10 Days Best Chengdu, Emei and Yunnan Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Chengdu Arrival

   Welcome to Chengdu in Sichuan Province, the land of abundance. After arriving at the airport, our driver will pick you up, holding a welcome sign that reads "China Xian Tour". Afterward, he will escort you to the hotel in the city center for check-in. You can explore this slow-paced city on your own during the remaining time.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: Chengdu

2. Day 2: Leshan Giant Buddha Tour from Chengdu
   Marvel at the Giant Buddha and Learn about Its History

   In the morning, meet your tour guide and drive for 2 hours from Chengdu to Leshan City to see China's largest cliff stone statue - Leshan Giant Buddha. Featuring a height of 71 meters, it was excavated in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and took about 90 years to complete. Besides, tourists can see many other attractions in the scenic area, such as Zen Temple, Nine-Bend Plank Road, and Lingbao Pagoda. You can also pay an additional fee to take a cruise ship to enjoy the full view of the Buddha (optional).

   

   Please note that it involves lots of stairs. So you are suggested to wear comfortable walking shoes and watch your steps.

   Continue our Sichuan tour to Baoguo Temple, one of the eight key temples on Mount Emei, known as the largest temple in the mountain. Baoguo Temple was first built in the Ming Dynasty, covering a vast area with a tranquil environment. The buildings inside the temple are well preserved and have a strong Buddhist cultural atmosphere, making it an excellent place for tourists to experience Buddhist culture and historical heritage.

   After the visit, we will drive you to the hotel for check-in. Take a good rest and prepare for tomorrow's hike on Mount Emei. ‌‌

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: At the Foot of Mt. Emei

3. Day 3: Emei Mountain Tour, Back to Chengdu
   Explore the Nature and Culture on Golden Summit

   After breakfast, your tour guide will meet you at your hotel lobby and take you to the stunning Emei Mountain. Famous as both world natural heritage and world cultural heritage, it attracts numerous visitors every year for hiking, photography and profound Buddhist culture. It is also home to more than 3,200 plant species and over 2,300 animal species.

   

   You will take a sightseeing bus to Leidongping, walk for about 30 minutes to Jieyin Hall, and then hop on a cable car up to Golden Summit. If you are lucky, you will see fantastic sea of clouds. There is a majestic golden statue of Samantabhadra Bodhisattva which is regarded as the symbol of the mountain. You might be curious how the Buddha statue was built on such a high peak.

   After enjoying the breathtaking scenery, you will take cable car down to Leidongping and then go down the mountain by a sightseeing bus. Please note to hide your food in your bag because there are many monkeys on the mountain which can be quite aggressive sometimes. After the fantastic hiking, you will be escorted back to your Chengdu hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Chengdu

4. Day 4: Chengdu Panda Tour with Highlights
   Observe Lovely Pandas and Understand Their Habits

   This morning, your Chengdu tour will begin at the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, located 10 kilometers away from the city center. This is the world's largest panda conservation base. The base simulates the wild ecological environment, with over 200 giant pandas living there. The tour guide will take you to visit their living scenes and learn about their habits.

   

   Next, transfer to visit the Wenshu Temple, the first of the four major Zen forests in the Yangtze River Basin of China. Here, you can see typical Western Sichuan style architecture, mainly with wooden structures. Strolling through the tranquil courtyards, experience the atmosphere of this Buddhist holy land.

   Spend your afternoon enjoying relaxing tea time in Renmin Park. Here you can enjoy a cup of tea and watch local people playing cards, playing mahjong, and napping. Last, go to explore the bustling Jinli Street, a quite popular place in Chengdu. You can enjoy shopping and tasting some yummy food that you never saw before.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Chengdu

5. Day 5: Chengdu to Lijiang Tour by Flight
   Stroll along Lijing Old Town to Glimpse Naxi Buildings & Culture

   After breakfast, your trip to Chengdu is over. Take a plane to Lijiang to start your China tour in Yunnan. After landing, the local guide and the driver will pick you up and show you around the Lijiang Old Town, which was listed as a World Cultural Heritage in 1997.

   The Ancient City has a history of about 800 years and is inhabited by the Naxi ethnic minority. Strolling along the antique streets, you can appreciate various buildings and learn about the culture of the Naxi people. Sifang Street is the center of the Old Town and the most important hub on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. There are many restaurants on both sides of the street, each with a variety of Yunnan specific rice noodles, so this street is also called "Lijiang Rice Noodle Street".

   

   Optional Activity: Embark on a leisurely stroll up to Lion Hill and ascend the 33-meter-high Wanggu Tower to savor a breathtaking panoramic view of the entire old town.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Lijiang

6. Day 6: Lijiang Highlights Tour
   Appreciate the Baisha Mural Paintings, Stroll around Shuhe Ancient Town

   The Lijiang trip starts today at the foot of Yulong Snow Mountain - Yuhu Village. In the village you can stroll along the quiet lakes and see stone houses.

   Continuing on to Baisha Village, you can further learn about the history of the Naxi people and appreciate the well preserved traditional architecture here. This village was once the political and economic center of Lijiang. Another must see here is the Baisha Mural Paintings, which has a history of five hundred years. It is one of the four major murals in China and combines the painting styles of various ethnic groups such as Han, Tibetan, and Naxi.

   

   Afterward, be guided to visit Shuhe Ancient Town. You will see that the houses are built along the river. Admire the quaint architecture and experience peaceful atmosphere, just like traveling back to ancient times. Next is the Dongba Culture Museum, which showcases the unique Dongba culture of the Naxi people, including precious scriptures and cultural relics.

   The last stop of the Lijiang tour is Black Dragon Pool Park, located at the foot of Elephant Mountain, which is an excellent place to enjoy the "Reflecting Yulong Snow Mountain".

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Lijiang

7. Day 7: Lijiang to Shangri-La Tour
   Take a Hike on the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge

   After breakfast, your driver and private guide will pick you up at the hotel and take you to The First Bend of Yangtze River. The rolling yellow Yangtze River, blocked by cliffs in Shigu Town, suddenly makes a sharp turn into a "Ⅴ" shaped curve.

   Then continue driving north for about 1 hour to one of the deepest canyons in China - Tiger Leaping Gorge. Follow your guide to hike the Upper Tiger Leaping Gorge and you can get a challenging but rewarding hiking experience. You will see the huge Tiger Leaping Rock. It is said that a tiger once leaped from one side of the gorge to the other with this rock. This is why the gorge is called "Tiger Leaping Gorge".

   

   After the hiking tour, you will be transferred to Shangri-La. Upon arrival, check in at the local hotel and have a simple tour of Dukezong Old Town. One of the largest Tibetan residential areas in China, Dukezong boasts a history of over 1,300 years, and once served as an important hub along the Ancient Tea Horse Road.

   A big highlight of the town is the largest prayer wheel in Guishan Park. You can join locals or other tourists to turn the wheel and invoke blessings and good fortune. Also, you can ascend to a higher point of the park to see the entire ancient town and surrounding snow mountains.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Shangri-La

8. Day 8: Best Shangri-La Tour
   Glimpse the Tibetan Culture through a Local Tibetan Family and Monastery

   Today, you will be led to experience the highlights of Shangri-La starting from Songzanlin Monastery. Known as the 'Little Potala Palace', this is a great place to experience Tibetan Buddhist culture. The largest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province, Songzanlin Temple, is built along the mountain with an architectural style that blends Tibetan tradition and Buddhist culture. The temple is magnificent, and you can go up to exquisite murals and magnificent Buddha statues. ‌

   

   After lunch, your tour guide will take you to Pudacuo National Park, one of the main attractions of the Shangri-La trip. Visitors can enjoy the beautiful lakes, forests, meadows, valleys, streams, and rare flora and fauna here. If you are a photography enthusiast, the park is a great travel destination especially during the spring and autumn seasons.

   Continue your tour in Shangri-La to a local Tibetan family. The hospitable host will entertain you with their homemade snacks, like butter tea, yak cheese, and barley wine. This is a rare chance to look into local Tibetan's daily life and activities. After that, transfer you back to Shangri-La hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Shangri-La

9. Day 9: Shangri-La to Kunming Tour
   Catch a Stunning Panoramic View from Western Hills

   After breakfast, you will be taken to the airport to catch a flight to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan province. After arrival, the local tour guide will pick you up and escort you to the hotel.

   After taking a short break, start your Kunming tour in Western Hills. This is a landmark attraction in Kunming, combining natural beauty with Buddhist culture. Ascending the Dragon Gate, you can overlook the magnificent scenery of Dianchi Lake from there. There are also exquisite grotto carvings here for you to appreciate.

   

   Next, we will go to Cuihu Park, aka the Green Lake Park, located in the city center. The park covers an area of 0.216 square kilometers and is known as the "emerald green" due to its year-round lush scenery. You can see the most authentic citizen life here, some playing musical instruments, some practicing Tai Chi. Every winter, there are a large number of red billed gulls flying in, which is a spectacular view.

   After all visits, we drive back to the hotel.‌‌

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Kunming

10. Day 10: Kunming Departure
    Marvel at the Spectacular Karst Landscape at Stone Forest

    Today is the last day of your 10-day China trip of Sichuan and Yunnan. After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Stone Forest. Thanks to its spectacular karst landscape of diverse stone pillars, peaks, and caves, Stone Forest was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, showing millions of years of geological evolution. You will marvel at some of its most iconic formations in both the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests.

    After the Stone Forest visit, be escorted to Kunming Airport for your departure flight. Say goodbye to your guide and driver. Your memorable tour in China comes to an end here.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A