Your city → Kunming – Flight TBD

Departure from your city towards Kunming (flight references to be determined); we remain at your disposal to adjust it to your departure city and exact travel dates.

Arrival in Kunming → hotel – Duration: about 1h transfer • Altitude: 1,800 m

Welcome at Kunming airport by your driver, holding a sign with your name, then transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to recover from your long flight: a walk to Emerald Lake is a must, where locals gather to sing, dance and play music, before continuing on to the Yuantong Buddhist temple five minutes away. In the evening, enjoy the Yunnan minorities’ song-and-dance show “Dynamic Yunnan” (8:00-9:30pm). Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at Upland International Youth Hostel.

Included services: Private airport-hotel transfer, Dynamic Yunnan show

Kunming → Stone Forest → Jianshui – Duration: about 4h drive • Altitude: 1,800 m

Meet your English-speaking driver-guide at 8:00 for the drive to the Stone Forest. We suggest a two- to three-hour walk among the karst pinnacles and rock formations, away from the busiest paths. Continue on to Jianshui and settle in at the guesthouse, visiting the Zhu family residence, one of Yunnan’s best-preserved, made up of interior courtyards, pavilions and gardens. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at Fuyali.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, private air-conditioned transfers, Stone Forest entrance

Jianshui – Altitude: 1,800 m

Free morning and lunch. In the afternoon, your guide takes you to the Confucius Temple, the second largest in China after the one in Qufu, the master’s birthplace. The complex includes a vast park with a pond, several courtyards, fine gateways, temples and pavilions, perfect for an unhurried stroll. The rest of the day can be spent exploring the old town and its cobbled lanes on foot. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at Fuyali.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Confucius Temple entrance

Jianshui → Double Dragon Bridge → Tuanshan → Yuanyang – Duration: about 4h drive • Altitude: 1,800 m

A morning visit to the Double Dragon Bridge, then a small colonial-era railway station, before reaching the traditional village of Tuanshan, wandering lanes that feel like stepping back in time. The road then continues towards the Yuanyang region, with photo stops at rice-terrace viewpoints where weather allows. Check in at Twelve Manor Terraces, overlooking the terraces between Jingkou and Bada. Dinner at your own expense at the hotel restaurant.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, listed entrances

Xinjie → Malaohe → Yuanyang – Duration: about 2h drive

Departure after breakfast for the town of Xinjie, where the morning market brings together the Yi, Hani and Dai minorities (the exact date follows the Chinese lunar calendar). Continue to the small village of Malaohe, where a home-cooked lunch is served after a colourful show of traditional song and dance. The afternoon is devoted to a two- to three-hour walk through the terraced rice fields and surrounding hamlets. Dinner at the hotel. Overnight at Twelve Manor Terraces.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, lunch and show in Malaohe, dinner at the hotel

Yuanyang → Xiushan → Kunming – Duration: about 6h drive

Breakfast at the hotel before the long drive back to Kunming; lunch at your own expense en route. A stop along the way at Mount Xiushan. In the evening, a stroll to the flower and bird market. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at Upland International Youth Hostel.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Mount Xiushan entrance

Kunming → Dongchuan → Lexiaguo – Duration: about 4h transfer • Altitude: 1,800 m

Meet your driver at 9:00 for the morning drive to Dongchuan, then on to the “red earth” region of Lexiaguo. On arrival, a first walk through the various sites of the region reveals this striking mineral landscape, carved by erosion and striped with terraced fields following the contours of the hills. Meals at your own expense. Overnight at Luoxiaju Homestay.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, listed sightseeing

Lexiaguo → Kunmin.g → train to Dali – Duration: about 4h drive • Train D8758 (2:29pm-4:38pm)

Morning devoted to exploring the terraced landscapes of the region, especially near the villages of Huashitou, Lexiaguo and Damakan, where the red and ochre tones of the earth shift with the changing light. Drive back to Kunming, visiting the Golden Temple on the way. Transfer to the station for train D8758 (departs 2:29pm, arrives 4:38pm, 2nd class seats); welcome by a driver in Dali and transfer to Yunxi Boutique Hotel, well located in the heart of the old town where you can stroll freely this evening

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Golden Temple and Bamboo Temple, Kunming-Dali train

Dali → Three Pagodas → Zhoucheng → Xizhou – Duration: about 1h drive • Altitude: 1,900 m

Meet your English-speaking driver-guide after breakfast to wander the old town’s lanes, still quiet at this hour, then transfer to the Temple of the Three Pagodas. Lunch at your own expense, then on to the Bai village of Zhoucheng to meet its residents, learn about the batik dyeing technique practised here for generations, and discover its charming small temples. Transfer on to Xizhou and check in at the superb Linden Centre, set within a magnificent traditional Bai residence. The afternoon can continue by bicycle to Lake Erhai, or wandering the village lanes.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Three Pagodas entrance, guided tour of the Linden Centre

Xizhou → Donglianhua → Weibaoshan → Weishan – Duration: about 2h drive • Altitude: 1,900 m

Private transfer to the Weishan valley, still untouched by tourism, home to a warm and welcoming population. Along the way, a visit to the Hui village of Donglianhua, with its small Tea Horse Road museum and mosque. In the afternoon, discover Mount Weibaoshan at 2,500 m altitude: one of China’s thirteen sacred Taoist mountains, this peaceful site invites an easy walk among small temples home to Taoist monks. Arrival in Weishan in the late afternoon, with an evening stroll through the old town. Overnight at Gucheng Inn (Weishan Laoguan).

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Mount Weibaoshan entrance

Weishan → Yunlong valley → Nuodeng – Duration: about 2h30 drive • Altitude: 2,100 m

Morning departure for the Yunlong valley and the distinctive village of Nuodeng, perched on a hillside and inaccessible to motor vehicles: locals carry their loads by mule, houses are built of carved wood, and farming traditions remain very much alive. A ten-minute climb leads to the family-run inn, from where you can explore the surroundings and the Confucius Temple at the top of the village. In the afternoon, a short walk along the old Tea Horse Road, a paved path once used by caravans until the last century, passing abandoned villages along the way. Dinner at your own expense. A chance to watch grandmothers preparing incense sticks using age-old techniques. Overnight at Harmony Inn.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide

Nuodeng → Shibaoshan → Shaxi – Duration: about 3h drive • Altitude: 2,050 m

This morning’s road leads to the great Shaxi valley, with a stop before arrival at Mount Shibaoshan, a fine collection of Buddhist rock carvings and serenely zen temples. Continue to Shaxi and settle in at the heart of the old town, in a beautifully restored traditional courtyard that once lodged merchants travelling the great Tea Horse Road caravan route, of which Shaxi was one of the major trading hubs. The hotel has a good restaurant. Overnight at Aoding Courtyard.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Shibaoshan entrance

Shaxi → Jianchuan → Shigu → Tacheng – Duration: about 5h drive • Altitude: 3,200 m

Departure at 8:00 for Jianchuan and visit of the park renowned for its “Mountain of a Thousand Lions”, sandstone formations sculpted by erosion. Continue with brief stops along the way in various small Naxi and Lisu villages, including Shigu and its famous first bend of the Yangtze River. Lunch at your own expense. The road continues to Tacheng and the Yunnan Golden Monkey park; dinner at your own expense en route and check-in in the evening at Weixi Yueting Yushe.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, 1000 lionspark entrance

Tacheng → Baima reserve → Cizhong – Duration: about 4h drive • Altitude: 2,200 m

Departure at 8:00 for the Baima nature reserve, to observe the protected Yunnan golden monkeys in their natural habitat. On the way back, the option to visit villages of the Naxi minority, as well as the village next to the hotel, surrounded by vineyards and known for its excellent traditional honey. After lunch, the road leads to the remarkable village of Cizhong, home to Tibetan Catholics since French missionaries arrived in the 19th century. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at Shengjing Yiju.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Baima reserve entrance

Cizhong → Mingyong glacier → Meili – Duration: about 3h drive • Altitude: 3,300 m

Early departure this morning to reach the trail leading to the Mingyong glacier, at the foot of the Kawa Karpo summit and the Meili mountains, regarded as a range of sacred Tibetan Buddhist peaks. A fine roughly three-hour return walk to the glacier and a local temple, with the option of an electric shuttle for part of the way. Lunch at your own expense. Dinner at your own expense at Shenfeng Juyuan Hotel, which offers a direct view of the Meili range.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Mingyong glacier entrance, electric shuttle

Meili → Benzilan → Shangri-La – Duration: about 3h drive • Altitude: 2,300 m

A magnificent sunrise over the Meili mountains before setting off towards Benzilan, crossing the three White Horse passes. Along the way, superb viewpoints over the range and then a stunning bend in the Yangtze. Visit the Tibetan monastery of Dongzhulin, set on the riverbank and known for having hosted several “living Buddhas”, with a stop also at the village of Nixi, known for its black-clay pottery. Continue on to Shangri-La and check in at Timeless Inn. Dinner at your own expense.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Dongzhulin monastery entrance

Shangri-La and its surroundings

A day devoted to exploring Shangri-La, beginning with the magnificent Tibetan monastery of Songzanlin. A walk to the local market, then through the old town, including the Bai Ji Si temple offering fine views over the town and the Shika mountains (the centre of the old town, ravaged by fire in January 2014, is gradually being rebuilt). Free time for lunch. The afternoon is devoted to riding the cable car up Mount Shika, with the option of walking back down or taking the cable car again. In the evening, the chance to join the locals’ spontaneous dancing on the old town square. Dinner at your own expense. Overnight at Timeless Inn.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Songzanlin monastery entrance, Shika cable car

Shangri-La → Baishuitai → Tiger Leaping Gorge – Duration: about 4h drive

The road to Tiger Leaping Gorge via Baishuitai and its limestone terraces. Lunch (own expense) on the way. The afternoon continues with a visit to the official Gorge site, ending at Tiger Roar Yunbo Jinsha, tucked into Walnut Garden opposite the cliff face. Meals at your own expense.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, private air-conditioned transfers

Tiger Leaping Gorge → Daju → Wumu – Duration: about 6h drive

A two- to three-hour walk this morning, starting from the Halfway Guest House to Tina’s. Lunch at your own expense, then a crossing of the Yangtze to reach Daju, and a long drive towards the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain national park in the direction of Wumu village, with a first stop at Jade Lake along the way. You are now in Naxi territory, where several Dongba shamans remain active in a valley that has stayed off the tourist trail. Accommodation at Huahuasei Lodge, the only guesthouse in the valley. Dinner at your own expense, on site.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, local trekking guide

Wumu valley, Baoshan

Breakfast at the lodge, then a free day to discover the valley with your guide: a walk through the surroundings and a possible meeting with a Dongba shaman, who can explain the foundations of his traditional beliefs and the pictographic script unique to the Naxi. Meals at your own expense. Overnight at Huahuasei Lodge.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide

Wumu → Jade Dragon park → Shuhe – Duration: about 4h drive • Altitude: 2,300 m

A morning drive to Lijiang through the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain nature park and Blue Moon Valley, where turquoise lakes mirror the glacier above. Continue to the Naxi village of Shuhe, at the heart of the Lijiang valley, and check in at the superb The Bivou. The afternoon can continue with a tour of the neighbouring villages of Baisha or Shuhe. Dinner at your own expense at one of Shuhe’s many restaurants, just steps from the hotel.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Jade Dragon park entrance

Shuhe → Lijiang → train to Kunming – Duration: about 2h30 transfer • Train C460 (4:52pm-8:57pm)

Transfer after breakfast to Lijiang’s old town, which you can explore at your own pace: a climb up Lion Hill for views over the traditional rooftops, then down to Black Dragon Pool park. Lunch at your own expense, then a mid-afternoon transfer to the station for train C460 bound for Kunming (departs 4:52pm, arrives 8:57pm). Welcome by a driver on arrival and transfer to the hotel. Overnight at Upland International Youth Hostel.

Included services: English-speaking driver-guide, Lijiang-Kunming train ticket

Kunming → airport → Your City  – Duration: about 1h transfer

A free start to the day in Kunming, perhaps for one last visit to the flower and bird market, before a very early transfer (departing around 5:00) to the airport for flight CA4171 bound for Beijing, taking off at 7:00 and landing at 10:40. After a 2h55 transit, boarding on flight CA933, taking off at 1:35pm and landing in Paris at 6:40pm (return fare available for around 1100 euros, subject to availability).

End of our services. We wish you a pleasant journey home, with wonderful memories to treasure!