46 Days Yunnan Panorama Photography Tour with 25 Ethnic Minorities Discovery and Three Parallel Rivers Hiking Adventure

Day 1 Arrive in Kunming

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

Pick you up at Kunming airport. Meet your local guide and driver. Transfer to hotel.

Day 2 Kunming-Chuxiong-Dali

Sightseeing and Activities:Kunming-Chuxiong-Dali
Accommodation:Dali
Meals:B,L

In the morning, drive to Chuxiong and visit Yiren Ancient Town, Chuxiong Museum and enjoy the Yi ethnic life with local people. Then drive to Dali. Visit Dali Old 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.

Day 3 Dali

Sightseeing and Activities:Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery, Erhai Lake, Xizhou Town, Zhoucheng Village.
Accommodation:Dali
Meals:B,L

Take the morning flight to Dali which is a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. You visit the 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.

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. In 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.

After that, you will head for 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 Bai people’s Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.

Day 4 Dali-Weishan-Dali

Sightseeing and Activities:Weishan Old Town, Donglianhua Village
Accommodation:Dali
Meals:B,L

After breakfast, you’ll be driven to visit Weishan Old Town. Weishan old town was the cradle of Nanzhao kingdom(a kindom established by Yi Minority), the history can be traced back to 7th centuary. Its a very nice old town and not touristic. It was a important town on the ancient tea and horse road. You will also enjoy the traditional Bai people’s building design. 

Then visit Donglianhua Village in Weishan County.These villages were founded by Muslim soldiers from Central Asia sent to Yunnan by the first emperor of China’s Mongol dynasty of the Yuan(1271-1368). During the Ming and Qing dynasties, they became involved in trade as caravan leaders on the Tea and Horse Road (茶马古道). The courtyards and mansions of village of Donglianhua (东莲花) shows how successful these Chinese Muslims traders were.

Drive back to Dali for overnight.

Day 5 Dali-Shaxi-Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Shaxi Old Town, Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation:Lijiang
Meals:B,L

Drive from Dali to Shaxi Old Town. Walk around this town. Explore the ancient culture and architectures. The remains of an ancient market town and once an active trade stop on the Southern Silk Road that connected Tibet and China with Southeast Asia and on to Europe. This road is actually older than the more famous Silk Road (in the North), predating it by at least 300 years. Shaxi has been listed by the World Monuments Fund as one of the world’s 100 most endangered sites.

In the afternoon, explore Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Old 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 6 Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Ganhaizi Meadow, Baishuihe River, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, ‘Impression Lijiang Ethnic Show’, Baisha Old Town, Baisha Murals
Accommodation:Lijiang
Meals:B,L

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around 1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).

After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijiang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses.

In the afternoon, you’ll stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan town. Visit the Baisha Murals about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

Day 7 Lijiang-Lugu Lake

Sightseeing and Activities:Holy Lugu Lake, Liwubi Island, Mosuo Culture Museum, Mosuo Bonfire Party.
Accommodation:Lugu Lake
Meals:B,L

In the morning, drive 4-5 hrs on the spectacle mountain road to visit the mysterious Lugu Lake. On the way, enjoy the beautiful view among the huge mountains and rivers. We plan to start your walking from Jin’anqiao Bridge to Shudi along the road at the bank of Yangtze River. You will see the beautiful canon and Yi ethnic people’s villages in the steep mountains. After 1 hour walking in the canon, we will continue the driving and we can stop in many Yi villages.

In the late afternoon, you will take the canoes to visit Liwubi Island and Heiwawu Island in Lugu Lake. Pay a visit toMosuo Culture Museum and learn the Mosuo ethnic custom in the museum. Enjoy the sunset wonder of Luguhu Lake in Luoshui Village. In the evening, take part in Mosuo Bonfire Party with ethnic dance and singing performance.You will dance and sing with Mosuo boys and girls around a big bonfire in the outdoors theatre.

Day 8 Lugu Lake-Baoshan Stone Village

Sightseeing and Activities:Labo Township, Baoshan Stone Town
Accommodation:Baoshan Stone Town
Meals:B,L

Drive 3.5 hours to Labo Township(拉伯乡). Then have an 1 hour boat trip to Baoshan Stone Town. On the way, enjoy the valley landscape around Jinsha River. This tour will be impressive and amazing. After arriving at Baoshan Stone Village, walk aroung this village and then have your leisure time with local people. Tonight, enjoy home stay with ethnic people. 

Day 9 Baoshan Stone Village-Daju-Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge-Bendiwan

Sightseeing and Activities:Tina’ Guest House, Middle Tiger Leaping Gorge-Bendiwan
Accommodation:Halfway Guesthouse
Meals:B,L

Drive from Baoshan Stone Village to Daju Township. Take a ferryboat across a river. Then drive to Tina’s Guesthoue in Tiger Leaping Gorge area. You will start your hiking from here. Hike about 1.5 hours to Halfway Guesthouse for overnight. Relax yourself and enoy the beautiful secenery of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. 

Day 10 Bendiwan Village-Nuoyu Village-Qiaotou-Shangrila

Sightseeing and Activities:28 Zigzag Bends, Zhong Nuoyu Village, Naxi Family Gusthouse, Dukezong Ancient Town.
Accommodation:Shangrila
Meals:B,L

Hike from Halfway Guesthouse to Nuoyu Village. On the way, you will pass through a waterfall. You will start the most difficult part trekking to the 28 Zigzag Bends trail and reach the top peak at the elevation of 2670m. Arrive at Nuoyu Village and have lunch at Naxi Family Guesthouse. Hike to Qiaotou Primary School to finish your trekking today. 

Drive to Shangri-la in the late afternoon. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.

Day 11 Shangrila

Sightseeing and Activities:Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, Pudacuo Nsational Park.
Accommodation:Lijiang
Meals:B,L

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. Pudacuo National Park 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, but more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.
Walk down to visit Xiaojiezi Tibetan Village located at the foot of Songzanlin Monastery.

Day 12 Shangrila-Benzilan-Feilaisi

Sightseeing and Activities:Baima Snow Mountain, Dongzhulin Monastery, First Bend of Jinsha River
Accommodation:Feilaisi
Meals:B,L

In the morning, drive 4 to 5 hours to Deqin County (3400m altitude) which is 187km away from Zhongdian via Baima Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, where you will be able to view Baima Snow Mountain if the weather is clear, pass the top part of today at 4292m altitude at 156km. 
 
After traversing mountain ranges, you will make a short stop and have lunch at Benzilan town, take some shots on the Moon Bend of Jinsha(Yangtze) River, Dongzhulin monastery and Baima Snow Mountain. The view along the way is fantastic with different kinds of trees, streams down the valley, prayer flags and stupas, and Tibetan villages.

Stay at Feilaisi.

Day 13 Feilaisi-Mingyong Glacier-Xidang

Sightseeing and Activities:sunrise of Meili Snow Mountain, Mingyong Glaciers, Taizi Monastery.
Accommodation: Xiding
Meals:B,L

Get up early in the morning, enjoy the magic sunrise of Meili Snow Mountain. Then drive another 1.5 hours to Mingyong village, where you will walk on the trails for about 4km to Mingyong Glaciers of Meili Snow Mountain, walk another one or so, you will get to Tibetan Taizi Monastery-another good spot to view the magnificent Mingyong Glaciers. (optional: You can choose to hire a horse to go up to the glacier on your own expense in order to save your energy).

Drive to Xidang for overnight.

Day 14 Xidang-Yubeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Xidang Village, Hike to Yunbeng Village
Accommodation:Upper Yubeng Village
Meals:B,L

Early in the morning , you could enjoy the golden mountain ,on top of which the sunrise touches its snow capped peak. weather permitting. After breakfast, drive along Mekong River to reach trail head. You will get off the car at Xidang Village, then hike up to and over a mountain pass to Yubeng, with picnic lunch (5-7 hours, with several steep sections). Arrive in Upper Yubeng village; dinner in a traditional Tibetan living room, overnight in Yubeng. Today you will need a horse to carry your luggage. Stay overnight in local guest house.

Day 15 Yubeng-Ice Lake-Yubeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Hile to visit Binghu Ice Lake, Mt. Kawagebo Glacier
Accommodation:Upper Yubeng Village
Meals:B,L

Enjoy the sunrise of the Mt. Kawagebo glacier from the guesthouse, then walk up to Binghu Ice Lake of the Meili Snow Mountain. Walk through the original forest from Yubeng Village, you will see some horses and yaks, as well as some wild animals if you are lucky enough. A beautiful river originate from the Glacier Park, walk along the river with some wooden bridges and spruce trees, you will have a wonderful view of Mt. Kawagebo Glacier. At last, arrive at the Ice Lake which is located at the foot of the glacier. Trek back to Upper Yubeng . Stay overnight in local guest house.

Day 16 Yubeng-Holy Waterfall-Yubeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Yubeng-Holy Waterfall-Yubeng
Accommodation:Upper Yubeng
Meals:B,L

If the weather is good, we will wake up to a clear view of the Mt.Kawagebo glacier. After breakfast we will hike to the Holy Waterfall (7km, 2-3 hours), from which Yubeng’s name originated. Buddhists coming to this area on pilgrimages circumamnbulate the waterfall 13 times with the belief. Then walk back to Upper Yubeng. Stay overnight in local guest house.  

Day 17 Yubeng-Ninong Valley-Cizhong

Sightseeing and Activities:Yubeng Hiking, Ninong Village
Accommodation:Cizhong
Meals:B,L

This morning, you need a horse to carry your luggage. Walk along the least traveled path of Yubeng, from Yubeng Village to Ninong Village. After lunch, drive to Cizhong for overnight. On the way to Cizhong, you will see grand canyon and idyllic secenry.Stop to view at a distance.

Stay overnight in Cizhong.

Day 18 Cizhong-Gongshan-Bingzhongluo

Sightseeing and Activities:Cizhong-Gongshan-Bingzhongluo
Accommodation:Bingzhongluo
Meals:B,L

Drive along the newly built road from Cizhong to Gongshan County,the road is bumpy but the scenery is so fantestic because the view of Mekong River and Nujiang River grand cayons as well as the Biluo Snow Mountain. Arrive in Gongshan County and continue the driving along Nujiang Valley to Bingzhongluo. Stop to visit the First Bend of Nujiang River on the way to Bingzhongluo.

Biluo Snow Mountain is located at Lanping churchyard which I continuous 145KM. There are 15 snow mountains, which stand 4000 meter above sea level. The Laowo Mountain is the most beautiful a highest mountain than the others, which is 4500 meters above sea level. It is 3200 meters higher compared with the Lantsang. The original ecosystem has been preserved. The climate changes unconventionally in the mountain. The flowing waterfall is densely6 covered, edelweiss and lakes are gathered, and it is called the mountain with thousand waterfalls and thousand lakes.

Day 19 Bingzhongluo

Sightseeing and Activities:Bingzhongluo Hiking
Accommodation:Bingzhongluo
Meals:B,L

You will have a beautiful hiking tour in Bingzhongluo including the attractions of Qiunatong Village,Wuli Village,Dimaluo Village,Chongding Catholic Church and Nujiang River Grand Canyon.

There are easy and beautiful walks to nearby villages along the Nujiang. A few kilometers outside of town, the river widens and cuts through very deep and dramatic gorges. The road hugs the Nujiang and landslides occur from time to time along the way. It is said that the scenery is especially spectacular after rain, however this also increases potential delays and exacerbates the danger from landslides.

The most beautiful part of Nujiang Gorge starts from Binzhongluo, the northernmost town of the Gorge, where the essential attractions of the Nujiang Gorge are located.  Hiking is the best way to enjoy the landscape and an average of 2.5 hours is needed for most tourists to reach the famous “Tea Horse Caravan Route.” Renting a mini bus at Bingzhongluo town is an alternative for the less adventurous sightseers.

On the way to the “Tea-Horse Caravan Route”, one can see the 100-year-old Zhongding Catholic Church built and founded by a French missionary. Shimen Pass is another fantastic section of the gorge along with Wengli (also called Wuli), another stunning landscape lying on a beautiful slope along the river bank. Very near to the Wengli, a carved path is seen on the other bank cliff, the so-called “Tea-Horse Caravan Route”, a path used by traders ferrying their goods between Yunnan and Tibet.  At the end of the trekking road, an old hanging bridge and a new one-year-old bridge swing side-by-side.

To those wanderlusts, some trekking routes are worthy of spending days or even weeks longer between Gongshan and Bingzhongluo. Getting 90km further west to the Drung River from Gongshan reveal beautiful virgin forests as well as the kind-hearted Drung ethnic people living their old way of life.

Day 20 Bingzhongluo-Gongshan-Dulongjiang

Sightseeing and Activities:Bingzhongluo-Gongshan-Dulongjiang
Accommodation:Dulongjiang
Meals:B,L

It is 3 hours driving today with the rough road in the virgin forest. Nu ethnic minority lives mainly in Yunnan Province’s Bijiang, Fugong, Gongshan and Lanping counties, which comprise the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture. Others are found in Weixi County in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The Nu people are mainly engaged in agriculture, but also hunt and gather wild plants. Their main crops include corn, buckwheat, barley, potatoes and beans. Some Nu people support themselves through cottage industries such as weaving, wine brewing, iron forging, etc.

Visit Bukawa Village and enjoy the fantastic scenery of Dulongjiang Valley in the afternoon.

Day 21 Dulongjiang River Valley Hiking

Sightseeing and Activities:Dulongjiang River Valley Hiking
Accommodation:Dulongjiang
Meals:B,L

Drive about 30 kilometers southward to Maku Village. Get into Maku Village and start a fantastic trekking trip to Dulongjiang River Region. You will see the Haba Waterfall from Maku Pass and then trek along the virgin forest down to Qinlangdang Village. Arrive in Qinlangdang Village in the afternoon and trek about 1 kilometer to arrive at Haba Waterfall, here is the only way to Myanmar from Dulongjiang River.

Drive back to Kongdang.

Note: There are lots of leeches in the virgin forest in summer, so you should take some medicine to keep them away.

Day 22 Dulongjiang River Valley Hiking

Sightseeing and Activities:Dulongjiang River Valley Hiking
Accommodation:Dulongjiang
Meals:B,L

Drive about 30 km to Longyuan Village, visit the original villages as well as the old tattoo women, if you want to take photos for them, you have to give the tips. Come back to Kongdang.

Day 23 Dulongjiang-Gongshan-Liuku

Sightseeing and Activities:Dulongjiang-Gongshan-Liuku
Accommodation:Liuku
Meals:B,L

Leave for Gongshan and drive 110 km through the fascinating mountain areas to Fugong. Sightseeing includes a visit to a suspension bridge and a glide cable. Special Lishu food will be served during dinner. In the evening you will take part in a party with the local people. 
 
Return to Liuku. Enjoy your last day at Nujiang Grand Canyon and visit Laomudeng Village and the bathhouse of Lishu minority. It is a tradition to welcome new year that all people take a bath together in the open hot springs by the banks of the river. 

Overnight in Liuku.

Day 24 Liuku-Tengchong

Sightseeing and Activities:Liuku-Tengchong
Accommodation:Tengchong
Meals:B,L

Enjoy your last day at Nujiang Grand canyon and visit Laomudeng Village and the bathhouse of Lishu Nationality. It is a tradition to welcome new year that all people take a bath together in the open hot springs by the banks of the river. 

Drive to Tengchong County, visit Nujiang River Bridge in Lujiang Basin, drive along the Gaoli Gongshan Mountain and arrive in Tengchong at noon. After lunch, you will visit Heshun Ancient Town including the Museum of Yunnan-Burmese Anti-Japanese War,Heshun Library, the Archway, Dragon Pool,the Wanlouzi Museum of Native Residence, Wenchang Daoist Palace, Clothes-washing Pavilions,Yuanlong Daoist Pavilion,the Philosopher Ai Siqi’s Former Residence, Guanyin Ancient Spruce Trees an so on.You will enjoy the Lisu Ethnic Show and Lisu Family visiting in Jade Spring Garden at night. You can dance and sing with Lisu ethnic people as well have some snacks.

–“Heshun” means peace and harmony. You could walk leisurely around the historical old town, built in earlier days by overseas Chinese as a location for their retirement. The remaining old town is a very beautiful place with many ornamental structures such as pavilions, memorial halls, archways, and balustrades, and also with lotus ponds and outlands with many birds. The library in this town is worth mentioning-set up in 1924, it possesses over 60,000 volumes of books, many of which are rare editions of ancient works.

Day 25 Tengchong

Sightseeing and Activities:Tengchong
Accommodation:Tengchong
Meals:B,L

Visit Laifeng Mountain National Forest Park in the early morning, climb up to the half  mountain, pay a visit to Laifeng Temple bult in Tang dynasty; Climb to the top of the mountain, visit Wenbi Pagoda and the panoramic view of Dianyue Town of Tengchong County.

Visit the Graveyard of the National Heroes, and Dieshuihe Waterfall Park  in the town, then drive to Beihai Wetland Park, you will take a small boat to the lake for a nice view. After lunch, drive back to Tengchong, and visit Rehai hot spring Park.. You will have an option to enjoy the hot spring in the park.

–Tengchong is one of China’s three major geothermal areas, known as “Land Abounding in Geothermal Resources”. There are plenty of springs of hot water and hot vapour, called “Hot Sea”. There are quite a number of hot fields as well. Tengchong is a resort where people can travel, take a bath and have medical treatment. The Hot Sea, with an area of 9 square kilometers, lies 20 kilometers away southwest of the county seat and in the center of the geothermal area.

Day 26 Tengchong-Yingjiang-Ruili

Sightseeing and Activities:Tengchong-Yingjiang-Ruili
Accommodation:Ruili
Meals:B,L

In the morning drive 1 Km to visit the Dieshuihe Waterfall, 1 Km to visit the Graveyard of the National Heroes. Sightseeing at the Pagoda wrapped inside tree, then drive to Ruili, on the way, visit Wanding, the smallest city in China, which is also a border with Burma. Also stop at the One Single Tree Forest, which is a very big banyan looks like a forest.

Day 27 Ruili-Mangshi

Sightseeing and Activities:Ruili-Mangshi
Accommodation:Manghsi
Meals:B,L

Visit a waterfall in the forest which is not far away from Burma, then visit a Dai village and a Jingpo village. After dinner, visit the prosperous Night Market which is really an attraction of Ruili, you will meet many businessmen from Burma, Laos, Thailand, India, Pakistan and Nepal. Many travelers come to this market to buy jade products.

Day 28 Mangshi-Yongde

Sightseeing and Activities:Mangshi-Yongde
Accommodation:Yongde
Meals:B,L

Enjoy your free morning in Mangshi. After lunch, drive to Yongde for overnight. On the way to Yongde, visit some ethnic villages. 

Day 29 Yongde-Zhenkang-Cangyuan

Sightseeing and Activities:Yongde-Zhenkang-Cangyuan
Accommodation:Cangyuan
Meals:B,L

Drive 2 hours to visit the Nangun River Nature Reserve which is for the protection of wild elephants. (The Nangun river is the border between China and Burma), then continue drive along the border road to Zhengkang county. On the way, visit several ethnic villages.

Day 30 Cangyuan

Sightseeing and Activities:Cangyuan
Accommodation:Wengding Wa Ethnic Village
Meals:B,L

Drive to visit Menglai Grand Canyon. Menglai Grand Canyon is also called Thousand-Meter Gallery , situated at the middle part of the scenic spot. The rock paintings in the area is about 3KM. The cliff is about 80-180 meters high and the highest one is about 280 meters. Some of the cliff surface is ragged like a honeycomb, and some are flat and smooth as if cut by the axe, while some are just like the terraced fields. Due to the erosion of some special materials and the decoration of the climbing plants, the surface the cliff becomes colorful just like a giant rock paintings reflecting the vicissitudes of the nature.

Visit Cangyuan Cliff Painting. The cliff paintings of Cangyuan is said to take on different colors as the time, weather and humidity change. According to the proverb of the local Wa and Thai people that the cliff painting changes three times a day: in the morning the color is red, at noon lighter and in the evening purple. Nowadays the paintings have already been designated as the key historical relic protection unit at the provincial level.

Drive to visit Mengka Dai Ethnic Village. 

Stay overnight at Wengding Wa Ethnic Village.

Day 31 Cangyuan-Shuangjiang-Ximeng

Sightseeing and Activities:Cangyuan-Shuangjiang-Ximeng
Accommodation:Ximeng
Meals:B,L

Walk to visit Wending Wa Ethnic Village this morining. Then drive to Ximeng. If you are lucky enough, you could see the sea of clouds. Visit Dragon Pool, a picturesque lake with around 38 sq. meters, combined with wetland, lotus pond, queer rocks, charming mountains, pretty temples, charming pavilions

Day 32 Ximeng-Lancang-Jingmai

Sightseeing and Activities:Ximeng-Lancang-Jingmai
Accommodation:Jingmai
Meals:B,L

Tour to the Jingmai-Mangjing Ten-thousand-mu Millenary Ancient Tea Plantation, the most famous and biggest Puer Tea Plantation in the world.Visit the Wengji Village of Bulang Minority, Nuo Gan Water Village.

Day 33 Jingmai-Menghai-Jinghong

Sightseeing and Activities:Jingmai-Menghai-Jinghong
Accommodation:Jinghong
Meals:B,L

Drive to Menghai. Pay visit to Menghai Tea Factory. The factory is well known for its old raw pu-erh cakes and is highly reputed in the tea industry of China. Further transfer into the old Aini village near Nannuoshan, visit Aini people’s market selling pu’er tea, local vegetables, fruits and hand-made crafts.Then 20 minutes driving to the Aini vellage where we start to walk or start walk up from the foot of the mountain. 2 hours walking on a jungle path to see the old Pu er tea tree plantation in forest and a huge bush tea plantation. All the tea trees are between 300 and 800 years old. At noon, drink local tea and have packed lunch at a place with nice view.

Drive to visit a Dai ethnic village where the local people make paper for wrappering Pu’er Tea with a priminal method. 

Transfer to Jinghong City for overnight.

Day 34 Jinghong

Sightseeing and Activities:Jinghong
Accommodation:Jinghong
Meals:B,L

Today , drive to Ganlanba, visit Galanba (Olive Dam) with an elevation of 530 meters above the sea level, a small town where you will see typical Dai bamboo cabins, Dai ethnic villages, Mangting Park, tropical plants and colorful fruits.

Then drive to visit Xishuangbanna Primeval Forest Park. Xishuangbanna Primeval Forest Park, also called Xishuangbanna Virgin Forest Park,  is 8 kilometers east of the Jinghong City and north of the Lancang River. Situated in a river valley of 720 to 1,355 meters above sea level, the forest park has an area of 1,700 hectares of which 98％ is covered by trees, and is thus the largest comprehensive ecological place of interest in the prefecture.

Afterwards, visit Dry Dai ethnic village.

Day 35 Jinghong-Menglun-Mengla

Sightseeing and Activities:Jinghong-Menglun-Mengla
Accommodation:Mengla
Meals:B,L

In the morning, drive to visit Jinuo Mountain.Visit Jinuo People, who uniquely belongs to this region, is the last ethnic nationality classified by Chinese Government in 1979. See the ancient tea plantations around Jinuo village, which used to be one of Six Great Tea Mountains reputed as the cradles of famous Pu’er Tea, try Wrap-charcoaled Tea and Salad Tea Jinuo people prepare in their traditional way. 

Drive to Mengla County. Visit Menglun Botanical- Menglun tropical botanical garden is the largest tropical botanical garden in China. It was established in 1959 by Chinese famous botanists including Prof. Cai Xitao, who devoted all his life to related scientific research with remarkable achievements. The garden boasts more than 4000 species of tropical plants covering an area of 900 hectares, quite a few of which are rare elsewhere, forming a colorful botanical landscape.

Day 36 Mengla-Jiangcheng-Lvchun

Sightseeing and Activities:Mengla-Jiangcheng-Luchun
Accommodation:Lvchun
Meals:B,L

Drive from Mengla to Lvchun. On the way, you have some stops to visit ethnic villages and enjoy tropical scenery.

Day 37 Lvchun-Yuanyang

Sightseeing and Activities:Luchun-Yuanyang
Accommodation:Yuanyang
Meals:B,L

This morning, visit rice terraces in Lvchun. Then drive to YuanyanYou have time to tour around Xinjiezhen to trek along Longshuba Rice Terrace and see kinds of Mushroom-shaped Houses. Stay overnight in Yuanyang.

Longshuba Rice Terrace: Located 5 km from Xinjiezhen(Yuanyang Old Town), Longshuba Rice Terrace is only accessible by foot in around 40 minutes, which is the solo scenic spot comparing with other terraces. After you arrive there, you will be surprised by the unique red duckweed and colorful rice terraces.

Mushroom-shaped Houses: Where there are Hani people, there is Mushroom-shaped House. Inspire by the Mushroom, the Hani people built their houses. Nowadays, numbers of mushroom houses spread in Hani Villages, making a wonderful landscape with peaks, sea of clouds and diverse rice terraces.

Day 38 Yuanyang

Sightseeing and Activities:Yuanyang
Accommodation:Yuanyang
Meals:B,L

You have whole day to view the Yuanyang Rice Terraces, including Duoyishu Rice Terrace, Bada Rice Terrace and Laohuzui (Tiger Mouth) Rice Terrace which are the best scenes to sightseeing and photograph-shooting. Visit local ethnic market. Stay overnight in Yuanyang.

Day 39 Yuanyang-Jianshui

Sightseeing and Activities:Yuanyang-Jianshui
Accommodation:Jianshui
Meals:B,L

Drive to Jianshui (4-5hrs ). Visit Shuanglong Birdge and Tuanshan Village as well as the Garden of Family Zhang in Tuanshan Village. Tuanshan Village is a rare surviving example of an intact-albeit neglected-traditional walled Yunnan village compound in southwestern China, and has been added to the 2005 list of internationally significant sites by the World Memorial Fund for Architecture (WMF), an international fund for the protection of world heritage sites. Later , you’ll visit the Jianshui Old City and the Chaoyang Gateway Tower, which was built in Ming Dynasty (1389). It is also known as ‘Miniature Tian’an men’ because the out shape of it is similar to Tian’anmen Square in Beijing. Visit the Confucius Temple, which has a history of 700 years. It is the second largest Confucius Temple in China. Then visit Zhu Family Garden.

Day 40 Jianshui-Yanshan-Babao

Sightseeing and Activities:Jianshui-Yanshan-Babao
Accommodation:Babao
Meals:B,L

Drive from Jianshui to Babao. On the way, have a stop at Yanshan County to have your lunch. When you enter Babao, visit Sanla Waterfall. Stay overnight at Babao.

Day 41 Babao-Guangnan-Bamei

Sightseeing and Activities:Babao-Guangnan-Bamei
Accommodation:Bamei
Meals:B,L

This morning, drive to Guangnan County, then take a boat to Bamei village by passing through the caves. After landing, visit Bamei village and theBig Banyan Tree, enjoy the peaceful life of Zhuang ethnic people.  

Day 42 Bamei-Guangnan-Puzhehei

Sightseeing and Activities:Bamei-Guangnan-Puzhehei
Accommodation:Puzhehei
Meals:B,L

This morning, walk around in Bamei village and visit Bamei River. Take the boat to get out of the village from another cave. Then  drive to Puzheihei.

Day 43 Puzhehei

Sightseeing and Activities:Puzhehei
Accommodation:Puzhehei
Meals:B,L

In the morning, take a small boat to visit the Karst landscape and rurality and lakes.  If you come to Puzhehei on June, July and August, you will see large scale of lotus flowers on the lake. Then disembark at the Qinglongshan wharf and climb Qinglong Mountain to see the panorama of Puzhehei. After that, walk to visit the Torch Cave and Kwan-yin Cave. 

Then visit the “Swan Lake”. 

Day 44 Puzhehei-Luoping

Sightseeing and Activities:Puzhehei-Luoping
Accommodation:Luoping
Meals:B,L

Drive to Luoping. Visit Luositian (Snail Farms). The fields here are of smaller scale. The flowers are grown in circular rings following the contours of the slopes and the fields look like the rings of a snail’s shell. Then visit Jinjiling in time for sunrise photography. Jinjifeng(Golden Rooster Hill), the most famous spot for photographing rapeseed flowers. It offers an excellent and expansive view of the fields and hills. Lingyi Temple, located in the middle of the hill, offers a perfect platform for photographing the fields and sunset. 

Day 45 Luoping-Shilin-Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities:Luoping-Shilin-Kunming
Accommodation:Kunming
Meals:B,L

Our tour guide pick up you from your hotel lobby, then you’ll be driven 1.5 hrs 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’. 

Drive back to Kunming.

Day 46 Departure from Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities:Departure from Kunming
Accommodation:
Meals:B,L

Departure from Kunming. Service ends.