China
The China of the minorities, from the Hani terraces to Tibetan monasteries
China
South-west China in a group of 25 at most: the Mongol village of Xingmen and the Confucius temple of Jianshui, the Yuanyang rice terraces shaped by the Hani and Yi, the Shilin stone forest, Dali and its three pagodas, Xizhou market, Shangri-La and the Tibetan monastery of Songzanlin with a visit to a Tibetan family, Tiger Leaping Gorge and the first bend of the Yangtze, then the old town of Lijiang. High-speed train journeys.
When
Apr-June, Sept-Oct
Price
From 2 355€ excl. flights
(based on 2 people sharing)
How long
10 nights
Ideal length
Days 1-6
The rice terraces and the stone forest.
Day 1
Flight to China
Flight to Kunming. Night on board.
Day 2
Arrival in Kunming
Welcome and transfer to the hotel. Free time.
Day 3
Xingmen – Jianshui
A stop at Xingmen, the only preserved Mongol village in Yunnan, then the great Confucius temple of Jianshui.
Day 4
Jianshui – Yuanyang
The Zhang family garden and the little train of Jianshui, then the Yuanyang area and its rice terraces more than a thousand years old.
Day 5
The Yuanyang terraces – Kunming
A walk through the Hani and Yi terraces, then back to Kunming.
Day 6
The Shilin stone forest
The Shilin stone forest, a UNESCO site, a maze of tall limestone needles.
Days 7-13
Pagodas, a Tibetan monastery and the Yangtze gorges.
Day 7
Kunming – Dali by high-speed train
About 2 hours by high-speed train to Dali, then the Three Pagodas temple near Erhai Lake.
Day 8
Xizhou – Shangri-La
The market in the old village of Xizhou, then about 4 hours by high-speed train to Zhongdian (Shangri-La).
Day 9
Shangri-La and Songzanlin monastery
The Tibetan monastery of Songzanlin, the largest in Yunnan, then the Tibetan villages and a visit to a family.
Day 10
Tiger Leaping Gorge – Lijiang
Tiger Leaping Gorge, then Shigu and the first bend of the Yangtze, before Lijiang.
Day 11
Lijiang – Kunming
A free morning in Lijiang's old town, then about 4 hours by high-speed train to Kunming.
Day 12
Kunming – flight home
Free time depending on your flight, then transfer to the airport and fly to France.
Day 13
Arrival in France
Arrival in France during the day.
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