14-Day Exceptional Beijing, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Shanghai Tour

Highlights of the 14-Day Exceptional Bejing, Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Shanghai Tour

Price Per Person

Notes:

Day 1 Arrive in Beijing

Meals: N/A

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven or similar

When you arrive in Beijing, you will meet the English-speaking guide and be transferred to your hotel. For the rest of the day, you will enjoy free time on your own to explore the city.

The history of Beijing can be traced back to 3000 years ago. It was then known as Ji, a city-state from the 11^th century to 7^th century BC. Ji was conquered by the State of Yan and was renamed as Yanjing. Beijing’s glory starts in the early Ming Dynasty when Emperor Yongle decided to establish it as the capital city of the empire. Thereafter, Beijing has served as China’s capital for around 600 years. The quickly developing economy has shrunk parts of its historical sections, to give way to modernity. But, there are still many places where travelers can glimpse the city’s ancient past.

Day 2 Beijing

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Peking Roast Duck Dinner

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven or similar

Your adventure begins in Tiananmen Square in the central part of Beijing. It is an important meeting place for political events. Many buildings line the square, such as the Monument to the People's Heroes, the Mausoleum of Mao Zedong, the Great Hall of the People, and the National Museum of China. Each morning, the five-star red flag, China’s national flag, is raised up  with the rising sun.

Then walk your way to the Forbidden City, the imperial palace of both Ming and Qing Dynasties, which was off-limits to commoners in the past. The construction of Forbidden City started in 1406 and ended in 1420, under the reign of Emperor Yongle. Totally 24 emperors together with their households took it as home. Most of them were born and raised up here, came to the throne and worked diligently to rule the country, and finally died here. The palace itself is like a long-living old man who has witnessed many stories happening. There are heart-touching love stories, competitions between rival concubines for the favor of emperors, battles of wits and courage between princes for the throne or even murders. All these are waiting for you to discover. You will visit the main palaces, the imperial garden, the treasure gallery and the clock & watch exhibition hall.

Following this, you will then explore another landmark of Beijing, the Temple of Heaven. It was built at the same time with the Forbidden City by Emperor Yongle. In ancient China, the emperors claimed themselves as the son of Heaven and they ruled the country on behalf of gods in Heaven. The temple was built to hold sacrificing ceremonies to show respect to the gods in Heaven and pray for good harvests.

After that, you will enjoy a hearty Peking Roast Duck dinner at Quanjude Restaurant, a time-honored brand for the iconic dish: Peking Roast Duck.

Day 3 Beijing

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Beijing Temple of Heaven or similar

In the morning, you will be transferred to the suburb of Beijing to visit a less-traveled section of the Great Wall, the Mutianyu Great Wall. You will spend some time walking on the wall, taking pictures and admiring the might and grandeur of the Great Wall. Not until you are there, you can hardly image how this could be done merely by human hands. The construction of the Great Wall started as early as the Spring and Autumn period. During that time and the following Warring States period, different states such as Qin, Wei, Zhao, etc. built several walls to defend their own borders. At the end of Warring States period, Ying Zheng, King of Qin State, conquered his opponents and united China again as a great empire. He joined the walls together. Since then, the Great Wall has been rebuilt, made bigger and stronger. The current wall was mainly built during the Ming Dynasty.

In the afternoon, you will continue to explore the Ming Tombs to learn more about that period of history. In total, 13 emperors from the Ming Dynasty were buried here, together with their empresses and concubines. You will visit Changling, the tomb of Emperor Yongle, who built the Forbidden City. The tomb is not excavated, so you will visit the on-site museum which houses many artifacts unearthed from another tomb, Dingling. After that, drive back to Beijing and stop to do an outside tour to the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube.

Day 4 Beijing/Kunming by plane

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Kunming Jinjiang Hotel or similar

This morning you will take a leisurely tour to the Summer Palace, which was built in 1764 by Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty for his mother’s 60^th birthday. Severely damaged during the second Opium War in 1860, the palace was restored in 1888 by Empress Dowager Cixi with funds originally planned for upgrading the navy. Cixi (1835-1908) was a concubine of Emperor Xianfeng. After the emperor’s death in 1861, her son succeeded to the throne at the age of 6, as Emperor Tongzhi. Cixi thereafter became the empress dowager and the actual regent in late Qing Dynasty who controlled the government for around 47 years till her death. Occasionally she came to the Summer Palace to beat the heat.

After that, head for the airport and fly to Kunming. When you arrive in Kunming, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Day 5 Kunming/Dali by plane

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Dali Landscape Hotel or similar

Head for the Stone Forest. The incredible limestone formations soar from the ground forming a magnificent forest of stones. Next, you will be driven to the airport and fly to Dali. When you arrive in Dali, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Day 6 Dali

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Dali Landscape Hotel or similar

Travel to Xizhou to see the traditional houses of the ethnic Bai people, known as "Sanfang Yizhaobi" (a courtyard room on three sides and a screen wall on the remaining side) and "Sihe Wutianjing" (a big courtyard with four smaller ones at the four corners of the main one). Afterward, enjoy their three-course tea. Next, you will visit the Chongsheng Temple and the Three Pagodas and explore Dali Old Town. Dali has a glorious history. An ancient kingdom named Nanzhao was once established with Dali as its capital. The old town now is famous for its traditional architecture, beautiful scenery, and minority cultures, mostly the Bai people.

Day 7 Dali/Lijiang by private car

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Lijiang Hexi Hotel or similar

Drive to Lijiang. En route, you will stop at Shaxi Old Town, once a crucial point on one of the old Spice Roads that stretched from Yunnan to India. You will explore the town’s wooden houses, courtyards, and narrow, winding streets. Compared to Lijiang Old Town, Shaxi is quieter and less commercial. It still maintains its original appearance.

Day 8 Lijiang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Lijiang Hexi Hotel or similar

Head for Baisha Village. The murals in Baisha are the pride of the Naxi people’s culture, an integral part of the Old Town of Lijiang and one of the most expressive forms of Dongba culture. It is said there were over 200 frescos housed within 15 monasteries, among which 55 survived and are housed in Dabaoji Palace, Liuli Hall, Dading Pavilion, and Dajue Palace of Baisha. In total, these murals span an area of over 140 square meters. The largest mural measures 2m high and 4m long and contains over 600 figures. With an elaborate layout, rich themes, fabulous colors, outstanding craftsmanship, and life-like figures, these murals showcase the passion, wisdom, and vision of artists from the  Dongba culture.

Then travel to Shuhe Ancient Town. Located four kilometers to the northwest of Lijiang Ancient Town, Shuhe is one of the earliest inhabited locations of the Naxi People in the Lijiang area. It is also one of the best protected ancient towns along the famous Tea and Horse Road. Being part of the Lijiang Ancient Town, Shuhe was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site  in 1997.

Next on the tour, visit the Black Dragon Pond Park, where you can see the Jade Snow Mountain in the distance and travel to the Dongba Culture Museum inside the park. The museum is dedicated to displaying Dongba culture of the Naxi people. Naxi is a minority with a long history and a brilliant culture. With a population of 300,000, this group lives mainly in Lijiang, Yunnan. Afterward, explore Lijiang Old Town. At night, you will enjoy a traditional Naxi musical performance.

Day 9 Lijiang

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Lijiang Hexi Hotel or similar

Today you will travel to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cable car will take you to the Glacier Park located at 4,506m. From there, there is a wooden trail which leads travelers to a higher elevation of 4,680m. Travelers can see the mountain range more closely at this altitude. Next, you will descend by cable car and then watch a fantastic show named "Impression of Lijiang". The show was also choreographed by Zhang Yimou. It is set in the open-air with the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain as a backdrop. The show includes a cast of around 500 performers. They are not professional dancers, but rather are villagers from the surrounding area. After the show, you will explore Yufeng Temple before you are transferred back to Lijiang.

Day 10 Lijiang/Shangri-La by private car

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Shangri-La Zhaxidele Hotel or similar

Today you will visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, a scenic canyon on the Jinsha River, a tributary of the upper Yangtze River. The gorge is one of the deepest and most spectacular river canyons in the world and part of the Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas World Heritage Site. You will also see the first bend of the Yangtze River. Afterward, you will be driven to Shangri-La.

Day 11 Shangri-La

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Shangri-La Zhaxidele Hotel or similar

Today you will visit a Tibetan monastery Gedan Songzanlin Monastery. It is also known as the "little Potala Palace". It is a spiritual place that invites you to discover the mystery and traditions of Tibetan Buddhism. Since the 5th Dalai Lama chose the site through divination in 1679, the monastery has grown into the most important community of its kind in Yunnan Province. After that, you will travel to the Napa Lake. Next, you will visit a local Tibetan family to learn more about their lifestyle, and explore the Dukezong Ancient Town in Shangri-La.

Day 12 Shangri-La/Shanghai by plane

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhabei or similar

Head for the airport and fly to Shanghai. When you arrive in Shanghai, you will be transferred to the hotel.

Day 13 Shanghai by plane

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Express Shanghai Zhabei or similar

Today you will take a full-day city tour in Shanghai to explore its major attractions. First, you will be taken to the Jade Buddha Temple, an important Buddhist Temple in Shanghai. This temple has a history of 120 years and it contains two jade Buddha sculptures. Hence, why it is called  the Jade Buddha Temple.

Following that, you will travel to the Yuyuan Garden. The garden was built in 1559 by an official of Ming Dynasty to please his father. When you visit the garden, you will be impressed by its size, the buildings containing delicate carvings, and the artistic rockeries inside it. After exploring the garden, you will spend some time strolling along the Shanghai Old Street nearby. It is lined with many souvenir shops.

Next, you will visit the Shanghai Museum. It is one of the most important museums in China. It houses more than 120,000 artifacts covering bronze ware, pottery, ancient furniture, amongst other items. Afterward, you will take a leisurely walk through the Bund, the center of Shanghai, to check out the colonial buildings there and learn about that period of history.

Then, we will drive you through the Former French Concession and reach the final stop of the day: Xintiandi. It was once an old living quarter with traditional brick houses known as "shikumen" houses. The area was later transformed into the trendiest place in Shanghai with many high-end restaurants, bars, and boutiques.

Day 14 Depart from Shanghai

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: N/A

Drive to Longyang Station and you will take the Maglev train to the airport for your departing flight. Thus, the end of this excetional tour of China.