10 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Dongchuan Red Land Photography
Tour Overview
Have you ever heard about Dongchuan Red Land? The fantastic soil which colored by red is an amazing scene for people who love to take photos about the marvelous...
Code of Tour: YET0000000152
Length of Travel: 10 Day
Destinations of Tour: Kunming-Dongchuan-Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangrila
Departure City: Kunming
Price of Tour: Request
Type of Tour:
Features of Tour: Nature Culture Minorities Landscape
Have you ever heard about Dongchuan Red Land? The fantastic soil which colored by red is an amazing scene for people who love to take photos about the marvelous things in the world. Different like many other scenery in China, Dongchuan is more like a palette held by the hand of nature. This tour combines the 8 days Yunnan classic tour with Dongchuan red Land, which is an absolutely amazing itinerary.
Highlights:
- Visit the highlights of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La.
- Discover the ethnic culture of Yis, Bais, Naxis and Tibetan.
- Enjoy the scenery of God’s Palette – Donchuan Red Land.
Brief Itinerary
- Day 1: Kunming Arrival
- Day 2: Kunming – Dongchuan
- Day 3: Dongchuan – Kunming
- Day 4: Kunming – Stone Forest – Kunming
- Day 5: Kunming – Dali
- Day 6: Dali – Lijiang
- Day 7: Lijiang
- Day 8: Lijiang – Shangri-La
- Day 9: Shangri-La
- Day 10: Shangri-La Departure
Google Map
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Kunming Arrival
Sightseeing and Activities:Airport pick up
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals:
Upon arrival at the Kunming airport/train station, the 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 province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming.
Day 2 Kunming -Dongchuan Red Land
Sightseeing and Activities:Music Hollow, Luoxianggou Valley
Accommodation: Dongchuan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
At 8:30 am you will be picked up and drive to Dongchuan Red Land (3-3.5hrs ) which is a new rising tourist destination near Kunming, loved by photographers and backpackers, and praised as “God’s palette”. These red lands, extending for nearly 50 kilometers (30 miles), are the most striking and distinctive in the world. Arrive at Dongchuang, make the tour of Music Hollow(Yuepuao) which is near ‘Flower Stone’ (Huashitou 花石头 /hwaa-shrr-toe/) village, known as “the best place for photography”. Get some sunset and sunset glow photos in Wafang Liangzi, or catch the sunset glow in ‘Music Hollow’ after the sunset.
And enjoy the sunset of the beautiful red land of Luoxianggou Valley. Surrounded by mountains, Luoxiagou looks like a sunken depression from a distance. Traditional local villages adorn the colorful fields. A great place for photography blockbusters that you should not miss, a telephoto lens is recommended to shoot villages in the distance. Photographers should arrive at Luoxiagou around 4:30 pm. Late afternoon is the best time.
Day 3 Dongchuan Red Land – Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities:Damakan, Qicaipo Villiage, Jinxiuyuan
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Early in the morning, enjoy the Sunrise of Damakan, a large spread of red fields are in the arms of continuous mountains at the skyline. Due to its local topographical advantage, Damakan is the best site to see a sunrise. In order to get a favorable position for perfect pictures, travelers should get up at 5:00. Leave the hotel at 5:30 and arrive at Damakan within 30 minutes.
Continue to visit Seven-Color Slope(Qicaipo) Near ‘Embroidery Garden’. ‘Seven-Color Slope’ gets its name from seven fields with seven different colors (when the right crops are planted and growing). However, usually travelers are not lucky enough to see the seven colors, so we don’t suggest visiting it.
Later move to visit Jinxiuyuan that has a vast expanse of many rolling hills with red fields. A great location for shots of the colorful fields, a traditional village and some trees also offer a vivid countryside picture.
After lunch, drive back to Kunming (3-3.5hrs ) in the late afternoon.
Day 4 Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities:The Stone Forest, The Green Lake Park, The Flower and Birds Market
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
At 9:00 am , our tour guide pick up you from your hotel lobby, and 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. You feel like come into a ‘stone world’.
Afterwards, transfer back to Kunming downtown and stroll in the most picturesque park in Kunming urban area – the Green Lake Park, a charming area of tea houses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. Here you can share the happiness of local people’s doing Tai chi, performing local opera, and other vibrant activities. If you visit the park in November or December, you will see the grandeur of huge flocks of red-beaked seagulls that migrate there from Siberia. Then stroll in the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown.
After tour , transfer back to your hotel.
Day 5 Kunming -Dali by Flight
Sightseeing and Activities:Three pagodas in Chongsheng temple, Erhai lake, Dali Old town
Accommodation: Dali
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Take the morning flight to Dali, a historically and culturally famous city of China, which is renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. After lunch, you’ll cruise in Erhai Lake by the small boat to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island. During Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.
Then go to visit Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake. Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle.
At last, you will visit the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. After climbing up to the City Wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.
–Erhai Lake is the largest highland lake next to Dianchi and one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China. It means, ‘sea shaped like an ear’, in Chinese. Implying that the lake is ear shaped and as large as a sea,.
Day 6 Dali – Lijiang
Sightseeing and Activities:Xizhou Old Town, Zhoucheng Village, Black Dragon Pond, Dongbu Culture Museum, Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, visit the Xizhou Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture. Visit Zhoucheng Village and the Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.
Then drive to Lijiang (180km), meeting with your guide and move to visit Black Dragon Pond (Located at the foot of the Xiangshan Mountain (Elephant Hill) north of the city of Lijiang. As the water here is a lucid green color, it gained another name Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park). There are many distinctive and ravishing sites in the park. Hiding in the lush trees or standing along the liquid pool is the antique and exquisite architectural pieces, which are in the style of Naxi. Visit Dongbu Culture Museum nearby.
Finally explore Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Ancient Town has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.
Day 7 Lijiang
Sightseeing and Activities:Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Baisha Murals, Baisha Old Town
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, you will drive about 30KM to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. upon arrival, you will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Spruce Meadow (3200m ) of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around 1 hour in the original forest in Yak Meadow(3700M).
And go to transfer to Baisha Old Town in the late afternoon. Pay a visit to Baisha Murals.
Day 8 Lijiang-Shangri-La
Sightseeing and Activities:The First Bend of Yangze River, Shigu Old Town, The Stone Drum,Tiger Leaping Gorge
Accommodation: Shangri-La
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
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 Old 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.
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.
Afternoon, you’ll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is well known as the paradise destination for every tourist. Check in your hotel after arrival.
Day 9 Shangri-La
Sightseeing and Activities:Songzanlin monastery, Pudcuo national park, Dukezong Old Town
Accommodation: Shangri-La
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias – ‘the little Potala Palace ‘, so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere. And afterwards you’ll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park which is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China’s land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.
Visit Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town in the late afternoon, climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town.
Day 10 Departure from Shangri-La
Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Shangri-La
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast
Free at leisure before be transferred to Shangri-La airport for the departure flight.
Recommended Hotels
| City | 5 Star | 4 Star | 3 Star | Hostel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kunming | Crown Plaza Kunming City Centre | Wenhui Hotel | Baiyun Hotel | T&T Story Hotel |
| Dongchuan | / | Shanju Hotel | Spring And Autumn Hotel | / |
| Dali | Hilton Dali Resort And Spa | Landscape Hotel | Gnosis Hotel | Dali Fengxue Gucheng |
| Lijiang | InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort | Wangfu Hotel | Louwailou Hotel | Baisha Holiday Resort |
| Shangrila | Hylandia Shangrila | Zhaxidele Hotel | Shenqu Hotel | Wu Fu South Yunnan Boutique Inn |
Service Included:
1.Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
2.Meals as listed in the itinerary;
3.Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
4.Private English-speaking tour guide and vehicle for transfers & sightseeing;
5.Service charge & government taxes;
6. Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
7. Two bottles of mineral water each day;
Service Excluded:
1.Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
2.Chinese visa fees;
3.Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
4.Single room supplement;
5.Tips to guides and drivers;
6.Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff.
7.Personal travel accident insurance;
8.All optional programs;
9.Domestic air tickets fares with airport tax and fuel extra fee based on economy class mentioned in the program.
