YUNNAN AND SICHUAN DISCOVERY TOUR
16 days | Kunming, Shilin, Yuanyang, Jianshui, Dali, Shaxi, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Chengdu, Leshan, Emeishan, and Dujiangyan
Tour Highlights:
- The most beautiful places in northern Yunnan and local minority people
- Peaceful villages are still little known by tourists
- Pandas and the Great Buddha of Sichuan
- Small, charming hotels and a night in local Naxi family in Yunnan
- Local specialties: Yunnan Cross bridge rice noodles and Sichuan Hot Pot
DAY 1: FLIGHT TO KUNMING 1900 m alt.
- Flight to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, located in southwestern China.
- Upon arrival in Kunming, you’re met at the airport by your private driver, and driven to your hotel by private car.
- You can take a stroll to Green Lake Park, which is located near your hotel. It is the most well-known garden with a history of 300 years.
- Visit the Yuantong Buddhist Temple.
DAY 3: KUNMING – SHILIN – YUANYANG 1700 m alt.
- Drive to Shilin(1h30/2hrs), and visit the Stone Forest, which is famous for its karst formations.
- Road trip to Yuanyang (5hrs). You can enjoy the landscapes of rice terraces on the mountainous road.
- Glowing sunset over the rice fields at the “Bada” viewpoint.
DAY 4: YUANYANG
- Impressive sunrise over the rice fields in the village of Duoyishu.
- Visit the local ethnic minority market.
- Hike through beautiful landscapes made up of rice terraces and small villages.
- Discovery of several viewpoints on the rice fields: Qingkou, Dayutang, Quanfuzhuang, etc.
DAY 5: YUANYANG – JIANSHUI 1350 m alt.
- Departure by mountainous road to Jianshui (168 km/3h30).
- Visit the magnificent Confucian Temple which is the largest in China after that of Qufu.
- Stroll in the Zhu Family Garden, built at the end of the 19th century by wealthy merchants.
- Visit the Chaoyang Tower.
DAY 6: JIANSHUI – KUNMING – THE HIGH-SPEED TRAIN TO DALI 2000 m alt.
- Head to Tuanshan Village (13 km/30 minutes) to see its traditional architecture that dates back to the Qing Dynasty.
- Take a short visit to the Double Dragon Bridge.
- Then return to Kunming (3h30/4hrs) and take the high-speed train to Dali (2h20).
- Arrive in Dali, welcome by your new driver, and drive to your hotel.
DAY 7: DALI
- Sightseeing of the Three Pagodes of the Chongsheng Temple.
- Then depart for Cangshan Mountain, where you can visit a tea plantation, to learn how to make tea: pick, roll, bake.
- Optional tour: You can take a short bike ride from Caicun village along Erhai Lake and enjoy the very nice view of the countryside and the lake.
- Free discovery of the old town of Dali.
DAY 8: DALI – XIZHOU – SHAXI 2100 m alt.
- Drive to Xizhou village (30 minutes) and visit the lively morning market.
- Explore the Shibaoshan Grottoes and Baoxiang Temple on foot.
- Descent by a small path towards the Shadengqing Valley (1h30/2hrs) if possible, or the journey will be continued by vehicle.
- Stroll in the Shaxi village at leisure, admiring its 14th-century Ming Dynasty buildings. You’ll see vignettes of daily life.
DAY 9: SHAXI – LIJIANG 2400 m alt.
- Discovery of the Shaxi morning market (Only on Friday).
- Drive to Lijiang (2hrs).
- Stroll around the charming old town of Lijiang.
- Visit the Residence of the Mu family.
- Visit the Black Dragon Pond Park. It is a model of Chinese gardens and gives you a superb view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
DAY 10: LIJIANG – SHANGRI-LA 3300 m alt.
- Drive to the Tiger Leaping Gorge (2hrs).
- Discovery of the Tiger Leaping Gorge which is one of the deepest canyons in the world.
- Continuation by road to Shangri-La (2hrs).
- Stroll in the old town of Shangri-La. Visit the Guishan Temple and its huge prayer wheel.
- Participate in the spontaneous Tibetan dances in the evening of the locals in the old town square.
DAY 11: SHANGRI-LA, FLIGHT TO CHENGDU 500 m alt.
- You have some time at leisure to wander around Napa Lake.
- Visit Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan Buddhist Monastery in Yunnan.
- Optional tour: Have lunch with a Tibetan family.
- Transfer to the airport and take the flight to Chengdu (1h20).
- Arrive in Chengdu, you’re met at the airport by your driver, and drive to your hotel by private car.
DAY 12: CHENGDU – LESHAN – EMEISHAN 2900 m alt.
- Stroll through Renmin Park, in the heart of the bustling center of Chengdu.
- Drive to Leshan (1h30) and visit the Giant Buddha of Leshan which was erected in the 8th century, represents one of the most striking cultural treasures.
- Optional tour: We suggest you take the regular boat which offers a panoramic view of the Big Buddha as you pass the cliffs.
- Drive to Emeishan Mountain (45 km/1hr), and it is one of the four sacred Buddhist mountains of China.
- Visit the Baoguo Temple and Fuhu Temple on the foot of Emeishan Mountain.
DAY 13: EMEISHAN – DUJIANYAN 700 m alt.
- Take the cable car to discover the Wannian Temple.
- Descent of the Emeishan Mountain, passing the Qingyinge (a hike for 3hrs).
- Drive to Dujiangyan(2h30/3hrs), which is famous for its hydraulic system.
- In the evening, stroll in the old town of Dujiangyan.
DAY 14: DUJIANGYAN – CHENGDU – DEPARTURE FLIGHT
- Visit the Chengdu Panda Research and Breeding Center, which provides an excellent opportunity to get as close as possible to China’s ‘ambassador’ animal.
- Optional tour: You can spend 140 $ to participate in the Taking Care of Pandas program as a volunteer.
- Explore Qingcheng Mountain, and it is considered the cradle of Taoism.
- Drive to Chengdu (1h30).
DAY 15: CHENGDU, DEPARTURE FLIGHT
- Drive to Deyang city (1h30).
- Explore the Sanxingdui Museum, a treasure of one of the first and mysterious civilizations.
- Stroll along the Wide and Narrow Alleys (Kuanzhai Alleys), the most famous Chengdu streets.
- Transfer to Chengdu Airport for your departure flight.
DAY 16: ARRIVAL AT HOME
- Arrive home with good memories in mind.
Source: https://www.cielyunnan.com/circuits-yunnan-deux-semaines-et-plus/voyage-yunnan-sichuan/
Price reduced if you are more than 6 persons
| Price per person based on | With driver | With driver + An English-speaking guide |
|---|---|---|
| 2 persons | 1 737 $ | 2 462 $ |
| 4 persons | 1 330 $ | 1 695 $ |
| 6 persons | 1 174 $ | 1 416 $ |
Price includes
- The mentioned hotels with breakfast.
- Transfers by private vehicle with a driver during the whole journey. For the group without a guide, if necessary, the driver will also act as a guide.
- Accompaniment by English-speaking guide from the 4th day (if this option has been chosen).
- For the group without a guide, a smartphone will be given on your arrival. You will always be in touch with our 24-hour service. We are going to offer you restaurants with their locations, you can also try cashless payment anywhere in China (we rarely use cash in China for payment).
- Accommodation and meals for your guides and drivers.
- The high-speed train ticket: Kunming/Dali (second class).
- Air ticket: Shangri-La/Chengdu (economy class, tax included).
- One bottle of mineral water per day per person.
The price does not include
- International flights.
- Lunches and dinners.
- Entrance tickets for tours and activities, to be paid for directly on site.50% reductions sometimes for travelers over 60, free possible for those over 70.
- Tips for guides and drivers (It is recommended 160 RMB / day in total for the driver guide).
- Accident, repatriation, and health insurance.
- The visa fees.
Warm Tips:
- You can also check out our organized small group tours here
- To facilitate your stay, we suggest that you change your quotes on arrival and departure at the current exchange rate. The formalities to be completed in Chinese banks are particularly tedious.
Hotels offered
For each city, we have recommended two or three hotels for you to choose from below. The first hotel listed has been pre-selected by Ciel Yunnan.
| HOTELS | COST-EFFECTIVE |
CHARM |
LUXURY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunming | Home Inn Plus Cuihu | Moon and Chalice Boutique Hotel | Silver Chest Boutique Hotel |
| Jianshui | Lin An Inn | Xiu Ju Xian Ting Guesthouse | Tingziyun Resort |
| Yuanyang | Havre de paix DuoYiWan Hotel | Huawowo Inn (No. 2 Courtyard) | Twelve Manor•Terraces Lodge Hotel |
| Dali | Yanyuan Mountain Retreat | Xizhou Sky Valley Heritage Boutique Hotel | Linden centre Hotel |
| Shaxi | Aoding Courtyard Hotel | Aoding Courtyard Hotel | Wuliu Inn |
| Lijiang | Bivou Hotel | Zinc Journey Arro Khampa | Songtsam Linka Lijiang |
| Shangri-La | Karma Cafe Guesthouse | Zinc journey Arro Khampa | Songtsam Lvgu Hotel |
| Emeishan | Century Sunshine Hotel | Hengmai Hotel | Zen Floral |
| Dujiangyan | Dujiangyan Holiday Inn Express | Yinxiu Shangting Hotel | Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain |
| Chengdu | Chengdu Xinliang Hotel | Buddha Zen Hotel | Courtyard Hotel |
| Supplement/Person | / | 192 $ | 540 $ |
If you have more days for your trip, it’s possible to add/choose the extensions/excursions associated with this trip.
- The authentic Nuodeng Village in Yunlong (+ 1 day): Located 180 km from Dali, on the old tea and horse road leading to Tibet and Burma, Nuodeng is a small village perched on the hillside and accessible only on foot. On-site, you have the opportunity to visit one of the oldest salt wells in the region. The steep streets of this village lead to the imposing temple of Confucius and his monastery located at the top of the village, which enjoy a superb view of the valley.
- Trekking in Tiger Leap Gorge (+ 1~3 days): Located between Lijiang and Shangri-La, it is one of the must-see attractions. A 1 or 3-day journey to get a magnificent view to those who like hiking. But some passages are narrow and dizzying, impossible for those with vertigo.
- Wumu and Baoshan (+ 2~3 days): Built at the beginning of the Mongolian dynasty, Baoshan and Wumu are the two most beautiful villages in Yunnan. Perched on a natural promontory, these fortified Naxi villages overlook the Yangtze. The scenery on the river and the terraced fields are breathtakingly beautiful.
- Lugu Lake (+ 1~2 days): Located north of Lijiang on the border with Sichuan, Lugu Lake, with an average depth of 40 m, is the second deepest lake in Yunnan. It stretches over an area of 48 km², and its crystal-clear deep blue waters combined with coniferous forests offer a sumptuous landscape. Travelers can ride a horse around Lugu Lake or drive the canoes to the three islands inside it.
When to go?
You could do this trip all year round. But the best seasons for this tour are in spring (between April and early June) and in Autumn (between September and early November) when temperatures are mild. The summer is pleasant, and the climate is cool in Yunnan, but it is hot in Sichuan. Although it rains from July to the beginning of September, it will not pose any problem for your cultural trip.
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