17-Days Self-Guided Tour from Yunnan via Guizhou to Guilin

It has another alias - 'the little Potala Palace.' Built in 1679, it is located in the capital of Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and is the most important monastery in southwest China.

Napahai is located in the northwest of Shangri-la County, 8 km away from the county, is a seasonal mountain lake, and also one of the few the thermal alpine swamp and swamp meadow in Yunnan province.

During Winter and spring seasons, Napa Lake surface is shrinking, becomes large swamp meadow—Yila Prairie, which is the largest spring pasture in Yunnan province.

When you climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or Tortoise Hill, you will see the largest prayer wheel in the world and have a panoramic view of Shangri-La county and Dukezong.

Then, we will Transfer to back to your hotel in Shangri-la.

obby and transfer to the Tiger Leaping Gorge and need 2.5hrs driving, 120km.

It isn't very strenuous except for the initial climb along a series of switchbacks near the entrance to the gorge at Tiger Leaping Gorge Town. If one walks the trail slowly, takes advantage of the accommodations and is in good shape, the trail isn't strenuous. Today, you will hike from Qiaotou to Halfway Guesthouse. The whole distance covered on the first day is about 17 kilometers, and you'll hike for about six hours in total. Halfway Guest House really is at the halfway point on the High Trail. First, hike for two hours to Naxi Family Guesthouse and have lunch. Then continue to hike another 2 hours up the steep switchback called 28-bends before the next break. The views are unforgettable. After a break, hike another one or two hours, and then you will arrive at Halfway Guesthouse which has a great view of Yulong Snow Mountain and overlooks the Jinsha (Golden Sands) River Valley.

some pretty waterfalls and canyons on the way. the driver will pick up in Tina's house,then drive 2.5 hours(100km) back to Lijiang

Then, we will have a leisure walk in Shuhe Ancient Town. Shuhe, or 'Shaowu' in Naxi language, means the village at the foot of the high mountain. In the past, behind the village there was a high moutain named Jubao, so people named the village. Shuhe Ancient Town is located 4km to the northwest of the Lijiang Ancient Town. Its central part covers an area of about 5 square kilometers with a population around 3,000. In 1997, Shuhe was ranked as an important part of Lijiang Ancient Town which was already the World Cultural Heritage named by UNESCO.

ansfer to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and need 50 minutes driving, 25km.

r visit White Water River first, But it really depends of the Impression Lijiang Show, because the show time will depend on daily number of visitors from 11:00am--15:00pm and the show lasts for 60 minutes. The Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is very easy to visit via a system of cable cars which take visitors to different parts of the mountain. The 13 peaks, home to several glaciers, are covered in snow all year round. Different altitudes give rise to changing landscapes with peaceful meadows giving way to snow-covered paths and glaciers. We choose to Spruce Meado with the cable car due to with the lower altitude(3300M) and less people than the way to Glacier Park and also with the nice view.

The show is outdoor performance, including traditional songs and dance by local ethnic people selected from the villages around Lijiang, is held at the foot of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, just out of the main building, at pre-determined times.

The Blue Moon Valley actually is an extremely blue river meandering through a lush valley of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Seen from a distance, it resembles a blue crescent moon inlaid at the foot of the mountain. That's how the place got its beautiful name! However, blue is not the only colour of the river. If it rains, the white mud and limestone rubble at the riverbed will be swirled up, making the water as white as milk. Therefore, local Naxi people name it White Water River (Baishui River).

you can check in first then we can walk around the Shaxi Old Town, Shaxi River, Xinjiao Temple, stage in the quare and some ancient coutyards with local people. Shaxi once played an important role as a bustling trade station on the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, an important branch of the Silk Road. Just over one thousand years ago, this ancient trade route connected Tibet with Eastern China. In exchange for teas from Yunnan, Tibetans traded their famous breed of horse to Song Dynasty officials in eastern China, who were busy defending their territory from invaders from the north. Thus the Tea and Horse Caravan was born. Shaxi became the main trade station along this route. Though today Tibet and China don’t trade along this route, Shaxi still has that border-town feel. Old cobble-stoned alleyways still look like they did a thousand years ago. And different minorities, including the Yi and Bai, still clash every Friday during the Sideng Market when mountain villagers come down from the hills to trade their goods.

xi hotel then head to Dali old town, 3hrs driving, 130KM.

erve the typical Bai Minority folk culture and architecture. A characteristic Bai courtyard residence consists of rooms on three sides and a decorative screen wall on the south direction. These residence generally have carved beams, turned up eaves, with the splendid of their green, gold, blue and white paint. Xizhou is a very quiet and still uncrowded town. It has the advantage of preserving itself from mass tourism and one can observe a real local life, especially around the main square where families meet, where children like to play until after dark. Sit in a restaurant or cafe around the square, enjoy some fresh local beer, and watch the life around you.

Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple of Dali constitutes a situation of tripartite confrontation with a large pagoda and two small ones. As one of the oldest and most magnificent architectures standing gracefully and forcefully in South China, it is a famed place of interest, a symbol of ancient history and culture of Yunnan Province. Built amid previous Chongsheng Temple by Nanzhao Kingdom, a local regime of Tang Dynasty (618-907), the three pagodas was named after the temple. Though the temple was damaged in Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the three pagodas were reserved after numerous natural disasters and manmade incidents. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple was designated as an important heritage site protected under the state in 1961 and inscribed as AAAAA grade scenic area in 2011.

The Erhai Lake (Ear-shaped Sea), reputed as "Pearl of Plateau", is the second largest highland lake of Yunnan.

the evening, you can walk around the Dali old city. Dali Ancient Town is one of the most famous ancient towns in China. As a major stop on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, or Southwest Silk Road, it is a town full of historic sites and traditional culture.Compared to the Old Town of Lijiang, Dali Ancient Town is smaller, but less crowded and more elegant. We can spend a few hours leisurely wandering the paved streets, admiring the traditional architecture of the Bai ethnic minority, trying their local food and snacks, and buying some souvenirs.

en transfer to Kunming West hill and need 5hrs driving, 320km.

You can overlook the Dian Lake on the Western Hill, and there are also wonderful temples. The most amazing part is the Dragon Gate on the top of Western Hill.

he Dragon Gate is the essence of Western Hill forest park. The scenic spot is located at the end of the whole scenic spot of Western Hill which is sitting next to Dian Lake – the largest freshwater in Yunnan and is famed as the “Pearl on the Plateau”. Standing on the Dragon Gate, travelers can overlook the panoramic view of Dian Lake, which is magnificent and gorgeous and attracts many people to Western Hill. There is an old saying about the Dragon Gate – once enter into the dragon gate, you will become famous and successful, and it’s a symbol of good luck.

It is amazing for the stones formed like that which makes you feel like come into a “stone world”.

The Green Lake Park is one of the most beautiful parks in Kunming. The water is green, the bamboos around the lake are green, and willows in summer and spring are green, hence the name. It is reputed as the emerald of Kunming City.

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yi Wanfenglin area and 5hrs driving, 300km.

oon you only visit the Thousands of Hills Scenic spot.

walking around the villages and enjoy the amazing nature view. Wanfenglin (Forest of Ten Thousands Peaks) which is divided into east peak forest and west peak forest with different scenery, and it is a classic Karst landform. Wanfenglin is the important component of national scenic area Maling River Canyon. East peak forest is characterized by Karst peak cluster landform, and west peak forest is highland Karst landform. Due to grand and beautiful scenery and perfect style, Peak Forest has a sense of wonderland. It is as if you steeped into a scroll painting of green-grey peaks and golden fields and you may feel like entering a paradise.

he hotel and rest of the day is free for you.

Falls somersault from the hilltops along the valley and there are various Karst caves behind the falls or in the cliffs. Lush, subtropical plants cover the riversides. The Malinghe River is a tributary of the Nanpanjiang River and runs through the gorges. Along the river, scenic spots include the Chelang Hot Spring, the Colourful Corridor, the Tianxing Gallery and the Zhaojiadu ferry crossing. The winding river roars through the gorges and is a perfect place for white-water rafting.

Seventy-four meters (243 feet) high and eighty-one meters (266 feet) wide, it is a scenic marvel. Do not miss it if you are in Guizhou Province. There are mainly three National Parks in this waterfall national park: Waterfalls Cluster, Water-Curtain Cave and Rhinoceros Pool (Xi Niu Tan). You first the Waterfall-Viewing Pavilion (Guan Pu Ting), where you could see the panorama of the whole waterfall. Then, seen from Water-Viewing Pavilion (Wang shui Ting), you could view the grand scene of surging water. The third one is the Water-Viewing Pavilion (Wang shui Ting) beside the Rhinoceros Pool. The marvelous night scene of the grand waterfall creates lasting impressions.

Dragon Palace Cave got its name because it looks like a crystal palace where the "Dragon King" lives. Dragon Palace Cave Scenic Spot has the longest water cave, the widest underground waterfall, the largest Buddhist cave, and lowest natural radiation in China. In 1988, it was approved as a national scenic spot. Covering an area of 60 square kilometers, Dragon Palace Scenic Spot is composed of four parts: the Rape Lake, the Whirlpool, the Leech Pass and the Dragon Palace Cave itself. Dragon Palace Cave includes Heavenly Pool, Dragon Palace, Tiger’s Cave, Longmen Waterfall and other eye-catching landscapes.

de Miao villages due to those villages just nearby the Kaili and need one hour driving from the Kaili city center. The Langde village is 30 km away from Kaili. Surrounded by green mountains,Langde Village is situated beside a crystal-clear stream. You have to drink "block-the-way" wine when you arrive (a local custom for welcoming the guests). Twelve tables are placed in the middle of the path from the highroad to the gate of the village. Then visit the traditional Miao-style stilt houses enjoy sweet Miao folk songs. After that,you could have a free walk on the roads and courtyards in the village paved with cobbles or bluestone.

The Shiqiao Miao Village located about 2.5 km southeast of Danzhai County, The Miao Ethnic there still lives a self-sufficient living style. The village is renowned for its traditional paper-making. It is a nice place for travelers, especially for calligraphers to experience and learn the traditional paper-making. Currently, Shiqiao Miao village has over 300 households with a total population of more than 1300. There are about 60 households are engaged in paper-making. There is no denying that most Miao people there are good at paper-making. After that, you will transfer to Yintan Dong village in Congjiang. This village was similar village as Xiaohuang village. The Yintan Dong village, about twenty kilometers away from Congjiang, is one of the most representative Dong villages in Guizhou for its Dong buildings and daily life of this minority. Although the houses are fairly recent (50-100 years ago ), the rules for the Dong buildings have been met. Taking a good look at the natural environment of the village, the houses, the drum towers, the pavilions, they are competely different from the ones in West! The drum tower of the village soars to 21 feet high in the center of the village. Wherever one is, one can not miss the center f Yintan. Travelers have the feeling of being immersed in time amidst extremely well preserved buildings.

Basha is a very special and old Miao Ethnic village and is virtually untouched in any way by modernization. Basha residents still live in their wooden houses, practice centuries-old customs and have their own unique beliefs. The village is perched on a hill, 5 kilometers from Congjiang. Legends say that Basha's ancestors immigrated from heartland China to this isolated mountainous region over 2,000 years ago.

Walking into Zhaoxing Dong Village, one will feel as though the clock is being turned back. All the buildings in the village are wooden-stilt houses. This is a picturesque village noted for the beautiful natural sights and unique ethnic flavor. It is surrounded by verdant mountains with a crystal stream running through.

minutes and after visit, you can hiking down to Zhaoxing village or take a bus back. The TangAn village is located about 6 km east of Zhaoxing, half way up Mount Longbao, about 840 meters above sea level. The village was first built in the Jiaqin years of Qing Dynasty (A.D 1795-1820). It is now home to over 170 households and more than 800 people. The Dong people live together in clans, and the two main clans being the Ying and Lu. They live scattered between the Banbo and Jiding ranges.

county, Zhanli village serves as a gathering point for the Dong ethnic group, accommodating 836 villagers in 186 households. Ancestors of Zhanli made a rule during the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) to achieve balance between the population and the amount of cultivated land. Afterwards,if you want to visit more, we can go Huanggang village, as one of the gatherings of the Dong ethnic people, Huanggang village celebrates many local festivals. The most important two are held on Jan 7 and June 15 of the Chinese lunar calendar. Located in remote mountains, Huanggang continues production and living customs that have lasted for thousands of years.

province, en route, you will stop at Sanjiang Chengyang village, need 1.5hrs driving, 80km.

k into a whole, reflecting the unique Dong style and the wisdom of the Dong people. The bridge was built to provide a shelter for the people who works in fields, but later became a date place for the young people and a famous attraction to visitors at home and abroad.

in a natural Dong Minority Museum, eight natural villages, each village has a wind and rain bridge, a drum tower and a stage, different villages have different styles on design of these public Dong architectures, if you have time, you could rent a local villager to tell you the differences of each village, very interesting.

Some 27 kilometers (16 miles) away from the town of Longsheng, the terraces stretch layer upon layer from the mountain base to its summit. From the 13th century during the Yuan Dynasty, the local Zhuang people started to construct and use the amazing terraces. Now, the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces cover an area of 66 square kilometers (about 16,308 acres) and span an altitude between 300 meters (about 984 feet) and 1,100 meters (about 3,608 feet). Standing on the mountain, you will be shocked by the patches of fields and curve lines around the mountains. You will then pay a visit to the Villages of Zhuang to experience the unique Chinese ethnic culture.

nue to Ping'an village, you will hiking around the village to visit the Nine dagons & five tigers view point and Seven stars with moon view point area.

The Reed Flute Cave is a cave-based scenic spot located in the northwest suburb of Guilin, Guangxi, China, 7 km from the Guilin city center. It is about 240 meters (787ft) deep and 500 meters (1640ft) long. The cave has a great number of various exquisite stalagmites, stalactites, stone pillars and stone curtain, which have been forming since 180 million years ago. So it is also known as "the Palace of Natural Art".

is a hot attraction and landmark of Guilin. Beautiful natural views merged with valuable cultural landscape make it a fascinating place which makes tourists fascinated and longing for.

The Xianggong hill is located on the west bank of the Lijiang River between Huangbu Shoal and Nine-Horse Mural Hill. An ascent of the hill is rewarded with a bird's eye view of the Lijiang River winding through countless peaks. A good number of photographers

the small boat from Xingping to Nine horses hill then back to Xingping river pier again, the boat tour lasts for 50 minutes.

town and wondering at the walking street (Yangshuo West Street) .

the show lasts for 70 mins. At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to your hotel in Guilin/Yangshuo downtown around 22:30pm.

Yangshuo for Day 16 night, due to today you can ride a bike and take a Yulong bamboo boat at the Yangshuo countryside.

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