7-Day Kunming, Dali, Shangri-La & Lijiang Group Tour

Kunming, Dali, Shangri-la, Lijiang

Traveler Reviews

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and alpine valley

Tour Type: Group Tour

Tour Code: SKY-Yunnan-09

Tour Highlights:

Visit Kunming, Dali, Shangri-La and Lijiang on one coordinated Yunnan route.
See Stone Forest, Erhai Lake, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Napahai Lake.
Meet Yi, Bai, Naxi and Tibetan communities across the province.
Observe everyday life in Yunnan's historic towns and villages.
Ride the bullet train from Kunming to Dali.

Best Travel Time:
Suitable for the whole year, best from April to November.

From $ 935

Free Inquiry

Tour Itinerary

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Itinerary

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Day 1Arrival, Kunming

Airport pick up and transfer to hotel

Meals: No meal
Accommodation: Hampton by Hilton Kunming Guandu Hotel / Jinjiang Hotel or similar standard hotel

Upon arriving at Kunming Airport, meet the local representative and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free.

Note:
1. The free sharing transfer service from Kunming airport is offered 3 times a day at 11:30, 15:00,18:30
2. If your flight can not meet the free pick-up time, please wait a while in the airport. Should you prefer a private transfer, please inform us in advance to make the arrangement and quote the transfer suppliment to you.

Green Lake

Day 2Kunming – Dali

Green Lake, Stone Forest, Take high speed train to Dali

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Landscape Hotel / Ancient City Courtyard Lirenhua Resort Hotel or similar hotel

After breakfast, meet your guide at the hotel at 08:30 a.m. and walk around Green Lake, a central Kunming park known for green islands, pavilions and red-beaked seagulls in winter.

Continue 85km to the Stone Forest, a 400-square-kilometer karst landscape long described as the First Wonder of the World.

In the late afternoon, take the bullet train to Dali. Meet your local guide and driver on arrival, then transfer to the hotel.

Stone Forest

Day 3Dali

Xizhou Old Town, Three-course Tea of Bai People, Zhoucheng, Tye-Dyeing, Erhai Lake, Dali Ancient Town

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Landscape Hotel / Ancient City Courtyard Lirenhua Resort Hotel or similar hotel

In the morning, travel to Xizhou Old Town to see traditional Bai architecture and Taste local three-course tea in Xizhou, a welcome ritual for honored guests. Continue to Zhoucheng Village for a hands-on visit to a local tie-dye workshop.

After lunch, follow the ecological corridor beside Erhai lake , then explore Dali Old Town, including Foreigners' Street, the ancient city wall and Gate Tower. Return to the hotel afterwards.

Dali Tour

Day 4Dali – Shangri-la

Drive to Shangri-la, the First Bend of Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Dukezong Ancient Town, Guishan Hill

Meals: breakfast
Accommodation: E-outfitting Boutique Hotel/ Holiday Inn Express Shangrila or similar hotel

Today, drive to Shangri-la, stopping en route for a distant view of the First Bend of Yangtze River and a visit to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Walk 2.6 kilometers beside the Jinsha River through the Upper Gorge.

On arrival in Shangri-La, explore Dukezong Ancient Town, then climb Guishan Hill to see the Grand Prayer Wheel and a panoramic city view.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Day 5Shangri-la

Songzanlin Monastery, Napahai Lake, Tibetan family visit

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: E-outfitting Boutique Hotel/ Holiday Inn Express Shangrila or similar hotel

Pick you up at the hotel, and then drive to visit Songzanlin Monastery which is the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, whose castle-like complex is also known as Little Potala Palace. Experience the mystery and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism here.

Then transfer to visit Napahai Lake and pay a visit to a local Tibetan family and experience the highly-praised hospitality of Tibetan people.

Notes: Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.

Napahai Lake

Day 6Shangri-la – Lijiang

Drive to Lijiang, Lijiang Old Town, Black Dragon Pool, Dongba museum

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Jinfu Hotel/ Duofu Hotel or similar

In the morning, drive about 3 hours to Lijiang. Visit Lijiang Old Town and Black Dragon Pool on arrival, learning about the old town's UNESCO World Heritage status and walking through the landscaped park. Continue to Dongba Culture Museum. for an introduction to Naxi culture, then return to the hotel.

Note: If you choose Route C, you will continue to visit Baisha Old Town and Baisha Murals after your visit in Dongba Culture Museum in this tour.

Lijiang Ancient Town

Day 7Lijiang, Departure

Shuhe Old Town, Baisha Old Town, Baisha Murals, Yuhu Village, Sharing transfer to the airport

Meals: breakfast

Route B: Meet at 09:00 am and drive to Shuhe Old Town, a historic Naxi community and longstanding market town on the Ancient Tea Horse Road.

After that, visit Baisha Old Town and Baisha Murals. Walk through the traditional Naxi-style old town and see the murals, created about 600 years ago and linked here with the area's 1997 UNESCO World Heritage recognition.

Continue to Yuhu Naxi Minority Village. After the tour, the group disperses and a shared transfer is provided to the airport.
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Route C: Meet at 09:00 am and visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow (3100M), take the sightseeing bus through the Baishuihe River area in Blue Moon Valley, then ride the chairlift to Glacier park (about 4500M). (Since Glacier Park is the most popular part of JDSM and the ticket might in shortage. If it is not availabe, we have to switch to Spruce Meadow)

After lunch, watch the Impression Lijiang Show directed by Zhang Yimou at Ganhaizi Meadow, about 3100M above sea level. Transfer to Lijiang Sanyi Airport after the tour, where the service ends.

Note:
1. The free sharing transfer service to Lijiang airport is arranged together.
2. If your flight can not meet the transfer time and prefer a separate private transfer, please inform us in advance to make the arrangement and quote the transfer suppliment to you.

Baisha Murals

Service Ends

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Tour Price (US$ per person)

Price for Route B:

Travel Dates

Adult
on sharing basis

Single

Supplement

Shoulder Season
(Mar – Jun, Sep – Dec)

US$935/P.P

US$190/P.P

High Season
(Jul – Aug)

US$1022/P.P

US$236/P.P

Price for Route C:

Travel Dates

Adult
on sharing basis

Single

Supplement

Shoulder Season
(Mar – Jun, Sep – Dec)

US$1001/P.P

US$190/P.P

High Season
(Jul – Aug)

US$1084/P.P

US$236/P.P

Note:

1. The differences between Route B and Route C are on Day 6 and Day 7.
2. The tour departs when at least 2 travelers join the group.
3. For a group of 2-4 travelers, English speaking guide cum driver will be arranged. For a group of 5-10 travelers, separate driver and guide services will be offered.
4. The vehicle used for the tour depends on how many travelers join the group.
5. Child traveling must be escorted by the adults.
6. Child aged from 4 to 6 sharing a bed with a parent during the tour is charged 50% of the adult's price.
7. Child aged from 7 to 11 occupying a bed during the tour is charged 70% of the adult's price.
8. Child over 11 years old is charged the same price as an adult.
9. The above prices are not valid during national holidays

Price Includes

6 nights accommodation with breakfast.
Sharing-vehicle with air conditioning
Excellent English-speaking guide.
Entrance tickets mentioned in the itinerary.
Bullet train ticket from Kunming to Dali (2nd-class ticket)
Two bottles of water each day each person.

Price Excludes

Lunches and dinners.
Any train/flight arriving to or departing from Yunnan
Personal travel insurance.
Any optional programs/activities.
Chinese visa fees.
Personal expenses.
Any separate pick-up or drop-off service between airport and hotel.
Single room supplement;
Gratuities – Tipping suggestion: USD 5-10/day/tourist to guide; USD 5-10/day/tourist to driver

Useful Information

Why Choose Us

Traveler Reviews Feedbacks & Photos
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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 Yun Sky Travel to everybody.

Wesley O

5.0

I contacted Yun Sky 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 Yun Sky 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 YUNSKY and I will definitely be in contact when I return to China.

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