8 Days Best Yunnan Muslim Tour to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri La

Day 1 Arrive in Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities: Arrive in Kunming
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Lunch

Upon arrival at the Kunming airport/train station, your local tour guide and driver will meet you in the arrival hall and escort you to your hotel. You’ll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating land from the capital city, Kunming.

Day 2 Kunming-Stone Forest-Dali by Speed Train

Sightseeing and Activities: the Stone Forest, Nancheng Mosque, Flowers and Birds Market
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

After breakfast, drive 86 km to the renowned Stone Forest, the “First Wonder of the World.” You’ll marvel at its natural stone masterpieces and be bewitched by the intricate formations. The Stone Forest is located in Shilin Yi Autonomous County, about 120 kilometers from Kunming, requiring a three-hour drive. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots.

After the tour, drive back to Kunming and visit the Nancheng Mosque and the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown area.

Take the speed train from Kunming to Dali, where your local guide and driver will meet you and escort you to the hotel.

Day 3 Dali

Sightseeing and Activities: The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, Erhai Lake cruise, Dali Old Town
Accommodation: Dali
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

In the morning, head to Xizhou Town to fully appreciate the Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea, and explore their distinctive culture. This little village is known as “a living art museum” due to its unusual concentration of nationally protected heritage sites, mostly including architecture from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) to the establishment of New China in 1949, as well as centuries-old trees, parks, and wildlife preserves.

After Xizhou, visit Zhoucheng Village , the largest Bai ethnic village in China, and the Bai Ethnic Tie-Dyeing Cloth Workshop, where you can purchase special souvenirs in the Bai ethnic style. The tie-dyeing products from Zhoucheng Village are highly sought after, both domestically and internationally. Drop by and witness this historical craftsmanship firsthand—who knows, you may return home with some beautifully crafted cloths.

After lunch, take a cruise on Erhai Lake by small boat to Jinsuo Islet in the eastern part of the lake. Approximately 200 Bai ethnic families, about 1,000 people, live on Jinsuo Island. During the Erhai Lake cruise, you’ll enjoy views of the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a distance, as well as spot many birds and seagulls flying over the lake.

Afterwards, visit Dali Old Town. Dali Old Town dates back to 1382 during the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) and has been one of China’s top historical cities since 1982. With Erhai Lake to the east and Cangshan Mountain to the west, its grand city walls, traditional Bai ethnic folk houses, and marvelous scenery have attracted many visitors. The tour of Dali Old Town will include the Foreigner Street, the Gate Towers, and the Ancient City Wall.

Day 4 Dali-Weishan-Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities: Donglianhua Village, Donglianhua Mosque, Weibaoshan Mountain, Weishan Old Town
Accommodation: Dali
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

After breakfast, drive about one hour to Weishan Yi and Hui Autonomous County. VisitEast Lotus Village(Donglianhua Village) before arriving in Weishan Old Town. Donglianhua Village has a rich ethnic diversity and strong Muslim customs. The most prominent landmark is the Donglianhua Mosque, a major attraction in the village. This large-scale mosque, built in a unique folk style, is a great destination for admirers of Muslim architecture and culture. Next, drive to Weibaoshan Mountain, one of China’s 14 famous Daoist holy mountains.

Return to Weishan Old Town, where you will visit the Big and Small Temples along the way. Explore the Weishan Ancient Town in the afternoon. Built over 600 years ago, the town has many ancient buildings. The magnificent Gongchen Building is a symbol of the ancient town.

Afterward, drive back to Dali.

Day 5 Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities: Ganhaizi, Spruce Meadow, Baishui River, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression Lijiang Show, Baisha Old Town, Baisha Murals
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

After lunch, enjoy the Impression Lijiang Show, a spectacular outdoor performance set against the backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, directed by the famous Zhang Yimou. The show is a magnificent outdoor singing and dancing performance demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the local ethnic groups. It’s staged innovatively at an altitude of 3,100 meters with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as the breathtaking backdrop.

Stroll through Baisha Old Town, an enchanting traditional Naxi-style old town. Visit the Baisha Murals, which are around 600 years old and part of the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site since 1997.

Day 6 Lijiang-Tiger Leaping Gorge-Shangri-la

Sightseeing and Activities: the First Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Songzanlin Monastery
Accommodation: Shagri-la
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

From Lijiang, drive about 60 km to the First Bend of the Yangtze River , offering stunning gorge scenery.

Visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called Jinsha in this area, as gold can be found in the river. In the afternoon, head for Shangri-La, formerly known as Zhongdian, which is famous as a paradise destination for travelers.

Upon arrival in Shangri-La, you’ll enter a Tibetan cultural area surrounded by barley fields and yaks scattered across the valleys. Visit the Ganden Songzanling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, also known as the “Little Potala Palace,” as it is built in the traditional Tibetan style with a mysterious atmosphere.

Day 7 Shangri-la

Sightseeing and Activities: Napa Lake, Hamugu Village, Baiji Monastery, Dukezong Old Town, Daguishan Monastery, Giant Prayer Wheel
Accommodation: Shangri-la
Meals: Breakfast and lunch

In the morning, drive to visit Napa Lake, hike around Hamugu Village(哈木谷村). Transfer back to Shangri-la for lunch. The lake spans roughly 23 square kilometers, or about 2300 hectares, during the height of the runoff season (besides the direct runoff from the surrounding mountains into the lake, there are a dozen or so rivers that empty into the lake after snaking their way through the grasslands), shrinks to about 1/5 of its size (500 hectares) during late fall, though changing global climatic conditions may eventually reduce this figure even more, or increase it, depending on the direction of the change.

In the afternoon, you will have a hike to Baiji Monastery(白鸡寺), enjoy the panoramic view of Dukezong Old Town and Shika Snow Mountain from a far.

Hike down back to Dukezong Old Town, pay a visit Guishan Hill Park including the Daguishan Monastery and the Giant Prayer Wheel on the top of Guishan Hill.

Dukezong Ancient Town is an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. The Square Street in the old town, the center of the old town, is the main tour area gathering a maze of cobbled lanes, white stupas, renovated tourist shops, café, bars, etc. Further away from the square street, the narrow winding lanes will give you a quieter shelter and unveil you more authentic local touch with the unrestored structures and real local life.

Day 8 Departure from Shangri-la

Sightseeing and Activities: Departure from Shangri-la
Accommodation: Shangri-la
Meals: Breakfast

Depart from Shangri-la. Service ends.

Take the speed train (5 hours) back to Kunming to catch your flight back home.