Welcome to Kunming! After landing at the airport, you will find your professional guide waiting for you at the exit. Then a comfortable drive will take you to a well-selected downtown hotel. On the way, the guide will give you a brief introduction to the whole itinerary of the following days.

After you check into the hotel and have a short break, we will first go visit Jingxing Flowers and Birds Market to immerse into local life and traditional Chinese culture. It’s not the usual kind of market the name implies, as you can also find many stalls of tie-dye ethnic costumes, paper cuttings and hand embroideries. Then move to the Green Lake Park to enjoy the cozy atmosphere of this year-round Spring City. In particular, every year from November to March, thousands of black-headed gulls fly to the Green Lake, which adds infinite attraction to the lake. If your visit falls in these months, you will have a chance to appreciate and even feed the gulls.

► Dinner Suggestion:
As an old Chinese saying goes, “There are countless beautiful sceneries in the world, among which Yunnan enjoys the most beautiful.” And except for the scenery, the local food is also highly regarded. As Yunnan cuisine combines culinary traditions of various ethnic groups, it stands out the most for its ethnic features among all Chinese cuisines. Just give it a shot at Cui Hu Yin Xiang Yunnan Cai, literally translated as “Green Lake Impression Yunnan Cuisine”, a restaurant located right by the west gate of the Green Lake Park and serving specialties from all over Yunnan. A meal costs about CNY 60 / USD 8 each person. We recommend you taste its nutritious Steam Pot Chicken, which ranks No.1 on the list of classic Yunnan dishes. It is special in that it is cooked with a particular type of clay steamer produced locally, which cannot be found elsewhere. It’s interesting to know that during US president Nixon's visit to China, he tried this famous Yunnan dish at the state banquet and he spoke highly of it!

A visit to Kunming is never complete without touring the Stone Forest, honored as “the greatest natural wonder in the world”. After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at the hotel and escort you to explore this spectacular karst landscape. While wandering around this natural maze, you will encounter towering rocks in shapes of sharp swords, pagodas, animals, mythological figures and more. If you happened to have ever watched the TV series (1986 version) adapted from Journey to the West, one of the Four Great Classic Novels of Chinese Literature, you will find this place familiar as it was one of the filming locations, and now you can still see the scene decorations here.

After that, continue our trip to the Yuantong Temple, the largest 1,200-year-old Buddhist temple in Kunming. Then move to Kunming Old Street, the only ancient street preserved intact in this historic and cultural city, to appreciate the distinctive residential buildings of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and the Republican Period (1912-1949). In the end, your guide will escort you back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

After breakfast, your guide will see you off at the railway station for a 2-hour bullet train ride to Dali. Upon arrival, meet your local Dali guide at the railway station, and then a comfortable drive will take you to the hotel in Dali Ancient Town to check in. Located at the foot of Cangshan Mountains and by the side of Erhai Lake, Dali Ancient Town is famous for its long history, traditional Bai ethnic architecture, vibrant atmosphere and breathtaking surrounding views.

Then your guide will lead you to the city's landmark, the Three Pagodas, which were built during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). The central Qianxun Pagoda is an architectural marvel. It not only is one of the tallest of its kind in China’s history, but offers a glimpse into Tang-era Buddhist architecture with its square brick structure. After that, let’s meander along the ecological corridor of the Erhai Lake. The beautiful lake creates wonderful photo opportunities with its clear water, seagulls in huge flocks hovering above and green mountains as backdrops. There are also several romantic cycling routes along the Erhai Lake. If you are interested, please let your guide or your tour consultant know in advance. The rental fee will be on your own and your guide will be glad to offer assistance. After the visit, you will be transferred back to the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

Today, continue our Yunnan tour with a 3-hour drive to Lijiang. En route, we will have a 30 minutes' stop at a morning market in Xizhou, where you will learn from the locals to make a snack bread called Xizhou Baba. Knead the fine wheat flour and other ingredients such as diced meat and chopped green onions (or sometimes only brown sugar) into a well-layered dough, tear them into pieces, then rub with lard and bake them in a pan over charcoal fire, and you will get crispy and delicious Xizhou Baba. After that, we will go sightseeing to the Yan's Compound, a magnificent mansion of the Bai ethnic minority.

Upon arrival in Lijiang, we will spend the rest of the day wandering around the Lijiang Old Town. There, traditional Naxi courtyard houses line up in an orderly fashion along the flagstone-paved paths and peaceful water lanes. A symphony of bridges, blooming flowers, and verdant plants paints the town’s landscape, offering a visual feast from any perspective. At the end of the day, your guide will escort you to check into the hotel.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast

When it comes to Lijiang, one has to mention the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the most sacred place in local Naxi people's mind. This morning, you will be escorted to unveil its mystery. Enjoy a full view of the snow mountain at the meadow of Ganhaizi. Then, take a ropeway uphill to the Spruce Plateau where the snow mountain brings out its best to visitors. You may be surprised to know that no one has ever made it to the summit on foot so far, and it’s true it’s made impossible for the harsh nature - for the changeable weather, precipitous slopes up to 70 or 80 degrees, incompact rocks eroded by perennial strong winds and snow, and the fact that no one ever succeeded to carve a path above the altitude of 4,680 meters (15,354 feet).

In the afternoon, we will continue to the Baisha Village where you will admire the renowned Baisha Murals. The murals are a part of Lijiang Murals and one of the Four Great Murals Groups in China. They enjoy an equal reputation with those in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes, and are also regarded as a great treasure of Chinese mural art. These breathtaking artworks are strewed in every corner of the deep alleys in the town, some in temples, in residential houses, and on stone walls. With exquisite images rich in connotations, they tell ancient stories and show local history and culture to the world. Next, we’ll visit a local Naxi family, for you to know more about their daily life by chatting with an elderly Dongba (local language for wise man who serves as a religious clergy for the Naxi people), learning to write their unique characters, and enjoying their refreshments. In the end, we will drive you back to the hotel in Lijiang.

 

Meals: Western buffet breakfast