Yunnan
Classic Yunnan: Kunming to Shangri-La
Kunming · Lijiang · Shangri-La · Dali
Next: March 2027Max 20Flights incl.
From, per person
NZ$2,990
Pandas, Lakes & Old Towns: Sichuan & Yunnan
Chengdu · Jiuzhaigou · Leshan · Kunming · Lijiang · Shangri-La · Dali
From, per person
NZ$5,990
Duration18 days
Group sizeMax 20
FlightsIncluded from AKL
GuideEnglish-speaking
Activity levelModerate
Overview
Jiuzhaigou and Shangri-La in one journey
The natural wonders of western China: the turquoise lakes of Jiuzhaigou, the pandas and Giant Buddha of Sichuan, then the old towns and Tibetan monasteries of Yunnan.
Two days in Jiuzhaigou
Giant pandas and the Leshan Giant Buddha
Lijiang and Shangri-La
Dali and Erhai Lake
Itinerary
Day by day
- DAY1
Check in at Auckland International Airport and board your flight to China, connecting to your first destination. Our team will be in touch before departure with your flight details and pre-departure information.
Meals: Not includedOvernight: On board - DAY2
Arrive in Chengdu and transfer to your hotel. Spend the evening around Chunxi Road and Taikoo Li, or in the old lanes of Kuanzhai Xiangzi.
Meals: Not includedOvernight: Chengdu, 5-star hotel - DAY3
Take the train into the mountains to Huanglong, where terraced travertine pools in shades of gold and turquoise step down the valley beneath snow peaks. Continue to Jiuzhaigou.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Jiuzhaigou, 5-star hotel - DAY4
A full day in Jiuzhaigou, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of turquoise lakes, waterfalls and Tibetan villages. Today covers the Shuzheng Valley and the Zechawa Valley, including Long Lake and the Five-Coloured Pool.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Jiuzhaigou, 5-star hotel - DAY5
Return to the park for the Rize Valley, home of Five Flower Lake, Pearl Shoal Waterfall, Panda Lake and Arrow Bamboo Lake.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Jiuzhaigou, 5-star hotel - DAY6
Visit the Shenxian Pools, a quieter valley of travertine terraces and forest, before the train back to Chengdu.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Chengdu, 5-star hotel - DAY7
Drive to Leshan for lunch on its famous snack street, then take a boat out onto the river to see the Leshan Giant Buddha, carved into the cliff 1,300 years ago and 71 metres tall.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Chengdu, 5-star hotel - DAY8
Visit the Dujiangyan Panda Base to see giant pandas up close, then explore the Dujiangyan Irrigation System, a 2,200-year-old engineering marvel still in use today.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Chengdu, 5-star hotel - DAY9
Discover the bronze masks, statues and sacred trees of the Sanxingdui civilisation, one of the great archaeological finds of the 20th century.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Chengdu, 5-star hotel - DAY10
Arrive in Kunming, the City of Eternal Spring, and visit the Yunnan Ethnic Villages, where the architecture, music and crafts of Yunnan's many ethnic groups are on show. The evening is free.
Meals: Not includedOvernight: Kunming, 4-star hotel - DAY11
Take the high-speed train to Lijiang. Explore the Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of canals, stone bridges and Naxi wooden houses, and visit the Mu Mansion, the former palace of the local Naxi rulers. In the evening, watch Lijiang Golden Sand, a performance of Naxi music and legend.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Lijiang, 4-star hotel - DAY12
Stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world, where the Jinsha River forces its way between two snow-capped ranges. Continue up onto the Tibetan plateau to Shangri-La and visit Songzanlin, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, followed by the old town of Dukezong.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Shangri-La, 4-star hotel - DAY13
Walk the boardwalks of Pudacuo National Park among alpine lakes and old-growth forest, then stop at the grasslands of Napa Lake. Return to Lijiang via Yuhu, a stone-built Naxi village at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Lijiang, 4-star hotel - DAY14
Visit Lashi Lake, a wetland where Naxi villages and grazing horses sit beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Drive to Dali and visit the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, symbol of the ancient Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Dali, 4-star hotel - DAY15
A day on the shores of Erhai Lake, with the Cangshan range rising behind. Visit the waterside town of Shuanglang and the whitewashed lakeside village known as Dali's Santorini. An optional lake cruise includes the Bai three-course tea ceremony.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, DinnerOvernight: Dali, 4-star hotel - DAY16
Visit Xizhou, a Bai village with more than a hundred historic courtyard houses, and ride through the surrounding rice fields. After lunch, explore Dali Old Town before the train back to Kunming.
Meals: Breakfast, LunchOvernight: Kunming, 4-star hotel - DAY17
Enjoy a final breakfast before a private transfer to the airport for your flight home to Auckland.
Meals: BreakfastOvernight: On board - DAY18
Arrive back in Auckland, with plenty of stories to tell.
Meals: Not included
What's included
- Return economy flights from Auckland, including taxes
- All domestic flights and high-speed trains shown in the itinerary
- 4-star hotels, twin share (5-star where stated)
- Daily breakfast and the meals listed in the itinerary
- English-speaking local guides throughout
- Private coach and airport transfers
- Entrance fees for all sightseeing listed
- Small group of no more than 20 travellers
Not included
- Chinese visa (New Zealand passport holders currently travel visa-free for up to 30 days)
- Travel insurance (required)
- Single supplement
- Optional activities and meals not listed
- Tips for guides and drivers
- Personal expenses
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