You'll begin your journey to the diverse and captivating province of Yunnan from the capital city, Kunming. Upon arrival at the Kunming International Airport, meet your local guide and transfer to the hotel.
 
You will take a leisurely stroll along the Green Lake, a charming area of teahouses and small boutiques selling handicrafts and beautiful local paintings. If time permits, you will have a Kunming city tour. Enjoy welcoming dinner of Yunnan Flavouring food with crossing Bridge Rice Noodle and Steam Pot Chicken/Qiguoji.
 
-- Kunming is the capital of southwest China's Yunnan province, a primarily agricultural province of 45 million. Kunming has a population of five million and is located in one of the world's most geographically, ethnically, biologically and linguistically diverse regions. Situated at 1,900 meters (6,233ft) above sea level and 25° north of the Equator it has a rather unique and pleasant climate for a Chinese city.

You will drive 86 km to the Stone Forest. An old local saying says that 'If you have visited Kunming without seeing the Stone Forest, you have wasted your time.' Truly, the Stone Forest is one of the most important attractions of Yunnan. After lunch drive back Kunming to visit the Guandu Ancient Town which is a famous historical & cultural town in Kunming; it keeps the main architectural style of Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties.
 
After dinner, you will have an option to enjoy the large-scale dance drama "Dynamic Yunnan" which has been an outstanding innovation on the Chinese stage in recent years directed by Yang Liping. Primitive, unsophisticated folk dances and a fresh artistic concept converge in the programme, giving audiences a unique "Yunnan Impression." Sixty-two drums and 120 masks of strong ethnic characteristics are incorporated in the performance.
 
 -- The Stone Forest is in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 120 kilometers from Kunming and requires only a three-hour drive. It covers an area of 400 square kilometers (96,000 acres) and includes both large and small stone forests, as well as many other scenic spots. The Stone Forest has unique karst topography which is one of the best of its kind within China. There are six scenic spots in the Stone Forest: the Greater Stone Forest, the Lesser Stone Forest, the Naigu Stone Forest, the Zhiyun Cave, the Long Lake, the Da Dieshui Waterfall and the Qifeng Cave.
 
-- --Guandu Ancient town is of long history, it is the birth place of Dian Culture. As early as Nanzhao Dali period, it was a big town and hub of the east bank of Dian. It was inhabited 4000 years ago. It has a ferry in Song Dynasty, and many official boats stopped at the ferry, got out of the boat and rode a horse or sit in the litter to get into Kunming. So it got its name “Guandu” (Guan Means official, Du means Ferry). In Ming and Qing Dynasty, it became a developed business and handicraft center.

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 landing, you visit the 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.
 
After lunch, you’ll 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.In Erhai Lake cruise, you will enjoy the green Cangshan Mountain and the Three Pagodas from a far as well as lots of birds and seagulls flying over the lake.
At last, you will visit 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.

In the morning, you will head for Xizhou 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 Bai people's Tie-dying cloth workshop where you can take some special souvenir with the Bai ethnic style.
 
If you are lucky enough, you also visit the Shaping Bazaar happened every Monday in Shangguan Town. Shaping Market is only held on Monday,the Bai people from the surrounding villages of Lake Erhai, including Dali, come to buy and sell fruits, vegetables, poultry, animals, hardware, so-called "antiques" and whatever.

Drive to Shaxi Ancient Town, (Optional:on the way you will take a small boat to visit the Little West Lake)  located at the foot of Fozhong Mountain, west of Yousuo Town in Eryuan County. Arrive in Shaxi in the afternoon, walk around Shaxi Ancient Town and explore the local ethnic life.
 
--Shaxi once played an important role as a bustling trade station on the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, an important branch of the Silk Road. Just over one thousand years ago, this ancient trade route connected Tibet with Eastern China. In exchange for teas from Yunnan, Tibetans traded their famous breed of horse to Song Dynasty officials in eastern China, who were busy defending their territory from invaders from the north. Thus the Tea and Horse Caravan was born. Shaxi became the main trade station along this route.

Enjoy the sunrise of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Lijiang Ancient Town in the morning, drive about 30KM to Ganhaizi Meadow(3100M), you will take the sightseeig bus for a short visiting through the Baishuihe River, take the chairlift up to visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cableway will be arranged according to the condition of the mountain. You will hike around1 hours in the original forest in Spruce Meadow (3200M).

After lunch, you you'll visit Yuhu Village and the Former Residence of Joseph Rock who was an Austria-American botanist and explorer, lived in Yuhu village and other places in that region from 1922 to 1949. He was also a naturalist and Photographer, and the first foreign scholar to introduce Lijiang ethnic culture to the western world.

Visit Yufeng Monastery, located at the southern foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, stands about 13 kilometers to the north of Lijiang City. Yufeng Temple is one of the Scarlet Sect lamaseries in Lijiang. The beautiful sceneries around Yufeng Temple are special gifts from the deity. The temple backs onto a snow mountain and faces a meadow. It is surrounded by the flourishing forest and a never-dried river. All this makes it a really good place to visit.

Stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Naxi style old town.  Visit the Baisha Mural about 600 years old, which is one part of the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997.

--Jade Dragon Snow Mountain stretches a length of 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a width of 20 kilometers (13 miles). Looking from Lijiang Old Town in the south which is 15 kilometers (nine miles) away, the snow-covered and fog-enlaced mountain resembles a jade dragon lying in the clouds, hence, the name Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The highest peak named Fan Peak (Shanzidou in Chinese) which is about 5596 meters above sea level. There are three cablecars in the mountain, the fist to the Glacier Park(4500M),the second to Spruce Meadow(3200M),the third to Yak Meadow(3700M).

From Lijiang, you'll drive about 60KM to the First Bend on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, 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, 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. Afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, the former Zhongdian which is welknown as the paradise destination for every tourist. Upon arrival in Shangri La, you will have entered the Tibetan cultural area and a landscape of barley fields and yaks scattered in the valleys. Walk around Dukezong Ancient Town, an important town of the Ancient Tea-horse Trade Caravan from Yunnan to Tibet and India. Walk 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. 

n Tiger Leaping Gorge is on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze, located 105 kilometers south of Shangrila County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters. Tiger Leaping Gorge is divided into three sections: Upper, Middle and Lower Hutiao. At the narrowest spot the river is only 30 meters wide. The mouth of the gorge is 1,800 meters above sea level. The river is flanked by Yulong and Haba snow mountains, with a height difference of 3,900 meters. It is one of the deepest gorges in the world.

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.

And afterwards you'll visit the tranquil Bita Lake & Shudu Lake in Pudacuo National Park Pudacuo National Park 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 Dabao Monastery on the way back from Pudacuo National Park. Drive around Napahai Lake and visit some Tibetan villages and families. 

In the morning, drive 6 to 7 hours to Deqin County (3400m altitude) which is 187km away from Shangri-La. The view along the way is fantastic with different kinds of trees, streams down the valley, prayer flags and stupas, and Tibetan villages. From Shangri-La, after half an hour driving, you will have a panoramic view of Nixi Pottery Village; drive town to the river valley, continue the nice scenery along the Jinsha River to Benzilan Town where you will have lunch.

After lunch, drive uphill to the Dongzhulin Monastery which is located in Shusong Village, Benzilan District, Deqin County, and 105km from the seat of Zhongdian County. The Yunnan-Tibet Road passes behind the temple and cars can get straight to the temple. The Dongzhulin Monastery was built in 1667, the sixth year of the Kang Xi Period in Qing Dynasty.  Visit the First Bend of Jinsha River or Moon Bend, which is the boundary between Sichuan and Yunnan. This is different from the First Bend of Yangtze River in Lijiang City. The bend in Shigu Town changes the flow direction of the Yangtze River but in Benzilan, the Moon Bend is just a grand bend between the mountains with an impressive scenery. Visit Baimang Snow Mountain Nature Reserve, you will be able to view Baimang Snow Mountain if the weather is clear, pass the top part of today at 4292m altitude at 156km. 
 
Arrive in Feilaisi in the late afternoon, you will have a nice sunset view of Meili Snow Mountain from the Sightseeing Platform, where you can see the 13 white pagodas meaning of the 13 peaks of Meili Snow Mountain over 6,000 meters (19,685 feet) above sea level, known as the "Prince's 13 peaks".

----Meili Snow Mountain (Meili Xueshan), also called Kawakarpo, is a UNESCO nature site located in Deqin County dividing Yunnan from Tibet, a wonderful place to hike and explore both nature and Tibetan culture.Rising between the Salween River and the Mekong River  in the extreme edge of Northwest Yunnan, the Meili Snow Mt. region is part of Three Parallel Rivers of Yunnan Protected Areas.Legend says that the Meili Snow Mountain is a god guarding Tibetan Buddhism. With 13 peaks over 6000m in the range, the main peak Kawakarpo ("Kawagebo" in Chinese) is a sharp snow mountain with an altitude of 6740m,which has never been conquered yet.

Drive further south along the Mekong River to Biaocun Lisu Ethnic Township. A nice day driving again with the upper Mekong River through Zhongpai Town) , Shideng Town,Yingpan Town,Tuer Town in Lanping County of Nujiang Prefecture,; finally arrive in Biaocun Lisu ethnic Township  for one night stay which is located in Yunlong County of Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture.
 
You will stop to visit Lisu, Bai and Yi villages on the way. Biaocun Lisu Ethnic Township is located at the bank of Lancang-Mekong River in Yunlong County. You will have a great view of the Mekong gorge. Visit the cable suspension bridge of Lancang-Mekong River as well. The villages here are faraway from the road for a long time, so they keep more traditions than the people of the same ethnic groups from the other places. Biaocun is a small town of Bai people.
 
--"only 25km" the local told me the distant between Zongpai to Shideng, look at my map, it was the shorter distant between 2 township along this Lancang trip that I could attempted by foot! So I deliberate slept through the bus departure time yesterday morning, gave myself no excuse or temptation to buy my way with vehicle. even the sky supported me with a sunny sky. The walk was simple, followed the Lancang, but most of the time I was being lead inside by the shape of the mountain, not much spectacular sight asvwhat I had hoping to see, but the walk was a refreshingly good exercise to me, it took me 6 hours to arrived at Shideng(@2000m). Same like all the town in the area, room rate from 60 to 100, but still those tinted wall with moisted marked and unclean mattress, who would pay or afforded for a room in this price in a small town like this? The answer came right away when I saw those signs of KTV and massage... The MAN!
 
Weather wasn't that good yhis morning and the marjet wouldn't got much business until 10, seem like a bit difficult to kept on the Lancang river trip as the road condition could be rough, I might just switch back inland and go down to Yunlong later on. Beside...the minority scene was monotonously, only Lisu and Bai mostly of the time, by studied the official info, still the same people populated the Lancang further down river. need some change!
 
--The Lisu ethnic minority numbers 574,856 people, and most of them live in concentrated communities in Bijiang, Fugong, Gongshan and Lushui counties of the Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture in northwestern Yunnan Province. The rest are scattered in Lijiang, Baoshan, Diqing, Dehong, Dali, Chuxiong prefectures or counties in Yunnan Province as well as in Yanyuan, Yanbian and Muli counties in Sichuan Province.     
 
The Knife-Pole Festival on Feb 8 in the Chinese lunar calendar aims to memorialize a Han hero who taught the Lisu people how to make knives and is the exclusive and traditional festival of the Lisu ethnic minority. On that day, various activities including "Climb Knife Pole" and "Dive into Fire Sea" will be held. The Knife-Pole Festival absorbs the spirits of the Lisu people, and is a royal and luxuriant celebration.

Drive  to Gongshan. On the way you can enjoy the beautiful landscapes of the Nujiang Grand Canyon. 
The 316-kilometer-long Nujiang River Gorge is flanked by two 4,000-meter-high mountains. The mountain peaks on the two sides have an average altitude of over 3,000 kilometers. The gorge is located in Yunnan Province in southwestern China, an area rich in ethnic minority culture. It is now a first choice for many domestic and foreign travelers.

One full day excursion to Bingzhongluo, sightseeing includes the first bend of Nujiang River (Salween River), the stone house of the Nu Nationality, Peach Island, the Tibetan Puhua Temple. You will then have the chance to visit a minority household and experience the life of the local people. 
Overnight in Bingzhongluo

Leave Gongshan and drive 110 km through the fascinating mountain areas to Fugong. Sightseeing includes a visit to a suspension bridge and a glide cable. Special Lishu food will be served during dinner. In the evening you will take part in a party with the local people. 
Overnight in Fugong

 Enjoy your last day at Nujiang Grand canyon and visit Laomudeng Village and the bathhouse of Lishu Nationality. It is a tradition to welcome new year that all people take a bath together in the open hot springs by the banks of the river. 

Drive to Tengchong County, visit Nujiang River Bridge in Lujiang Basin, drive along the Gaoli Gongshan Mountain and arrive in Tengchong at noon. After lunch, you will visit Heshun Ancient Town including the Museum of Yunnan-Burmese Anti-Japanese War,Heshun Library, the Archway, Dragon Pool,the Wanlouzi Museum of Native Residence, Wenchang Daoist Palace, Clothes-washing Pavilions,Yuanlong Daoist Pavilion,the Philosopher Ai Siqi's Former Residence, Guanyin Ancient Spruce Trees an so on.You will enjoy the Lisu Ethnic Show and Lisu Family visiting in Jade Spring Garden at night. You can dance and sing with Lisu ethnic people as well have some snacks.

--“Heshun” means peace and harmony. You could walk leisurely around the historical old town, built in earlier days by overseas Chinese as a location for their retirement. The remaining old town is a very beautiful place with many ornamental structures such as pavilions, memorial halls, archways, and balustrades, and also with lotus ponds and outlands with many birds. The library in this town is worth mentioning-set up in 1924, it possesses over 60,000 volumes of books, many of which are rare editions of ancient works.

Visit Liafeng Mountain National Forest Park in the early morning, climb up to the half  mountain, pay a visit to Laifeng Temple bult in Tang dynasty; Climb to the top of the mountain, visit Wenbi Pagoda and the panoramic view of Dianyue Town of Tengchong County.

Visit the Graveyard of the National Heroes, and Dieshuihe Waterfall Park  in the town, then drive to Beihai Wetland Park, you will take a small boat to the lake for a nice view. After lunch, drive back to Tengchong, and visit Rehai hot spring Park.. You will have an option to enjoy the hot spring in the park.

--Tengchong is one of China's three major geothermal areas, known as "Land Abounding in Geothermal Resources". There are plenty of springs of hot water and hot vapour, called "Hot Sea". There are quite a number of hot fields as well. Tengchong is a resort where people can travel, take a bath and have medical treatment. The Hot Sea, with an area of 9 square kilometers, lies 20 kilometers away southwest of the county seat and in the center of the geothermal area.

There are over 80 springs of hot water and hot vapour, of which there are 14 spring whose temperature reaches 90¡ãC. The spring can be regarded as a rarity as far as their number and geothermal energy are concerned. The most magnificent view is the boiling pool with a temperature of 97¡ãC, so it is called "the Big Boiling Pot" by the local people. There are dozens of big springs of vapour with a temperature of 94¡ãC at the mouths of the springs, where you can steam food.

Departure from Tengchong