Trip Highlights:??

This is an in-depth tour in the culturally rich minority regions of Southwest China including Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou. Join this tour, you will not only witness the colorful minority culture and their admirable lifestyle, but also be amazed by the incredible natural beauties and cultural heritages in the region.

Tour Route:

Kunming (Spring City) → Dali (Ancient Ethnic Minority Town) → Lijiang (Preserved Ancient Town) → Shangri-la (Zhongdian) → Lhasa (Holy Tibetan City) → Chengdu (Home of the Giant Panda) → Guiyang (Home of Ethnic Minority Groups) → Kaili Guiyang (Home of Ethnic Minority Groups)

Trip Type: Special-themed Tours, Ethnic Culture and Folk Arts, Landscape and Nature

Activity Level: Regular itinerary, Moderate walking

Special Experiences:

● Visit ethic minority villages where possess not only beautiful landscapes but also unique lifestyle you could envy about

● Get down to the deepest gorge in the world with picturesque snowy mountains lining the two sides

● Unique boating experience on the underground river through an incredibel Karst cave

Day-by-Day Itinerary:

Day 1 Arrive / Kunming

Transfer via: International flight arranged by you

Accommodations: Kunming Hotel ★★★★

Upon arriving in Kunming, your tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is yours to relax, or step out onto the city for a little adventure of your own.

Day 2 Kunming (B,L)

Accommodations: Kunming Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Stone Forest

On this day you will visit Kunming's famous Stone Forest, a bizarre rock formation created over millennia of rain and weather. A must-see! In the afternoon you will be free to check out all that Kunming has to offer.

Day 3 Kunming / Dali (B,L)

Transfer via: Domestic flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours

Accommodations: Asia Star hotel Dali ★★★★

Sites visited: Erhai Lake, The Old Dali Town, Three Pagodas, Xizhou Bai Minority Village

This morning you will be escorted to the airport for your flight to Dali. Upon arriving in Dali, your tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. You will then take a cruise on the picturesque Erhai Lake, followed by a visit to a Bai ethnic minority village. In the late afternoon you will visit Dali Ancient Town, and its ancient Three Pagodas.

Day 4 Dali / Lijiang (B,L)

Accommodations: Wang fu Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Zhoucheng Village, Lijiang Ancient Town, Lion Hill

Be driven to Lijiang from Dali without your tour guide (about 3 hours drive with your personal driver only). Along the way, you will stop by the Zhoucheng Village and see the process of tie-dye. Visit Ancient Town and the Lion Hill in Lijiang County.

Day 5 Lijiang (B,L)

Accommodations: Wang fu Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Baisha Mural Paintings, Black Dragon Pool Park, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture

You will be driven to the picturesque Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, followed by a visit to the ancient Baisha Mural Paintings. You will then be driven back to Lijiang where you will visit the Black Dragon Pool Park and Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture inside the park.

Day 6 Lijiang / Zhongdian (Shangri-la) (B,L)

Accommodations: Gyalthang Dzong Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: First Bend of the Yangtze River, Shigu (Stone Drum) Town, Tiger Leaping Gorge

In the morning you will be driven to the town of Shigu (Stone Drum) to view the stunning First Bend of the Yangtze River and Iron Chain Bridge. After, you will visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. In the late afternoon, you will be driven to Shangri-La (2 to 3 hours drive).

Day 7 Zhongdian (Shangri-la) (B,L)

Accommodations: Gyalthang Dzong Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Bita Lake, Shudu Lake, The Songzanlin Lamasery, Zhongdian

This day will be a wonderfully full one. In the morning you will visit Bitahai and Shudu Lakes, followed by a visit to the Gedan Songzanlin Monastery. In the evening, be introduced to the famous hospitality of the Tibetan people as you visit a Tibetan family in their home.

Day 8 Zhongdian / Lhasa (B,L)

Transfer via: Domestic flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours

Accommodations: Tibet Hotel ★★★★

On this day you will be free until your tour guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination-Lhasa. Upon your arrival at Gonggar airport, you will be met by your local guide and transferred to the hotel in Lhasa city (2-hour drive), you will view the Stone Giant Buddha engraved in the mountain face en route. After checking in the hotel, rest in the afternoon to get adapted to the high altitude.

Day 9 Lhasa (B,L)

Accommodations: Tibet Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Barkhor Street, Jokhang Temple, Potala Palace

Your sightseeing today will include the Lhasa's cardinal landmark - Potala Palace, Jokhang Temple and flourishing Barkhor Street.

Day 10 Lhasa (B,L)

Accommodations: Tibet Hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Drepung Monastery, Norbulingka Park, Sera Monastery

Today we will bring you to the Norbulingka Park, the Drepung Monastery and the Sera Monastery.

Day 11 Lhasa / Chengdu (B,L,D)

Transfer via: Domestic flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours

Accommodations: Tianfu Sunshine hotel ★★★★

Special Dinner: Chuan Food

Free in the day until our local guide escorts you to the airport for your onward flight to your next destination-Chengdu. Upon arriving in Chengdu, your personal guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel for a rest before you are taken out for a delicious dinner of Sichuan cuisine at a local restaurant.

Day 12 Chengdu (B,L)

Accommodations: Tianfu Sunshine hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Giant Panda Breeding Research Base, Jinli Old Street, Tea houses, Wenshu Temple

On this day, you will visit the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, followed by a trip to the Wenshu Temple where you can spend some time sitting in its tea house enjoying a cup of traditional Chinese tea and absorb the special atmosphere of Chengdu and Jili Old Street.

Day 13 Chengdu / Guiyang (B,L)

Transfer via: Domestic flight arranged by China Odyssey Tours

Accommodations: Hawn Mandarin Inn ★★★★

You will be free until your local guide escorts you to the airport for your flight to your next destination - Guiyang. Upon your arrival at the Guiyang Airport, you will be met by your guide, who will escort you to your hotel. Guizhou is nicknamed 'The Kingdom of Mountains', because 87% of its land is comprised of mountains and plateaus. In the evening you will have a welcoming banquet to get acquainted. Stay overnight in Guiyang.

Day 14 Guiyang (B,L)

Accommodations: Hawn Mandarin Inn ★★★★

Sites visited: Huangguoshu Waterfall, Dragon Palace Cave

On this morning you will be driven to Anshun 157km (2.5hours) for a full day tour. You will visit the Huangguoshu Waterfall and in the afternoon you will take a boat ride through the Dragon Palace Cave. In the evening you will be driven back to Guiyang. Stay overnight in Guiyang.

Day 15 Guiyang / Kaili (B,L)

Accommodations: Heaven-sent Dragon hotel ★★★★

Sites visited: Kaili Museum

You will be driven from Guiyang to Kaili 220 kilometers (2.5 hours). In Kaili you will visit the Kaili Museum, which will give you an excellent introduction to the clothing of Guizhou's ethnic minority groups. In the afternoon you will be driven to Shiqiao, to see how the famous local paper is hand-made as it has been for centuries. On the way back to Kaili, you will stop at the Qingman Miao minority village. The village is famous for its folded silk felting. Stay overnight in Kaili.

Day 16 Kaili (B,L)

Accommodations: Heaven-sent Dragon hotel ★★★★

In the morning, you will be driven from Kaili along the Bala River to the village of Jidao 65 kilometers (1 hour), a beautiful village filled with traditional wooden houses and waterwheels. After lunch you will continue your journey to Datang, a Miao village well known for its aquatic granary and the traditional ethnic miniskirts worn by the Miao women. Later in the afternoon you will visit the village of Paika to learn about the Lusheng, a traditional Miao ethnic musical instrument made from a gourd. In the evening, you will be driven back to Kaili. Stay overnight in Kaili.

Day 17 Kaili / Guiyang / Departure (B)

Transfer via: International flight arranged by you

On this day you will be free to relax, or explore the city before being escorted to the airport for your flight to your next destination.