5 Days Kunming City Tour With Jiaozi Snow Mountain and Dongchuan Red Land

For this tour, we will take you to visit famous attractions in Kunming City, such as the Stone Forest, the Dongchuan Red Land and Jiaozi Snow Mountain. This is a leisure tour, because you will not need to be in a hurry from one attraction to another.  You will have enough time to fully experience your journey. As a photographer, Dongchuan Red Land must be a good choice to spend your time shooting there. 

Highlights

  • Visit the Stone Forest, the Dongchuan Red Land and the Jiaozi Snow Mountain.
  • Discover Yi ethnic culture and the local culture.
  • Enjoy the charming sceneries and take some wonderful pictures.

Breif Itinerary

  • Day 1 Arrive in Kunming
  • Day 2 Kunming
  • Day 3 Kunming-Dongchuan
  • Day 4 Dongchuan-Jiaozi Snow Mountain
  • Day 5 Jiaozi Snow Mountain-Kunming

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities:Arrive in Kunming
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: None

The Green Lake Park(Cuihu Park) in Kunming

You’ll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming. Upon arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.

You will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If time permits, you will have a Kunming city tour. 

Day 2 Kunmingc

Sightseeing and Activities:the Stone Forest, Jiuxiang Cave
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Large Stone Forest in Shilin County, Kunming

After breakfast, you’ll be driven 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, visit Qixing Village of Sani Ethnic People, to admire their colorful minority costumes and exotic tradition cultures. You’ll have a nice chance to listen to the touching love story of Ashima told by local old people. The Sani minority people are one group of the branches of the Yi. The Sani Minority Villages around the Stone Forest cluster many small Yi ethnic villages.

After lunch, drive back to visit Jiuxiang Cave. At last, drive back to Kunming and transfer to the hotel.

Day 3 Kunming-Dongchuan

Sightseeing and Activities:Dongchuan Red Land
Accommodation: Dongchuan
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

2 Days Yunnan Photography Tour in Dongchuan Red Land

After breakfast in hotel, drive to Dongchuan Red Land(150 km 4 hours on national highway), arrive at Dongchuan Red Land in the afternoon, after a short rest, then go to take photos at Damakan hill, JingxiuYuan Hill and so on, there are about 6 to 7 spots around.

Dongchuan, a rural place in the Wumeng Mountainous area, about 180km north of Kunming, becomes very famous among Chinese photographers for its  red soil. In the mid 1990s, the first Chinese photographers came to discover the Wumeng’s scenery. The first came and scooped award-winning photos, but kept their location a closely guarded secret. But slowly the details leaked and now more and more photographers are making their arduous trip into the arid mountains. The brilliant red soil, the yellow buckwheats and the dramatic skies make the region around Dongchuan a paradise for photographers.

After lunch, it is time for another shoot as the light turns warmer and brings out the best in Dongchuan’s colors. All over the hills the photographers wander in search of an undiscovered view.

But at sunset, everybody gathers at 110, another nameless spot along the road. Among all the shooting spots, Luoxia Gou is the ultimate shot. The sunset at Red Soil is spectacular. Stay over night at guesthouse (best available).

Day 4 Dongchuan-Jiaozi Snow Mountain

Sightseeing and Activities:The Sunrise View of Damakan, Dongchuan Red Land, Jiaozi Snow Mountain
Accommodation: Jiaozi Snow Mountain
Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Enjoy the sunrise of Dongchuan Red Landin the morning. If you are interested in the farming, you will join in the farming with local people in the red land. Transfer to Jiaozi Snow Mountain via Tangdian and Zhuanlong Towns.

Stay in Jiaozi Mountain Resort for overnight.

Day 5 Jiaozi Snow Mountain-Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities: Kunming
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast

In the morning, you will transfer back to Kunming. Explore Kunming in the after noon by your own. Service ends.

Recommended Hotels

Destination 5 Star 4 Star 3 Star Hostels
Kunming Crown Plaza Kunming City Centre Wenhui Hotel Baiyun Hotel T&T Story Hotel
Jiaozi Snow Mountain  / Jiaozi Mountain Resort / Local Hostel
Dongchuan / Shanju Hotel Spring&Autumn Hotel Local Hostel

Service Included:

  • Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
  • Private English-speaking tour guide;
  • Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
  • Service charge & government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airports and hotels.

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs.

Travel Tips:

About the meals by Yunnan Exploration Travel

We Yunnan Adventure Travel will do our best to provide our clients with well-arranged dinners when traveling. We do hope you can enjoy Chinese delicacies during the tour.

If you have any specific dietary requirements (vegetarian, vegan, food allergies) please inform us on the inquiry form so that we can provide advance notice about any special accommodations that may be necessary for you. If you are a food lover, Yunnan Adventure can be your culinary guide and provide you the opportunity to savor tempting local food and world-famous dishes.

Most meals are included as specified in the itinerary. Meal codes are: B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner.

Breakfast – Each breakfast will be served in your hotel. Breakfast selections include both Chinese and Western dishes to meet every diner’s taste.

Lunch – Lunches are normally arranged at the Chinese restaurants near the scenic spots. Your tour guides will order food according to your appetite. Most are Chinese dishes, and some are modified to fit westerners’ tastes. A complimentary glass of beer or soft drink is served with lunch.

Dinner – Same as lunch. If you prefer to not eat Chinese food, China Odyssey Tours suggests you have dinner on your own. Your local tour guide can recommend some good western restaurants in the area.

Some Question and Answers about Meals in China:

1.Are the meals shown in the itinerary pre-arranged or could we make our own orders when we sit down at the table?

Answer: To guarantee the hygiene and quality, most of the meals are pre-arranged in the government approved restaurants, which are all set-menu meals. You can not make your own orders at this point. We also arrange a la carte meals in some restaurants, which have been inspected by the management of our company. If you have special requirements for meals, please inform us before the tour starts so we can make relevant arrangements.

2.What kind of meals will be available on tour?

Answer: All breakfasts are served at your hotel with western style buffet including fruits, cold and hot cereals, Chinese dim sum etc. Lunch and dinner are usually Chinese food. Each lunch and dinner will be offered with two cups of soft drink free of charge.

3.Do you provide vegetarian (including no chicken or seafood) meals?

Answer: Yes, we do provide vegetarian meals if required. We always respect the clients’ dietetic habits and try our best to cater to their needs. But we would like to explain that if you are not on a private tour, you will have to share the vegetarian dishes with other members of the group.

4.Do we share large tables with other people?

Answer: If you are on a private tour, you will have your own table, but if you join in a group tour you will have to share a large table with other members of your group.

5.Can I arrange my own meals rather than the pre-arranged restaurants in the tours?

Answer: Yes, you can but we do not suggest you do so.

Firstly the restaurants we arrange are all approved by the national tourism administration or local tourism bureau and therefore are reliable in terms of hygiene and quality. Secondly, we arrange good restaurants located the closest to the place you will visit, that is to say, we will save time spent in transit and allow you the maximum time to enjoy your sightseeing as well as your meal. If you prefer to find a restaurant yourselves, you might not be able to find a reliable one with good quality because you are not familiar with local area. You might also sacrifice valuable eating and sightseeing time searching for a restaurant.

6.What are the suggestions for dinners that are not included in the program?

Answer: Besides some unique meals, like roast duck, we leave almost all dinners to discover for yourselves. You do not need to worry, however, about where or what to have for dinner. In each city, there are good things to eat and you only need to ask for suggestions from your local guide. Please always remember to choose a restaurant respected for its hygiene and quality.

China is a country of good food and there are eight main cuisines. Make sure to try some of these typical dishes when you have time.

7.Can you give us an idea of how much Chinese Yuan we will need for meals during our tour? Do they accept credit cards?

Answer: The meal price depends on the grade of the restaurant you choose and the dishes you order. Credit cards are only accepted in large hotels. In most of the restaurants in China, Chinese Yuan is more popular. In order to avoid embarrassment, we advise you to ask whether credit card is accepted before making an order.

Our food and menu in Yunnan

We do arrange the featured Chinese food and local Yunnan food  as well as the local ethnic food and snack. Please click the Yunnan Restaurant and Food to get the menu.