DAY 1
Depart on your scheduled flight to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province.
DAY 2
On arrival transfer to your hotel for a two night stay. Kunming is a delightful, relaxed city with parks, tree-lined boulevards, an old quarter, and an average annual temperature above 60°F.
DAY 3
An orientation tour of the city followed by a full day excursion to the remarkable Stone Forest at Shilin, southeast of Kunming. An extremely rare natural phenomenon, it is a vast area of limestone pillars, eroded over 270 million years into bizarre and fanciful shapes which resemble a forest. On the return journey, you will stop at the Sani village of Qi Xin.
DAY 4
Transfer to the airport for the short flight to Dali, home of the Bai minority. This engaging and ancient walled city is wedged between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake, with plenty of preserved stone architecture and cobbled streets. On arrival drive to Erhai Lake for a delightful boat trip to the island of Jin Suo, to visit a Bai fishing village and market. Then visit the remarkable Three Pagodas to the north of Dali, amongst the oldest standing structures in China, dating from 850. The rest of the day at leisure to explore Dali.
DAY 5
Morning visit to the marble workshops and store. Dali is famous throughout China for its abundant resources of marble, now being exported worldwide.
Afternoon drive to the Bai villages of Xizhou and Zhoucheng to see traditional tea merchants’ houses, colourful markets and plenty of authentic local character. Continue through rich farmland and mountain scenery to 800 year old Lijiang, situated in a picturesque valley. The old town, a World Heritage Site, is an extraordinary blend of winding cobbled streets, wooden buildings, markets, shops, teahouses and canals. There is a joyous, relaxed atmosphere amongst both visitors and the local Naxi people.
Transfer to your hotel for a two night stay. This evening an included visit to a performance by the fabled Naxi Orchestra, which plays original instruments not usually heard in China any more. Some of this group buried their instruments underground during the Cultural Revolution.
DAY 6
A full day’s exploration of the beautiful and historic surroundings of Lijiang. Visit Black Dragon Pool Park and the Yak Meadow of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where you will take a gondola for stupendous views. After lunch at a local restaurant, continue to Yuhu, an unspoilt Naxi village where the botanist and explorer, Joseph Rock, lived and worked in the 1930s.
Lijiang is famous for its temple frescoes and you will visit some fine examples dating from the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Baisha, formerly the capital of the Naxi kingdom, before returning to Lijiang.
DAY 7
Morning departure along the Yunnan-Tibet road, bound for Zhongdian. First stop is the River Yangtze, already well established on its long journey to the East China Sea. You will see the symbolic bend where Mao and his revolutionaries crossed the Yangtze during the Long March, commemorated by a fine statue of a soldier and a peasant next to an ancient Ming footbridge. Drive on to Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is actually deeper than the famous Three Gorges much further downriver. The turbulent waters crash spectacularly through the narrow gap between two sheer rock faces in a torrent of foam and spray. Descend 510 steps for the best view, or hire a sedan chair for around £3. The subsequent drive up onto the plateau is beautiful, with typical Tibetan villages along the way. Late afternoon arrival in Zhongdian for a two night stay.
DAY 8
Zhongdian has been officially renamed Shangri-la and is a vibrant mix of old and new. As with most cities, part of it is modern and developed, but this sits comfortably with the older, more traditional scenes, such as women still wearing their native costume, and fascinating side streets leading from the ancient central square. We include a guided walking tour of the old town and an excursion into the surrounding area. You will drive through Tibetan village communities to Bita Lake visiting the 300 year old Sumtsenling Monastery, one of the most significant in all China. On the return drive, you will stop at a Tibetan household, with farm animals on the ground floor and the family upstairs, complete with prayer room.
DAY 9
Morning transfer to Zhongdian airport for the flight, via Kunming, to Beijing. Transfer to your hotel for an overnight stay.
DAY 10
Transfer to the airport for your return flight to the UK. As you are flying westwards, your arrival will be later the same day.