Shangri-La Exploration Tour

After a 1½-hour drive, visit a fantastic natural phenomenon located 90 kilometers southeast of Kunming — the Stone Forest. The various shapes of limestone were formed due to millions of years' movement of the Earth. The Stone Forest area is the home of the Naxi people, and their folk customs have become a spectacular scene. The colorful embroidery and minority dances combined with the natural scenery will surely leave you with a lasting impression. Enjoy a local lunch in a quaint courtyard with the Stone Forest Park in the background.

In the afternoon, transfer back to Kunming and visit the Yuantong Temple, the largest and most ancient Buddhist temple in Kunming, to learn about the differences between the halls of the three denominations of Buddhism.

After the tour, your guide and driver will escort you back to your hotel for a good rest.

Accommodation: 4* New Era Hotel/ 5* Sofitel Kunming Hotel

You will be transferred to your morning flight to arrive in Dali within one hour. Upon arrival, your Dali guide will be waiting to start a colorful day with you. First, visit the houses of the Bai minority people> in Xizhou Village. You will see typical Bai traditions and dresses. Some buildings are old and have typical ancient architectures, and are the ‘real local’ houses. Then hop in a horse-drawn carriage to enjoy a relaxing tour along the lakeshore of Erhai, which is blessed with a mild climate and stunning scenery. Have lunch at a popular local restaurant.

Located at the foot of the Cangshan Mountains is Dali Ancient Town, where clear springs flow and local minority people live. In a quiet corner of the town, you will also find a Chinese-style Catholic church that was built in 1927. Stay overnight in the ancient town and relax.

Accommodation: 4* Dali Landscape Hotel/ 5* Gurong Hotel

Your personal guide and driver will transfer you directly from Dali to Lijiang. Enjoy lunch and start the tour in Lijiang. Lijiang Ancient Town is the best-preserved minority ancient city. Most of the people living there belong to the Naxi minority, some of whom still make a living by making handicrafts of silver, leather, textiles, and some local snacks. Enjoy the quaint city scenery and see plenty of handicrafts in a distinctive style only found in this area of China. You can climb up to Lion Hill to have a bird’s-eye view of the whole town.

Then pay a visit to the Black Dragon Pool Park, where the view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is one of the most famous postcard-perfect sceneries in southwest China. Stay overnight in Lijiang Ancient Town.

Accommodation: 4* Lijiang Wangfu Hotel/5* InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort

Welcome to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the holy mountain of the Naxi people. Use the cable car and find yourself in a real paradise as you overlook stunning and variant natural beauty, including spruces, meadows, pines, and clouds.

On your way back to Lijiang, enjoy lunch and see the mysterious Baisha Murals at Baisha Village. Painted over 1,000 years ago, the murals display the life stories of China’s main religions, including Confucianism, Taoism, and Tibetan Buddhism. Have a relaxing walking int he Baisha Village and get to know about the local life and culture.

Accommodation: 4* Lijiang Wangfu Hotel/5* InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort

Your guide and driver will escort you from Lijiang to Shangri-La. Along the way, visit one of the world’s deepest and most marvelous gorges — Tiger Leaping Gorge. The dashing water from the magnificent Jinsha River flows into the narrow valley with a stone in the center. There is an ancient saying that the gorge is so narrow that a tiger was able to leap over to the other side of the river, hence the name.

After lunch, continue the 2-hour drive to Shangri-La. Have a good rest in hotel to adapt the high altitude of 3200 meters.

Note: Tiger Leaping Gorge’s rainy season comes in June and August. This is when the view is the most magnificent, but the stone steps could be slippery. May and early June are the best times to go there, when the hills are adorned with plants and flowers.

Accommodation: 4* Shangri-la Old Town Hotel/ 5* Shangri-la Hotel

Immerse yourself in the breathtaking natural beauty and holy religious atmosphere of the unspoiled Shangri-La. Visit the largest Tibetan Buddhist Lamasery in Yunnan Province — Songzanlin Lamasery — which was built in the style of Potala Palace in Lhasa and represents the Tibetan culture, housing Buddhist statues and many precious cultural treasures. Visit a Tibetan family to enjoy an authentic local meal for lunch.

Pudacuo National Park retains a well-preserved ecosystem within the virgin forests. The must-see scenery in this park includes Lake Bita and Lake Shudu. ‘Bita’ means ‘a place with a dense oak forest’ in the Tibetan language and ‘Bitahai’ means ‘a quiet lake’. The Bitahai Lake is surrounded by mountains covered with ancient pines, oaks, and rhododendrons, and appears like an emerald in the heart of the mountains. Shudu Lake is surrounded by a forest of fir, spruce, and silver birch, and is home to lots of wild animals, such as squirrels, golden cats, and pheasants. Stay overnight in Shangri-La.

Accommodation: 4* Shangri-la Old Town Hotel/ 5* Shangri-la Hotel

As your journey concludes, your tour guide, driver, and car will meet you at your hotel and transfer you to the airport. They will assist you with your luggage and check-in, and accompany you until the security checkpoint to wave goodbye.

Apart from Kunming, you can fly from Shangri-La to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, and Lhasa. If you need help for departure flight booking, please inform your trip advisor and we will check the best price for you.