Ethnic Adventure Tour 13 days

West coast - Shanghai - Guiyang - Kunming - Dali -Daliinations/kunming/">Kunmingg - Zhongdian - Shanghai - West coast

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Ethnic Adventure Tour 13 days

Day 01 West coast - Shanghai
Fly to Shanghai on deluxe wide-bodied jet plane, cross the international date line.

Day 02 Shanghai
Arrive in Shanghai in the late afternoon, transfer to your hotel, unpack, and rest up after the dinner.

Day 03 Shanghai - Guiyang
Starting your tour in China's largest city with strolling the Bund (Wai Tan) waterfront area, a sweeping area along the Huangpu River, which became the center of Shanghai's foreign business establishment and the symbol of Shanghai's identity as a modern city. Here is a good place to capture the western influence of the old days. Then visit the famous Yuyuan Garden and Jade Buddha Temple. Fly to Guiyang in the evening.

Day 04 Guiyang
After breakfast take a three hours bus ride to Anshun, sightseeing the famous Huangguoshu Falls, one of the biggest falls in China, 316 feet high and 346 feet wide. Water pours down a cliff into the Rhinoceros Pool. Sunlight is diffracted through the drops of water, producing glorious rainbows. There is a natural cave behind the waterfall, 131 feet above the Rhinoceros Pool. Standing inside and watching the water pouring down is an unforgettable sight. Around the Huangguoshu are 18 smaller falls and 30 karst caves.

Day 05 Guiyang - Kunming
In the monring visit the Jiaxiu Pavilion, Qianling Park, and Hongfeng Lake. Hongfeng Lake, the national key scenery spot, is generalized with mountains, waters, caves and forests scenery as a whole scenery. Comparing with other scenery spots, it embodies more multiple cube-united scenes such as mountains linking lakes, the lakes having island, also some islands having caves, or some caves having lakes , mixed together within each other. In addition, the minority of Dong and Buyi's Mountain Village are along the hills and by the waters, and the deep and emotional national performance will show you their traditions, customs, and hospitality. Fly to "the Spring City" Kunming in the afternoon, the city was built on the plateau measured 6,000 feet above sea level.

Day 06 Kunming - Stone Forest - Kunming
A whole day tour to the Stone Forest area. The Stone Forest is the name given to an extremely rare geological phenomenon. It is not a 'Petrified Forest' (like the one found in Arizona) but 200 acres of karst limestone pillars in fantastic shapes that, from a distance, resemble a forest. Enjoy the minority dancing and singing show in the evening.

Day 07 Kunming - Dali
Fly to Dali in the morning. Dali is a 600-year-old town featuring stone walls, grey-tilted roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns. It also features beautiful gardens, and the entire town is covered by a maze of streams fed by runoffs from Cangshan Mountains. Visit Three Pagodas, the oldest standing structures in southwest China, and the Butterfly Spring, so named because in the fourth lunar month each year, the trees put out butterfly-shaped flowers, and swarms of butterflies of twenty or so breeds descend on the tree, linking themselves head against tail into numerous colored ribbon-like strings which keep dangling over the spring. You will also visit the Bai Minority Village, taste their special cuisine, and enjoy the dancing and singing show in the evening.

Day 08 Dali - Lijiang
After sightseeing the Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, take motorcoach to Lijiang, homeland of the Naxi people. Upon arrival venture out of the town and start the hiking to villages at the Yulong Snow Mountain. You will have the opportunity to observe life in Naxi villages and enjoy viewing the beautiful wild flowers on the way. Afterwards visit the Spruce Ground of the Snow Mountain, and tour the Black Dragon Pool Park.

Day 09 Lijiang
Continue your tour in Lijiang. Sightseeing the Dayan Ancient Town, which lies beside a stream and is known as a famous water town in the highland. The tour will also take you to the Jade Summit Temple, Five Phoenix Tower, Baisha Murals, and Dongba Cultural Institute.

Day 10 Lijiang - Zhongdian
Take bus to Zhongdian after breakfast, on the way you will sightsee the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world. Later continue your tour to Zhongdian, where the legend of Shangri-La was originated. It is called Shangri-La because of it's picturesque grassland which is embellished with azalea. And it is a principally Tibetan town which is at elevation 3,200m and very close to the Tibetan border.

Day 11 Zhongdian
Continue your excursion in Zhongdian, sightseeing the enchanting Bita Lake Nature Reserve, which is about 16 miles east of Zhongdian. You will hike a few kilometers through meadows and flowers to reach the lakeside, and you will see a lot of Tibetan villages with the Tibetan women working in the field.

Day 12 Zhongdian - Kunming - Shanghai
Fly back to Kunming in the morning, sightsee the Grand View Pavilion. True to its name, the three storied pavilion provides a spectacular view across sparkling Lake Dianchi to the distant Western Hill, and the hill offers the best scenery and some of the finest temples in the entire region. Its highest temple, Dragon Gate, is nearly 8,200 feet high. Continue your flight to Shanghai in the evening.

Day 13 Shanghai - West coast
The tour guide will transfer you to the airport and home your sweet home.