Day 1: Arrive at Kunming
Attractions & Activities: Arrival at Kunming, Green Lake Park, Nanqiang Pedestrian Street
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: None
Upon your arrival at Kunming, staff will arrange a vehicle to take you to your designated hotel for check-in.Then you will visit Green Lake Park (approximately 1 hour) – the scenery varies with each season. After that, explore Nanqiang Pedestrian Street (approximately 1 hour) – enjoy tasting local snacks of Kunming and experience the charm of the "Spring City." You can also ask the tour guide any questions you may have about the attractions and food.
Day 2: Kunming - Dali (HSR)
Attractions & Activities: Stone Forest, Dali Ancient Town
Accommodation: Dali Ancient Town
Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch and Dinner (on your own)
After breakfast this morning, head to the Stone Forest Scenic Area (approx. 3 hours). The karst landscape formed approximately 270 million years ago, with remarkable stones, waterfalls, streams, and caves attracting many photography enthusiasts. After the tour, return to Kunming and travel to Dali by HSR. Check in the hotel after you arrive at Dali and have a good rest, while you also may explore the city when you are free, the local guide will provide useful tips.
Day 3: Dali - Lijiang
Attractions & Activities: Three Pagodas of Dali, Fengyang Village, Photography base (Flower Sea), Xizhou, Zhou Cheng Tie-Dye Experience, Lijiang Ancient town
Accommodation: LIjiang Ancient Town
Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch and Dinner (on your own)
After breakfast this morning, start the tour by visiting the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple (approximately 3 hours), which is not only a treasure of architectural art but also a testament to historical culture.After breakfast, visit Fengyangyi village(approximately 1 hour), the village was also a filming location for the 2023 production "To the Place with the Wind." Then proceed to the Flower Sea Photography Base and Ethnic Costume Experience (approx. 1 hour), where you can escape the hustle and bustle of city life and enjoy the perfect combination of plants, flowers, and gardening in Dali's most leisurely atmosphere. Visit Xizhou Ancient Town (approx. 1.5 hours), which preserves a large number of Bai ethnic residences, rich in Bai cultural elements. About 80% of the buildings in Xizhou Ancient Town are ancient structures, and any random house can have a history of over a hundred years. Then visit Zhou Cheng (approx. 2 hours) to experience tie-dyeing. This area is known as the "Hometown of Bai Tie-Dye." The tie-dye here mainly features white and blue colors, with white symbolizing auspiciousness and blue representing hope, simplicity, and sincerity. After that, take the car to Lijiang, and then explore Lijiang Ancient City (approx. 2 hours), an ancient town with over 800 years of history. It is not only a tourist destination but also an important junction on the Silk Road and the Tea Horse Road, representing the culture and history of the Naxi ethnic group. The streets and architecture retain the style from the Ming and Qing dynasties, and the natural scenery of Lijiang Ancient City is also very beautiful. Check into your hotel in Lijiang.
Day 4: Lijiang
Attractions & Activities: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Glacier Park Cable Car, Blue Moon Valley (including battery car), Impression Lijiang, Baisha Murals, Baisha Ancient Town
Accommodation: Lijiang Ancient Town
Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch and Dinner (on your own)
Depart at the designated time for the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain scenic area. Take the Glacier Park Cable Car (approx. 2 hours) to fully appreciate the scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Ascend to the snow peak and overlook the stunning landscape from above, experiencing the dramatic momentum of the "Jade Dragon River rushing into the sea." Next, visit Blue Moon Valley (approx. 1 hour, including battery car ride), which features blue water on sunny days and has a crescent-shaped valley that resembles a blue moon nestled at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, hence the name. Watch the performance Impression Lijiang - Snow Mountain Edition (if there are adjustments in the performance schedule causing a conflict preventing viewing of "Impression Lijiang," it will be replaced by "Lishui Jinsha"). Baisha Ancient Town (approx. 1 hour) is the birthplace of the Naxi ethnic group, preserving much of the original Naxi culture, and is also the cradle of the Mu family chieftains of Lijiang, serving as the earliest political, economic, and cultural center for the Naxi people. The Baisha Murals (approx. 1 hour) are part of Lijiang's World Cultural Heritage, showcasing the multicultural expression of Lijiang and are an indispensable aspect of Lijiang tourism.
Day 5: Lijiang - Lugu Lake
Attractions & Activities: Eighteen Bends of Mountain Road, Lugu Lake Viewing Platform, Lake Tour (by car), Bonfire Party
Accommodation: Lugu Lake
Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch and Dinner (on your own)
Depart from Lijiang to Lugu Lake, passing by the Eighteen Bends of Mountain Road (approximately 30 minutes for parking and photo-taking). The total length of the road is about 20 kilometers, with a vertical drop of over a thousand meters, making it an excellent spot for viewing natural scenery. Arrive at the Lugu Lake Viewing Platform (15-20 minutes for sightseeing). Then take a car for a lake tour (approximately 1.5 hours) and check into the hotel by Lugu Lake. Experience Mosuo culture: attend a Mosuo bonfire party and learn about the matrilineal clan customs that the Mosuo people have maintained for over 1500 years.
Day 6: Lugu Lake - Shangri-La
Attractions & Activities: Watch the sunrise by the lake in the morning, take the boat to Liewubi Island
Accommodation: Shangri-La
Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch and Dinner (on your own)
In the morning, watch the sunrise at Lugu Lake and enjoy the sunlight in the highland region. After that, take the Mosuo people's unique mode of transportation, the pig trough boat, to Liewubi Island (approximately 60 minutes for exploration). Walk under the shade of the virgin forest while listening to the Mosuo people share the legendary stories of Auyun Mountain. Afterwards, head to Shangri-La and check into the Shangri-La Hotel.
Day 7: Shangri-La - Kunming (HSR)
Attractions & Activities: Dukezong Ancient City, Sumtsenling Monastery,Tiger Leaping Gorge
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast (included), Lunch and Dinner (on your own)
After breakfast, head to Dukezong Ancient City (approximately 40 minutes of visit) to explore Guishan Park and jointly turn the world's largest prayer wheel to pray for your family. After that, visit Songzanlin Monastery (approximately 3 hours), built on a mountainside, resembling a medieval castle, and known as the "Museum of Tibetan Art".
Stop for photos at First Bend of the Yangtze River (approximately 30 minutes), then continue along the Yunnan-Tibet Road to the world renowned gorge Tiger Leaping Gorge (including escalator, approximately 2 hours), the largest canyon on the Yangtze River, named for the legendary sight of a tiger leaping over the Jinsha River. Then travel to Lijiang by car, then move to Kunming by HSR from Lijiang. Check in the hotel when you arrive at Kunming
Day 8: Kunming Departure
Attractions & Activities: None
Accommodation: None
Meals: None
Departure from Dali, end of the joyful tour.