Trip Itinerary & Travel Details
Day 1 Shanghai (/)
Welcome to Shanghai! The guide is at airport to greet you and a complimentary transfer is provided to the hotel! If your flight arrives Shanghai before 0630 pm a welcome dinner is arranged for starting your China tour.
Day 2 Shanghai (B, L)
Bund+ Yuyuan Garden+ SH Old Street+ Shanghai Museum+ Shanghai acrobats
In the morning you are invited by the guide to have walk along the Bund. After that you will visit Yuyuan Garden and enjoy some tranquility among the oriental garden pavilions...
In the afternoon you will stroll down in Shanghai Old Street or explore treasures in Shanghai Museum You are invited to catch a jaw-dropping performance by the world-famous Shanghai acrobats in the evening.
Day 3 Guilin ( B, L )
Shanghai World Financial Center + Guilin 2 Rivers and 4 Lakes Cruise
Before leaving Shanghai We stop at highest tower-Jin Mao Tower in Asia, this unique site with a revolving platform and fantastic view of Bund can be seen from there. Later we catch afternoon flight to Guilin.
In the evening we take Cruise on 2 Rivers and 4 Lakes, a dream tour on the Guilin Water System. In this tour you can see the three scenic Chinese classical gardens at the lakes of Ronghu, Shahu and Mulong while admiring the famous traditional hills of Elephant Hill, FuBo Hill, BaoJi Hill and Laoren Hill, etc.
Day 4 Yangshuo (B, L)
In the morning take a cruise at Li River. In the cruise you have a breath of natural fresh air and view what is probably one of China's most beautiful and spectacular natural wonders and see all of the massive limestone peaks jutting up into the sky along the banks of the river.
Day 5 Free day in Yangshuo(B, L)
Yangshuo is a dreamy place for many tourists who want to see the real natural landscape and touch the countryside life. You may spend free time lazing by the river or meet new friends in bars or tea houses...
Catch afternoon flight to Kunming, stay in Kunming hotel.
Day 6 Kunming Tour, Stone Forest (B, L)
Pick up at the lobby of your hotel in Kunming. You will drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. An old local saying says that 'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.' Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan.
After lunch drive back Kunming to visit the Guandu Ancient Town which is a famous historical and cultural town in Kunming; it keeps the main architectural style of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.
After dinner, you will have an option to enjoy the large-scale dance drama "Dynamic Yunnan" which has been an outstanding innovation on the Chinese stage in recent years directed by Yang Liping. Primitive, unsophisticated folk dances and a fresh artistic concept converge in the programme, giving audiences a unique "Yunnan Impression." Sixty-two drums and 120 masks of strong ethnic characteristics are incorporated in the performance. Stay in Kunming.
-- The Stone Forest is in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 120 kilometers from Kunming and requires only a three-hour drive. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. The Stone Forest has unique karst topography which is one of the best of its kind within China. There are six scenic spots in the Stone Forest: the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, the Naigu Stone Forest, the Zhiyun Cave, the Long Lake, the Da Dieshui Waterfall and the Qifeng Cave.
--Guandu Ancient town is of long history, it is the birth place of Dian Culture. As early as Nanzhao Dali period, it was a big town and hub of the east bank of Dian. It was inhabited 4000 years ago. It has a ferry in Song Dynasty, and many official boats stopped at the ferry, got out of the boat and rode a horse or sit in the litter to get into Kunming. So it got its name "Guandu" (Guan Means official, Du means Ferry). In Ming and Qing Dynasty, it became a developed business and handicraft center.
Day 7 Kunming to Lijiang, Black Dragon Pool, Dongba Museum, Lijiang Ancient Town (B, L)
Take the morning flight to Lijiang, after landing, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel located in Lijiang Ancient Town.
After lunch you'll head for the scenic Black Dragon Pool and the Dongba Museum to explore the rich Naxi minority culture. In the late afternoon, explore Lijiang Old Town.Lijiang Old Town has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people. After dinner, you will attend the Naxi Orchestral Music in Naxi Concert in Lijiang Ancient Town. Stay in Lijiang hotel
--Black Dragon Pool (also Heilongtan),located at the foot of the Elephant Mountain, about 2 kilometers away from Lijiang Ancient Town is the main headwater of the Yushui River which goes through the Old Town. It is just like the bright eyes of the town, shining with the wisdom. People believe that the gods of the Naxi people are living in the chestnut woods, beside the mouth of springs, behind the carved doors and below the bridges. The springs come from the god-protected mountains and gather in this place and finally form the dragon pool. Then water goes down a waterfall and becomes the Yuhe River, pouring life to the Old Town.
--Lijiang Ancient Town is a largely Naxi settlement first built 800years agao, located at the foot of the Lion Hill and completely surrounded by the new city of Lijiang.In December 1986, the State Council designated it a famous ancient historical and cultural city of national caliber. In 1997, UNESCO made Lijiang a World Cultural Heritage Site. Most of the dwellings, scattered at the foot of a mountain or by the river, are brick-and-tile structures with carved doors and painted windows. Traffic across the river is facilitated by a large number of tiny stone bridges. The town is similar to the Zhouzhuang Water Town in the south of the Yangtze River.
Day 8 Lijiang Tour, Jade Dragon Snow Moutain (B, L)
Pick you up at your hotel in Lijiang in the morning and drive to Jade Dragon Snow Mountan. Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeig bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).
After lunch, you will enjoy the Impression Lijang Ethnic Show directed in Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M). A cultural show demonstrating the traditions and lifestyles of the Naxi, Yi and Bai peoples of the area. The show takes place inside Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Park at 3500m in an outdoor theater specifically designed to showcase the mountain which is used as a backdrop. The production itself was designed by Zhang Yimou, Fan Yue and Wang Chaoge, a cast of over 500 people, and a number of horses. In the afternoon, you'll stroll through Baisha Village, which is an enchanting traditional Yunnan village. Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Stay in Lijiang.
--Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The highest peak named Fan Peak (Shanzidou in Chinese) which is about 5596 meters above sea level. There are three cablecars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park(4500M),the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M).
Day 9 Explore Lijiang Tiger Leaping Gorge and fly to Chongqing (B)
From Lijiang, you'll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, and the Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks. You will have an experience of the floating from the First Bend of the Yangtze River to Longpan Town, after one hour floating, meet the driver and trasfer to Tiger Leaping Gorge.
Visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river. Afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India.
-- Tiger Leaping Gorge is on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze, located 105 kilometers south of Shangrila County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters. It is one of the deepest gorges in the world.
Take an afternoon flight to Chongqing. Arrive in Chongqing, the mountain city. You will be met by you local guide and transferred to the Yangtze River Cruiser.
Day 10 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)
Have an early get-up to enjoy a spectacular journey on the mighty Yangtze River. After lunch, you will disembark at the ancient Fengdu and enjoy a visit to the legendary city of ghost. Before return to the cruise for the welcome banquet, you will explore the city of ghost by visiting the local temples.
Day 11 Yangtze River Cruise (B, L, D)
Today's highlight is the cruise through the first of the fabled Three Gorges: Qutang Gorge framed by steep mossy cliffs Wu Gorge, celebrated for its 12 peaks and Xiling Gorge, the last and most scenic of all the gorges. You will have a memorable experience of the shore excursion of Shennong Stream with a sampan tour through the treacherous gorges.
Day 12 Yangtze River Cruise / Yichang (B, L)
Today you will have a stop at Sandouping to view the historic Three Gorges Dam, the largest hydroelectric project in the world. After the shore excursion of Three Gorges Dam, you will disembark at Yichang in the afternoon. Fly to Xian in the evening.
Day 13 Xian (B, L)
Big Wild Goose Pagoda+ Shaanxi History Museum+ Great Mosque+ City Walls +Tang Dynasty Show
Walk tour with your guide to get a rough idea about the ancient city. You will stroll in back ally in Xi'an Muslim Quarter, have a glimpse of local Islam people true life...Big Wild Goose Pagoda will give you the perspective of Chinese Buddhism.
After lunch we will go to Shaanxi History Museum and discover the treasures unearth from the most ancient land in China. Sunset view from the old City Walls can not be missed as well. At last we are entertained with Tang Dynasty Dance Show.
Day 14 Xi'an (B, L)
Terracotta Warriors+ Ancient City Walls
One hour private coach transfer to the Terracotta Warriors guided tour It's one of the top three travel attractions in China. A UNESCO World Heritage Site The Terracotta Army is one of the greatest, and most famous, archaeological discoveries of all time. Touring time is 3-4 hours. After Warriors Tour you will be invited an home-made lunch by local famers. At night we catch overnight train to Beijing.
Day 15 Beijing (B, L)
Tiananmen Square +Forbidden City
Beijing is home to many of the sights that make China must-see destination. We will visit the Forbidden City, the largest and the most complete ancient imperial palace in the world, with more than 800 buildings and 9,000 rooms. And then visit Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing. In the evening, you are entertained with authentic Peking Duck.
Day 16 Beijing (B, L)
Underground Palace+ Mutianyu Great Wall +Olympic Stadiums
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Great Wall is without question one of the man-made wonders of the world. To walk this marvel of the ancient world is truly memorable. Another highlight is remnants of the Ming Tombs, the burial chambers of 13 emperors of the Ming Dynasty.
You are returned to the downtown Beijing for an exterior visit of both the National Stadium - the "bird Nest" and National Aquatics Center - the Water Cube.
Day 17 Beijing (B, L)
Beijing Hutong + Lama Temple
Ride in a rickshaw for a behind-the-scenes tour of the Hutong (ancient lanes and alleyways),l ocated in the old residential area of Beijing. Later in the day, we visit Lama Temple which is the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries in Beijing. The building and the artworks of the temple combine Han Chinese and Tibetan styles.
Day 18 Beijing (B) Airport Transfer
Transfer to airport for your return flight to home.