9 Days Yunnan Ancient Town Tour, 9 Days Yunnan Tour Itinerary

Tour Itinerary Expand All

Itinerary Expand All

Day 1Arrival Kunming

Transfer service to the hotel

Meals: No Meals
Recommended Hotel: Jinjiang Hotel ★★★★ or similar

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

Kunming City View

Day 2Kunming

Stone Forest, Jiuxiang Scenic Area

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

[08:00-08:30] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby.

[08:30-12:00] Drive for 1.5 hours to 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.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch at a local restaurant for Chinese food.

[13:30-16:30] Continue to drive for 40 minutes to Jiuxiang Scenic Area. With hundreds of large and small caves, Jiuxiang Scenic Area owns the largest scale, number and most unique caves. It is a unique international karst geological park. Enjoy the cave tour there.

[16:30-18:00] Drive back to Kunming city. For evening activity, we highly recommend the Yunnan Impression Show - Dynamic Yunnan as an option.

Stone Forest

Day 3Kunming - Dali

Take a bullet train to Dali, Three Pagodas, Dali Ancient Town

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

After breakfast, your guide will meet you at the hotel lobby and drive to the railway station for a bullet train to Dali (duration: 2.5 hours). You will see different landscapes of Yunnan on the train. Upon arrival, you will be picked up by the local tour guide from the EXIT of Dali railway station and transferred to your hotel for check-in.

[12:00-13:00] Lunch at a local restaurant for Chinese food.

[13:00-17:00] Enjoy the afternoon 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 a full view of Dali old town and the Erhai Lake. The reflection park is also a nice place to capture the classical photo with three Pagodas' reflection. Then explore at Dali Ancient Town. Unlike any other Chinese town, the traditional Bai ethnic folk houses give the town a distinctive feeling.

After the tour, enjoy your free leisure night.

Three Pagodas

Day 4Dali

Xizhou Bai's Houses, Erhai Lake (light cycling), Zhoucheng Village with tie-dyeing experience, Dali Ancient Town

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

[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] 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. 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

[12:30-14:00] Lunch at a local restaurant to savour the dilicious local food.

[14:30-16:30] After lunch, you will spend the afternoon in Zhou Cheng and learn how to make the traditional Tie-dyeing with local master. You could keep your work and bring home.

After that, drive back to Dali and enjoy your free leisure time.

Dali Ancient City

Day 5Dali - Yunlong

Drive to Yunlong, Nuodeng Ancient Village, Wen Temple, Wu Temple, Yu Huang Ge Temple, Big Banyan Tree

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Huang Ye Ji Guesthouse or similar

[08:30-09:00] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby

[09:00-12:30] Drive for 3 hours to Yunlong County where the Nuodeng Ancient Village is located. It's regarded as one of oldest traditional Bai villages in Yunnan province. As one of the most important stops of the Ancient Tea Horse Road, Nuodeng is not just famous for its history but also for the spectacular buildings of ancient Ming and Qing dynasty and flagstone streets.

[12:30-14:00] Lunch time at a local restaurant to enjoy the authentic Yunnan dishes.

[14:30-17:30] Afternoon exploration in the village, where you will also visit the local famous sites - Wen Temple, Wu Temple, Yu Huang Ge Temple, Big Banyan Tree. You will have a chance to experience the Taoism in the ancient temples.

Stay overnight at the guesthouse in the village.

Nuodeng Ancient Village

Day 6Yunlong - Jianchuan

Drive to Shaxi Jianchuan, Wind-rain Bridge, Shaxi Ancient Town, Dengsi Street, Yulu Bridge,

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch
Recommended Hotel: Old Theater Inn or similar

[08:30-09:00] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby

[09:00-12:30] Drive for 3.5 hours to Shaxi which is a famous ancient town in Jianchuan County. On the way, you will visit the old Wind-rain Bridge and stop at the Wooden-caving Workshop.

[12:30-13:30] Lunch time at a local restaurant.

[14:00-17:30] Afternoon exploration in Shaxi Ancient Town. Have a leisure walk on Dengsi Street where you will see the famous Ancient Theater Stage, where the local people will dance and sing to celebrate the important festivals. Continue the visit to Yulu Bridge that is a good place to enjoy the sunset.

Stay overnight at the guesthouse in the village.

Shaxi Ancient Town

Day 7Jianchuan - Lijiang

White Dragon Pool, Shibao Mountain, Drive to Lijiang

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

[08:30-09:00] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby

[09:00-12:00] Have a morning tour to White Dragon Pool which is waterhead of Shaxi. It is quite and secluded, away from the crowds. Enjoy your free exploration in the town.

[12:00-13:00] Lunch time at a local restaurant.

[13:00-16:00] After lunch, say goodbye to this amazing ancient town and continue driving to Lijiang. On the way, you will visit Shibao Mountain. The globular weathered granites formed picturesque peaks and rocks looks like bell, arrow, lions, elephants, which are very distinctive. There are scenic attractions one after another, such as Shizhongshan Grotto, Baoxiang Temple, Jinding Temple, Haiyunju Temple, Shizhong Reservoir and so on. Its scenic spots include Haiyunju Scenic area, Baoxiang Temple and Shizhongshan Grottoes, the three parts.

Drive for 1.5 hours to Lijiang and check in your hotel. Enjoy your free night in the ancient town.

Shibao Mountain

Day 8Lijiang

Lijiang Ancient Town, Lion Hill, Sifang Street, Mufu Mansion, Black Dragon Pond Park

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

[08:30-09:00] Our guide will meet you up at the hotel lobby

[09:00-12:00] Enjoy your full-day exploration to Lijiang Ancient Town. Firstly, easily climb up to Lion Hill where you will have the panoramic view of the town from Wangu Pavillion. The visit to Mufu Mansion - the symbol of Lijiang.

[12:00-13:30] Lunch at a local restaurant.

[13:30-17:30] After lunch, continue the visit to Black Dragon Pond Park where is the perfect place to take photos of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain with its reflection in the Pond. Then have free walk on Sifang Street which is the central part of the town and the most bustling place.

At night, enjoy your free leisure night.

Lijiang Ancient Town

Day 9Departure Lijiang

Transfer to airport

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy free time before being transferred directly to the airport 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	From on request	From on request
Economy Hotel ★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	From on request	From on request
Comfortable Hotel ★★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	From on request	From on request
Comfortable Hotel ★★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	From on request	From on request
Deluxe Hotel ★★★★★	2 ~ 5 pax	From on request	From on request
Deluxe Hotel ★★★★★	6 ~ 9 pax	From on request	From on request

Notice:

Due to the uncertainties of this tour, such as special local conditions , the changes of accommodation rate, etc, the tour has to be tailor-made and its price is on request. Please tell us in advance your group information inclusive of departure date, number of pax, and other individual needs, which will be helpful to work out a fit program and the right price.

Useful Information

Traveler Reviews Feedbacks & Photos >>Feedbacks

5.0

PunkNelson

5.0

Great Hotel stay Very Nice Tour guides Convenient planned daily trips Average selection of restaurant for food though

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.

Wesley O

5.0

I contacted Top China travel for a 13 day China vacation (Beijing/Xian/Yangtze River cruise/Shanghai) and right from the start Bonnie provided me with great choices and package options. Throughout the entire planning and even during the trip Bonnie was there for us following up and making sure everything was perfect. Thank you Bonnie for making our China vacation unforgettable.

Johnf8958

5.0

From the minute I contacted Vicky at Top China Travel to book our holiday, to the time we were taken to Pudong airport for our flight home, the experience was perfect. My wife and I visited Beijing, Xian and Shanghai and all of our tour guides were fluent in English, very knowledgeable and very friendly. Thank you Vicky and all at TCT and I will definitely be in contact when I return to China.

lakazdi

5.0

I went on a Top China Travel group tour. Everything was so well organised that I never had to worry about anything. I really liked that the group was small and it felt like we were a big group of old-friends all travelling together, not just a passenger on the bus. Every hotel, guide, driver and restaurant was very well picked. I was very happy with how well-informed each guide was, how flexible they were to ensure we all had a great time, and their English was all very good. At every step of the way, guides had us fill in a Top China Travel feedback form which I am certain the company take very seriously since their service was so good. I will be passing on their details to all my friends and family who want to travel in China.

DEBORAH O

5.0

Thanks to Ms Raylene He we had a wonderful and well organised trip to 5 destinations which all went off without a hitch including being met by guides and drivers in each city and looked after very well. This all included several domestic flights a train trip and permits. I have no qualms in recommending this company to other travellers.

EBTraveler

5.0

With forty years of travel to the far corners of our world we have encountered many guides. Like most travelers some have not been very good, some decent and the rare few that are outstanding. During our three weeks in China last month we encountered just such a rare individual. Our guide in Guilin was a young women named Ping (I'll provide her email later). Ping demonstrated knowledge and command of the history, stories and culture all along the way. Beyond that, Ping exuded infectious enthusiasm not only for our touring, but for us personally as well. We had a serious medical issue occur suddenly, in fact one of us went into diabetic shock. It was four in the morning but no matter, after calling Ping she took command and arranged for the hotel to send us, with a car, driver, and assistant to a hospital. Upon our arrival there was Ping who obviously thru on some clothes, got on her motorbike and rushed to meet us. There she not only served as translator but as though a family member, she became invested in our proper care and recovery. Truly remarkable to have such a person supporting you. In small ways she flavored her guiding with a sense of our interests and preferences, like the day we mentioned our love of pomegranates and the next morning there she is smiling and with samples for us as a treat. When we left a jacket behind, once again was on it as Ping arranged for its shipment to out next stop and tracked it until it was in our hands. Beyond that, Ping was in frequent contact to make certain of our full medical recovery and to offer her help where or whenever it might be needed while in China. Amazing! Ping can be contacted at bellakanas@163.com Sheila Hertz, Howard Entin

ourview_11

5.0

From the first email to Top China Travel with Joyce to our wonderful Tour Guide Linda and our driver I can not say more happily what a wonderful trip we have had. Linda was very Kind and very informative with all your tours. The vehicle used was at very high standard and the Driver very safe. We had a private Tour for myself and my Husband we would totally recommend this company.

Geonannie

5.0

Top China Travel is the the tops! I booked an 21 day tour of China for my husband and I and from the very first contact with Lily Lui I was totally impressed. We communicated via e-mail and Lily was very quick and helpful with her responses. Because this was not our first trip to China, I wanted an itinerary that was different from the norm. Lily's recommendations were top notch. The hotels she used were top shelf as we requested. Our guides and drivers were fantastic. What impressed me the most was that when we were in China, Lily called to speak to me and make sure everything was going well. When I ran into some issues due to altitude sickness, I contacted her and she had the itinerary changes done and finalized within an hour. This was a private tour with guide and driver and I honestly can say there was not one thing I wished we had done differently. Thanks to Top China Travel and Lily our trip to China was perfect. I will definitely be contacting Lily when we return to China for yet another visit.

Allessandr0

5.0

I am a tour leader from Italy and this was my first cooperation with Janet and how lucky we met her!! We followed the trip with her to remote areas in China including some ethnic group area in Guizhou province and Sanjiang, Longsheng and Guilin, we enjoyed completely throughout the whole trip and some arrangement even out of our surprise, like we went to Janet’s home to learn how to pack Chinese Ravioli, she invited a Taichi teacher and we had a 1 hour Taichi class inside her home community. Everything was fine and our group members are all like her very much. We strongly recommend Janet Chan (janet@topchinatravel.com) as your China trip consultant! She is so considerate and carefully planned each detail of our trip. Guizhou is a very interesting and primitive place for visiting, you should include in your China trip as well! Thank you Janet! You are very professional!!

Salim A

5.0

When I planning our private trip to china I have read many trip adviser reviews and I have noticed Janet Chan’s name came up a number of times so i sent her an e-mail asked for the best two weeks private tour in China for 6 persons , whiten two days she replied me recommending 5 cities ( Zhangjiajie, hangzhuo , shanghai, Beijing , Guilin ) we went through the program which she sent to us it was excellent so we asked her to go ahead to arrange our journey . it was a great choice we made, The tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful. The hotels which reserved for us by TCT were excellent We can only say thanks for TCT and especially Janet Chan

Karan J

5.0

From the 1st point of contact till the end Joyce was great and helped plan a perfect trip which I was for a short time in Beijing. I was traveling alone and was recommended to join a small group of fellow travelers which was perfect. Great tour guide with a clean bus. Pick up on time and overall a great experience.

Ms Masha B

5.0

My husband and I booked a two week private tour of China with Top China Travel. It was an excellent experience. Vicky, a tour consultant, offered us a very good program visiting Beijing, Xian, Zhangjiajie, Shanghai and Nanjing. We really enjoyed every location. The tour guides were knowledgeable and helpful. In Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing me made our own hotel reservation and in Xian an Zhangjiajie TCT made the reservations for us. Lunch was included in the tour and the selection of the restaurants was excellent in most locations (except Xian). Overall great tour!

Chris W

5.0

When planning our China trip we read many trip advisor reviews and noticed Janet Chan’s name came up a number of times so we asked for her to arrange our journey across this fascinating land. What a great choice we made, she listened and responded to our questions and arranged all our trip that went off without any problems. We didn’t want shopping nor group travel and she responded brilliantly. Two days hiking on the wall with fabulous guide Miko, in fact all our guides and drivers were just excellent. High speed train meant we saw lots of China’s varied countryside and went to some out of the way places. We can only say great things about TCT and especially Janet Chan if you are planning a trip. Thank you Janet for an exciting and memorable trip! Chris n Jools Winstanley

Raghavan A

5.0

We signed up with TCT after reading reviews of Tibet tour agencies. Our trip included 4 days in Lhasa, two in Shigatse and one at the base camp. TCT made all the arrangements including the Tibet permit, hotels, tour guide, car and the driver for the entire trip. The arrangements were superb. The guide and the driver were very accommodating to our needs and made the entire trip very convenient. At the base camp, the guide even arranged for extra oxygen in case we need it. She was also very helpful in advising us as how to get acclimated to the altitude. The entire trip was smooth and enjoyable and we would highly recommend TCT for travel to Tibet.

karenilena

5.0

wonderful visit and wonderful guide Li. Li showed us all the charms of this great city together with our Li river tour. We fell in love with this place and Yangshou. Great place to visit and it was a favourite city in all the cities we visited. great guide

Natasha J

5.0

I can't recommend this company enough!! I started talking to Yocky via the chat system on their website, as we wanted to do a 2.5 week trip around China. Our itinerary was: Shenzhen-Beijing-Xian-Kunming-Dongchuan-Chengdu-Guilin-Sanya Here's how things went: 1) She was instant in her replies and responded to subsequent emails within the hour (and trust me, I sent A LOT of emails). She was always so thorough and efficient. 2) She made us a tailor made trip that covered everything we wanted, including some slightly more off the beaten track attractions. 3) She helped us keep to our budget and suggested reasonable things we could cut out when things were too expensive (not something many companies would do as they are trying to make a quick buck). 4) She listened to all of our requests for things such as early morning flights, vegetarian food, and readjusting itineraries. 5) All our drivers and guides were EXCELLENT; they were prompt, kind, spoke excellent English and had a wealth of knowledge about all the sites we saw. All the cars on our private tours were nice and comfortable and had water. 6) Despite asking for 3* hotels, all 7 hotels we stayed in seemed like 4* to us and all included breakfast. 7) With such a large and complicated trip there were bound to be a few hiccups (e.g. there was a marathon in Xian one day which meant a lot of roads were closed, so we couldn't access sites). Yocky was in touch with us the entire time and helped us rearrange our plans quickly and ordered complimentary tickets to a show to make up for the inconvenience. We were so nervous about our first trip to China as we speak no mandarin and are strict vegetarian but honestly this was one of the best trips of our life; this company made it so easy for us and I really can't imagine having been able to do it myself any better!

JrnyJunkie

5.0

The views are stunning and the boat that we were on had VIP seating for just our group with a private balcony to view the river.

Candi S

5.0

Raylene did a wonderful job organizing our tour to meet our time constraints. She answered all questions very efficiently. Our tour guide Rocco met us at the airport and the Driver was waiting near by. I have specific dietary restrictions and the guide was extremely helpful communicating that with the restaurants. The trip was so easy and we always felt safe. My husband and I are looking forward to booking a more extended trip in the future. There is so much to see and the food is wonderful!