How to book a tour
Splendid Yunnan, Guizhou and Guangxi
Tour code: YN 028
Duration: 38 days
Route: Kunming, Baoshan, Binzhongluo, Deqen, Mr.Meili, Zhongdian, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Lijiang, Dali, Kunming, LuopingXingyi, Liuzhi, Anshun, Guiyang, Kaili, Zhaoxing, Sanjiang, Longsheng, Guilin, Yangshuo
Attractions: Single Dragon River, Heipupolo Pass, Mount Gaoligong, Nu River, Liuku, Stone Forest, etc
Itinerary:
Day 1
Arrive / Kunming
Upon arrival, be met & transferred to your hotel in Stone Forest, about 90 km from Downtown Kunming, enjoy the beautiful surroundings while the crowd of visitors do not disturb you. The night of Stone forest is so unique, which you can not find in other place of the world.
Stone Forest is located in Shilin County, 89 kilometers from Kunming. The area, covering 350 square kilometers, is the highest karst terrain in the world and a national scenic area in China.
Day 2 (B, L, )
Kunming / Baoshan / Liuku
Transfer via: Drive
Take a morning flight from Kunming to Baoshan, then drive to Liuku, the city by the Nu River. Sightseeing in Liuku . Traveling down along the river, you will enjoy the scenery of the beautiful, strange, and tranquil mountains, the gushing river... Stay overnight in Liuku.
Day 3 (B, L, )
Liuku / Gongshan
Transfer via: Drive
Drive along the Nu River from Liuku to Gongshan, on the way, visit a hot spring, a Nu village and a Lisu village. Prepare horses or porters for your trekking tour. Stay overnight in Gongshan.
Day 4 (B, L, )
Gongshan / Qiqi
Trek 20 km from Gongshan (1450m) to Qiqi (2000m). Today, you will trek up the east slope of Mt. Gaoligong. On the way, you will pass the Gazhu nature protection station (1700m). Stay in a local guesthouse or camping.
Day 5 (B, L, )
Qiqi / Dongshaofang
Trek 18 km from Qiqi (2000m) to Dongshaofang (3200m). Today, you will continue trek up the east slope of Mt. Gaoligong. On the way, you have to cross several streams. Camping.
Day 6 (B, L, )
Dongshaofang / Nanmowang / Sandui
Trek 5 km up to the Nanmowang Pass at 3620m, then trek down the west slope of Mt. Gaoligong to Sandui at 2600m. Camping.
Day 7 (B, L, )
Sandui / Bapo
Trek 16 km down the mountain slope from Sandui to Bapo by the Single Dragon River. On the way, you have to cross several streams. Stay in a local guesthouse or camping.
Day 8 (B, L, )
Banpo / Qinlangdang
Trek 30 km along the Single Dragon River from Bapo to Qinlangdang, enjoy the grand night view of the 120m-high Moon Waterfall. Camping.
Day 9 (B, L, )
Qinlangdang / Binzhongluo
Drive along the Single Dragon River to Binzhongluo. On the way, you will see several suspending bridges, and several Dulong villages. Stay in a local guesthouse or camping.
Day 10 (B, L, )
Binzhongluo / Deqen
Drive to Deqen, free time to discover the town for the rest of the day.
Day 11 (B, L, )
Deqen / Meili Snow Mountain / Deqen
Drive for 3 hours (67 km) to Mt. Meili, stop at Feilai Temple. Arrive at Mingyong Village for lunch.
After lunch, ride horse for 8 km to Mingyong Ice Glacier which is under the foot of Mt Kawakarpo, arrive at Taizi Temple where is 4759 m altitude.
Ride back to the village and drive to Shenping Town, Deqen.
Day 12 (B, L, )
Deqen / Zhongdian
Drive to Zhongdian, enjoy tremendous view of mountains, lakes and forest.
Day 13 (B, L, )
Zhongdian
Join in a daily morning class at the Songzanlin Monastery which was built 300 years ago under the instruction of the 5th Dalai Lama, now there are still 800 monks and 3 living buddhas inside.
Later today, you will visit a local Tibean Family.
Day 14 (B, L, )
Zhongdian / Luoji / Hongxing
After breakfast, drive to the east for 4 hours to Luoji, a big Tibetan village, after lunch, start the trekking tour with horses. Today, you will trek about 10 km from Luoji to Hongxing, another Tibetan village, following the Niru river valley path. The trekking will take about 5 hours.
Day 15 (B, L )
Hongxing / Niru
Continue trekking from Hongxing to Niru, another Tibetan village, following the Niru river valley path. The trekking distance is 9 km and it will take about 4 hours. Have a late lunch in Niru upon arriving. In the afternoon, visit the Niru village elementary school, after dinner, have a bon-fire party with the Tibetan villagers and the students. Stay in local villager's house or camping.
Day 16 (B, L)
Niru / Shudu Lake
Trekking about 12 km from Niru to Shudu Lake, it will take about 6 hours, have picnic lunch on the way. Set up Camp by the lake. Enjoy a bon-fire party at night. Camping.
Shudu lake, at an altitude of 3,266 meters above sea level, is located 8 kilometers northwest of the county seat of Zhongdian. It has the largest grassland in Zhongdian, surrounded by mountains on three sides.
Day 17 (B, L,D )
Shudu Lake / Baishui Terrace
Zhongdian / Tiger Leaping Gorge / Middle Gorge
Drive from Shudu Lake to the Natural Bridge Hot Spring to have a good bath, drive 3 hours to Drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge, stops at Baishui Terrace.
Baishui Terrace: At the foot of the Haba Snow Mountain is the mysterious White Field, also called Baishuitai, birthplace of the Naxi ethnic minority Dongba Culture.
Day 18 (B, L, )
Tiger Leaping Gorge / Lijiang
The toal hiking journey today is 18 km.
In the early morning, 1 hour walking down the steep cliff to the bank of Jinsha River, worship the dangerours shoal of "Starriness", it is the most narrow part of the gorge, where a tiger can easily jump over the Jinsha River.
1 more hour to climb up the gorge, have a tea break after the exciting voyage. Continue your trekking through trails for 2 km (about 1 hour) to a small ferry, cross the river by boat, climb up the cliff and see the beautiful Daju Town. Enjoy a local lunch in the village, and drive to Lijiang.
We will stop at Yak Meadow where a cable car visit to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is available.
Day 19 (B, L, )
Lijiang
Visit the old town of Lijiang, escorted tour to Square Street, Mu Prince Mansion in the morning. Drive to Lashi Lake to visit Naxi Village in the afternoon, take a canoe ride on the lake.
The Lijiang ancient town of Dayan: The town was built in the late song dynasty and the early Yuan dynasty and was listed by the UNESCO on the list of the world's major cultural heritages in 1997. .
Day 20 (B, L )
Lijiang / Dali
Visit Yuhu Village, a village at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, where Mr Joseph Rock, a famous Russian Scientist lived for 27 years from 1922 to 1949, enjoy hundreds of photoes and articles of the culture in this area.
Drive to Dali, drive to Xizhou, visit the typical living house of Bai Minority. enjoy the tea ceremony of Bai Ethnic, continue to drive to Dali.
Xizhou House: live Bai minority people. You will see the their typical traditions, dresses there.
Day 21 (B, L, )
Dali / Kunming
Morning visit of a small Catholic church in old town of Dali, Visit Three Pagodas, and the old town, the Ancient Wall Gate, have dinnier at an old traditional restaurant called "Plum Well". More details of Dali...
Three Pagodas:are located northwest of Dali at the foot Cangshan Mountains. With Qianxun Pagoda, completed in 876 during the Tang dynasty (618-907AD).
Later today you will fly to Kunming.
Day 22 (B, L, )
Kunming / Luoping
Take train to Luoping. Visit Golden Cock Hills, photographing the golden fields of rape.
Luoping county is 228 km to the east of Kunming. It is located on the border of Yunnan, Guizhou, and Guangxi Province. More details of Luoping.
Day 23 (B, L, )
Luoping
Trek 8 km to visit the Nine Dragon Waterfalls. Stay overnight in the local 2 star hotel..
Day 24 (B, L, )
Luoping / Banqiao
Drive to Banqiao Town, then trek 28 km to the Lubuge Gorge, after lunch, take a boat cruise through the Mini Three Gorges to the power plant
Day 25 (B, L, )
Banqiao / Luoping / Xingyi
Drive about 6 hours to Xingyi. Upon arrival of Xingyi, visit Black Miao, another sub-branch of Miao, who are special with their frilled skirt and dazzling silver decorations.
Day 26 (B, L, )
Xingyi / Liuzhi
Drive to Liuzhi. Liuzhi is an attractive countryside and we plan to see Miao nick-named Four Seal Miao . They have been named Four Seal as they once served the emperor and it is said that the seal was awarded to them by the emperor.
Day 27 (B, L, )
Liuzhi / Anshun
One-day tour included Huangguoshu Waterfall and Tianxingqiao Scenic spot .
The Huangguoshu Waterfall, the largest waterfall in Asia, is about 74 meters high and 81 meters wide. Hidden behind the waterfall is a 134-meter long Water-Curtain Cave with fantastic stalactites. Situated in Zhengning County, it is located in a karst area 600-1500 meters above sea level, with a rainfall of 1300 mm, the region has long been know for its scenic beauty of crisscrossing streams and alternating peaks and gorges. .
Day 28 (B, L, )
Anshun / Guiyang
Today's program highlights the remaining culture of the Old Han (Chinese) ethnic group.
The ancestors of these villagers migrated from Jiangxi Province to Guizhou Province in the Ming Dynasty. We will drive for 1.5 hours to reach Tianlong village. Women here are still dressed in traditional Ming dynasty costumes, and houses remain faithful to the Ming architectural styles. We will watch a local opera performance called Ground Opera , famed for the performers' symbolic masks. Another village visit will be arranged to Stone village, a Buyi village.
Day 29 (B, L, )
Guiyang / Kaili
This morning will be left for you to fresh up, visit Qianling park , Hongfu temple and Jiaxiu pavilion in the afternoon. Later today you will be transferred to Kaili by 3 hours drive.
Day 30 Kaili (B, L)
Pay a visit to the Kaili Museum , it will leave you an overall view of the ethnic costume in Guizhou. Visit Qingman , a quiet village inhabited by the Folded & Silkfelt Miao , where we will learn about their culture.
Drive from Kaili to Xijiang Township, Leishan county, explore the biggest Miao village, " One Thousand Family Miao village ". In the afternoon, we will reach Maomaohe village, which is known for its Long-Skirt Miao, a subgroup of Miao ethnic minority group. We will have dinner with local people and gain a better understanding of life and customs in their area.
Day 31 Kaili - Langde - Datong - Paika (B, L)
A short drive along the Bala River will take us to the village of Langde , a real gem with traditional wooden houses and waterwheels. After lunch we will continue our journey to Datang , a Miao village with an aquatic granary and the women's " Mini skirt ". Visit the Paika village, know more about Lusheng -the Miao people's most important musical instrument.
Day 32 Kaili - Sandu - Shiqiao - Rongjiang (B, L)
Today, we will drive from Kaili to Rongjiang via Sandu, visit the traditional way of paper making in Shiqiao. Meet and visit Shui people on the way to Rongjiang.
Day 33 Rongjiang - Congjiang - Zhaoxing (B, L)
Visit Basha , a small Miao village with very little signs of modern influence for Guizhou travel.
The people rarely venture out of the village except for selling firewood and shopping for daily necessities in markets, and both men and women can be seen in traditional costumes, wearing their hair long. Yintan, a Dong village built on the top of the mountain with its beautiful landscape. The Dong can be recognized by their turbans (for men), and pleated skirts (for women). They are also known for their architecture, particularly their drum towers, and Feng yuqiao (or wind and rain bridges), which are pavilions for sheltering people during bad weather.
2 more hours drive will take us to Zhaoxing , one of the largest Dong villages in the region, with more than 700 households and a population of 4000. We may see the drum tower in Gaozeng and roofed bridge in Longtu.
Day 34 Zhaoxing - Sanjiang (B, L)
From Zhaoxing we will continue our journey for Guizhou travel south into Guangxi Province, visit Sanwang temple , which was set for three sons of Yelang emperor .
Sanjiang in Guangxi province, a village inhabited by the South Dong, one of the two subgroups of the Dong ethnic minority. A short drive away from Sanjiang will take us to Chenyang, a quaint little village with one of the largest Fengyuqiaos (Wind and rain bridge) in the region. Here we will explore the villages on foot, visiting lively markets and hillside farms.
Day 35 Sanjiang - Guilin - Longsheng (B, L)
We will leave for Longsheng , where the mountains are covered with terraced rice fields, some of them reaching up to 1,000 m (3,300 ft) peaks. In the afternoon, we will arrive Longsheng. Stay in the mountain village overnight.
Longji is famous for theLongji Dragon Backbone Rice Terrace: 60square kilometers of terraced rice fields southeast of Longsheng. They were first built in the Yuan dynasty and completed in the Qing dynasty by Zhuang people. The terraced fields are built along the slope winding from the riverside up to the mountaintop, with the highest place of an elevation of 885m and the lowest 380m. The coiling line spirals up from the mountain foot to the top, making the mountain looks like huge snail seen from afar.
Day 36 (B, L, )
Longji / Guilin
Transfer to Guilin by road. Visit Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill. Take evening cruise on Li River and surrounding lakes.
Visit the Reed Flute Cave. Aside ten minutes drive (half hour bike ride) from downtown, the cave is one of the largest known examples of what each tropical karst cone conceals within it. The script writers and set designers for Star Trek would have a field day in this cavernous underground stalactite/stalagmite maze-style theater. The dropping water is rich and the dripstones are not only in various types but also in big size, displaying a wonderful cave world. This cave was called "The Art Gallery of Mother Nature". Colored fluorescent lights which cast shadows and illuminate shapes of imaginary animals, fruits and vegetables complete the unworldly effect.
Following with Elephant Trunk Hill. It is located on the west bank of the Li River by a small branch called Peach blossom River, and resembles a huge elephant standing on the bank of the river, sucking up water with its long trunk. The trunk is particularly striking and lifelike when viewed either nearby or afar. A circular foot cave called Shui Yue Dong (Moon-In-the Water Cave) separates the trunk and the body. A 3-story Ming Dynasty (1368-1644 A.D) brick pagoda rises from the top of hill.
Day 37 (B, L, )
Guilin / Yangshuo
After the breakfast you take bus to Dock. You will start your Li River Cruise from here. The total Journey is around 30 Kilometers and takes 4 hours. On the way you will see the most beautiful landscapes and pass throw the local villages.
Later this day you will arrive at Yangshuo. You can also choose to stay in the town, stroll around the local market, witness the daily activities of local society. Or you might enjoy a class for Chinese Tachi in Yangshuo at sunset.
Yangshuo, the natural scenery features unique karst hills, crystal water, exquisite stones and intricate caves as well as a cultural historic heritage and folks of diverse customs. At night, have fun on the West Street, don't drink too much to miss tomorrow's program. Or you can go to watch the envening show - Impression Liu Sanjie. The optional ticket is RMB 188 per person. The Cormorant Bird catching fish show at night is also something new (optional).
Day 38 (B, L, )
Yangshuo
From 6:30 to 9:00 am, cycle for 2 hours from Yangshuo to Aishan Village in the early morning, you will arrive at the Licun village and then you continue you bike ride on the trails to Yangshuo. After a hot shower in the hotel, you will be transfer by company vehicle to take bamboo rafting for two hours on Yulong River through limestone mountains and trails.
Later today you will be transferred to Guilin International Airport to catch the return flight.
Notice:
The raining season in Zhongdian, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Lujiang and Lijiang is from late May to early September, roads might be block by mountain slide and falling rocks. The best traveling time for our trekking tour is from October to April.
In case of bad weather condition or road difficulties, the original itinerary which has been confirmed by us might has to be changed accordingly by our local tour guide, or even the whole trip could be cancelled eventually. Please trust the judgement of our expienced tour guide, they are the expert and have escored trekking trips for years.