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Tour Package: 13 Days, Beijing - Kunming - Xishuangbanna - Kunming - Lijiang - Dali - Kunming

 
13day tour with 3 or 4 star hotel accommodation. Beijing (4N),  Kunming (1N), Xishuangbanna (2N), Kunming (1N), Lijiang (1N), Dali (2N), Kunming (1N)

Day 1 Beijing

Upon your arrival at the Beijing Capital International Airport you will be escorted to your hotel. Relax in hotel to recover from the jet lag or you can explore the city on your own.

Day 2 Beijing

Today we take you for a stroll in the world's largest Tiananmen Square which is bordered by the Great Hall of the People and Chinese History Museum, with Mao's Mausoleum opposite Tiananmen, the Gate of Heavenly Peace. Then we go to the Forbidden City, a complex of imperial palaces and home to the emperors for over 500 years. Some of the grand halls have been used as museums for collections of Chinese paintings and calligraphy and other treasured articles. After a Chinese lunch we visit the Temple of Heaven, an exquisite example of Ming architecture, where the emperors performed the annual rites believed to be essential to the well-being of the nation. In the evening we attend Chinese acrobatic or Beijing Opera performances while tasting jasmine tea and imperial snacks served in a traditional Chinese setting.

Day 3 Beijing

In the morning we go on a special tour to see the old back lanes called Hu Tong with the authentic courtyard houses where locals have lived for centuries. Then a visit to the Lama Temple in Tibetan style. The temple halls are set in enclosed courtyards and are adorned with magnificently carved statues of the Buddha, the biggest of which is 18 meters high, carved from a single piece of sandalwood. After a Chinese lunch we visit the Summer Palace, where the emperors used to live during summer to escape the heat. In the evening we are guests at a traditional Beijing Duck banquet.

Day 4 Beijing

This morning we travel by coach to visit the Ming Tombs where the Ming Dynasty emperors were buried and in the afternoon the world renowned Great Wall. We will ascend one or two of its majestically standing towers and enjoy a unique view of the Wall winding among the undulating mountains.

Day 5 Kunming

Today we take a morning flight for Kunming. The city is nicknamed "City of the Spring" due to the fact that it is covered all the year round with the rich verdure of trees and plants. After lunch and check-in of a 4-star hotel, we visit the Golden Temple Park, where the '99 International Horticulture Exposition takes place. Then we head for the Grand View Pavilion, and get a bird's-eye view of the Dianchi Lake - sparkling pearl imbedded in a highland. In the evening we enjoy a folklore show while appreciating the specialities of Kunming.

Day 6 Xishuangbanna

Today's highlight is the Stone Forest, some 100 kilometres from Kunming. It is a world of stone peaks, stalacto-stalagmites, stalagmites, stalactites, subterranean rivers and underground limestone caves. For this topographical turmoil the place is dubbed "Number One Wonder in the World". In the evening we board on the flight for Xishuangbanna.

Day 7 Xishuangbanna

Xishuangbanna features its vast tropical rain forests, which perhaps are the most fascinating places for those who come to China to marvel at its natural sceneries. Today's tour includes the Ganlan (Olive) Sandbar, Manting Park, Botanical Garden.

Day 8 Kunming

The city tour in Xishuangbanna also includes a visit to the Ethnic Culture Garden. Yunnan province is the home for 26 minority groups and each group boosts its old and splendid culture. In the garden we visit vilages of different minority groups, join in the performance of ethnic songs and dances, and appreciate waxworks, weaving cotton cloth, and other handcrafts. Attending the Water Spraying Festival is an exciting and memorible experience for every tourist. In the evening we go back to Kunming by air.

Day 9 Lijiang

A morning flight takes us to the ancient city of Lijiang. Lijiang is a largely Naxi settlement first built during the Southern Song Dynasty some eight centuries ago. In 1997 the UNESCO put it on the list of the world's major cultural heritages. Here we also visit Dongba Culture Research Centre and Baisha Frescoes.

Day 10 Dali

Today we go to Dali. On the half-day journey we pass picturesque snow mountains, the breath-taking Hutiao (Jumping Tiger) Gorge and peaceful lakes on the highland. Then we reach the ancient city of Dali with a history of more than 600 years. Featuring stone walls, grey-tiled roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns and gardens of varying sizes, the dwellings of Dali evince an air of classic sanctity. This evening we are welcomed with a special ethnic dinner.

Day 11 Dali

In Dali we visit the Three Pagodas of Chongshen Monastery, Butterfly Spring and the old city gate. Thousands of beautiful stories happened here.

Day 12 Kunming

We take a morning flight for Kunming. As the capital of Yunnan province, the colourful ethnic cultures attract us to visit the Folklore Museum, where we find ourselves reluctant to leave away.

Day 13 Kunming

Transfer to airport for the homeward flight.
 

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