South of the Clouds Yunnan Tour: Dali, Lijiang & Shangri-La

Suggested Itinerary

Day 1 Fly in Kunming / Stone Forest

Beijing departure:  3 hours morning flight Beijing - Kunming 
Shanghai departure: 3 hours morning flight Shanghai Hongqiao - Kunming
Other locales: If you go from other locale, we will check the available flights from your locale to Kunming.

• Have lunch and drive to the suburb of Kunming, approximately 80 kilometre's away from the city to visit the lesser known Stone Forest (the Stone Forest site is always packed with local tourists, CCC selects another similar set of karst formations. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like trees made of stone, creating the illusion of a forest made of stone. 
• Return to Kunming and stay overnight.

Day 2 Kunming / Dali

• Fly to Dali in the early morning (45 minutes flight).
  Situated between the Tsangshan Mountain on the West and the Erhai Lake to the East, the Old Town of Dali was once the ancient capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom as well as an important trading town on the Southern Silk Road.
• Take a boat on Dali' s Erhai Lake to another side of the water, then visit an ancient town and local market (not the usual Bai villages and markets by the bank).
• Lunch in a Bai minority flavour restaurant.
• Free time in the afternoon for you to stroll amongst the shops and old houses of Dali, and maybe savor a cup of tea in an old teahouse.
• Explore your own favorite restaurant to have dinner.
• Stay overnight in Dali.
  (B, L)  (Fenghua Xueye Hotel (5 star) )

Day 3 Dali / Shaxi Market Town

• Depart Dali by the old road to Lijiang, and view Mount.Cangshan on one side and the Erhai Lake on the other.
• We will stop at Shaxi at noon and have lunch.
  Shaxi is a market town which was once a bustling trade station on the Southern Silk Road that linked central China and Tibet with Southeast Asia and on to Europe, and which was the only surviving example of a Southern Silk Road trade center. It has been listed by the World Monuments Fund as one of the 100 most endangered sites in the world. Shaxi has old town gates and an intact ancient theater.
• Visit guesthouses where merchants en route to the Tibet stayed and the old town of Shaxi.
• Free time to enjoy the peaceful and prestine ancient township of Shaxi.
• Have dinner with dishes made with tea. Stay overnight in Shaxi.
  (B, L, D)  * Shaxi Cultural Center (a boutique guesthouse), Shaxi Guesthouse, or Laomadian boutique guesthouse ( 4 star level) -- housed in a traditional courtyard complex.

Day 4 Shaxi / Lijiang 

• Breakfast and depart for Lijiang, the beautiful ancient township with narrow cobblestone streets, delicate bridges, hundreds of black tile roof houses. Melted snow water canal runs through the town. Check into a traditional Naxi courtyard style hotel.
• Visit the Dragon Pool Park
• The late afternoon will be your free time to scroll around the town, including ascending the Lion Hill for a bird' s eye view of the town.
• Explore your own favorite food for dinner.
• Note: Lijiang old town is already touristy now, but it is still interesting and worthwhile for many people to stay for one single night. It is your free time in the evening to go shopping, hang out in the bar or enjoy a concert of Naxi music. 
  (B, L) (Zen Garden or Lijiang Shishan House -- boutique hotel in traditional Naxi ethnic style. )

Day 5 Lijiang (Shuhe Ancient Town)

• Drive to the Lashi Lake and take some walk in a fruit garden and taste some fruits if available.
• Then visit Zhiyunsi, an old Tibetan Monastery. Afterwards we walk into a nearby village and dine in the village. 
• Head to Shuhe, another ancient town near Lijiang.
• Stay overnight in Shuhe.
  (B, L, D)

Day 6 Tiger Leaping Gorge / Zhongdian (Shangri-La)

• Head north of Lijiang and pass the multiple peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Range.
• Drive north for 2.5 hours till arriving at the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Pull over for photograph. The river with 34 rapids runs in the gorge is named Jinsha River, one section of Yangtze River.
• Another 1.5 hour's drive, the journey ends at Zhongdian, Tibetan ethnic area with barley fields and yaks.
• Stay overnight.
  (B, L, D) (Jiantang Hotel (4 star built in Tibetan style)

Day 7 Zhongdian (Shangri-La)

• Take a moderate hike (2.5hours) through the highland pasture - spectacular view!
• See high mountains surrounded by alpine meadows and wildflowers and a temperate rain forest.
• Visit a Tibetan family and learn the local life.
• Climb up to the Songzanlin Monastery, one of the largest Tibetan monasteries in Yunnan.
• Stay another night in Zhongdian.
  (B, L, D) (Jiantang Hotel (4 star) or Songtsam Hotel (boutique hotel) (both are built in Tibetan style)

Day 8 Zhongdian via Chongqing or Kunming to Beijing/Shanghai /Other locales

• Free time to explore the Shangri-La Old Town. 
• Transfer to Shangri-La airport, fly to Kunming or Chongqing, then connect flight back to Beijing, Shanghai or other locales.
  (B, L)
  Zhongdian - Kunming - Beijing (arrival around 6pm)
  Zhongdian - Kunming - Shanghai Hongqiao (arrival around 7pm)
  
• Please note that the flights or timing of flights mentioned in the above itinerary may change subject to ticket availability and airline scheduling. Alternative hotels of similiar standards will be used if any of the hotels mentioned in the itinerary is unable to provide enough accommodation.

Beijing departure:  RMB15,850/per person/2 guests 
                                   RMB14,050/per person/3-5 guests

Shanghai departure:   RMB16,000/per person/2 guests
                                        RMB14,250/per person/3-5 guests

The price includes:
--all flights involved(4 flights)
--3 nights 4-star hotel and 3 nights boutique guesthouse (4-star level) accommodation
--transfers in customary air conditioned coaches + jeep or military truck + camel rides between lakes
--entrance fee for all sights mentioned in the program
--all sightseeing and transfers with local English-speaking tour guide
--all meals during the trip except dinner
--Gratuities to the guide
--Local travel insurance

Note: The stated prices are based on dual-occupancy rooms and economy-class flights. These prices may change based on your dates of travel, the number of people in your party, and any specific requirements you may have.

2. Our guides and experts are well selected and trained and only work for CCC. They are well-educated, friendly, caring and relaxed compared to the guides working for the mainstream travel companies or agencies.

3. CCC has established a solid reputation among the expatriate communities living in China for over a decade. Our clients includes the local expat community, their visiting families and friends and any other travelers to China. CCC trips maintains a well-mixed, like-minded and amiable travelers from all over the world.

4. CCC tours have routes and destinations designed for visitors to China as well as walks and excursions that are geared toward expats and cater to their specific interests and schedules.

5. CCC also caters for private tours and the tour group is able to personalize the tour arrangement with added classes or workshops with our friendly CCC consultants.

6. Booking is easy. Just register online and pay by bank or credit card transfer.

Now just sit back, relax and let us take you on a journey.