10 Days Yunnan Classic Tour with Dongchuan Red Land

Have you ever heard about Dongchuan Red Land? The fantastic soil which colored by red is an amazing scene for people who love to take photos about the marvelous things in the world. Be different like many other scenery in China, Dongchuan is more like a palette held by the hand of nature. This tour combines the 8 days Yunnan classic tour with Dongchuan red soil, it’s an absolutely amazing itinerary.

Highlights:

  • Marvel at the splendid landscape of Dongchuan Red Land.
  • Visit the top attractions of Yunnan.
  • Explore the old history and fantastic culture of Xian.

Brief Itinerary

  • Day 1: Kunming Arrival
  • Day 2: Kunming -Dongchuan Red Land
  • Day 3: Dongchuan Red Land – Kunming
  • Day 4: Kunming
  • Day 5: Kunming -Dali by Flight
  • Day 6: Dali – Lijiang
  • Day 7: Lijiang
  • Day 8: Lijiang-Shangri-La
  • Day 9: Shangri-La
  • Day 10: Shangri-La Departure

Google Map

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Kunming Arrival

Sightseeing and Activities: Airport pick up, Kunming City Tour by your own
Accommodation:
Meals: Enjoy the local dish named Yunnan Crossing Bridge Noodles and the Steamed Chicken as your welcome dinner.

Welcome to Kunming, the Spring City of China! Upon arrival at the Kunming airport/train station, the local tour guide and driver will meet you in the arrival hall and escort you to your hotel. Begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming.

Day 2 Kunming – Dongchuan Red Land

Sightseeing and Activities: the sunset view of Dongchuan Red Land
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

At 8:30 am, be picked up by your Kunming tour guide at hotel. Then drive from Kunming to Dongchuan Red Land (3-3.5 hours ) which is a new rising tourist destination near Kunming, loved by photographers and backpackers, and praised as “God’s palette”. These red lands, extending for nearly 50 kilometers (30 miles), are the most striking and distinctive in the world. Arrive at Dongchuang, make the tour of Music Hollow‘ (Yuepuao ) which is near ‘Flower Stone’ village, known as “the best place for photography”. Get some sunset and sunset glow photos in Wafang Liangzi, or catch the sunset glow in ‘Music Hollow’ after the sunset.

And enjoy the sunset of the beautiful red land of Luoxiangou Valley Surrounded by mountains, Luoxiagou looks like a sunken depression from a distance. Traditional local villages adorn the colorful fields. A great place for photography blockbusters that you should not miss, a telephoto lens is recommended to shoot villages in the distance. Photographers should arrive at Luoxiagou around 4:30pm. Late afternoon is the best time.

Day 3 Dongchuan Red Land – Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities: the Sunrise of Dongchuan Red Land in Damakan, Qicaipo Village
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Early in the morning enjoy the Sunrise of Damakan a large spread of red fields are in the arms of continuous mountains at the skyline. Due to its local topographical advantage, Damakan is the best site to see a sunrise. In order to get a favorable position for perfect pictures, travelers should get up at 5:00. Leave the hotel at 5:30 and arrive at Damakan within 30 minutes.

Continue to visit Seven-Color Slope‘ (Qicaipo) Near ‘Embroidery Garden’, ‘Seven-Color Slope’ gets its name from seven fields with seven different colors (when the right crops are planted and growing). However, usually travelers are not lucky enough to see the seven colors, so we don’t suggest visiting it.

Later move to visit Jinxiuyuan has a vast expanse of many rolling hills with red fields. A great location for shots of the colorful fields, a traditional village and some trees also offer a vivid countryside picture.

After lunch ,drive back your Kunming (3-3.5 hours ) in the afternoon.

Day 4 Kunming

Sightseeing and Activities: The Stone Forest , The Green Lake Park, The Flower and Birds Market
Accommodation: Kunming
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

The Stone Forest in Kunming

At 9:00 am, meet the guide and then drive 86 km to the renowned Stone Forest, the ‘First Wonder of the World’. You’ll marvel at its natural stone masterpieces and be bewitched by the intricate formations, and feel like come into a ‘stone world’.

Afterwards, transfer back to Kunming downtown and stroll in the most picturesque park in Kunming urban area – the Green Lake Park, a charming area of tea houses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. Here you can share the happiness of local people’s doing tai chi, performing local opera, and other vibrant activities. If you visit the park in November or December, you will see the grandeur of huge flocks of red-beaked seagulls that migrate there from Siberia. Then stroll in the Flowers and Birds Market in the downtown .

After tour , transfer back to the hotel.

Day 5 Kunming -Dali by Flight

Sightseeing and Activities: The Three pagodas in Chongsheng temple, Erhai lake, Dali Old town, The Ancient City Wall of Dali
Accommodation: Dali
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

dali erhai lake

Take the morning flight to Dali which is a historically and culturally famous city of China, is renowned for her historical interest and Bai ethnic culture. After lunch, cruise in Erhai Lake by the small boat to the Jinsuo Islet in the east Erhai Lake. There are 200 Bai ethnic families around 1000 people in Jinsuo Island. During the Erhai Lake cruise, enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.

Then go to visit Three Pagodas in Chongshen Monastery which has a history of over 1,800 years located at the foot of Cangshan Mountain facing to the Erhai Lake. Three Pagodas are made of three ancient independent pagodas forming a symmetrical triangle.

Head to the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. After climbing up to the City Wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.
–Erhai Lake is the largest highland lake next to Dianchi and one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China. It means, ‘sea shaped like an ear’, in Chinese. Implying that the lake is ear shaped and as large as a sea, hence it was so named

Day 6 Dali – Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities: Xizhou Old Town, Zhoucheng Village and the Tie-dying cloth workshop,Black Dragon Pond, Lijiang Old Town
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

In the morning, visit the Xizhou Old Town to fully appreciate Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture. Visit Zhoucheng Village and the Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.

Then drive to Lijiang (180 km) to visit Black Dragon Pond (Located at the foot of the Xiangshan Mountain (Elephant Hill) north of the city of Lijiang. As the water here is a lucid green color, it gained another name Jade Spring Park (Yuquan Park). There are many distinctive and ravishing sites in the park. Hiding in the lush trees or standing along the liquid pool is the antique and exquisite architectural pieces, which are in the style of Naxi.) and Dongbu Culture Museum nearby.

Finally explore Lijiang Old Town. Lijiang Ancient Town has a history more than 800 years, it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.

Day 7 Lijiang

Sightseeing and Activities: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Impression Lijiang Show, Spruce Meadow, Baisha Murals, Baisha Old Town
Accommodation: Lijiang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in Lijiang

This morning, drive about 30 KM to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, upon arrival, take the sightseeing bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Spruce Meadow (3200 m) of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike about 1 hours in the original forest in Yak Meadow (3700 M).

And transfer to Baisha Old Town in the late afternoon. Pay a visit to Baisha Murals.

Day 8 Lijiang-Shangri-La

Sightseeing and Activities: The First Bend of Yangze River,Shigu Old Town, The Stone Drum,Tiger Leaping Gorge,Dukezong Old Town
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Yixiantian Ray of Sunshine in the Middle Section of Tiger Leaping Gorge

Drive about 60 KM from Lijiang to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery along the road, visit the Iron Chain Bridge,the Red Army’s Long March Memorial Monument in the Shigu Old Town. The town of Stone Drum got its name from a large, cylindrical, marble tablet shaped like a drum. The scenery is magnificent as the road running through the Lijiang valley which is filled with wheat fields and drying haystacks.

Visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge(Shangri-La section), the deepest gorge in the world. With 34 rapids of the Yangtze River, it is called the Jinsha in this area because you can find gold in the river.

In the afternoon, head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is well known as the paradise destination for every tourist. Hotel check in after arrival.

Day 9 Shangri-La

Sightseeing and Activities: Songzanlin monastery,Pudcuo national park, Dukezong Old Town
Accommodation: Shangri-La
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Ganden Songzanlin Monastery in Shangrila

In the morning, visit the Ganden Sumtseling Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. Songzanlin Monastery has another alias – ‘the little Potala Palace ‘, so named because the whole monastery is in the traditional style with mysterious atmosphere.

Afterwards, visit the Pudacuo National Park which is located in one of the most biologically-diverse regions of the world. While the region comprises only 0.7 percent of China’s land area, it contains more than 20 percent of the country’s plant species, about one-third of its mammal and bird species and almost 100 endangered species.

Visit Dukezong Tibetan Ancient Town in the late afternoon, climb up to the top of Guishan Hill or tortoise Hill, you will see the largest Prayer Wheel of the world and have a panoramic view of shangrila county and Dukezong Ancient Town.

Day 10 Shangri-La Departure

Sightseeing and Activities: Departure from Shangri-La
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast

Free at leisure before transfer to Shangri-La airport for the departure flight.

Service Excluded:

  • Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
  • Meals as listed in the itinerary;
  • Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
  • Private English-speaking tour guide;
  • Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
  • Service charge & government taxes;
  • Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
  • Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.

Service Excluded:

  • Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
  • Chinese visa fees;
  • Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
  • Single room supplement;
  • Tips to guides and drivers;
  • Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
  • Personal travel accident insurance;
  • All optional programs.