asia Star hotel Dali
Meals: L
Sightseeing: Erhai Lake,Xizhou Bai Minority Village,Three Pagodas,Dali Ancient Town
Today's tour in this lovely city includes cruise on Erhai, Xizhou Bai Minority Village, Three Pagodas and the Dali Ancient Town.
- Erhai Lake: shaped like a human ear this lake covers over 250 square kilometers. With its vast pool of water shining under the sun like a sheet of vivid green and the snow mantles of the Cang Mountain reflecting quiveringly in it, it is known poetically as "Silver Cang Mountain and Jade-like Erhai".
- Xizhou Bai Minority Village: a photogenic village 20km north of Dali, where Bai minority people are living and where you will can get some ideas of the Bais' flair for architecture and elegant living.
- Three Pagodas: at the foot of the Zhonghe Peak of the Cang Mountain, part of Chongshen Monastery, they are an emblem of the city's venerated history. The tallest of the trio, which is 69.13 metres tall, was built in 836 AD, while two smaller ones were built during a later period. No visit to Dali is complete without a call at these three pagodas.
- Dali Ancient Town: first established in 1382 AD, with a moat surrounding it. This old town has a typical layout like a chessboard, old-timey roofed buildings with dark blue tiles and the white and gray tall walls.
Accommodations: Sightseeing Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Lijiang Ancient Town,Heqing Village & Xinhua Village
In the morning, drive to Lijiang (3-hour drive). Along the way, you will stop by the Heqing County and pay a visit to Heqing Villages
- Lijiang Ancient Town: also called Dayan Town, built in the late Song dynasty and the early Yuan dynasty with a history of more than 800 years. This ancient town consists of clean streams flowing freely through the road network, the colorful cobbled streets, age-old swaying willow trees, age-old buildings and stone bridges. There are over 22 different ethnic minorities making Lijiang their home. Now and then you may see local folks in their own tradtional dress. Strolling around this charming ancient town, you will be attracted by the unique atmosphere and surprised by its ancient yet simple sense of "Harmony of Heaven and Man."
- Heqing Village & Xinhua Village: long history of handicraft craftsmanship, you will be visiting gold-making, silver-making, etc., workshops and you will have time to do some shopping if you wish.
Accommodations: Sightseeing Hotel
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Baisha Mural Paintings,Jade Dragon Snow Mountain,Black Dragon Pool Park
Today, you will enjoy a full day trip to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Baisha Mural Paintings, the Black Dragon Pool Park and Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture inside the park.
- Baisha Mural Paintings: located in Baisha Township, 8km north of Lijiang, there are altogether 53 groups of mural paintings in different temples with fine and smooth lines, bright colors,vivid patterns and harmonious composition. Painted from the early days of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911),these mural paintings are an artistic representation of the different religious cultures such as Buddhism, Lamaism, Daoism and the Naxi Dongba religion.
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain: it is so called because it looks like a flying jade dragon from afar. The mountain consists of 13 peaks and sprawls 35 km from north to south. Its glacier is the closest to the equator in the Northern Hemisphere. By taking the cable car up to a certain height, you can enjoy the expansive mountains views and snowy scenery.
- Black Dragon Pool Park: where you can see the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from afar and the reflection of the mountain in the pool in a clear day. This park is the source of the water system of the Old Lijiang Town as the clean spring from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain gathers here.
A Naxi man led a hourse in the Lijiang Ancient Town. He spoke the ancient language of Lijiang with his partners.
Accommodations: Holy Palace Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: First Bend of the Yangtze River,Zhongdian,Tiger Leaping Gorge
After breakfast, you will have a full day trip to the First Bend of the Yangtze River and Iron Chain Bridge in the Shigu (Stone Drum) Town, and then Tiger Leaping Gorge. Drive about 100km to Zhongdian (Shangri-la County) afterwards, where you will stay overnight.
- First Bend of the Yangtze River: formed by the Yangtze River rushing down from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a sharp turn of 45 degrees at Shigu (Stone Drum) Town before the river continues running on to northeast.
- Zhongdian: The beautiful "Shangri-la" described in "The Lost Horizon" is, in fact, the city of Zhongdian, located in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan Province. Even today, Zhongdian County remains an untainted natural paradise.
- Tiger Leaping Gorge: This gorge is located 92 km north of Lijiang County, between peaks of over 3,000 meters above the Jinsha River (upper course of Yangtze River). The legend goes that tigers often leap to the other side of the river by a huge rock lying in the middle of the river at the entrance of the Gorge, hence the name. This 17-kilometer-long Gorge is honored as the deepest and one of the most marvelous gorges on the earth.
Accommodations: Holy Palace Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: The Songzanlin Lamasery,Napa Lake,Bita Lake
The full-day excursion today will bring you to Bita Lake, Napa Lake, Gedan Songzanlin Monastery. In the evening, pay a visit to a Tibet family, where you will enjoy a local Singing and Dancing Show with some special snacks.
- The Songzanlin Lamasery: the most important Lamasery of Tibetan Buddhism in Yunnan province.
- Napa Lake: 8km away from the County, meaning "the lake beside the forest", it is a lake on the plateau in the depths of the Yila Grass with mirror-like water and lots of precious fowls.
- Bita Lake: 35km away from the County, meaning "the place where roburs become felts", it is a lake surrounded by mountains with clear water and abundant fish resources. Due to the road condition, you need to walk 7km on your own or ride a horse before you can get to the lake.
Mural Painting in the Songzanlin Lamasery, Tibet
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Meals: B
Transfer via: China domestic flight on our arrangement
After breakfast, be transferred to the Lijiang airport and take the morning flight back to Kunming. Upon your arrival, your will transfer the flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival at Guilin, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel, the rest of this day is on your own leisure.
Accommodations: New Century Hotel
Meals: B,L,D
Sightseeing: Li River Cruise,West Street(Yangshuo)
After breakfast, drive to Zhujiang Pier (about 40-minute drive) to start the boat cruise along the tranquil Li River, the highlight of your sightseeing tour in Guilin, until you get to Yangshuo County. Free time in the afternoon after checking in the hotel in Yangshuo.
- Li River Cruise: Along the river, you will be inspired by the breathtaking views of peaks and pinnacles, crystal-clear water and reflections in the water together with the serene pastoral views of rice paddies and water buffaloes.You will certainly feel like you are walking into a traditional Chinese painting by cruising on this wonderful river.
- West Street(Yangshuo): a busy and exotic slate street in Yangshuo County, about 2km long crammed with shops, pubs, cafes and hotels, where you can relax yourself and do some souvenir shopping.
Local Food of Yangshuo: steamed glutinous rice paste
Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Big Banyan Tree,Moon Hill,Yangshuo County
In the morning, you will have an excursion to the Moon Hill and the Big Banyan Tree Park, along the route a serene pastoral view of fantastic limestone mountains, peaceful farming villages with long stretch of rice fields and roaming water buffaloes spreads in front of you. You will also have the chance to pay a visit to one of the local farmers' home en route. The rest of the day is yours to explore this lovely county. And then our local guide will escort you to airport for your flight to Xian. Upon your arrival at Xian, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of this day is on your own leisure.
- Big Banyan Tree: more than 1500 years old, with its crown covering more than half a hectare, it was once the spot where Third Sister Liu, the folk song singer of Zhuang people, sang beautiful melodies according to the legend.
- Moon Hill: viewed from different places, the moon takes on different shapes, sometimes full moon, sometimes half-moon and sometimes crescent, forming a marvelous spectacle in Yangshuo. Climbing about 800 steps up to the very top, you will have a fantastic view of the whole county.
- Yangshuo County: founded in 590 AD, Yangshuo County has been booming because of tourism. With so many beautifully shaped mountains surrounding this county, it is described as "the world of green lotus and jade bamboo shoots".
Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Meals: B,L
Sightseeing: Shaanxi Provincial Museum,Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Have a city tour to the Shaanxi Provincial Museum and Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
- Shaanxi Provincial Museum: opened in 1991, the largest comprehensive museum in the province. The museum exhibits over 3,000 historical relics which is just a fraction of their collection. Most of the exhibited items are rare treasures, showing you the splendid Chinese culture.
- Big Wild Goose Pagoda: regarded by many as a symbol of the city Xian, the pagoda was built in 652 A.D. in the Tang Dynasty to house the sutras brought back from India by the famous monk Xuan-zang.
Accommodations: Hotel Royal Garden
Meals: B
Sightseeing: Terracotta Warriors and Horses,Ancient City Walls ,Bell Tower
Today, you will first visit the incredible life-size Terracotta Warriors and Horses. After lunch, visit the Ancient City Walls and the Bell Tower.
- Terracotta Warriors and Horses: discovered in 1974 by local farmers digging a well, this is one of the most significant archeological finds of the 20th century. These 6,000 life-size painted Terracotta Warriors and Horses --individually sculpted from real-life models and arranged in battle formation have been protecting the mausoleum of the first emperor in Chinese history--Emperor QinShihuang for 2,200 years ago.
- Ancient City Walls : built during the 14th century on Tang dynasty foundations and they date from the Ming dynasty. The walls are the largest and best-preserved ancient fortress in the world. There is a gate in each of the four sides, and the gate towers built over each gate look lofty and magnificent and form a tight defence engineering system.
- Bell Tower: standing in the center of the city and built in 1582, the Bell Tower is a three-story wooden structure with traditional Chinese architectural features. It is so called because an iron bell is hung in the tower to give the correct time.
Meals: B
Transfer via: Internal flight on our arrangement
Be free until our guide meets and helps you transfer to the airport for your flight to Beijing.
China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary 
Accommodations for 12 nights, including
11 nights at four star or higher hotels, 1 night at three star hotels
24 meals, including 11 full breakfasts, 9 lunches and 4 dinners
Round-trip transfers---between airports, hotels and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned motor coaches with experienced drivers
A local English-speaking guide in each city
Entrance fees to scenic spots listed in the itinerary
Luggage transfers between airports and hotels
China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty insurance
Government taxes and service charges except tips for tour guides and drivers
We both found the Reed Flute Cave stunningly fascinating, made even so more so by the fact that we were along as the last ones to go through. We were very glad we went with the Longsheng rice paddies option even though it was the wrong time of the year. It was still beautiful with the Dragon's Backbone clearly visible-it was one of our favorite places. The Li River boat cruise was very enjoyable too.
- Adele and Giles Harding,South Africa
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