Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La

1. Day 1: Arrive in Kunming, the Spring City

   Kunming Changshui International Airport to your hotel, then Green Lake Park

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Welcome dinner
   • Stay in Kunming
   Day 1 details

   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. 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. 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.

   

2. Day 2: The Stone Forest at opening, then the train to Dali

   Kunming to the Stone Forest and back, then by high-speed train to Dali

   • Drive about 3 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Dali
   Day 2 details

   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. 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. 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.

   

3. Day 3: The Three Pagodas, Xizhou and Erhai Lake

   Dali to the Three Pagodas, north to Xizhou and Zhoucheng, then back along Erhai Lake

   • Drive about 1.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Dali
   Day 3 details

   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. 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.

4. Day 4: Shaxi on the Tea Horse Road, on to Lijiang

   Dali to Shaxi, then on to Lijiang

   • Drive about 4 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Lijiang
   Day 4 details

   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. 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. 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.

   

5. Day 5: Lijiang old town early, then Baisha

   Lijiang old town on foot, then Baisha and back

   • Drive about 45 min
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Lijiang
   Day 5 details

   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. 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.

6. Day 6: 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
   Day 6 details

   A slower day. 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. 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.

7. Day 7: Tiger Leaping Gorge, then up to Shangri-La

   Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge, then north to Shangri-La

   • Drive about 3.5 h
   • Breakfast and lunch
   • Stay in Shangri-La
   Day 7 details

   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. 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. 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.

8. Day 8: Songzanlin Monastery and Dukezong

   Shangri-La to Songzanlin Monastery and back, then Dukezong old town

   • Drive about 30 min
   • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
   • Stay in Shangri-La
   Day 8 details

   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. 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. 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. 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.

9. Day 9: Leave from Shangri-La

   Shangri-La to Diqing Shangri-La Airport

   • Drive about 15 min
   • Breakfast
   Day 9 details

   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. 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.

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.

• Kunming1 night
• Dali2 nights
• Lijiang3 nights
• Shangri-La2 nights