12 Days Sichuan-Yunnan Photograph Tour with Daocheng Yading and Lugu Lake
Tour Overview
Brief Itinerary: Day 1 Chengdu to Daocheng Yading Day 2 Daocheng Yading (B) Day 3 Daocheng Yading (B) Day 4 Daocheng Yading-Luya Road-Lugu Lake (250KM) Day 5 Lugu Lake...
Code of Tour: YET0000059461
Length of Travel: 12 Day
Destinations of Tour: Chengdu-Daocheng-Yading-Lugu Lake-Lijiang-Kunming-Shilin-Dongchuan-Kunming
Departure City: Chengdu
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour:
Features of Tour: Photograph tours
Brief Itinerary:
Day 1 Chengdu to Daocheng Yading
Day 2 Daocheng Yading (B)
Day 3 Daocheng Yading (B)
Day 4 Daocheng Yading-Luya Road-Lugu Lake (250KM)
Day 5 Lugu Lake
Day 6 Lugu Lake-Lijiang
Day 7 Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain-Lijiang
Day 8 Lijiang -Tiger Leaping Gorge -Lijiang
Day 9 Lijiang-Kunming-Shilin (Stone Forest)
Day 10 Shilin (Stone Forest)-Dongchuan
Day 11 Dongchuan-Kunming
Day 12 Departure from Kunming
Day 1 Chengdu to Daocheng Yading
Fly from Chengdu to Daocheng Yading – Benbo Monastery – Poplar Forest
Today, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then escort you to Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport to catch the flight to Daocheng Yading, which needs only 1 hour. After your arrival, you will be welcomed by your local guide and driver at the arrival hall of Daocheng Yading Airport (4,411m).
You will be escorted to visit Benbo Monastery (3,940m) first to have a close look at the striking claret-red Kagyu Buddhist temple cluster of over 900 years old, learn the interesting story of its establishment and the creator, and feel the sincere Buddhist pursuit and persistence of local Lamas. Next, go to Bang River to appreciate the ten thousand acre of poplar forest (3,740m) from the best location. The wide spread of poplar trees are so charming in pure green in spring and summer and orange and golden in autumn under the frequent azure sky in Daocheng. You will also admire painting-like landscape at Sangdui Red Grassland with October fiery red grass in water against the typical Tibetan village houses on your way from Benbo Monastery to the poplar forest.
After the visiting, your guide and driver will send to your hotel at Shangri-La Town (2,950m) and help you check in. Have a good rest for the following hiking experience!
Tips: Since the altitude of Daocheng Yading area is mainly over 3,000 meters, you are highly suggested not do strenuous exercise to release or avoid altitude sickness.
Day 2 Daocheng Yading (B)
Yading Nature Reserve (Luorong Pasture – Milk Lake – Five Color Lake)
After an early breakfast, start your exploration of Daocheng Yading Nature Reserve, the Last Pure Land on Earth first found by Joseph Rock in 1928 and then be widely treated as the “Soul of Shangri-La” with extremely dreaming wonderland.
Take the sightseeing bus from the tourist center to Zhaguanbeng for about 1-1.5 hours and enjoy the 2-2.5 hours’ hike to Luorong Pasture (4,150m) via Chonggu Monastery (3,900m) (you can also choose to walk 20 minute to Chonggu Monastery and take the 0.5 hour battery car to Luorong Pasture if you want to save energy). Enjoy your relaxing roam at the idyllic pasture with those carefree grazing cattle and goats, layers of multicolored dense alpine forest, clear winding stream, etc. backed by the three holy snow mountains, namely Xiannairi (Mount Chianrezig), Yangmaiyong (Mount Jambeyang) and Xianuoduoji (Mount Chanadorje). You will appreciate the most beautiful appearance of Xianuoduoji snow mountain like a powerful man!
Next, take the challenging 5 km’s hike for 3-3.5 hours up to the fabulous Milk Lake (4,600m) (horse riding is available to Milk Lake and needs extra payment) and marvel at the unbelievable charm of such a holy lake like a precious blue gem that even can move one to drop tears. Continue to walk another 0.5 hour to visit Five Color Lake (4,500m) 0.3 km away to savor the impressive sightseeing with beautiful snow rock mountain in white, grey, silver and chocolate, blue and green water, various alpine plantations, clear sky backdrop, etc. particularly like an world-class oil painting.
After the visiting, walk down and take the car and bus back to the entrance. And our guide and driver will send you back to your hotel at Shangri-La Town. Have a good rest!
Day 3 Daocheng Yading (B)
Yading Nature Reserve (Chonggu Monastery – Chonggu Meadow – Pearl Lake)
Today after breakfast, go to Chonggu Monastery as the same way on Day 2 by sightseeing bus and hike. Have a stop at the temple to admire the sacred Gelug Buddhist temple architecture in white, red, yellow and black and learn the interesting story about the temple and Joseph Rock’s stop by. From such unbeatable location, you will easily take the excellent photo of the brilliant temple and the three pure white holy snow mountains. After some short walk, embrace the lovely Chonggu Meadow (4,020m) that can be paralleled with the fairyland on earth. Stroll on the vast grassland like a thick and soft carpet in yellow and green in each season. Play along the particularly appealing transparent chanting river with clearly visible little stones like countless grains of gold sank to the bottom. Do not miss the best angle to admire the Xianuoduoji snow mountain like a powerful man.
Then, continue to hike for 30 minutes to visit Pearl Lake (4,120m) that is super fascinating to admire the picturesque landscape of surrounding snow peaks, green and orange dense forest, iridescent prayer flags, and their dazzling reflection in the shimmering clear lake. Also, it is the best location to admire the holy Xiannairi snow mountain.
After the visiting, our guide and driver will send you to your hotel in Daocheng County (3,700m) and help you check in. Have a good rest!
Day 4 Daocheng Yading-Luya Road-Lugu Lake (250KM)
Tour Route:Riwa(日瓦)-Geka Town(各卡乡)-Eya Town(俄牙乡)-Yiji Town(依吉乡)-Wujiao Town(屋脚乡)-Qiansuo Town(前所乡)-Lugu Lake(泸沽湖)
After breakfast, drive to Lugu Lake from Riwa Town. This is a remote road for photographers. Drive via Geka Town(各卡乡), Eya Town(俄牙乡), Iron Bridg (钢架桥), Yiji Town(依吉乡), Wujiao Town(屋脚乡),Qiansuo Town(前所乡), and arrive in Lugu Lake(泸沽湖) in the late afternoon.
Luya Road is welknown as the “Sky Road”, listed as the 7th 4 WD driving road in China, it starts from Lugu Lake Town in Yanyuan County, and finishs in Yading Nature Reserve, it go through Daocheng, Muli and Yanyuan counties of Ganze and Liangshan prefectures. You can see lake, ponds, temples, valleys, grasslands, original forests on the way. Driving along the zigzag road, you will arrive in Lugu Lake in the late afternoon.
Day 5 Lugu Lake
After breakfast, you will take a canoe to sail leisurely on the tranquil lake, appreciate the mirror-like lake view and enjoy the whisper of the soft breeze and visit one of the three magical islands of Lugu Lake – Liwubi Island. Go shore excursion to Liwubi Island and explore a lama monastery of yellow sect.
After that, you will enjoy some quiet time to walk along the Luguhu Lake by yourself. Enjoy the sunset wonder of Lugu Lake in Luoshui Village. Later, transfer to Lige Village embraced by water on three sides. In this evening, enjoy Mosuo Bonfire Party with ethnic singing and dancing performance. You will take part in singing and dancing with Mosuo boys and girls around a big bonfire in the outdoor square.
Arrival Ideas: Luguhu Airport has direct flights connecting Lugu Lake with Kunming and Chengdu that you can get to Lugu Lake by air. Please tell your likes to your travel consultant and they will adjust the itinerary for you.
Day 6 Lugu Lake-Lijiang
In the morning, get up early to enjoy beautiful sunrise over Lugu Lake. After breakfast, you’ll first drive to visit Zhamei Monastery. Built in Ming Dynasty (1368 – 1644), it is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery for Yunnan Mosuo people and Pumi group. You can enjoy the 12-meter-tall Maitreya Buddha, exquisite murals and splendid color-engravings.
Then, continue your memorable trip by visiting around Lugu Lake – appreciating the famous Sweetheart Trees in Nisai Village, exploring the last tribe of Mosuo with only 24 households in Little Luoshui Village. Transfer to visit a Mosuo family to know better about Mosuo people’s matriarchal system, visiting marriage customs, festivals, religion, costumes and daily life. Later, drive to visit Mosuo Museum, the only museum in China to present Mosuo people’s history, culture and folk customs.
After the tour, be driven back to Lijiang.
As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lijiang Ancient Town’s history dates back to over 800 years ago. Besides its unique architecture and local ethnic culture, it is also known for its orderly arrangement of bridges and waterways. Walk along the winding cobbled paths – it is said that you won’t get lost as long as you follow the water.
Then pay a visit to Black Dragon Pool Park, where the view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is one the most famous postcard-perfect sceneries in southwest China. Stay overnight in Lijiang Ancient Town.
Day 7 Lijiang Jade Dragon Snow Mountain-Lijiang
This morning, you will drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, take the sightseeing bus for a short visit through the Baishuihe River, then take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cable way will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike in the Glacier Park (4506 meters) around 1 hour.
You’ll be transferred out of Lijiang Old Town to Yuhu Village which is located at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Walking into this authentic Naxi Village, you’ll see unique stone houses, Naxi ladies dressing in traditional clothes, kids playing, a tranquil Yuhu Lake…explore leisurely around the village and then get to the Former Residence of Joseph Rock, who was an Austrian-American Botanist came to Lijiang and stayed in Yuhu Village for 27 years and made huge research work on Naxi minority.
Stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Naxi style old town. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is a part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.
Day 8 Lijiang -Tiger Leaping Gorge -Lijiang
Sightseeing and Activities: First Bend on the Yangtze River, the Iron Chain Bridge, the Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument, Tiger Leaping Gorge
From Lijiang, you’ll drive about 60km to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, visit the Iron Chain Bridge, the Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument in the Shigu town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks.
Continue to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge(Shangri-la section), the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river.
After the tour , drive back to your hotel in Lijiang.
Day 9 Lijiang-Kunming-Shilin (Stone Forest)
Take the high speed train from Lijiang to Kunming, arrive in Kunming, meet your local guide and driver, transfer to visit The stone Forest which is 86 km from Kunming City and requires 1.5-hours driving. 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.
In the late afternoon, visit a Yi minority village named Sibeihou Village (寺背后村), which is 12 km away from the Stone Forest. Then transfer back to your hotel at Kunming downtown. Service ends.
Day 10 Shilin (Stone Forest)-Dongchuan
Sightseeing and Activities:Dongchuan Red Soil, Huagou village, Ancient Dragon Tree, the sunset view of Luoxiagou Valley
Pick up from your hotel in Kunming ,drive to Dongchuan Red Land area within about 3.5 hours (180km). After your lunch on the way, when you get to Red Land area, visit Huagou village where many photographers gathered to seize the beauty of the red land, then visit the Ancient Dragon Tree, it is the place for local people to sacrifice. Afterwards, you will pass Luoxiagou Valley and enjoy spectacular views onto the villages and farmlands surrounded by red land. The sunset atmosphere in the evening turns the splendid views to an even more remarkable event, offering almost endless opportunities to photography enthusiasts. Afterwards we enjoy a typical local dinner and stay overnight in Dongchuan.
Day 11 Dongchuan-Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities:The sunrise view of Dongchuan Red Soil
Get up early when the sun is rising over Dongchuan Red Land in the morning.Enjoy the sunrise (if weather allows) at Damakan; then the colorful Qicai Po, Luosi Wan, Waliang Houses and Jinxiuyuan;View from distance, the hills and fields appear in all kinds of red colors. You will watch local peasants doing their farm work. Going ahead along the road to Yuepu Ao , then, you will get to Wangfang Liangzi. It is supposed that the small village is well-known for locating on the hill of the mountain. After the tour, drive back to your hotel in Kunming.
After the tour, be transferred to Kunming and visit the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown. You will be free to walk around The Green Lake by your own in the late afternoon.
Day 12 Departure from Kunming
Transfer to Kunming Airport for returning.
Service ends.
