10 days China Southwest Landscape and Ethnic Culture Tour
- Trip Highlights: 55 ethnic minority groups make up around 8 percent population of China. Most of them live in scenic remote mountain region with exotic cultures, beautiful costumes, and unique lifestyles. These give the area irresistible charm for people fed up with the concrete jungles in modern cities. China Southwest Landscape and Ethnic Culture Tour is a perfect getaway that brings you to a life of pure and harmony. Accompanied with ultimate cultural experience is the heavenly beauty of nature including the place regarded by Chinese as most scenic "all under heaven".
- Tour Route: Kunming (Spring City)
Dali (Ancient Ethnic Minority Town)Lijiang (Preserved Ancient Town)Kunming (Spring City)Guilin (Li River & Yangshuo)
- Tour Code: COT-P-100
- Dates: No fixed departure dates. You may go whenever you wish.
- Starts/Ends: Kunming/Guilin
- Trip Type: Ethnic Culture and Folk Arts, Landscape and Nature, Two Destination Tours
- Activity Level: Regular itinerary, Moderate walking
- Tour Customizable: Absolutely! (Tell us your specific requirements in the inquiry form)
- Special Experiences:
- Marvel at the terraced rice paddy fields in the mountain region, where Yao ethnic People live on their unique farming lifestyle
- Visity Bai Minority Village, and be amazed by the elegant costumes and the passion and purity centralized culture
- Go to the Lijiang Ancient Town to see how minority played a role in the ancient Chinese Empire.
Day-by-Day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive/Kunming
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Accommodations: Kunming Hotel 
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.
Day 2 Kunming (B,L)
Accommodations: Kunming Hotel
Sites visited: Stone Forest
Today, you will have a city tour to the Stone Forest which is about 90km to the south of Kunming.
Day 3 Kunming/Dali (B,L)
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
Accommodations: Asia Star hotel Dali
Sites visited: Dali, Erhai Lake, Xizhou Bai Minority Village, Three Pagodas, Dali Ancient Town
After breakfast, take the morning flight to Dali. Upon your arrival, be met and transferred to the city by our local guide. The visit today in this lovely city includes cruise on Erhai, Xizhou Bai Minority Village, Three Pagodas and the Dali Ancient Town.
The splendid Three Pagodas is the symbol of the history of Dali city.
The Bai ethnic folk houses give the Dali ancient Town a distinctive feel.
Day 4 Dalin/Lijiang (B,L)
Accommodations: Wang fu Hotel
Sites visited: Lijiang Ancient Town, Lion Hill, Zhoucheng Village
On this day you will be driven to the city of Lijiang without your tour guide (about 3 hours drive with your personal driver only). Along the way, you will stop by the Zhou Village and see their unique process of tie-dying cloth. After arriving in Lijiang, you will be met by your local guide who will escort you to the Lijiang Ancient Town and the Lion Hill located inside the ancient town.
Day 5 Lijiang (B,L)
Accommodations: Wang fu Hotel
Sites visited: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baisha Mural Paintings, Black Dragon Pool Park, Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture
Today, you will have a 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.
Appreciate Naxi minority women's wonderful performance in the amazing Lijiang ancient town.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain offers visitors the amzaing view of glaciers.
Day 6 Lijiang/Kunming (B,L)
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
Accommodations: Kunming Hotel
Sites visited: West Hill and Dragon Gate, The flower market
After breakfast, be transferred to the airport and take the morning flight back to Kunming.Upon arriving in Kunming, your tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. After a short rest, you will be taken to the Flower Market, followed by a trip to the West Hill and Dragon Gate.
Day 7 Kunming/Guilin (B)
Transfer via: China domestic flight arranged by us
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival at Guilin, the most scenic city in China, our local guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free at your own leisure.
Day 8 Guilin/Longsheng (B,L)
Accommodations: Guilin Park Hotel
Sites visited: Longji, Zhuang People, Yao People
Today's excursion will bring you to Longsheng Autonomous County,drive back to Guilin after the tour (about 2-hour drive). 90kms northwest to Guilin, the County lives many different ethnic minority groups such as Zhuang, Yao, Miao and Dong etc. In recent years, this county has gradually become a popular destination for photography enthusiasts and people who are interested in minority culture. On this tour you will not only enjoy the wonderful view of terraced rice paddies--the most famous section is called "Longji" lush bamboo groves and small villages on the hillside along the way, but also be amazed by the rich culture of the Zhuang and Yao people. Drive back to Guilin.
The amazing Longji terraced rice field in Guangxi,Lonhsheng country.
You could see many beautiful Yao ethnic minority women in Longji Terraced Rice Field.
Day 9 Guilin/Yangshuo (B,L)
Accommodations: New Century Hotel
Sites visited: Li River Cruise, Yangshuo County
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.
Day 10 Guilin/Departure (B)
Transfer via: International Flight on your own arrangement
Sites visited: Elephant Trunk Hill, Fubo Hill, Reed Flute Cave
Today, drive back to Guilin (1.5-hour drive) and have a city tour of the Elephant Trunk Hill, the Fubo Hill and the Reed Flute Cave before your transfer to the airport for your flight to your next destination.
Boating on the extremely crystal clear Li River.
Elephant Trunk Hill is the symbol of Guilin city.
Price & Included Features
- China domestic flights as specified in the itinerary
- Accommodations: for 1 night at three star hotels, 8 nights at four star hotels in comfortable twin-bedded rooms with a private bath, air-conditioning, television, telephone and minibar.
- 16 meals: 9 full breakfasts, 7 lunches and 0 dinners
- Round-trip transfers between airports, hotels, and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned vehicles with experienced licensed drivers
- A local English-speaking guide in each city
- Entrance fees to all 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
Accommodation
Founded in May 1956, Kunming Hotel started business in October 1958. The European style architecture of the Hotel looked so serene that it was a very eye-catching building in Kunming in the mid-twentieth century.In 1982, the main building was constructed. The futuristic design of the towering building is still attractive. It was redecorated in 1992. With its well-appointed equipment and first-rate service, Kunming Hotel became the first four-star hotel in Yunnan. Detail
The hotel has 300 deluxe rooms with mountain and Lake View, 10 luxury suites. The Asia star has the following facilities: more than 300 tastefully furnished double or single bedrooms with in-suite bathrooms, standard or deluxe suites and rooms for the handicapped. All our rooms have a view of ERHAI Lake and CHANGSHAN Mountain. Detail
Lijiang Wangfu Hotel is a charming and unique four star hotel in Lijiang.The hotel has 2 floors and 92 guest rooms. Complete with small courtyards, gates, and waterside pavilions, the peaceful surroundings resemble a traditional Chinese landscape painting.
Guilin Park Hotel is a four-star international hotel. Conveniently situated between Lake Guihu and Mount Laoren in the city center. The hotel commands some of the most picturesque views in Guilin and contrasts finely with the famous Duxiu peak, Diecai Hill and Fubo Hill. Lying on the slight mountain slope, surrounded by green trees and fresh flowers, the building combines modern arts with a rich national flavour. Detail
Hotel in Yangshuo just nearby the west street. You could walk to the west street in 10 minutes and wander along the east-western style street. For entertainment, there is a bar, coffee shop, gymnasium, beauty salon and so on. Detail
Meals
Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.
Breakfast - Each breakfast will be served in your hotel. Breakfast selections include both Chinese and Western dishes to meet every diner's taste.
Lunch - Lunches are normally arranged at the Chinese restaurants near the scenic spots. Your tour guides will order food according to your appetite. Most are Chinese dishes, and some are modified to fit westerners' tastes. A complimentary glass of beer or soft drink is served with lunch.
Dinner - Same as lunch. If you prefer to not eat Chinese food, China Odyssey Tours suggests you have dinner on your own. Your local tour guide can recommend some good western restaurants in the area.
Transfer and Transport Service
China Odyssey Tours has received wide recognition for its transfer service. With our on-time service, you will never feel alone while traveling through China. We work hard to live up to the slogan's promise "You are not alone in China".
With our private small group tours, you can feel safe in the knowledge that you will enjoy flexible tour arrangements and you will have your own tour guide, car and driver in each destination, exclusive to your own group of friends or family.
