10 Days Best Yunnan Tour to Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-la

Tour Itinerary Expand All

Itinerary Expand All

Day 1Arrival Kunming

Transfer service to hotel

Meals: Breakfast
Recommended Hotel:Jinjiang Hotel ★★★★

Upon arrival in Kunming, your Kunming tour guide will wait for you at the airport and help you to transfer to the hotel.

Kunming City View- Green Lake Park

Day 2Kunming

Green Lake, Flowers and Birds Market, Stone Forest

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Jinjiang Hotel ★★★★

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and visit the Spring City

[09:30-11:30] Enjoy morning leisure tour to Green Lake which is peaceful and a public park for local people. You will see musicians singing and playing and you can also take a paddle boat out and relax on the lake. After that, go directly to Flower and Bird Market , which is the biggest and most exciting market in Kunming where antiques, jewelry, and other handmade crafts can be found. This is a perfect place for entertainment and observing local lifestyle

[11:30-14:00] Lunch will be arranged as local special food, Yunnan Rice Noodles. And drive to Stone Forest about 2 hours

[14:00-16:00] Visit to the Stone Forest which is known as the First Wonder of the World and typical karst landform. The magnificent, strange and steep landscape of the Stone Forest creates countless labyrinthine vistas, all of which feature stones in various formations. Animals, plants, and even human figures can be found here

[16:00-18:00] Drive back to Kunming city. For evening activity, we highly recommend the Yunnan Impression Show - Dynamic Yunnan as an option

Stone Forest, Kunming

Day 3Kunming - Dali

West Hill & Dragon Gate, Take bullet train to Dali

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Gurong Hotel ★★★★

After breakfast in the hotel, enjoy half day tour to West Hill & Dragon Gate. Located at the west bank of the Dianchi Lake of Kunming, it is set in mountains well covered by evergreen woods and filled with sweet songs by lovely birds. We will arrange cable car services up & down as well as sightseeing car in the scenic spot. When you get on the mountain, you will have a breathtaking view of the panoramic Dianchi Lake. There are also some interesting places waiting for you to explore on the mountain, especially the Dragon Gate. After lunch, transfer to Kunming South Train Station to take a D-train to Dali (duration: 2.5 hours). You will see different landscape of Yunnan on the train.

Western Hill & Dragon Gate

Day 4Dali

Three Pagodas, Erhai Lake, Zhoucheng Village, Dali Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Gurong Hotel ★★★★

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and get ready for today’s exploration of Dali city.

[09:30-12:30] Enjoy leisure tour to Three Pagodas . The elegant, balanced and stately style is unique in China's ancient Buddhist architectures, which makes it a must-see in the tour of Dali. Hiking to the top is highly recommended where you can get full view of Dali old town and Erhai Lake. The reflection park is also a nice place to capture the classical photo with three Pagodas’ reflection. After that, we will take a relaxing bike riding along Erhai Lake , enjoying the beautiful lakeview. Erhai Lake was formed by the subsidence of geological fault. It is reputed as the pearl on plateau for its beautiful scenery

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at Duan Shi restaurant serving local dishes, you can have a try of the Bai Minority food, especially the Boiled Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chili.

[13:30-16:30] After lunch, Then we will have a visit to Zhoucheng, where you can enjoy the typical Bai architectures and you have chance to learn tie-dyeing. Back to hotel and enjoy your free time at Dali Ancient Town . Unlike any other Chinese town, the traditional Bai ethnic folk houses give the town distinctive feeling

[16:30-17:30] Go back to hotel and relax in the room. We would suggest you go to the night bar in the old town and highly recommend Bad Monkey Bar for the House music.

Dali Ancient Town

Day 5Dali

Cangshan Mountain, Xizhou Bai's House

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Gurong Hotel ★★★★

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and get ready for today’s exploration of Dali city.

[09:30-12:30] After breakfast you will spend the afternoon on Cangshan Mountain . The cable car service will be arranged up to Jade Belt gallery road and you can hike on Cangshan Mountain and have chance to visit Taoist temple and find the precious vegetation on the mountain. In a sunny day, the crystal water of Erhai Lake and the snow mantled Mt. Cangshan radiate with each other forming a beautiful picture.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at Duan Shi restaurant serving local dishes, you can have a try of the Bai Minority food, especially the Boiled Fish with Pickled Cabbage and Chili.

[13:30-16:30] Take a short visit to Xizhou Bai's Houses . People nowadays regard Xizhou as a town that is famous for the Bai minority culture. The old houses and streets are well preserved, through which visitors may still find some traces of past glory. Free at leisure for the rest of the day.

[16:30-17:30] Go back to hotel and relax in the room. You can also choose to ride a bicycle around Erhai Lake, enjoy the beautiful sightseeings.

Erhai Lake

Day 6Dali - Lijiang

Take train to Lijiang, Lijiang Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Lijiang Wangfu Hotel★★★★

Enjoy your peaceful time in the morning at the ancient town and then check out. You will be transferred to train station to take train (duration: around 2 hours) to Lijiang, where the local guide is waiting for you. Check in at the hotel in Lijiang old town after lunch and take a rest in the room. In the afternoon, enjoy your free time at Lijiang Ancient town, which is perfectly adapted to the uneven topography of this key commercial and strategic site. We will give you a map of Lijiang old town. We would suggest you Sifang Street for the vivid nights and Lion Mountain for the panoramic view of Lijiang old town.

Lijiang Ancient Town

Day 7Lijiang

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yufeng Temple, Baisha Mural, Black Dragon Pond Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Lijiang Wangfu Hotel★★★★
Sightseeing: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Yufeng Temple, Baisha Mural, Black Dragon Pond Park

[09:00-09:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and start today’s tour.

[09:30-12:30] Drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and take cable car up to the Mountain. We will arrange the visit to Glacier Park at 4506 meters above sea level and get real close to the Snow Mountain. You can choose to hike on the mountain and get to the top at 4680 meters or just stroll around at Glacier Park and appreciate the holy Mountain peacefully.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at local restaurant in Baisha village nearby the Snow Mountain.

[13:30-16:30] In the afternoon, visit Yufeng Temple . The whole temple shows a distinctive and conjunct architecture style of Han Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhism, Taoism and the local Naxi Dongba Religion. The temple also has three courtyards and the famous great Camellia tree here had been more than 500 years old. Afterwards, pay a visit to Baisha Mural, which is the cradle of the Naxi culture and ancient capital of the Naxi Kingdom. Go back to Lijiang, on the way, have a short visit to Black Dragon Pond Park where is the perfect place to take photo of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with reflection in the Pond.

[16:30-17:30] Drive back to the hotel and enjoy your free time in Lijiang old town or go to Suhe old town on your own for the evening bonfire party.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Day 8Lijiang - Shangri-La

Drive to Shangri-La, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Dukezong Ancient Town, Tang-ga Painting

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Jinsha International Hotel ★★★★

[09:30-10:00] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and leave for Shangri-La, the lost horizon

[10:00-13:00] Visit Tiger Leaping Gorge en route. Tiger Leaping Gorge is a canyon on the Yangtze River which can be divided in to upper, middle and lower sections, winding 25 km and it is one of the deepest valleys in the world. The narrowest part of the gorge was just 30 m, which is so narrow that a tiger can jump over the gorge, hence the name. We will drop you at upper Tiger Leaping Gorge and you hike down to the viewing deck about half an hour

[13:00-14:30] After lunch, continue driving to Shangri-La

[14:30-16:30] Upon arrival, check-in at your hotel and explore the Dukezong Ancient Town, which is the largest and best-preserved Tibetan city among China 147 Tibetan counties. It is also site of the largest ancient Tibetan community. As one of the oldest towns in the region, it is also known as the 'footstep of Shangri-La'. We will have a great culture experience today in the old town. We will follow a local artist to learn how to make Tang-ga parinting, which is a unique form of painting and art in Tibetan culture, touching every aspect of its history, politics, social life, etc. After the tour, be transferred to the hotel and check-in.

[16:30-17:30] In the evening, you can go back to Dukezong Ancient Town, and enjoy the bonfire night at Moonlight square. You can join in the dancing party with local resident or go to the night bar as you wish.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Day 9Shangri-La

Sumtsaling Monastery, Potatso National Park

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Jinsha International Hotel Hotel ★★★★

[09:30-10:00] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby and start to find out the lost horizon, Shangri-La

[10:00-12:00] You will reach the Sumtsaling Monastery, which is the largest Tibetan Buddhism monastery in Yunnan Province. Covering an area of 30 hectares, it looks like a mini Kumbum Monastery. It is located on a mountain slope 5km from the county town of Shangri-La. Today Songzanlin once again houses more than 700 monks and lamas. Take a family visit to local resident home and with help from our guide, you will learn about a local family’s history and way of life

[12:00-13:00] Share lunch with the local resident in their home or go to the restaurant nearby for Tibetan food

[13:30-16:30] In-depth visit to today’s highlight: Potatso National Park which is the first national park in mainland China. You will see lakes, forests, marsh, valley, alpine meadow and so on in the park. All major spots are connected by footpath which offers a closer distance for travelers to experience the natural environment. You will walk in the picture and enjoy the peaceful time.

[16:30-17:30] Back to the hotel and relax in the room. We suggest the folk-custom dancing show, Dream Shangri-La for you in the evening which is absolutely awesome.

Potatso National ParkSumtsaling Monastery

Day 10Shangri-La - Kunming, Departure

Transfer service to airport, Fly to Kunming for departure

Meals: Breakfast

Free day and be transferred directly to the airport for a flight to Kunming for departure to your next destination.

Service Ends

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Tour Price (US$ per person)

Hotel Class	Group Size	Dec. ~ Feb.	Mar. ~ Nov.
Economy Hotel ★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	$ 1945	$ 2076
Economy Hotel ★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	$ 1626	$ 1757
Comfortable Hotel ★★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	$ 2135	$ 2298
Comfortable Hotel ★★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	$ 1816	$ 1980
Deluxe Hotel ★★★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	$ 2522	$ 2694
Deluxe Hotel ★★★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	$ 2203	$ 2376

Price includes:

♦ Domestic flight or high-speed train as specified
♦ Private transfer between the airport or railway station, attractions, and hotels
♦ Private licensed English-speaking guide and driver service
♦ Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast on sharing basis
♦ All attraction entrance fees as specified
♦ Meals mentioned in the itinerary, Chinese local food
♦ China Life Tourist Accident/Casualty Insurance

Price excludes:

* International Air tickets or Train Tickets to enter or leave China
* Tips to your tour guide and driver on your own discretion
* China Entry Visa Fees
* Personal expenses
* Optional tours, meals, activities and services

Remarks:

※ Prices are valid from Mar 1, 2023 to Feb 29, 2024, except Chinese public holidays, local fairs or events.
※ TCT reserves the right to adjust the price caused by exchange rate
※ No guide on the flight and Yangtze River cruise.
※ Recommended hotels are subject to change in actual booking
※ Special requirements should be advised to TCT in advance.
※ TCT reserves the right of final explanation for any change due to the reasons beyond our control.

Useful Information

Traveler Reviews Feedbacks & Photos >>Feedbacks

5.0

Kiwimac53

5.0

We were looking for a tour in SW China while in the area for work and found this one. While we wouldn't normally get a private tour but surprisingly it was actually cheaper than most of the group tours in the area and was great value. While I would usually rather keep one guide for the whole tour, as you get to know each other and they get to know what you are interested in, we changed guides 5 times during this trip (fortunately we had the same guide in Kunming at the start and end of the tour which was a real bonus as Murphy, our Kunming based guide, was excellent.) In this case changing guides had the advantage of local knowledge at each site so compensated for the change. Of the 4 guides we had 3 excellent and 1 very good with each of them working hard to look after us and make sure we enjoyed our trip. Vicky, our Dali based guide was also extremely good making our time there a highlight. The tour gives you 2 days at each base ie travel in the morning, have the afternoon and the next day touring the area then drive to the next base. We chose the driving tour as we feel it gives you a better experience of the area and you get to see the locals in action. All the drivers we had were great - they went out of their way to look after us and were very safe, which is saying something for driving in China. While all of the guides were very fluent in English none of the drivers could speak English which was a slight disadvantage as you didn't have the guides with you when traveling between bases but the friendliness and helpfulness of the drivers more than made up for this. The tour was very well organised and we knew what we were doing from the time we met our guide on arrival at the Kunming railway station to when we walked through security at the airport on our way out. The tour comes with 4,5 and 6 star accommodation choices and we went for the cheapest 4 star option. While the English at the hotels was limited the guides made sure we were checked in and out and took care of any issues (which were minimal). The 4 star option is largely "Chinese style" hotels ie designed for Chinese visitors with breakfast consisting of what many westeners would consider dinner style food but there was always eggs and toast for the less adventurous. The hotels were all clean and comfortable and generally very well located. The Hotel in Kunming (Jin Jang Inn) was a bonus as it seemed higher than 4 star and we stayed there both on our way in and out. As well as breakfast, lunch came with the tour which was enjoyable as the guides choose the restaurants so we got a variety. I got the feeling that most of the restaurants were owned by friends or family or there was some arrangement with the guide, but as you get to formally review each guide and the meals at the end of each stop they work hard to make sure you enjoy the meal and there was always an abundance of food. We tried a range of local cuisine and there was only one meal we didn't think was up to par. You get your own dinner which also suited us as there is invariably a range of restaurants or for the more adventurous there is the street vendors and you can choose what you want. The vehicles we were driven in were all very good- plenty of space and very comfortable. Being a private tour, while there was a set itinerary, which was diverse and very interesting with something for most people, the guides could tweak it to suit individual interests eg more time at one site and less at another. It is easy to get a bit templed out but overall the itinerary was a good mic of nature and culture. I would thoroughly recommend the tour and the company and we will be looking to the company if/when we go back - Guilin is next on the list as the guides were very happy to discus what they thought we would and wouldn't enjoy based on working with us on this tour,

N2265ZIinfo

5.0

Excellent guides, flexible and knowledgeable travel agent. They speak good English. Our trip was very well organized. We are 100% happy and I can recommend Top China Travel to everybody.

Kaltham G

5.0

we are a family from UAE who have hired Top China Travel in 2012 then hired them again in 2012 to arrange my brother's honeymoon trip in China. then hired them again in 2017 to go to Tibet. and now we are looking to hire them again for another trip my dad and sister are planning to do to discover some other parts of china. our agent is Janet, a sweet and a polite lady who wouldn't say no to any request and wouldn't mind revising the itinerary so many times just to meet your requirements. I have traveled to more than 70 countries and I was never this happy with my tour planner as much as I did wiith Top China travel.

Simmons A

5.0

We had been to China three years ago and had seen the usual tourist sites. This time we wanted a different experience and could not find an Australian company which met our needs. I found TCT on the internet, clicked the boxes for the places we wanted to visit and received a reply the very next day. Raylene organised the most brilliant holiday for the two of us. We were met at every airport or train station by a guide fluent in English. Our hotels were all excellent and we loved every moment of this trip. We would like to thank Raylene and our fantastic guides: Lee in Datong, Doris in Huangshan, David in Zhangiajie, Evan in Kunming, Aaron in Lijiang and Jeremy in Guilin. We will never forget you all.

tvschidambaram

5.0

Ms.Joyce of Top China Travel ( TCT ) made a wonderful program for my family in a short notice. Highly committed and tour operators are excellent and good in communication. Shown us all beautiful places and were amazing. Commitment to time was so good and we never had any problems anywhere.

William C

5.0

This company has assisted me greatly for more than 3 years. The staff.especiaaly Maggie.are very helpful.prompt innovative. I highly recommend this company for all traval. Hotels.tours.airline tickets.

rachs84

5.0

We worked with Janet who created the most incredible 10 day trip to China. We were so happy she recommended Yellow Mountain (one of the biggest highlights of the trip.) Not only was the itinerary perfect, but we have the most amazing, knowledgable and friendly tour guides. We loved Olivia in Beijing and April in Huangshan. I am glad we decided to do private tour. I don't think we would have been able to appreciate and enjoy all of the cities and sites we saw if we were in a group. The food was incredible, easy transition from city to city with the help of the tour guides. This trip exceeded our expectations. Thank you, Janet and Top China Travel!

tkelly542

5.0

We just returned from a very busy 10 tour of China. Maggie was great to work with in planning our trip. Mary was at the airport to meet us in Shanghai and got our trip off to a wonderful start. She was an absolute joy to be around. Annie met us in Guilin. She was a fun bundle of energy and took us on the Li River Cruise. Lena picked us up in Xian. Lena was so sweet and thoughtful and really made sure we had a great time. Daniel met us in Beijing for the last leg of our trip. Daniel was super knowledgeable and fun to be with. He took us up the Great Wall and made lots of memories for us all. All four drivers were courteous and attentive. They made sure we had water and we never waited for a car. Fantastic service by all. The guides all spoke excellent English and really took the anxiety of the language barrier out of the trip. We had great experiences and would highly recommend Top China Travel!

Dorothy G

5.0

If you want experience the China that the Chinese see, and have it done with care and efficiency, by all means use Top China Travel for courteous on the spot and on time connections for the trip of your life. The staff supplied an English interpreter so that the trip was enjoyed by all English speaking participants. I would not hesitate to recommend this trip at all.

Rosemay N

5.0

Top China Travel, in Guilin, organized the transfer from Railway station, Hotel stay, and day trip - seat in coach( 6 persons , with an english speaking tour guide , for the day tour). It was well organized. Day tour included hotel pick up and drop-off, entrance fees, chinese lunch, and a folk custom show. The cable car ride - about 25 mins- was optional, but it was worth it, as reach top quicker , as can have a bird-eye view of the terraced fields, before walking down through the local village. walk- down -took about one hour. First time I booked Top China Travel, through the Internet, and am happy with the service.

maity_monalisa

5.0

We were really fortunate to have engaged Top China Travel as our travel organiser . Our entire 10 day trip went through without a hitch. Rebecca had been our correspondent from the very beginning, answering all our queries. Our travel guide at Beijing was Eric , (a most amiable , punctual and enterprising person ) who arranged all our sightseeing tours in the most convenient way. He always tried to satisfy our curiosities regarding the places or Chinese way of living. He never seemed to tire of our endless questions about anything and everything we saw. We visited the summer palace , temple of heaven , Great Wall of China , water cube and bird's nest stadium in our three days stay at Beijing. We learnt about Chinese culture , some ancient stories about the emperor, concubine etc. Also a funny story about the famous dish - Peking roast duck. Seeing the huge area of temple of heaven and summer palace we thought we won't be able to cover it, but thanks to Eric - our guide, it was a smooth and enjoyable tour. We didn't feel exhausted at all. We got enough time at the Great Wall - a wonderful structure, climbed about 1000 steps and come down through the toboggan which was thrilling. We loved the Chinese which our tour guide had planned. All in all it was leisurely and fun. Thanks again for planning such a wonderful trip

Dan C

5.0

Top china travel put together a great tour starting with boat crude down down li river beautiful scenery the whole trip very informative guidelines then trip to caves which again was good very well planned

IleanaA644

5.0

On boat on LI RIVER from Guili to Yangshuo. 83 Km throught mountains, green hills and clear waters, a scenery that takes you back to ancient Chinese paintings. You can see bamboo boats and fishermen with straw hats and cormorants, people in camping on the riverbanck, buffalo grazing. Above all, you understand that there is a China different from the one of the great metropolises and you thinK " Oh, what a wonderful landscape...what a wonderful litgh, what awonderful air !"

Maria Soledad R

5.0

After doing a long long internet research about the best itineraries and competitive prices for private tours, I decided to book with Top China Travel. My tour advisor was Lily, from Guilin. Always there to help me and accommodate my expectations and needs. I decided to visit Guilin, Yangshuo, Zhangjiajie and Fenghuang. My tour guides, Annie (Guilin) and Linda (Zhangjiajie) were outstanding; together with the drivers. I felt safe and very well looked after all the time. Unfortunately I had very bad luck with the weather, so the only thing I would encourage Top China Travel to do in the future is to advise on the weather and which are the best seasons or months to travel to each scenic spots. Anyway, I had a great time and because of weather conditions I could get some of the itineraries changed without much issues...LILY YOU WERE GREAT! The suggested hotels and restaurants were very good and exactly what I expected. MANY THANKS...I will keep the best memories from this trip. Maria (From Argentina)

Pouchet

5.0

TCT provided us with EXCELLENT Guides and Drivers. Very attentive to meeting our requirements. In fact all of the arrangements and organization, more than met our requirements. The highlights for us were our visits to the Stone Forest and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. At the Stone Forest, we benefited from having a knowledgeable guide (Shirley) - she was able to let us see all of its beauty but still avoid the crowds. The Jade Mountain was the highest elevation that we have ever been - over 14000 ft. This is the time of the year to there - 50 F and sunshine. Also thrilling was going through the cloud bank before completing the cable car ride. As far as we could tell, the Minority people's (all over Yunnan) were living harmonious lives. All in all - a wonderful trip.

Shivwei

5.0

My husband is from USA and I am from Malaysia, we recently planned to have our lifetime honeymoon in Kunming, so I probed though website and the sale representative Janet Chan manifests her zealous assistance through this, her email provided all the details and even her enjoyable experiences traveling with her family, this in turns projected the values of life with our loved ones during the journey. Thank you very much Janet Chan, you have indeed done a great job through your services to provide useful information. May your company has more business to come. Wei lee

Hayley131

5.0

My parents and I used top China travel for ten days across China, they were excellent to deal with. The Guilin trip was amazing, such wonderful place I highly recommend it to everyone. our guide was very helpful and went well beyond expectations to make sure we were comfortable and got to see all the things we wanted to. Thank you very much :-)

live f

5.0

The Li River cruise was truly an enjoyable one. Good place for photos and scenery. Tasting of Li River's seafood was excellent too.

catebeai

5.0

Today we had a great day. We went to the Great Wall. Walked about 1 kilometer of the 8000. We went to a Jade warehouse. We had a great lunch there. We then went to the summer palace and enjoyed the views. We ended our day with a tour of Hutong. We had a fabulous dinner in the home of Mrs. Fan. So far our driver (Mr. Luo)and Dream have been wonderful. Five stars.

kcoble44

5.0

I am from the USA and currently live in Beijing. My wife and I wanted to visit Xian mainly for the Terracotta Warriors. I looked online for tour companies and began to see just how many were in operation. I did as much research as I could to ensure I did not land in Xian without someone there to followthrough on our arrangement. I finally settled on TCT after emailing them for more details. Mimi was extrememly responsive and was able to help build a private tour for us. I paid via PayPal which I like to do as often as possible while overseas. Our guide and driver picked us up from the airport, took us to the sights, and then to our hotel. The next morning they were right there again and dropped us off at the airport. There's something about logistics that I love and TCT has got it down. Sometimes you don't know what you are going to get with foreign companies. Needless to say, this tour company isn't one you need to worry about. It was impressive. All the best.