Yunnan Discovery: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La in 10 Days

Your guide meets you at Kunming Changshui airport and takes you by private car to your hotel. Kunming sits at almost 1,900 meters and has mild weather all year. In the late afternoon, take an easy walk around Green Lake Park, where local people gather to dance, sing and play cards, and through the old streets nearby. Your guide will go over the plan for the trip and suggest where to try crossing-the-bridge noodles, the city's best-known dish.Overnight: Kunming

Drive about 90 minutes southeast of Kunming to the Stone Forest at Shilin, a maze of tall limestone pinnacles formed over 270 million years. Paths lead between the rocks to small lakes and viewpoints, and your guide will share the legends of the local Sani people, including the story of Ashima, a girl said to have turned into stone. After lunch nearby, return to Kunming for a free afternoon or a visit to the Yunnan Provincial Museum.Overnight: Kunming · Meals: B, L

Take the high-speed train from Kunming to Dali, about two hours. Your Dali guide meets you at the station. Start at the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, whose tallest tower dates from the 9th century, set against the Cangshan mountains. Then walk into Dali Old Town, with its stone gates, small shops and Bai-style houses with white walls and painted eaves. Check in to your hotel and spend the evening exploring the lanes at your own pace.Overnight: Dali · Meals: B

Spend the day along the western shore of Erhai Lake. In Xizhou, an old trading village of the Bai people, visit a family courtyard house and the morning market, and try a local baba flatbread. Nearby Zhoucheng is known for its blue-and-white tie-dye cloth, and you can watch the process in a small workshop. In the afternoon, cycle a quiet stretch of the lakeshore path, or follow it by car, before returning to Dali.Overnight: Dali · Meals: B, L

Take the morning train north to Lijiang, about 90 minutes. After checking in, walk to Black Dragon Pool, where on clear days the white peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain are reflected in the water. Then explore Lijiang Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site of canals, stone bridges and wooden houses built by the Naxi people. Climb to Lion Hill for a view over the tiled roofs, and enjoy the lanes as the lanterns come on in the evening.Overnight: Lijiang · Meals: B

Drive about 45 minutes to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. A cable car takes you up to one of the high meadows on its slopes, chosen on the day according to weather and your comfort with altitude, for close views of the peaks and glaciers. Below, visit Blue Moon Valley, where turquoise pools step down the valley. In the afternoon, stop at Baisha, a quiet Naxi village known for its Ming-era murals, and return via the old town of Shuhe.Overnight: Lijiang · Meals: B, L

Drive northwest along the Jinsha River, the upper Yangtze, to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Walk down the path at the upper gorge to a viewing platform beside the rapids, where the river squeezes between cliffs that rise thousands of meters above. Continue climbing onto the Tibetan plateau to Shangri-La, about four to five hours in total with stops. Take the rest of the day easy to adjust to the altitude, with a short evening walk if you feel well.Overnight: Shangri-La · Meals: B, L

Visit Songzanlin Monastery, founded in the 17th century and home to several hundred monks. Its golden roofs rise up a hillside above a small lake, and your guide will explain the Tibetan Buddhist traditions practiced in its halls. In the afternoon, walk through Dukezong Old Town, once a stop on the tea and horse route to Tibet, and up to Guishan Park, where visitors turn one of the largest prayer wheels in the world. Dinner is free to choose.Overnight: Shangri-La · Meals: B, L

In the morning, visit Pudacuo National Park, a protected area of forests, meadows and lakes. Eco buses and wooden boardwalks take you around Shudu Lake, where yaks graze on the shore and the air is clear and still. After lunch, transfer to Diqing airport for the short flight back to Kunming, about one hour. Your driver meets you and takes you to your hotel for a relaxed final evening in the city.Overnight: Kunming · Meals: B, L

Enjoy breakfast and some free time before your driver takes you to Kunming Changshui airport for your onward flight. If you would like to continue into Vietnam, the high-speed train from Kunming to the border at Hekou, followed by the short crossing to Lao Cai and the drive to Sapa, makes an easy link. Ask us about joining this trip to a northern Vietnam itinerary.Meals: B