CLASSICAL YUNNAN

Visit of Green Lake and the Birds and Flowers market. This walk will lead you to the remaining old areas in Kunming. You will then enjoy a nice rest while relaxing in a tea house, where you will discover Yunnan pu'er tea and the tea ceremony that goes with the serving of it.

Visit of YUANTONG AND BAMBOO TEMPLES and ascent of « WEST HILL », which offers an unimpeded view on the big DAI LAKE. In the evening, you will attend a wonderful Yunnan minorities' singing and dancing show, YUNNAN DYNAMIC, staged by the famous director???.

Departure to Dali, a small charming city which old centre is surrounded by walls. The morning will be devoted to the discovery of Dali's tree pagodas and its surrounding temples. Drive to a very lively traditional market where locals buy all sorts of ingredients needed for the making of Chinese dishes. You will notice a lot of indigo works in this region, as a Bai minority county. We will discover how it is used, in tea-making, or for all types of clothes, in a small family-run house. The end of the afternoon will be dedicated to a relaxing walk in Dali's old streets which illuminates at night.

Drive to Shaxi with a stop at Xizhou village. On arrival to Shaxi, visit of the ancient site of Shibaoshan and its statutes cut in the moutains' rocks. aux statues creusées dans les montagnes. We will then hike down the mountain to the village for about 30-40min.

Visit of the wonderful, authentic Shaxi village, pleasantly quiet, located in the heart of mountains and rice fields, before heading to the famous village Lijiang.

Enjoy a relaxing day in Lijiang and its labyrinth of cobbled streets winding beautiful traditional-style houses. In the evening, the village illuminates and gives way to a festive atmosphere where ethnic minority people and passer-by dance and sing together on different public places in the village. You will also discover the fascinating Dongba culture. Today, it is said that only eight Dongba masters remain. [Possibility to extend your stay in Lijiang to visit the wonderful Lugu Lake and meet the Mosuo people and their surprising culture, considered by many as a model for social life: women do not marry but have several lovers who do not live in women's houses. The future children will call the men in the village uncles; most of them do not know who their father is, the children will live at the mother's house.

Drive to Shangri La through the mountain, through the tibetan villages and nomad camps located more than 3000m high. Visit of monasteries and nunneries of the yellow section of Tibetan Buddhism.

Visit of Songzanlin lamasery formerly managed by one of the two living Buddhas, who accompanied the Dalai Lama during his exile in India. Drive to Meili mountians, famous for their incomparable beauty. You will stay in a small mountain village overnight, with a unique view on the sunset and the sunrise in the mountains.

Return to Shangri La to meet your connecting flight to Kunming.

Drive towards the south of Yunnan, to Yuanyang and its amazing rice terrace landscapes. You will witness the wonderful sunset on the terraces.

We will wake up early in the morning to attend the sunrise on the rice terraces, before driving to Jianshui. Visit of small local markets followed by the discovery of Confucius Temple. In the end of the afternoon, we will visit Zhang family's traditional Chinese house, near Jianshui and the Double Dragon Bridge.

Drive to Shilin stone forest, offering an amazing karst stones landscape. Hundreds of karst peaks arise from the ground like a forest frozen by time.

Drive to Puzhehei, nicknamed « Yunnan's Guilin », refering to its river lined by karst peaks covered with vegetation. Hundreds of lotus dance on the water's surface. You will end your trip with a real relaxing moment in the heart of a paradise landscape riding a bamboo raft down the river.

Drive (around 4h) back to Kunming, where you will meet your connecting international flight.