Upon your arrival at Luang Prabang airport you will be picked up and transferred to town. In the afternoon, you will embark on your Mekong Cruise Boat, a comfortable new Laotian cruise ship (Check in is after 4 PM). Settle into your accommodating cabin and unpack for an eight day cruise.

Begin with a walk up Phou Si-hill, which offers a spectacular sunset view over the Mekong as well as the Khan River and the surrounding mountains. In the evening, enjoy strolling along the Mekong promenade or visiting the colorful night market of the local Hmong minority. Enjoy the spacious decks, lounge on board and attend our welcome reception and dinner this evening. A selection of Asian and European food will be provided throughout the cruise.

Today, take a guided tour of Luang Prabang, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  Your guide will pick you up from your hotel after breakfast. Attention: Since buses can not enter into the heart of Luang Prabang, city tour is done by tuk tuk from 10 people (4 people/tuk tuk).

Start at the former Royal Palace, now the National Museum, where you will explore the history of Laos. Continue on foot to Wat Mai, a temple renowned for its golden bas-relief, and Wat Sensoukarahm, which features a beautiful dazzling golden façade. Finish this morning's tour at Wat Xieng Thong, the most revered temple in Luang Prabang. Located at the end of the peninsula, close to the Mekong, this temple was built in 1560 by King Setthathirat and is decorated with ornate carvings and mosaics.

After lunch, continue your tour of enchanting Luang Prabang. Visit Wat Visoun, the holiest temple of the city, which was entirely rebuilt in 1887 after being destroyed by the invading Black Flags from Southern China. In the courtyard of Wat Visoun stands the Watermelon Stupa shaped like the fruit from which it takes its name. Continue past Wat Aham, which was first built in the 1500s, and on to Wat That where the ashes of King Sisavang Vong are kept inside the large central stupa.

Continue to the Traditional Arts & Ethnology Centre, a museum dedicated to exploring the rich diversity of Laos' ethnic minorities.  Traditional costumes, tools, and artifacts are on display alongside in-depth descriptions and written histories. It is a great opportunity to gain insight in to the Lao people (note: closed on Monday).

As today comes to a close, climb the 328 stairs of Mount Phousi and watch the sun set over the city and surrounding hills.  Visit the hilltribe evening market for some shopping. This colorful market takes place every evening around 5pm along the main streets of town and is a great place to look for souvenirs. Then transfer back to your hotel or spend more time at the hilltribes market.

Today your spectacular Mekong cruise begins with the departure from Luang Prabang from where you will cruise north and visit a Laotian village and observe the traditional production of Lao-Lao, the local Laotian village. After a short walk through the jungle you will explore the famous Pak Ou Caves, with thousands of small Buddha statues inside the caverns. The night is spent on a secluded river bank or sandbank. 

Overnight aboard your Boutique River Cruise Vessel

The river traffic thins out as you proceed upstream, and you can enjoy the fantastic landscapes along the river. The scenery along the river is incredible... With a little luck you will be able to see elephants in action today (unless they are busy with an off-site contract by the time of your visit). Later, that day you will have a short stop in the market town of Pakbeng. 

Overnight aboard your Boutique River Cruise Vessel

--Pakbeng is a small village in Laos, located on the Mekong River about halfway between the Thai border at Huay Xai and Luang Prabang, Laos. Pakbeng is connected by a sealed road with Oudomxai along the Nam Beng river. The town is a major stop for the boats running from Luang Prabang to Huay Xai; the slow boats which run between Huay Xai and Luang Prabang over a period of two days spend the night moored in Pakbeng. There are several small guesthouses that usually have attached restaurants, a sauna, and many local hilltribes living close by. Groceries can be purchased for when you want to continue down the Mekong. Many foreign tourists passing through the village may partake in the small (illegal) trade in both marijuana and opium has been a part of the culture for thousands of years.

Pakbeng just had its main road paved in 2005, also just completed its hydroelectric station down river thanks to a World Bank loan. Before then all facilities and houses had their own electrical generators if any electricity at all. You can expect quiet evenings there, as most places close by 10 p.m. There is a small wat to be found in the hills not far from the village. It is a very quaint example of a Buddhist temple from the former Lanna Kingdom. Many of the old temples had been destroyed during wars with the Thai Kingdom 300 years before.

Today is a day to take it all in – relax on deck, in your comfortable cabin or in the lounge and soak up the untouched scenery. The diversity of the landscape is astonishing, now shifting to tropical hills in the background. Enjoy the tranquility of northern Laos, a real retreat from the hustle-and-bustle of daily life. As you cruise along the green hills, you will start heading upstream towards Pak Tha. 

As you cruise along the green hills, you will start heading upstream towards Pak Tha. At Pak Tha, a small village, you will take off on a long-tail boat excursion on the Namtha River to visit a Khmu village. 
You will also visit a small village school sponsored by guests of the Mekong River Cruises. The purely natural landscape is only broken by the seldom sights of small villages and local herds of cattle. Enjoy the comfort and service onboard: exclusive, yet casual, you’ll share the boat with no more than 30 fellow guests. Today you proceed to the Thai-Laotian border at Chiang Khong (Thailand) and Ban Huay Xay (Laos). You will then spend a last relaxing dinner and evening in Laos.

Today is spent on an excursion to the Golden Triangle area at Chiang Saen, where you will visit the Golden Buddha of Sop Ruak and the new Hall of Opium. This fascinating museum, sponsored by the royal family of Thailand, gives a deep background on the history and politics of the opium trade and the health effects of opium abuse. This last evening on board will be celebrated with a farewell dinner. 
Overnight aboard your Boutique River Cruise Vessel
--Golden Triangle or Chiang Saen: 
Chiang Saen, just south of the Golden Triangle tourist hell hole, is a quiet and very historic town that sits by the Mekong River and was once an independent kingdom. Archaeological finds in the area have placed development here in prehistoric times. More recent communities have been placed in the region of the 13th to 14th Centuries when one of the sons of King Mangrai, Saen Pu, on his father's orders commenced construction of a walled city with the Mekong River being one of those borders.

After breakfast you will say goodbye to your Laotian crew. Check-out and disembark. You will take Golden Peacock Speed Boat to Jinghong Port in XishuangBanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. Visit the wonderful Mekong River scenery between Thailand and China.
In the late afternoon arrive in Jinghong port, you will disembark from Golden Peacock Speed Boat, then transfer to the hotel for checking.                                             
--Jinghong City:
Jinghong City is located in the middle of Xishuangbanna Dai Minority People's Autonomous Prefecture, borders on Myanmar, is the political, economic, cultural and traffic center of Xishuangbanna, has an area of 7133 square kilometers and population of 350 thousand. The nationalities living in Jinghong include Han, Dai, Hani, Jinuo, Lahu, Bulang, Yi and Yao. Lunan Shan Mountain has an elevation of 2196 meters, is the highest point in Jinghong, the lowest point is where the Mekong flows out of China; altitude there is only 485 meters.

-Menglun Tropical Botanical Garden:
Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences is situated in Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture. The site is a gourd-shaped peninsula almost totally surrounded by the Luosuo River, a branch of the Mekong River. Still having large areas covered with tropical rain forest, it is an ideal place for studying tropical plants. Since its establishment in 1959 under the leadership of the well-known botanist Prof. Tsai Hsetao, the Botanical Garden has been engaged in scientific research, germplasm preservation, public education and scientific exploitation, and has developed its typical tropical landscape and colourful ethnic features.
--Dai Ethnic Garden:
Called as “the First Eco Village”, Xishuangbanna Dai Minority Park is located in Menghan Town, neighboring Lancang River and Longde Lake. It is an ecotourism zone integrated with natural scenery and Dai culture. Every body must go to the temple for divine blessing. Then until Opening the Door festival, couples could not hang out together; get married or go out. Mid October is Opening the Door Festival. The rainy season is over; couples could court one another and get married. There will be huge gathering at that day. It is also the harvest day. Water Splashing Festival is a traditional festival of Dai nationality. It is on the new year of Dai Calendar. People will water the Buddha in the temple and pour water to one another to show their sincere blessing and wash away their troubles.
--Manting Park:
Manting Park, situated in the southeast of Jinghong, is 2 kilometers away from Jinghong City. It covers a total area of 115,400 square meters. Manting Park is the oldest park in Xishuangbanna with a long history of 1300 years. It used to be the Dai Imperial Garden and the place for the emperor to please the eyes in the ancient times. It is said that the park is also called Chunhuan Park which means the park of soul for the reason that the beautiful scenery of the park attracted the soul of the Dai queen when she was visiting it. Manting Park boasts not only the unique natural scenery, but also artificial rare flowers and architecture. So tourists can enjoy both the beautiful natural scenery and places of historic figures and cultural heritage with rich folk custom.

-Dali Ancient Town: 
Located in Yunnan Province, Dali Ancient City is located 13 kilometers (about 8 miles) away from Dali City. The city’s history can be traced back to the early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Dali Ancient City was traditionally settled by the Bai and Yi ethnic minority groups and is the capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture. The city is a beautiful example of an ancient Chinese city and has remained relatively untouched. Beautifully located on a fertile plateau nestled between the Cangshan Mountains to the west, and Erhai Lake to the east, the ancient city has been attracting visitors for centuries.
--Dali Ancient City Wall:
The Ancient City Wall of Dali was built in the 15th year of Hongwu in the Ming dynasty (AD1382) after the Ming army occupied Dali. Backing on the Mt. Cangshan and facing the Erhai, it is 7.5 meters high and 6 meters deep rounding an area of 36 square kilometers. Nowadays, only some parts of the north and south ancient wall were still standing. The Ancient City Wall of Dali is a well-known brand of Dali. As a tourist attraction, it is already given much publicity to among the general people around the country and abroad.
--Foreigner Street:
The Foreigner Street is originally named Huguo Road. Paved by stone tablets, the street extends from east to west, 1,000 meters long and 7 meters wide. There are many Chinese and western food shops, jewelry stores, antique shops, galleries and tie-dyeing shops there.
--Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monastery:
Between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, the Three Pagodas stand like the legs of a huge tripod. Qianxun Pagoda, the main one, is square-shaped with closed eaves similar to Xiaoyan Pagoda in Xi'an. It has 16 tiers with a total height of 69.13 meters, and is in a typical architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. It was first built in the era of Fengyou Emperor of Nanzhao Kingdoms about the same time of the Tang Dynasty. On the south and north sides of the main pagoda stand two smaller ones of octagonal shape with dosed eaves. Each one has 10 tiers with a height of 43 meters.

-Erhai Lake:
Erhai Lake is named after its shape and expanse. "Er" in Chinese means a human ear and "Hai" means a sea, hence its name Erhai. It is one of the seven biggest fresh water lakes in China and the largest highland lake next to Dianchi Lake (in Kunming). So it was called "Plateau Pearl". The dimension is 41.5 km. by 6.9 km. It starts from Jiangwei of Eryuan County in the north and ends at Xiaguan in the south. The total storage capacity is 3 billion cubic meters and its elevation 1,972 meters.
--Xizhou Ancient Town:
About 18 km north of Dali old town, Xizhou is the typical town with Bai's characters. More than 1500 years ago, Xizhou and nearby area has been the major habitat for the Bai people. Xizhou was once a commercial center of Yunnan, and the birthplace of Bai's modern entrepreneurs. It is said that more than 140 wealthy families built their houses here, including the Yan's, the Yang's, the Dong's and the Zhao's. All these houses are decorated with woodcarvings, colored patterns, marbles and wash drawings, which represents the masterpieces of Bai's architecture.
--Zhoucheng Village:
Zhoucheng Town is the biggest town of Bai people in Dali. More than 1,500 Bai families live in their houses which are located all together there in Zhoucheng Town. Zhoucheng Town you can see typical houses of Bai people with closed courtyards, consisting of three rooms and a "shining wall." The purpose of the "shining wall" is to reflect light into the houses. Another configuration consists of four rows of houses and five dooryards. 
--Bai ethnic Tie-dye Cloth Workshop:
Tie-dyeing originated from the central plains area in ancient China over 1,000 years ago. Being one of the locations of this craftsmanship, Zhoucheng Village near Butterfly Spring in Dali Old City is famous as the "Hometown of Bai People's Tie-dyeing Art". The tie-dyeing products in Zhoucheng Village are well sought after, both at home and abroad. Do drop by and witness for yourself the process of this historical craftsmanship. Who knows, you will return home with some cheap and beautiful crafted cloths.
-- Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Monastery
Between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, the Three Pagodas stand like the legs of a huge tripod. Qianxun Pagoda, the main one, is square-shaped with closed eaves similar to Xiaoyan Pagoda in Xi'an. It has 16 tiers with a total height of 69.13 meters, and is in a typical architectural style of the Tang Dynasty. It was first built in the era of Fengyou Emperor of Nanzhao Kingdoms about the same time of the Tang Dynasty. On the south and north sides of the main pagoda stand two smaller ones of octagonal shape with dosed eaves. Each one has 10 tiers with a height of 43 meters.

-Lijiang Ancient Town:
Someone said that Ljiang is the only fairyland which was left by God on the earth. Lijiang is an important city in ancient China, with numerous minorities. It is a well-preserved ancient town with 12 minorities, among which Naxi Nationality takes the major part of the whole population. As early as in Nanchao Dynasty, that is about 1600 years ago, the first residents moved here and the history of Lijiang Ancient Town began.
 Before 1996, Lijiang Ancient Town was an intact land from cultures of Han Nationality. However, with the speed up of modern civilization and tourism industry, Lijiang Ancient Town is influenced by modern features. At present, some Naxi people n longer wear their traditional clothing, and the children of Lijiang are educated in mandarin. You can even see the local residents talking with foreign travelers in fluent English, and the phenomenon is the consequences of commercial driving. 
--Black Dragon Pool:
Black Dragon Pool (also Heilongtan), or Jade Spring (Yuquan) Park is the main headwater of the Yushui River which goes through the Old Town. It is just like the bright eyes of the town, shining with the wisdom. People believe that the gods of the Naxi people are living in the chestnut woods, beside the mouth of springs, behind the carved doors and below the bridges. The springs come from the god-protected mountains and gather in this place and finally form the dragon pool. Then water goes down a waterfall and becomes the Yuhe River, pouring life to the Old Town.
--Dongba Culture Museum:
Dongba Culture Museum is a museum in Lijiang City, Yunnan, China which deals with the of the Dongba culture of the Naxi (Nakhi) people.The Naxi is a minority with a long history and a brilliant culture. The Dongba culture is a most inclusive term referring mainly to the language and scriptures. The Dongba language is actually composed of 1,400 picture-like characters and symbols that are still used by Dongbas, researchers and artists of the culture. It is by now the only living hieroglyph in the world and is regarded as a precious cultural relic of mankind. On August 30, 2003, the Dongba classical literature was accepted as a written world heritage by UNESCO.
--Yuhu Village and Joseph Rock’s Exhibition:
Located about 15 kilometers North of Lijiang Old Town, the Yuhu village, belonging to the Naxi minority, is the last village of the valley; and is situated at the foot of the Jade Dragon Mountain in Lijiang. The houses, built with unique rocks called "monkey head", sort of mix of the rocks and dried earth, makes the village looks the same as it was in the beginning of the 20th century when Joseph Rock chose this place as his residence place. Joseph Rock, 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.
--Naxi Ancient Orchestral Music:
A crystallization of Taoist rite, Confucian ceremony, and the literary lyrics, poetic topics and musical tones of the Tang, Song and Yuan Dynasties, Naxi Ancient Music has developed its own unique style and traits - the result of 500 hundred years of evolution. It originally included three parts -'Baisha Fine Music' (Baisha Xiyue), 'Dongjing Music' (Dongjing Yinyue), and 'Huangjing Music' (Huangjing Yinyue), the last of which has long been lost in the river of time. Played on venerable Chinese musical instruments such as flute, shawm, Chinese lute, plectrum, and zither, Naxi Music has the power to cleanse the heart and relax the mind.

-Tiger Leaping Gorge:
Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Gorge) is on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze) is located 105 kilometers south of Zhongdian County. The gorge is 17 kilometers long with a drop of 213 meters. The 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.
--The first Bend of Yangtze River:
The First Bend of the Yangtze River is located about 70 km away from lijiang. The upper reaches of the Yangtze River is named the Jinsha River, which originates from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. The Jinsha River flowed southward along the Hengduan Mountain ranges and was forced to the turn to north because of the Alpine movements which caused changes in the earth's physiognomy. When the river reaches Shigu Township, it makes an abrupt turn and flows further northward, forming the rare V-shape bend. 
--Shigu Ancient Town:
Shigu town is 50 kilometers from Lijiang. It was named after a stone tablet in the shape of a drum.Shigu in Chinese is Stone Drum. Jinshajiang River flows at great speed down to Shigu Town and then with the width of the river enlarged from here, the speed of the water gradually comes down and makes Shigu Town a natural ferry Shigu Town is always an important part of the Tea-horse Road. From this place people can go south to Dali and north to Tibet. In the history, Zhuge Liang and Kublai Khan all close here to cross the Yangze River. 
--Iron Chain Bridge:
There is a famous iron chain bridge spanning across the Chongjiang River that flows along from the left side of Stone Drum Town. The bridge is also named Tiehong Bridge because it resembles the shape of a rainbow arching over the waves below. The iron chain bridge was built during the Qing Dynasty with wooden boards held onto the iron chains on the bottom as the flooring and on the both sides as fence to protect the walkers. 17 meters in length, people would be feeling a bit wiggling while on it, but it does send them back to the snapshots of history.

-Songzanlin Monastery:
Built in the style of Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet, the magnificent monastery complex resides on top of a hill and consists of the two Zhacang and Jikang lamaseries – which take on the form of five-story Tibetan watchtowers – five gates, numerous sub-lamaseries and hundreds of rooms for the monks. Walking up the 146 steps that lead to the main prayer hall is a tiring exercise at 3,300 meters above sea level, but it allows you to trace mentally the pilgrimage route that generations of devout Buddhists living on the plateau take on their knees and foreheads every year.
--Dukezong Ancient Town:
Dukezong, a Tibetan town in Shangrila, offers sanctuary to all those seeking refuge from the cares of city life. Dukezong's authentic Tibetan dwellings, gilded prayer halls and pagodas, and lanterns of various shapes lighting the way along narrow, winding lanes are permeated with the grace and mystique of antiquity that enchants visitors the moment they set foot in it. Dukezong was a key stop on the Ancient Tea-Horse Trail and a focal point for Han-Tibetan exchanges. Despite its age, Dukezong is the largest and best-preserved Tibetan city among China's 147 Tibetan counties. It is also site of the largest ancient Tibetan community. 
--the Giant Prayer Wheel:
In Shangri-la,local residents and tourists turn a huge prayer wheel in Dukezong ancient city of Shangri-la County, southwest China's Yunnan Province, March 12, 2010. The 21-meter-tall, 60-ton prayer wheel has attracted lots of people to visit. An eye-catching 24-meter (80-foot) tall golden prayer wheel sits on a hill. Though it was built recently for the sake of tourism, it has become an authentic item because local Buddhists now climb the hill to spin it to submit their prayers. You can twirl it, too, but do it only clockwise, as religious tradition dictates.
--Napahai Lake:
Napahai Lake (Napa Hai) is 3270 meters above sea level and covers 660 square kilometers. The lake fills up a valley surrounded on three sides by mountains which are covered in snow during winter and spring time. During the rainy season, the lake expands and the water will rush through the nine holes and empty into the Jinsha River. During the dry season, the water recedes and grassland appears. In autumn, the prairie changes into a golden color and flocks of yaks, horses, sheep graze there. Rare birds such as black necked crane, bar-headed goose and mallard flock to the area for winter.

- The Stone Forest: 
The Stone Forest is in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, which is about 85 kilometers from Kunming. 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. 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.
-- The Flowers and Birds Market:
Famous for its year-round mild climate, Kunming is often called Spring City. The famous Flowers and Birds Market in Jingxing Street is the city's biggest, most attractive shopping market where spring reigns all year. Since 1983 the Flowers and Birds Market has gradually been built into a comprehensive public spot for leisure, shopping, and trading. Strolling on the market street, you can see shops and stalls of all sorts, especially those featuring flowers, birds, and fish.
--The Green Lake: 
Green Lake Park or Cui Hu Park is an urban park in Kunming. During the winter months, black-headed gulls from Siberia migrate to Green Lake and entertain the crowds of visitors as they circle around and snap up bread, usefully provided by a herd of local vendors, thrown up into the air by tourists. There are performances of Chinese operas. This lovable scene, in which man, birds, and nature mingle in such harmony, has kept occurring over the last ten years.
--Kunming City:
Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province, is known as 'the City of Eternal Spring' for its pleasant climate and flowers blooming all year long. With a history of more than 2,400 years, Kunming was the gateway to the celebrated Silk Road that facilitated trade with Tibet, Sichuan, Myanmar and India. Today it is the political, economical and cultural center of Yunnan as well as the most popular tourist destination in southwest China.

Transfer to Kunming International Airport for returning.
Service ends.