Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La
9 days from Kunming to Shangri-La: the Stone Forest at opening, two nights by Erhai Lake, Shaxi on the Tea Horse Road, three nights in Lijiang, a walk in Tiger Leaping Gorge and Songzanlin Monastery.
9 days · Kunming to Shangri-La · up to 12 guests
An afternoon in Shaxi, a market town on the old Tea Horse Road Photo: timquijano, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shaxi_Man_%E4%BA%91%E5%8D%97%E6%B2%99%E6%BA%AA%E8%80%81%E4%BA%BA.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Kunming to Shangri-La
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Activity level
Moderate
Mostly walking on paved paths, cobbles and temple steps, 2 to 4 hours a day. The Stone Forest is about 2 hours on paved paths with some steps. The Tiger Leaping Gorge walk is about 3 hours on a rough mountain trail with roughly 400 m of climbing, between about 2,000 and 2,600 m; the easy option keeps to the paved steps at the river viewpoint. Altitude rises in steps, from about 1,890 m in Kunming to 2,000 m in Dali, 2,400 m in Lijiang and about 3,300 m in Shangri-La. One high-speed train and drives of up to about 4 hours, broken by stops.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 2 dinners
- Room of your own
- + CAD 520 (estimated price)
- Season
- March to May, September to November
Highlights
Why this trip
- Walk the Stone Forest near opening, before the coaches, with a local Sani guide
- A Bai lunch in Xizhou and a walk down through the fields to the shore of Erhai Lake
- Shaxi's market square and Ming temple on the old Tea Horse Road
- Lijiang's old town from 7:30 in the morning, while the lanes are still quiet
- Dongba script with a Naxi family in Baisha, and the Baisha murals
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain over Black Dragon Pool in the clear morning light
- A walk on Tiger Leaping Gorge's high trail, or the river viewpoint if you prefer
- Songzanlin Monastery in the morning and a lunch of yak-butter tea with a Tibetan family
What makes this trip different
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Solo without the penalty
A room of your own is + CAD 520 (estimated price).
Day by day
Itinerary
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Kunming, the Spring City
Kunming Changshui International Airport to your hotel, then Green Lake Park
- Welcome dinner
- Stay in Kunming
- Drive about 45 min
Fly into Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG), about 30 km from the city, where a driver meets you in arrivals for the drive to your central hotel. Kunming sits at about 1,890 m, a gentle first step up for a trip that ends above 3,000 m, and its mild weather all year is why it is called the Spring City. Try to land by about 3 pm.
Afternoon
Late in the afternoon your See Sight Tours guide meets the group for a short briefing on the days ahead, then walks you to Green Lake Park, beside Yunnan University, where locals dance, sing, play cards and practise tai chi along the causeways and under the willows. From November to March, black-headed gulls that winter in Kunming crowd the railings.
Evening
Dinner tonight is a welcome meal of crossing-the-bridge rice noodles, Yunnan's best-known dish, at a local restaurant, where you add the raw ingredients to a bowl of hot broth at the table.
Included
- Pick-up at Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Evening walk in Green Lake Park
- Welcome dinner of crossing-the-bridge rice noodles
Free time: Free until the late-afternoon briefing
Activity: Land by about 3 pm to join the briefing and the walk; later arrivals are met and join the group at dinner.
The Stone Forest at opening, then the train to Dali
Kunming to the Stone Forest and back, then by high-speed train to Dali
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dali
- Drive about 3 h
We leave at about 7:30 for the drive of an hour and a half southeast to the Stone Forest (Shilin), listed by UNESCO in 2007 as part of the South China Karst. Arriving close to opening, ahead of the tour coaches, we walk with a local Sani guide through the Major Stone Forest, where grey limestone pillars, many taller than a house, stand so close together that the paths become narrow lanes and stairways between them. Allow about two hours on foot on paved paths with some steps.
Afternoon
Back in Kunming by about 12:30, we sit down to a Yunnan lunch. If we are on time, we add a 45-minute stop at the Kunming City Museum for the Dizang Temple sutra pillar, a carved Buddhist column from the Dali Kingdom; if the morning runs late, we skip it and go straight to the station. We aim for a high-speed train west to Dali at about 3:30 pm, about two hours, and name the station and departure when we confirm your dates.
Evening
Our vehicle meets us in Dali for the short drive to a hotel by the old town, and the evening is free.
Included
- The Stone Forest (Shilin) near opening, with a local Sani guide and the park shuttle
- Lunch in Kunming
- The Kunming City Museum and the Dizang Temple sutra pillar, when we are back from the Stone Forest by about 12:30
- Reserved seats on the high-speed train from Kunming to Dali
- Station transfers in Kunming and Dali
Easier option: Walk the shorter central loop of the Stone Forest and wait for the group at the lake by the entrance.
Free time: Evening free in Dali old town
Activity: The one 7:30 departure of the trip; about 2 hours on foot in the Stone Forest, with some narrow passages and steps.
The Three Pagodas, Xizhou and Erhai Lake
Dali to the Three Pagodas, north to Xizhou and Zhoucheng, then back along Erhai Lake
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dali
- Drive about 1.5 h
Morning
The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple stand just north of the old town, and we are there near opening, when the morning light falls on the Cang Mountains behind them. The tallest, Qianxun Pagoda, is about 69 m high and dates from the 9th century, when this valley was the seat of the Nanzhao kingdom. From there we drive about 20 km north along the lake to Xizhou, a Bai village of whitewashed courtyard houses built by merchant families.
Afternoon
Your guide walks you through the morning market and the Yan family compound, then we sit down to a Bai lunch, starting with Xizhou baba, the village's flaky flatbread. In the early afternoon we stop in Zhoucheng, where a family still binds and dyes cloth in indigo by hand, to try it yourself; nothing is sold to the group. Then we walk down through the fields to the shore of Erhai Lake, about 40 km long, and are back in Dali by mid-afternoon with the rest of the day free.
Included
- The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple near opening
- Xizhou with your guide: the morning market and the Yan family compound
- Bai lunch in Xizhou
- A hands-on indigo tie-dye session with a family in Zhoucheng
- A walk through the fields to the shore of Erhai Lake
Optional experiences
- E-bike hire along the Erhai lakeshore path, arranged by your guide and paid locally
More active option: Ride an e-bike along the lakeshore path back towards Dali instead of returning in the vehicle.
Free time: Late afternoon and evening free in Dali
Activity: Easy walking on village lanes and field paths.
Shaxi on the Tea Horse Road, on to Lijiang
Dali to Shaxi, then on to Lijiang
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lijiang
- Drive about 4 h
Morning
We leave Dali after breakfast and drive about two hours north towards Jianchuan, then west over a low pass into the Shaxi valley. Shaxi was a market stop on the Tea Horse Road, the network of caravan trails that carried tea from Yunnan to Tibet, and its Sideng Square still keeps the old theatre stage, the gate towers and the Xingjiao Temple, a Buddhist temple from the early Ming dynasty, around a cobbled market place.
Afternoon
We walk the square and the lanes with a local guide, cross the Yujin Bridge over the Heihui River to the rice fields, and stop for lunch in a courtyard restaurant. If your day 4 falls on a Friday, the weekly market fills the lanes with traders from the hill villages.
Evening
In mid-afternoon we drive on about two hours to Lijiang, at about 2,400 m, in time to settle in and wander out for dinner. This is the longest road day of the trip, about 4 hours in two halves, broken by the walk and lunch in Shaxi.
Included
- Shaxi with a local guide: Sideng Square, the theatre stage and the Xingjiao Temple
- Walk to the Yujin Bridge and the fields
- Lunch in a Shaxi courtyard restaurant
Free time: Evening free in Lijiang
Activity: About 2 hours on foot in Shaxi on cobbles and level field paths.
Lijiang old town early, then Baisha
Lijiang old town on foot, then Baisha and back
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lijiang
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
Lijiang's old town is busy from mid-morning, so we walk it first, from about 7:30, while shopkeepers are still taking down their shutters and the water channels that run beside the lanes are quiet. The old town is part of the Old Town of Lijiang, listed by UNESCO in 1997: Naxi wooden houses, stone bridges and canals fed from Black Dragon Pool. We climb to the Wangu Tower on Lion Hill for the view over the grey tiled roofs to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain on a clear morning. Then we drive about 10 km north to Baisha, an older Naxi village at the foot of the mountain. In the Dabaoji Palace are the Baisha murals, Ming dynasty frescoes that mix Tibetan Buddhist, Chinese Buddhist and Taoist painting.
Afternoon
A Naxi family then hosts us for a session on Dongba script, a pictographic writing still used by Dongba priests, followed by lunch in their home. The afternoon is free: stay in Baisha to wander, or ride back to Lijiang to rest.
Included
- Lijiang old town from about 7:30 with your guide
- The Wangu Tower on Lion Hill
- The Baisha murals in the Dabaoji Palace
- Dongba script session and lunch with a Naxi family in Baisha
- Lijiang old town maintenance fee, where it is charged on your dates
Easier option: Skip the climb to the Wangu Tower and wait at a cafe at the foot of Lion Hill.
Free time: Afternoon and evening free
Activity: About 3 hours on foot on stone lanes, with steps up Lion Hill.
Black Dragon Pool and a free day in Lijiang
Lijiang old town to Black Dragon Pool and back on foot
- Breakfast and dinner
- Stay in Lijiang
A slower day.
Morning
Morning is the clearest time to see Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, 5,596 m high and filling the skyline north of town, so at about 8 am we walk around 20 minutes from the old town to Black Dragon Pool Park, for the view of the mountain behind the Moon-Embracing Pavilion and its white stone bridge, reflected in the water on a still day. At the north end of the park, the Lijiang Museum, often still called the Dongba Culture Museum, explains the script you tried yesterday and Naxi life beyond the tourist lanes. From late morning the day is yours: rest before the climb to Shangri-La, wander the smaller Shuhe old town, cycle around Lashi Lake, or take the optional cable car up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to about 4,500 m.
Evening
A short visit up high with a night back at 2,400 m suits some people, but it is not for anyone with heart or breathing problems. In the evening we meet again for a Naxi dinner.
Included
- Black Dragon Pool Park in the morning with your guide
- The Dongba exhibits at the Lijiang Museum (Dongba Culture Museum)
- Naxi dinner
Optional experiences
- Jade Dragon Snow Mountain by cable car (tickets are limited and named; price confirmed at booking)
- Bike hire around Lashi Lake
- Shuhe old town
More active option: Cycle around Lashi Lake, about 25 to 30 km on mostly flat roads, with your guide's help arranging bikes.
Free time: Free from late morning until dinner
Activity: Easy walking. The cable car on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reaches about 4,500 m; ask your doctor first if you have heart or lung conditions.
Tiger Leaping Gorge, then up to Shangri-La
Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge, then north to Shangri-La
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Shangri-La
- Drive about 3.5 h
We leave Lijiang at about 8 am and drive about an hour and a half to Tiger Leaping Gorge, where the Jinsha River, the upper Yangtze, squeezes between Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountain, with the peaks rising more than 3,000 m above the water. With a local trail guide we walk a section of the high trail on the north side of the gorge, about 3 hours with roughly 400 m of climbing, through terraced farms and pine to viewpoints straight across to the cliffs of Jade Dragon. The guide picks the section by season and trail conditions, and our vehicle meets us where the trail reaches the road.
Afternoon
Lunch is at a family-run guesthouse on the trail, on a terrace above the gorge. In the early afternoon we drive about two hours north, climbing onto the Tibetan plateau to Shangri-La, at about 3,300 m.
Evening
Take the evening slowly: a light dinner, plenty of water and no alcohol tonight help with the altitude.
Included
- Tiger Leaping Gorge entry
- A guided walk on a section of the high trail with a local trail guide
- Lunch at a guesthouse in the gorge
- Drive up to Shangri-La
Easier option: Stay with the vehicle and visit the Upper Tiger Leaping viewpoint, where paved steps lead down towards the rapids and the rock of the legend; turn back whenever you like.
More active option: Start lower and climb the full stretch of switchbacks known as the 28 Bends to the highest point of the trail, about 2,670 m.
Free time: Evening free to rest
Activity: Rough, narrow trail with drops on one side; wear shoes with grip. The trail can close after heavy rain, when we use the viewpoint instead.
Songzanlin Monastery and Dukezong
Shangri-La to Songzanlin Monastery and back, then Dukezong old town
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Shangri-La
- Drive about 30 min
At about 3,300 m the day starts gently. At about 8:30 we drive 5 km north to Songzanlin Monastery (Ganden Sumtseling), founded in 1679 and the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, its whitewashed halls and gilded roofs stacked up a hillside above Lamuyangcuo Lake.
Morning
In the morning the monks are about and the light is on the golden roofs. A local guide takes us through the main assembly halls, then we walk part of the path around the lake at an easy pace.
Afternoon
Lunch is in the home of a Tibetan family, who show how yak-butter tea is churned and serve a home-cooked meal. After a rest at the hotel, we walk into Dukezong, the old Tibetan quarter, rebuilt after a fire in 2014, and climb to Guishan Park for the giant prayer wheel, which takes several people to turn, and the view over the town in the late light.
Evening
The farewell dinner is at a local restaurant.
Included
- Songzanlin Monastery in the morning with a local guide
- Walk around Lamuyangcuo Lake
- Lunch with a Tibetan family, with yak-butter tea
- Dukezong old town and the prayer wheel at Guishan Park
- Farewell dinner
Easier option: Skip the stairs to the upper halls at Songzanlin and the lake walk, and rest at the hotel before lunch.
Free time: Early afternoon free to rest
Activity: Steep stairways at the monastery and at Guishan Park; take them slowly at this altitude.
Leave from Shangri-La
Shangri-La to Diqing Shangri-La Airport
- Breakfast
- Drive about 15 min
Morning
The morning is free. Walk back to Dukezong while the lanes are empty and the smoke of juniper rises from the temple burners, sit over a last cup of butter tea, or rest before the journey home. Your guide stays with the group until the last transfer, and our vehicle takes you to Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG), about 15 minutes from town. Most flights from Shangri-La connect through Kunming, about an hour away, where international flights leave; some routes go via Chengdu. If you would rather not fly, the train runs from Shangri-La to Lijiang and on to Kunming, and we can book it with your trip. With a later flight, ask your guide about a stop at Napa Lake on the way, a seasonal lake and grassland where black-necked cranes winter from about November to March.
Evening
We are happy to help you plan an extra night in Kunming or an onward trip, and we will check your flight times when you book so the last transfer fits.
Included
- Drop-off at Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG)
Optional experiences
- A stop at Napa Lake on the way to the airport, for later flights
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight out of Shangri-La after about 11 am, and allow at least 3 hours between flights in Kunming, or stay a night there before an international flight.
- Kunming1 night
- Dali2 nights
- Lijiang3 nights
- Shangri-La2 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: March to May brings mild, dry days and, in May, rhododendrons around Shangri-La. September to November brings the clearest skies and the best views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. June to September is the rainy season: green and warm, but cloud hides the peaks and the gorge trail can close after heavy rain. December to February is dry and sunny, mild in Kunming and Dali and well below freezing at night in Shangri-La. From November to March black-headed gulls winter on Kunming's lakes. We avoid Chinese New Year and the holiday weeks in early May and early October.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Beijing and Shanghai and want a slower, greener side of China
- Villages, temples and minority cultures: Bai, Naxi and Tibetan
- A mountain walk with a choice of how hard it is
- Free afternoons and evenings in old towns
Not for you if you want
- Anyone advised against altitude: two nights at about 3,300 m
- Step-free access: temple stairways, cobbles and a rough gorge trail
- A multi-day trek: the gorge is a half-day walk, not the two-day route
- Travellers who want big-city nightlife
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Kunming1 night
- Dali2 nights
- Lijiang3 nights
- Shangri-La2 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights in central hotels of a 3-star-plus standard: 1 in Kunming near Green Lake, 2 in Dali by the old town, 3 in Lijiang at the edge of the old town, 2 in Shangri-La near Dukezong
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotels named when we confirm your dates
Transport
- Pick-up at Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) and drop-off at Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG)
- Our own vehicle and driver for the group, including all station transfers
- Reserved seats on the high-speed train from Kunming to Dali
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours guide with the group from day 1 to day 9, including on the train
- Licensed local guides where a site requires them: the Stone Forest, Shaxi, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Songzanlin
- No shopping stops, and we take no commission from any shop
Activities
- Kunming: Green Lake Park, and the Kunming City Museum when time allows before the train
- The Stone Forest (Shilin) with its park shuttle
- Dali: the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, Xizhou and the Yan family compound, a tie-dye session in Zhoucheng and the Erhai lakeshore
- Shaxi: Sideng Square and the Xingjiao Temple
- Lijiang: the old town (and its maintenance fee, where charged), the Wangu Tower, Black Dragon Pool and the Lijiang Museum (Dongba Culture Museum)
- Baisha: the murals and a Dongba script session with a Naxi family
- Tiger Leaping Gorge entry and a guided walk on the high trail
- Shangri-La: Songzanlin Monastery, Dukezong and Guishan Park
- All entrance fees for included sights, booked in advance
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 6 lunches: in Kunming, a Bai lunch in Xizhou, in Shaxi, with a Naxi family in Baisha, at a guesthouse in Tiger Leaping Gorge, and with a Tibetan family in Shangri-La
- 3 dinners: a welcome dinner of crossing-the-bridge noodles, a Naxi dinner in Lijiang and a farewell dinner in Shangri-La
Not included
- International flights to Kunming and home from Shangri-La
- Your flight or train out of Shangri-La (we can book it for you)
- China visa, where your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and drivers
- Optional activities, such as the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain cable car, e-bike or bike hire and Napa Lake
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- CAD 520 (estimated price)
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
See Sight Tours Trips (USA): 3172 N Rainbow Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89108, United StatesSee Sight Tours Trips (Canada): 5305 50 Avenue, #1091, Red Deer, AB T4N 4B6, Canada+1-888-961-6584Guest reviews
What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
What does the price include?
Eight nights in central hotels, eight breakfasts, six lunches and three dinners, airport transfers at both ends, the high-speed train to Dali, our own vehicle and driver, your See Sight Tours guide throughout, local guides where sites require them, and every entry in the day plan, including the Stone Forest, the Three Pagodas, Black Dragon Pool, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Songzanlin Monastery.
Are there shopping stops on this Yunnan tour?
No. We never take the group to jade, silver, tea or silk showrooms or factories that pay commission, and we take no commission from any shop. The tie-dye visit in Zhoucheng is a hands-on session with a family, not a shop. If you want to buy something, your guide can point you to markets in your free time.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip runs with 7 to 12 guests, never more. That keeps everyone close to the guide in narrow old-town lanes and monastery halls, lets us fit around one table in a family home, and means one vehicle for the whole group.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours guide travels with the group from the Kunming airport pick-up to the Shangri-La airport drop-off, including on the train. Licensed local guides join where a site requires them, such as the Stone Forest, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Songzanlin Monastery.
Do I have to hike Tiger Leaping Gorge?
No. The main walk is about 3 hours on the high trail with roughly 400 m of climbing on a rough path. If you prefer, stay with the vehicle and visit the Upper Tiger Leaping viewpoint by the river instead, then meet the group for lunch. Keen walkers can climb the 28 Bends to the highest point of the trail.
Will the altitude in Shangri-La affect me?
Most people feel only breathlessness on stairs and a restless first night at about 3,300 m. We climb in steps, with three nights in Lijiang at 2,400 m first, and keep the first Shangri-La evening easy. If you have heart or lung conditions, or have had altitude sickness before, ask your doctor before booking.
I'm travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes, and it is published up front: a room of your own is CAD 520 on top of the twin-share price, shown before you book rather than at checkout. Solo travellers join the same group, sit at the same tables and get the same time with the guide as everyone else.
When is the best time to visit Yunnan?
March to May and September to November. Autumn has the clearest views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, and spring brings rhododendrons around Shangri-La. June to September is the rainy season, when cloud hides the peaks and the gorge trail can close. Winter is dry and sunny but freezing at night in Shangri-La.
Do I need a visa for China?
Canadians can currently visit China visa-free for up to 30 days under a policy set to run until 31 December 2026; we confirm the rule for 2027 dates. US citizens need a visa, or can use the 240-hour visa-free transit if they fly in from one country and out to a different third country. We check your passport's rule when you book.
How do I get home from Shangri-La?
Most people fly from Diqing Shangri-La Airport (DIG), usually connecting in Kunming, about an hour away, for international flights. Book a flight after about 11 am and allow at least 3 hours in Kunming. The train to Lijiang and Kunming is another option. We can book either for you, and our vehicle takes you to the airport or station.
How does booking work?
Choose a date and send a request to book. We confirm your place within 24 hours, with the final timings, and no payment is taken until we have confirmed. We need your passport details at that point, because train tickets and some sights are booked in your name.
Can we travel privately or on our own dates?
Yes. Besides the small group, the trip runs as a private trip for your party only, on a date you choose, from CAD 5,465 per person, with the same no-shopping-stop promise. If you would rather travel independently on your own dates, ask us from the dates section and we will quote the same route without a group.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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