Sample Tours

Option 1- 8 Days Basic Yunnan Tour
Day 1—Kunming- Green Lake, Yuantong Temple. Stone Forest.
We will arrive in the famous “Spring City”, with its year-round mild weather, you will quickly see why both foreigners and Chinese regard it as one of the most livable cities in China. Despite the city’s rapid modernization, Kunming people refuse to be anything other than laid-back. We will start our morning with a visit to the lovely “Green Lake” a favorite outdoor and romantic hang out for locals. The lovely atmosphere of the park is enhanced in the summer with the beautiful blossoming of Lotus flowers, and in the winter with the much anticipated visit of Siberian seagulls—a local favorite. Then we will go to the nearby lively Buddhist Temple, Yuantong Temple. This will be followed by a short drive outside the city to experience the breathtaking Karst scenery at Kunming’s world famous Stone Forest.
Day 2- Chinese Language class, drive to Dali- in Dali city, calligraphy
We will start the morning with a Chinese Language class, and then drive to Dali. The beautiful town is at 1900m, immediately west of the mystical Erhai Lake, the seventh biggest fresh water lake in china. For over 3000 years this area has been home to the Bai People. At one time Dali was the capital of the Nan Zhao and the Dali kingdoms which controlled all of Southwest China and parts of modern-day Burma. This city is regarded as an ideal launching point to begin exploring Yunnan. We will have a calligraphy class where you can try your hand at the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy.
Day3 - Yoga, Dali- walk in Cangshan Mt., tea culture class.
We will start our morning as we refresh our body and mind with a Yoga class. We will then take a cable-car up Mt. Cangshan, and from there have a nice easy walk enjoying great views of Erhai lake as well as ancient thousand year old pagodas. We will pass some lovely ponds and local Daoist and Buddhist Temples. In the afternoon we will explore the world of Chinese Tea Culture.
Day4 - Dali- Erhai lake, minority market, Shuanglang village, Shaxi old town.
We will explore Erhai Lake by boat, and then head to a bustling local market which will be followed by a short trip to Shuanglang, a quiet minority village just beside Erhai Lake. We will visit this lovely town and stroll around its streets, watching the local life in action. We will then drive to Shaxi and enjoy the relaxed laid back ancient town, and its surroundings, all virtually untouched by tourists. You will be amazed to find this now rural, simple town was once an important stop on the famous Tea- Horse Trail, which used to go from south Yunnan all the way to Tibet and Central Asia.
Day 5- martial arts, visit Mt. Shibao and surrounding temples
Our morning will begin with the practice of the world’s most ancient martial arts, Kung Fu, which will increase our vitality and will clear our mind. We will then go to Shibao Shan where we will visit local Buddhist Temples, and view the fantastic life-like stone carvings from the Nanzhao Kingdom (8th-9th century CE) of kings and Buddhist figures. Watch the wild monkeys, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere this beautiful town provides.
Day 6- Morning in Shaxi then drive to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, end our day in the old town of Lijiang
We will explore the legendary Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world’s deepest gorges. It is here, as legend tells us, that a tiger, escaping hunters, leapt over the raging current of the river below from one side of the gorge to the other. The gorge stands 3900m above the waters of the Yangzi River. You will see the Haba Snow Mountain to the East and the Jade Dragon Mountain to the West.
Day 7- Visit Lijiang old town, black dragon pool, park view.
Lijiang – one of the most famous destinations in China. This ancient city, which suffered from an earthquake in 1996, is the home to the Naxi minority, who practices the unique Dongba religion, and an unordinary pictographic language. Packed with old canals, beautiful, traditional Naxi houses, and streets lined with traditional red lanterns, you could spend weeks here taking in all the beauty Lijiang has to offer. Visit the local food market, see the classical view of Lijiang in the Black Dragon Pool Park, where you will see the small delicate “Dragon Pool” pond contrasted with the massive Yulong Snow Mountain in the background. Later on we will head to Wangulou Park where we will find a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the entire old city and architecture of Lijiang.
Day 8— show “impression lijiang”, cable car to Yulong Snow Mountain, Yuhu village.
Enjoy the show: “Impression Lijiang”, directed by the man responsible for the opening ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Zhang Yimou, this impressive performance will blow you away. The hundreds of amateur actors are all local people from the surrounding villages, gathered together to display their local traditional entertainment. We will continue our visit to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596m). We will take a cable-car to more than 3000m above sea level. From there we will take in the marvelous views of the mountain and the surrounding grasslands. Upon returning from the mountain we will explore the Naxi minority’s well-preserved ancient Yuhu Village with its traditional stone buildings. Here we will end the tour and fly to our next destination.
Option 2- North Yunnan- Tibetan areas- 12 days
Day 1—Kunming- Green Lake, Yuantong Temple, Stone Forest.
We will arrive in the famous “Spring City”, with its year-round mild weather, you will quickly see why both foreigners and Chinese regard it as one of the most livable cities in China. Despite the city’s rapid modernization, Kunming people refuse to be anything other than laid-back. We will start our morning with a visit to the lovely “Green Lake” a favorite outdoor and romantic hang out for locals. The lovely atmosphere of the park is enhanced in the summer with the beautiful blossoming of Lotus flowers, and in the winter with the much anticipated visit of Siberian seagulls—a local favorite. Then we will go to the nearby lively Buddhist Temple, Yuantong Temple. This will be followed by a short drive outside the city to experience the breathtaking Karst scenery at Kunming’s world famous Stone Forest.
Day 2- Chinese Language class, drive to Dali- in Dali city, calligraphy
We will start the morning with a Chinese Language class, and then drive to Dali. The beautiful town is at 1900m, immediately west of the mystical Erhai Lake, the seventh biggest fresh water lake in china. For over 3000 years this area has been home to the Bai People. At one time Dali was the capital of the Nan Zhao and the Dali kingdoms which controlled all of Southwest China and parts of modern-day Burma. This city is regarded as an ideal launching point to begin exploring Yunnan. We will have a calligraphy class where you can try your hand at the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy.
Day3 - Yoga, Dali- walk in Cangshan Mt., tea culture class.
We will start our morning as we refresh our body and mind with a Yoga class. We will then take a cable-car up Mt. Cangshan, and from there have a nice easy walk enjoying great views of Erhai lake as well as ancient thousand year old pagodas. We will pass some lovely ponds and local Daoist and Buddhist Temples. In the afternoon we will explore the world of Chinese Tea Culture.
Day4 - Dali- Erhai lake, minority market, Shuanglang village, Shaxi old town.
We will explore Erhai Lake by boat, and then head to a bustling local market which will be followed by a short trip to Shuanglang, a quiet minority village just beside Erhai Lake. We will visit this lovely town and stroll around its streets, watching the local life in action. We will then drive to Shaxi and enjoy the relaxed laid back ancient town, and its surroundings, all virtually untouched by tourists. You will be amazed to find this now rural, simple town was once an important stop on the famous Tea- Horse Trail, which used to go from south Yunnan all the way to Tibet and Central Asia.
Day 5- martial arts, visit Mt. Shibao and surrounding temples
Our morning will begin with the practice of the world’s most ancient martial arts, Kung Fu, which will increase our vitality and will clear our mind. We will then go to Shibao Shan where we will visit local Buddhist Temples, and view the fantastic life-like stone carvings from the Nanzhao Kingdom (8th-9th century CE) of kings and Buddhist figures. Watch the wild monkeys, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere this beautiful town provides.
Day 6- morning in Shaxi then drive to lijiang, visit the old town black dragon pool, park view
Lijiang – one of the most famous destinations in China. This ancient city, which suffered from an earthquake in 1996, is the home to the Naxi minority, who practices the unique Dongba religion, and an unordinary pictographic language. Packed with old canals, beautiful, traditional Naxi houses, and streets lined with traditional red lanterns, you could spend weeks here taking in all the beauty Lijiang has to offer. Visit the local food market, see the classical view of Lijiang in the Black Dragon Pool Park, where you will see the small delicate “Dragon Pool” pond contrasted with the massive Yulong Snow Mountain in the background. Later on we will head to Wangulou Park where we will find a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the entire old city and architecture of Lijiang.
Day 7—local food market, show “impression lijiang”, cable car to Yulong Snow Mountain, Yuhu village.
Enjoy the show: “Impression Lijiang”, directed by the man responsible for the opening ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Zhang Yimou, this impressive performance will blow you away. The hundreds of amateur actors are all local people from the surrounding villages, gathered together to display their local traditional entertainment. We will continue our visit to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596m). We will take a cable-car to more than 3000m above sea level. From there we will take in the marvelous views of the mountain and the surrounding grasslands. Upon returning from the mountain we will explore the Naxi minority’s well-preserved ancient Yuhu Village with its traditional stone buildings. Here we will end the tour and fly to our next destination.
Day 8- Lijiang to Shangri-La by way of the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
From Tiger Leaping Gorge we will head Northwest to Shangri-La, experiencing the breathtaking views along the way. Our destination, Shangri-la, the town that got its name from the famous novel “Lost Horizon”, a mythical town, “a heaven on earth”, where all the inhabitants are happy and prosperous. We will stroll around this lively town on the edge of the Himalayas before ending our day.
Day 9- Songzanglin Temple, Pudacuo National Park
We will start our day with a visit to Pudacuo National Park – China’s first National Park. It is located in one of the most bio-diverse regions in the world. This park contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, and roughly one-third of its mammal and bird species, not to mention its almost 100 endangered species. We will continue our day with a visit to Songzanglin which is a special Tibetan monastery, the largest in Yunnan with over 400 monks. This monastery is one of the most important “Yellow-Hat” Sect (Gelug-pa) of Tibetan Buddhist temples in China—sometimes referred as “the little Potala”.
Day 10- Benzilan (Dongzhulin monastery), Deqin (Meili Snow Mountain).
Here we will explore one of the great Tibetan areas of Yunnan. By the way of a winding road which will take us by the magnificent Meili Snow Mountain (6740m), a holy place for Tibetan pilgrims located on the border between Yunnan and Tibet. We will stop in the beautiful Dongzhulin Tibetan monastery which offers a glimpse not only of Tibetan life but also the Tibetan landscape. The monastery has a rich collection of traditional Tibetan paintings and Buddhist art.
Day 11- visit the Mingyong glacier, ride a horse.
We will travel to Meili Snow Mountain, which has never been climbed by man, where we will witness the truly awesome sunrise over the peaks of the Himalayas from the Feilai Temple. We will continue our day on horseback to see the China’s lowest glacier (around 2200m), the Mingyong glacier, which has an amazingly diverse ecosystem.
Day 12- Back to shangrila. Here we end our trip and fly to your next destination.
Option 3- South Yunnan -12 days [more...]
Day 1- Departure from Kunming to Jianshui. Visit the old town, the nobles’ mansion (Zhujia Huayuan). Swallow’s Cavern (Yanzi Dong), sleep in Jianshui. [more...]
Jianshui, 220 kilometers south of Kunming, is a historic city. It was one of the earliest cities in southern Yunnan and is an important gateway to Southeast Asia. Since the Yuan Dynasty, it has been a political and cultural center. It dates back over 1180 years. The “Nobles’ Mansion” is a wonderfully preserved Qing Dynasty home of dynasty’s local elite, with wonderful gardens, architecture and landscape, this massive project took 30 years to complete. “Swallow’s cave” is a huge limestone cave with a river running through it. It has amazing stalactites and stalagmites creating a variety of weird and wonderful formations. A truly world class spectacle. In the spring and summer we will find hundreds of thousands of swallows flying in and out of the cave.
Day 2-Visit Tuan Shan village, Shuanglong bridge, drive to Yuanyang.
We will start our day with a visit to Tuanshan. Tuanshan has distinctive, extremely well-preserved architecture and wood carvings which make it one of the most beautiful and important ancient places in Yunnan “fully showcasing China's indigenous cultural characteristics… it is of world value”. Next we will see Twin Dragon Bridge, one of the 10 oldest bridges in all of China. The structure is so massive that it took two periods of the Qing dynasty to be completed. We will then head further south to Yuanyang. Yuanyang is a Hani minority settlement atop a ridge of the Ailao mountain range at an elevation of around 1570 meters. For the past 1300 years the Hani people have transformed these mountains into unbelievably beautiful terraced rice paddies. Despite the overwhelming scenic beauty of its landscape and colorful local minorities, mass tourism has yet to develop in this region. We will enjoy the awesome sunset over the terraces.
Day 3- Watch sunrise in Yuanyang rice terraces, visit surrounding villages and minority markets.
Explore the beautiful area’s spectacular rice terraces and exciting local cultures and traditions found in the local markets, where people from all over the area assemble to sell their goods.
Day 4- On the way back to Kunming, visit the Mongolian village of Xingmeng.
The only remaining descendants of Kublhai Khan’s Mongolian soldiers who conquered Yunnan live in Xingmeng. The preserved their Mongolian heritage in secret for centuries. Many of the villagers still wear the traditional dress with pride. Towards the evening we will arrive in the famous “Spring City”, with its year-round mild weather, you will quickly see why both foreigners and Chinese regard it as one of the most livable cities in China. Despite the city’s rapid modernization, Kunming people refuse to be anything other than laid-back.
Day 5—Kunming- Green Lake, Bamboo temple.
We will start our morning with a visit to the lovely “Green Lake” a favorite outdoor and romantic hang out for locals. The lovely atmosphere of the park is enhanced in the summer with the beautiful blossoming of Lotus flowers, and in the winter with the much anticipated visit of Siberian seagulls—a local favorite. Then we will go to the bamboo temple.Here we will see extraordinary sculptures of the Buddhist Arhats (people who achieved Nirvana), which represent how anyone can achieve the highest Buddhist ideal. The fascinating, and exaggerated life-like statues aside, the temple alone is a beautiful relaxed active Buddhist temple where you can witness monks and local believers at their daily prayers.
Day 6 - Chinese language, drive to Dali- in Dali city, calligraphy.
We will start the morning with a Chinese Language class, and then drive to Dali. The beautiful town is at 1900m, immediately west of the mystical Erhai Lake, the seventh biggest fresh water lake in china. For over 3000 years this area has been home to the Bai People. At one time Dali was the capital of the Nan Zhao and the Dali kingdoms which controlled all of Southwest China and parts of modern-day Burma. This city is regarded as an ideal launching point to begin exploring Yunnan. We will have a calligraphy class where you can try your hand at the ancient art of Chinese calligraphy.
Day 7 - Yoga, Dali- walk in Cangshan Mt., tea culture
We will start our morning as we refresh our body and mind with a Yoga class. We will then take a cable-car up Mt. Cangshan, and from there have a nice easy walk enjoying great views of Erhai lake as well as ancient thousand year old pagodas. We will pass some lovely ponds and local Daoist and Buddhist Temples. In the afternoon we will explore the world of Chinese Tea Culture.
Day 8 - Dali- Erhai lake, minority market, Shuanglang village, Shaxi old town.
We will explore Erhai Lake by boat, and then head to a bustling local market which will be followed by a short trip to Shuanglang, a quiet minority village just beside Erhai Lake. We will visit this lovely town and stroll around its streets, watching the local life in action. We will then drive to Shaxi and enjoy the relaxed laid back ancient town, and its surroundings, all virtually untouched by tourists. You will be amazed to find this now rural, simple town was once an important stop on the famous Tea- Horse Trail, which used to go from south Yunnan all the way to Tibet and Central Asia.
Day 9- martial arts, visit Mt. Shibao and surroundings
Our morning will begin with the practice of the world’s most ancient martial arts, Kung Fu, which will increase our vitality and will clear our mind. We will then go to Shibao Shan where we will visit local Buddhist Temples, and view the fantastic life-like stone carvings from the Nanzhao Kingdom (8th-9th century CE) of kings and Buddhist figures. Watch the wild monkeys, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere this beautiful town provides.
Day 10- Morning in Shaxi then drive to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, end our day in the old town of Lijiang
We will explore the legendary Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world’s deepest gorges. It is here, as legend tells us, that a tiger, escaping hunters, leapt over the raging current of the river below from one side of the gorge to the other. The gorge stands 3900m above the waters of the Yangzi River. You will see the Haba Snow Mountain to the East and the Jade Dragon Mountain to the West.
Day 11—Visit Lijiang old town, black dragon pool, park view
Lijiang – one of the most famous destinations in China. This ancient city, which suffered from an earthquake in 1996, is the home to the Naxi minority, who practices the unique Dongba religion, and an unordinary pictographic language. Packed with old canals, beautiful, traditional Naxi houses, and streets lined with traditional red lanterns, you could spend weeks here taking in all the beauty Lijiang has to offer. Visit the local food market, see the classical view of Lijiang in the Black Dragon Pool Park, where you will see the small delicate “Dragon Pool” pond contrasted with the massive Yulong Snow Mountain in the background. Later on we will head to Wangulou Park where we will find a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the entire old city and architecture of Lijiang.
Day 12—Show “impression lijiang”, cable car to Yulong Snow Mountain, Yuhu village.
Enjoy the show: “Impression Lijiang”, directed by the man responsible for the opening ceremony at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Zhang Yimou, this impressive performance will blow you away. The hundreds of amateur actors are all local people from the surrounding villages, gathered together to display their local traditional entertainment. We will continue our visit to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596m). We will take a cable-car to more than 3000m above sea level. From there we will take in the marvelous views of the mountain and the surrounding grasslands. Upon returning from the mountain we will explore the Naxi minority’s well-preserved ancient Yuhu Village with its traditional stone buildings. Here we will end the tour and fly to our next destination.

音乐

(Chinese: yinyue, English: music)

The word "music" in Chinese is made of two combined characters. 音 which means "sound" and 乐 means "happy", so music means great joy which comes from sounds.

I’m sure that everyone who travels with you, will recommend you very highly and will do so with a lot of warm feeling. Still hoping we can travel with you again.
Bobi and Miri B.