15 Days Authentic Yunnan Tour

Day 1: Kunming – Mi'le

Your English speaking tour guide and driver will come to pick you up from Kunming downtown. In the morning you will visit the Stone Forest (84km, 1.5 hours), also called the First Wonder of Yunnan. According to an old saying it is a pity not visiting the Stone Forest while you are in Kunming. Enjoy the beautiful views of the sight and spend about 2-3 hours in the park. We will enjoy a local Yunnan lunch afterwards. We'll arrive in Mi’le (64km, 1.5 hours) in the late afternoon and check into a beautiful Hot Springs Resort. In the evening you could choose to enjoy a memorable dinner in a high-class restaurant promoting the locally brewed red wine in the hotel. After dinner, travelers will be free to relax and socialize in and around the natural baths situated in a park just beside the hotel.

Day 2: Mi’le – Jianshui

After breakfast, we will drive you to Jianshui (166km, 3.5 hours). Visit the Confucius Temple, Chaoyang Archway and Jianshui ancient town. We’ll enjoy a stroll through the cozy streets of the old town in Jianshui and participate in some traditional entertainment. Tonight, we’ll have an accommodation in Zhu Family Garden Hotel. It’s also called 'Grand View Garden' of South Yunnan Province, is a representative of Chinese residential houses of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). We’ll have quite a unique experience to stay in such a big old mansion to feel the life style of old history which also doubles-up as a museum.

Day 3: Jianshui – Yuanyang

In the morning we will drive approximately 20 minutes to Tuanshan, a village founded in the Qing Dynasty. Visiting the village is like traveling to another China. Small, cobbled lanes and old women with bound feet leave you with impressions of timelessness. Besides this, the village has a lot to offer, such as art and architecture.The village might fill you with the impression that is neglected and deserted, as it is quietly moving along at its own pace. We also visit the ancient Double Dragon Bridge on the way. After lunch in a local family's home, we'll head to Yuanyang (122km, 3 hours). In various villages on the way there are several small factories. We visit one where they manufacture the famous Jianshui pots. Other interesting villages are also on our list, since we guide you to one with an ancient water well that is still in use, and one with a tofu-factory. 

Day 4: Yuanyang

Yuanyang is well-known for its stunning rice terraces which have been under continuous cultivation for thirteen centuries. They were officially granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 2013. The mountainous paddy fields in southeast Yunnan became the fourth such area to be recognized in Yunnan province. Yuanyang boasts a wide variety of ethnic minorities. Other than Han’s, Hani’s and Yi’s, you will encounter Miao, Zhuang and Dai people. Most of the rice terraces in Yuanyang are carved by the Hani minority over the centuries. Today you witness the sun rise, while being in the mountains. Have a look the rice terraces in Duoyishu, Bada, Laohuzui and visit some nice Hani-minority villages and a local market. Not a glimmer less interesting than sunrise is the beautiful sunset which we will enjoy in the evening.

Day 5:  Yuanyang – Lüchun

We head off early to catch a glimpse of some beautiful mountain landscapes up the hills to Lüchun (116km, 3 hours). We are passing many local villages as Jingpin and Laomeng, see other rice terraces on the way and have lunch with fresh rice from those terraces. If we are lucky we can even join the local markets (depending on the weekday). After some photography stops, we'll make our way to Lüchun and check into a comfortable hotel. In the afternoon, we'll visit the local Hani museum and a visit to a workshop for making traditional clothing. Visit an interesting market with all kinds of local specialties. As Lüchun is one of the most densely forested counties of Yunnan, it's certainly the perfect place to stock up on natural products like honey or herbs. After dinner, we'll stroll through town and investigate the local evening pastimes.

Day 6: Lüchun – Menglun

The next day we’ll drive to Menglun Town which belongs to Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna. On the way, we will pass by Jiangcheng, this is the only county located at the border with Laos and Burma. We will have a long distance to surmount today (330km, 8 hours) and drive some twisting, cobblestoned and dirt roads, but the nice scenery on the way, which is totally different from the former days what we saw in Yuanyang and Lüchun, compensates for all!

Day 7: Menglun – Jinghong (also known as Xishuangbanna)

Today we will explore Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden, the largest tropical botanical garden in China. It sits on a peninsula right on the Luosuo River. Thousands of varieties of tropical and subtropical plants from home and abroad are growing there. It is called the "Green Gem on the Crown of the Kingdom of Plants" and is the first embryo of the "Biological Society of Multi-levels and Multi-varieties". Thereafter we will take the road to Jinghong/Xishuangbanna (the capital city of Dai Autonomous Prefecture of Xishuangbanna) (73km, 2 hours), check in your comfortable hotel and have a good rest after long distance travelling in these days.

Day 8: Jinghong

Visit the Olive Dam (Ganlanba) and local morning market. Experience a combination of the water scapes and local Dai customs and enjoy the tropical fruits of various kinds of this subtropical area. Several hundred families are leading their peaceful and harmonious lives in the bamboo-built houses. In addition, you can join the hospitable folk in the local games, such as local boxing and cock fighting. Enjoy your free time at Jinghong in the afternoon.

Day 9: Jinghong – Menghai – Lancang

We drive to Menghai County and Lahu Minority Autonomous County of Lancang in the morning. Menghai is one of the main areas of tea trees. It was described as the First County of Pu’er Tea. Lancang is the same as Lan Xang, and refers to the Mekong River (known in Chinese as the Lancang) on its eastern borders and adopted by modern Laos, a Tai word meaning Million Elephants. The main minority in Lancang is Lahu. We will drive you to Wa Minority Autonomous County of Ximeng. Lahu and Wa minorities are totally different from the Dai minority, so it’s going to be another wonderful journey for us to experience the different ethnic people’s local life and culture. (Driving distance: 270km,6.5 hours)

Day 10: Lancang – Cangyuan

Today we drive to Cangyuan County via Shuangjiang, Gengma and Lincang. We will discover different minorities along the way, such as Lahu, Wa and Bulang, who all have their own authentic ethnic cultures. Lincang City is a prefecture-level city with the Lancang (Mekong) River to the east, the Lincang area borders Myanmar and includes eight counties, including the only two Wa Autonomous Counties in Yunnan --- Cangyuan and Ximeng, occupying 50% of the total population of Wa nationality in Yunnan.

Day 11: Cangyuan

Discover cliff paintings at Cangyuan, among the oldest of their kind ever discovered in China. It is estimated that these cliffs were originally drawn 3000 years ago during the Neolithic Period. Their rich content is mostly about the primitive life style of Yunnan people at this time. Cliff paintings have been found at 11 sites, all over Cangyuan County, generally at an altitude of about 1,500 meters on the cliff. Afterwards, we will head to visit small Wa villages in Cangyuan. Surrounded by beautiful natural scenery and rich ethnic customs also original architectural style can be marveled at. Wa traditions are by far the most well-preserved ones.

Please note: the visit of the cliff painting sites is subject to weather condition. Lincang is rich in rainfall, especially during the rainy season (May to October).

Day 12: Cangyuan – Weishan

Today we will spend the whole day driving from Cangyuan to Weishan County (390 km, 9.5 hours). Weishan is a Yi and Hui Autonomous County; it’s belonging to Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. Weishan County was listed as a National Historical and Cultural City. It is one of the four counties which have been celebrated as “literature of the state”. As the birth place of Nanzhao (a local regime in ancient China), there are a lot of relics and stories of Nanzhao in Weishan County. There are altogether 23 ethnic groups in Weishan County, among which 6 ethnic groups have settled there for more than 100 years, including the Han, Yi, Hui, Bai, Miao and Lisu ethnic group.

Day 13: Weishan – Dali

We will visit Dong Lian Hua Village today (East Lotus Village, 27km, 40 minutes), one Muslim village in the Weishan valley where you can visit the traditional local courtyards. It was an important stop along the ancient Tea and Horse Road. Afterwards we are going to drive to Dali Ancient Town in the afternoon (48km, 1 hour). Delaying on the Cangshan Mountain, Dali Ancient Town, laying in the hug of the Erhai Lake, has experienced 1200 years’ history. Along the Ancient Town, the customs and ancient architectures with the original designs are well reserved. Potted plants can be commonly seen in the old houses, ancient wells are still shared among neighbors and clear streams are flowing through the town.

Day 14: Dali

Our hotel is located in Dali Ancient Town, enjoy your free time today, have a good rest after a long trip. You have options to climb the city wall or visit local souvenir roads which Dali is very famous for. Taste some local snacks and dishes and have a cup of coffee bathed by the sun. Explore Dali ancient town by yourself and enjoy your leisure time.

Day 15: Dali – Departure

On the last day we will drop you off at the airport, bus or train station or wherever you'd like to go in Dali. If time allows, we recommend to continue your journey further north to Lijiang and Shangri-La.