Minority tour in Kunming, Dali and Lijiang
Tour Description
Day 1: Kuming Arrival
You will be picked up at Kunming airport and transferred to the hotel. Free at leisure.You can explore the city, visit the landmark of Kunming-the Golden Horse and Phoenix Archway and take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings.
Day 2: Kunming - Jinghong (B, L)
Drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. There is a local saying: 'It is a waste of time not to visit the Stone Forest while visiting Kunming', which vividly expresses the deep love of the local people toward this world wonder. The quintessential karst landscape makes every tourist lost in wonder. After this, take late afternoon flight to Jinghong (which means 'the City of Dawn' in the Dai language), the capital city of Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture.
Day 3: Jinghong (B, L)
In this morning, we'll travel by road to Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden and take a stop at the Olive Plain (ganlan ba). On the way back, we'll take a visit to Dais' Garden and join in the water-splashing game if possible
Day 4: Jinghong - Dali (B, L)
We'll drive around 50 KM to visit the Wild Elephant Valley (yexiang gu) in the morning. To the Dai people, the elephant is the symbol of good luck, might and longevity. The native Chinese elephant lives in the equatorial forest of Xishuangbanna. When the wild elephants appear, we can walk about on the overhead corridor and watch the elephants bathing, playing water games and looking for food. We'll take a flight to Dali after returning to Jinghong in the afternoon. Upon arrival, be met and transfered to hotel
Day 5: Dali (B, L)
We'll travel in the Erhai Lake by boat and visit Jinsuo Island. After landing, we will head for Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style architecture, taste their fragrant three-course tea and explore their distinctive culture. And then, we will visit the Three-pagoda in Chongsheng temple, which is a typical historical symbol of Yunnan. It is also one of the oldest sublime architecture in South China. At last, we will visit the Old Dali Town, which is located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain.
Day 6: Dali - Lijiang (B, L)
In the morning, we'll embark on a scenic drive with Mt. Cangshan on one side and the Erhai Lake on the other, driving to Lijiang ('Beautiful River', a name given by Kublai Khan in 1254.) We'll head for the scenic Black Dragon Pool to explore the rich Naxi minority culture. And then, we'll visit the Wangu Pavilion where we can enjoy a bird's eye view of the Old Lijiang Town. After dinner, we will attend the concert of the ancient Naxi music in the evening(optional choice).
Day 7: Lijiang (B, L)
We'll visit Ganhaizi Meadow, Baishui River, Maoniu Meadow (Yak Meadow) in the Yulong Snow Mountain. In the afternoon, we'll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village, and we'll drive to visit Yufeng Lamasery. And then, we'll visit the Former Residence of Joseph Rock, famous botanist and expert on Naxi culture. At last, we'll head for Huangshan Village where traditional Naxi people inhabit and we'll take our dinner of local flavor at a Naxi home there.
Day 8: Lijiang (B)
We'll take a morning flight returning to Kunming. We'll spend some time exploring the bustling Flower and Bird Market before our farewell.
Attractions Visited in This Tour
