14 Days Yunnan Minority Discovery Tour by Speed Train
Taking the high speed train to travel in China with cheaper rates is the new popular way of the tour in China now. In this tour you will discovery Beijing, Yunnan and Shanghai by experiencing the high speed train & overnight train. Yunnan is a mysterious land where you can explore a lot especially the minority culture here.
Highlights:
- Visit the two metropolis of China: Shanghai and Beijing.
- Explore the most popular destinations of Yunnan tour: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La.
Brief Itinerary
- Day 1: Beijing Arrival
- Day 2: Beijing
- Day 3: Beijing
- Day 4: Beijing – Kunming
- Day 5: Kunming – Dali
- Day 6: Dali
- Day 7: Dali – Shaxi
- Day 8: Shaxi – Shangri-La
- Day 9: Shangri-La – Lijiang
- Day 10: Lijiang – Kunming
- Day 11: Kunming – Shanghai
- Day 12: Shanghai
- Day 13: Shanghai
- Day 14: Shanghai Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Beijing Arrival
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals:
Upon your arrival, our guide will pick you up from airport and transfer you to your hotel in a comfortable and clean car. Then have a good rest.
Day 2 Beijing
Sightseeing and Activities: Tiananmen Squre, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
Accommodation: Beijing
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
We will start the tour form the center of the city – Tiananmen Square. Go north through the square and you will reach the Forbidden City. As the largest and best-preserved ancient wooden structure in the world, it has more than 8,000 pavilions and thousands of historic treasures. Then enjoy the lunch.
In the afternoon, head to visit the royal altar of the Ming and Qing dynasties – the Temple of Heaven.
Day 3 Beijing
Sightseeing and Activities: Badaling Great Wall, Ding Tomb
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Get up early to visit Badaling Great Wall. Great Wall is one of the greatest architecture projects in human history. Then visit the Ding Tomb of Ming Tombs, where 13 emperors and their wives of the Ming Dynasty were buried. See the appearance of Bird’s Nest on the way to your hotel at a distance.
Day 4 Beijing – Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Morning drive to Beijing railway station for the high speed train to Kunming G403 (7:05-19:58), be picked up by the guide from Kunming and transferred to your hotel.
Day 5 Kunming – Dali
Sightseeing and Activities: Jiuxiang Cave, Stone Forest, Flower and bird Market, Nanping Street
Accommodation: overnight train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Firstly drive about 1.5hr to Jiuxiang Cave which is located 90km far from Kunming. Known as the “museum of karst caves”, Jiuxiang boasts more than 100 karst caves and is the largest cave group system in China.
After lunch, further diving 40m to Stone Forest, one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. An old local saying says that “If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.”
After the tour, drive back to Kunming downtown and stroll in the Flower and Bird Market and Nanping Street nearby. Then transfer to the railway station to take the overnight train to Dali.
Day 6 Dali
Sightseeing and Activities: Three Pagodas, Erhai Lake cruise, Xizhou, Zhoucheng, Dali Old Town
Accommodation: Dali
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Early in the morning, arrive at Dali Railway station. Met by the tour guide and start today’s tour with the Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. After lunch, cruise on Erhai Lake by the small boat to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake.
In the afternoon, head for Xizhou Town to appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste the Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture. Then visit Zhoucheng Village and the Bai people’s Tie-dying cloth workshop. At last, visit the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people.
Day 7 Dali – Shaxi
Sightseeing and Activities: Shibaoshan, Shaxi Old Town
Accommodation: Shaxi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, drive about 2.5hrs from Dali to Shibaoshan mountain. The most prominent sight at ShibaoShan is the Stone Bell Temple with its 139, well preserved stone carvings. Another interesting sight is the ‘Suspending Temple’, also called the Baoxiang Temple.
After lunch, drive to Shaxi and visit Shaxi Old Town.
Day 8 Shaxi – Shangri-La
Sightseeing and Activities: Tiger Leaping Gorge, Dukezong Old town
Accommodation: Shangri-La
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, drive 2.5hrs to Visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge(Shangri-La section), the deepest gorge in the world. Afternoon, head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is well known as the paradise destination for every tourist. After arrival, check in your hotel.
Then stroll around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. Walk up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town.
Day 9 Shangri-La – Lijiang
Sightseeing and Activities: Pudacuo National Park, Ganden Sumtseling Monastery
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park, which is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world.
Continue to visit the Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias – ‘the little Potala Palace’, so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.
After the tour, driver to Lijiang and check in hotel in Lijiang after arrival.
Day 10 Lijiang – Kunming
Sightseeing and Activities: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Black Dragon Pool, Shuhe Old Town
Accommodation: overnight train
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning, drive to Jade Dragon Mountain to make your day tour of the mountain. Upon arrival, visit the Glacier Park (3356m) which is 4500m above sea level. See the No. 1 Whitewater Glaciers that was formed 40.000 years ago.
Later watch the outdoor performance “Impression Lijiang” directed by the renowned China director, Zhang Yimou. Finally have a stop at Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M).
Then go to Black Dragon Pool Park, which was built in 1737 during the Qing Dynasty. Afterwards stroll at Shuhe Old Town before the evening. Transfer to Lijiang railway station for the overnight train back to Kunming.
Day 11 Kunming – Shanghai
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Early in the morning, arrive at Kunming railway station. Met by the tour guide and transferred directly to the high speed train station for your train to Shanghai. Upon arrival, picked up by the local guide and transferred to your hotel.
Day 12 Shanghai
Sightseeing and Activities: the Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Yuyuan Garden, Yuyuan Market, Nanjing Road, the Bund
Accommodation: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, visit the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. The ultra-modern Oriental Pearl TV Tower combines ancient concepts with 21st Century technology, where you can get a bird-eye-view of whole Shanghai city.
Then move to Yuyuan Garden and Yuyuan Market. Yu Yuan Garden(or Yun Garden) is a famous classical garden located in Anren Jie, Shanghai. It abuts the Yuyuan Market.
Afterward, you will stroll on the famous Nanjing Road and the Bund.
Day 13 Shanghai
Sightseeing and Activities: Zhujiajiao Old Town, Xintiandi
Accommodation: Shanghai
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, we will head to Zhujiajiao Old Town. It will take about 50 minutes. Explore the Zhujiajiao ancient town known as the Venice of Shanghai. There are 36 old bridges and 9 streets built along the rivers. You can enjoy the cruise(paid by yourself) along the narrow lanes of this village.
After lunch, transfer back to Shanghai and enjoy the relax stroll in Xintiandi, a car-free shopping, dining and entertainment area of Shanghai.
Day 14 Shanghai Departure
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast
Free time before being escorted to the airport for your departure flight. Service ends.
Service Included:
- Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
- Meals as listed in the itinerary;
- Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
- Private English-speaking tour guide;
- Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
- Service charge & government taxes;
- Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
- Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.
Service Excluded:
- Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
- Chinese visa fees;
- Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
- Single room supplement;
- Tips to guides and drivers;
- Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
- Personal travel accident insurance;
- All optional programs.
Yunnan is noted for a very high level of ethnic diversity.[68] It has the highest number of ethnic groups among the provinces and autonomous regions in China. Among the country’s 56 recognised ethnic groups, twenty-five are found in Yunnan. Some 38% of the province population are members of ethnic minorities, including the Yi, Bai, Hani, Tai, Dai, Miao, Lisu, Hui, Lahu, Wa, Nakhi, Yao, Tibetans, Jingpo, Blang, Pumi, Nu, Achang, Jinuo, Mongols, Derung, Manchus, Sui, and Buyei. Several other groups are represented, but they live neither in compact settlements nor do they reach the required threshold of five thousand to be awarded the official status of being present in the province. Some groups, such as the Mosuo, who are officially recognised as part of the Naxi, have in the past claimed official status as a national minority, and are now recognised with the status of Mosuo people.