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16-day Southwest China Essence Tour

Tour Cities:Shanghai →Guilin →Yangshuo →Longsheng →Kunming →Dali →Lijiang →Shangrila →Chengdu →Emeishan →Leshan
Tour Code:ACT-Highlights-07

The 16-day Shanghai Guilin Kunming Dali Lijiang Shangrila Chengdu Leshan to Li River, Yangshuo, Longji Terraces, Stone Forest, Dali Lijiang Old Town, Panda Bases, Leshan Buddha, Mt.emei and more....

Day 1Arrival in Shanghai

Welcome to China! Upon arrival at Shanghai Pudong Airport, your local guide will meet you and escort you to check in the hotel. The rest of the day for you to have a relax on your own.

Day 2Shanghai

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Shanghai Old Concession Area, The Bund Shanghai, Shanghai Museum, Shanghai Jinmao Tower

After breakfast, you will start a full day tour in Shanghai to visit the Yu Garden, Shanghai Museum, Town God's Temple, Shikumen, Old Concession Area. Then you will have a bird view of Shanghai city on the top of Jinmao Tower and enjoy coastal sight at the Bund of Shanghai. Then enjoy evening relax on Nanjing Road.

Acrobatic performance for night show option.


Shanghai Old Concession Area

Day 3Shanghai/Guilin

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Reed Flute Cave, Elephant Trunk Hill

After breakfast, you will be escorted to the airport for your flight to Guilin. Upon your arrival in Guilin, the most scenic city in China, your local guide will meet you and escort you to visit Elepant Trunk Hilll and Reed Flute Cave.


Reed Flute Cave

Day 4Guilin/Yangshuo

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Yangshuo West Street, Li River Cruise

After breakfast at the hotel, our guide and driver will transfer you to the Zhujiang pier to board the ship for Li River cruise (4 hours) from Guilin to Yangshuo. It is one of the great waterways to admire the picturesque scenery along the river sides. Upon arrival at Yangshuo, you will have a stroll along the famous West Street. This is a vibrant place alive with cafes, pubs, restaurants and where many westerners gather.

Tips: Today we kindly suggest you have a larger breakfast at the hotel this morning as the lunch provided on the cruise is less than adequate. The cruise arrives at terminal Yangshuo at around 13:30 to 14:30 according to the different water flows. There are many cafes available in Yangshuo.

Optional activites for late afternoon:
1. Attend a Chinese cooking course in a cooking school
2. Learn Taichi for 1-2 hours.
3. Li River Beer Fish is recommended for dinner.
4. Night show options: Commorants Fishing or Impression Liu Sanjie

A cruise along the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo is an unforgettable experience for stunning scenery. In Yangshuao, there's something interesting such as lumbering water buffaloes pulling carts or cooling off in the river, fishermen gliding along on their narrow bamboo rafts, and if you're very lucky you might see one of the famous fishing cormorants.

Impressions of Liusanjie performance. The Performance, directed by Zhang Yimou, China's premiere movie director and director of the Beijing Olympics' Opening Ceremony, is made up of hundreds of people and is performed on the Li River with the mountains as the backdrop. It is an unforgettable experience.


Yangshuo West Street

Day 5Yangshuo/Longsheng

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Yangshuo Biking, Longji Terraced Rice Fields

There are three options for morning enjoyment: Enjoy a countryside biking, a bamboo rafting on the Yulong River and a helicopter tour over Yangshuo.

An afternoon drive (about 2.5 hours) from Yanghuo to Longji Rice Terraces. And then you will enjoy the dusk/sunset view of rice terraces around Zhuang and Yao minority villages. The terraces look like ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of some hills. The villages feature traditional wooden architecture where no nails are used in construction. The different ethnic minority customs and dress are especially interesting. Stayovernight at Ping'an Zhuang Village.


Yangshuo Biking

Day 6Guilin/Longsheng/Kunming

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Longji Terraced Rice Fields

Get up early to take a morning walk around Ping'an Zhuang Village for a sunrise view of Longji Terraced Rice Fields. After breakfast, you will visit to Huangluo Yao Village to meet long-hair wowen and watch the ethnic performance.

Then you will be transfered back to Guilin for the late afternoon flight to Kunming.


Longji Terraced Rice Fields

Day 7Kunming/Dali

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Stone Forest

After breakfast, today tour start with Kunming Flowers & Birds Market. Then drive 1.5 hours (90 KM) to visit the Stone Forest. The Stone Forest covers 26,000-hectare and from a distance, it does indeed look like a forest of stones with its peaks and odd-shaped rocks standing straight up from the ground. You can walk around the forest on paths that have been built and there is some stair climbing involved if you want to walk around it. Drive back to Kunming for overnight train with sleeper seat to Dali city.


Stone Forest

Day 8Dali

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Chongshengsi Three Pagodas, Dali Ancient Town

Upon arrival in Dali, you will be transfered to visit Zhoucheng Village for local Bai people's traditional Tie-dye cloth art workshop. Then visit Three Pagodas in Chongsheng 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. In the afternoon, you will visit the Ancient Dali Town, walk around the Foreigner Street and enjoy the relax time with local people. Standing on the city wall of Dali, you will have panoramic view of the Erhai Lake.


Chongshengsi Three Pagodas

Day 9Dali/Lijiang

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Lijiang Old City

After a morning visit to local market at Xizhou Town and Yan Family Mansion full Bai-style traditional architectural courtyards, taste their fragrant Three-Course Tea and explore their distinctive culture. Then drive about 180 km (3 hours) to Lijiang. You'll head for the scenic Black Dragon Pool and the Dongba Museum to explore the rich Naxi minority culture.

In the evening, explore Lijiang Old Town. It has a history more than 800 years; it was listed as the World Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO 1997. Here you will see the wonderful wooden architecture of Naxi ethnic people.


Lijiang Old City

Day 10Lijiang

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Baisha Old Town

After breakfast, you will pay a morning visit to Yuhu Village (Jade Lake Village), where you have overlook view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, a holy mountain for the Naxi people that is located 15km north of Lijiang city. Then visit Locke's Former Residence.

Stroll through Baisha Old Town, which is an enchanting traditional Naxi style old town, where houses Baisha Murals made in succession from the early Ming dynasty to the reign of Emperor Qianlong in the Qing dynasty. These mural paintings, with their fine and smooth lines, bright colors, vivid pattern and balanced and harmonious composition are a wonderful sight. Today's tour will end with Shuhe Ancient Town.


Baisha Old Town

Day 11Lijiang/Shangrila

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge

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.

Continue to visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, the deepest gorge in the world. Located on the Jinsha River of the upper reaches of the Yangtze, 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.

In the late afternoon, you'll head for Shangri La, formerly named Zhongdian where is well known 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.


First Bend of the Yangtze River

Day 12ShangriLa

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Songzanlin Monastery

In the morning, you will visit Songzanlin Monastery located at the foot of Mt. Foping, four kilometers north of Zhongdian County, a monastery was first built here in 1679 and has been rebuilt many times.

Then 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.


Songzanlin Monastery

Day 13Shangri-la/Chengdu

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Chengdu Giant Panda Base

Morning transfer by flight to Chengdu. Your guide will meet and bring you to visit Chengdu Big Panda Breeding Center, to see lovely Panda. Then back to Chengdu city to visit Kuanzai Alley.


Chengdu Giant Panda Base

Day 14Chengdu/Leshan/Mt. Emei

Meals: B,L
Sites Visited: Leshan Giant Buddha

After breakfast, will transfer you to visit Huanglongxi Ancient Town which has 1,700 years of history. Then take bus to see the world's largest stone Leshan Giant Buddha. Then visit the Lingyun Temple, the ancient Plank Cliff Path and the Stele Forest. After visiting will take bus to Emeishan, stay overnight in Emei.


Leshan Giant Buddha

Day 15Mt. Emei/Chengdu

Meals: B
Sites Visited: Emei Mountain

After breakfast will take cable car up the Mt. Emei. Visit the Wannian Temple. Then walk through Qingyin Pavilion - the biggest natural ecology reserve area for monkeys. Then take the tourist bus down to the foot of the mountain. To visit the Fuhu Temple, one of famous nuns temple. Then transfer back to Chengdu.


Emei Mountain

Day 16Chengdu Departure

Meals: B

After breakfast, you will be free until a transfer to the airport for your flight to next destination.

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Latest
  • Robert
  • Aug 20,2018, 17:46 PM
  • 00

  • Hello November 1 2 peoples Confort hotel

  • Alessandro Falchero
  • Aug 22,2017, 22:13 PM
  • 00

  • I'm organizing a trip in China on next Spring for 4 persons, and I found your proposal 15-days China Essential Tour very interesting. May I have some information about fare? Best regards

Price Includes:

Transportation & Private Transfers:

Transportation cost covers all the domestic airfare of economy class with airport tax, train tickets between the cities as the itinerary specified.

 

Transfer between airports, railway station, hotels and scenic spots for sightseeing around the cities that are specified by the itinerary with private air conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking guide. Separate arrivals and departures will incur extra charges.

 

Entrance Fees:

All entrance fees to the scenic spots listed in the itinerary. The final arrangement will be determined by private tour guides depends on the real-time local circumstances wheather are beyond the control of Access China Travel. We will adhere to the original itinerary as accurately as possible. 

 

Normal Meals:

All normal meals as the itinerary specified: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner in local  restaurant. Breakfasts are served in hotel, breakfasts have Chinese or Western style for your option; Lunches are served in carefully selected quality local Chinese restaurants with best service, your lunches will be ordered by your guide catering to your preferences within normal standard. Dinners as the itinerary specified will be also served in local Chinese restaurants. The meal quotation is normalized. If you have any special request about meals, like vegetarian, famous rare dishes, Indian food or more, please inform us in advance. For the unspecified dinners, you will have dinner on your own. Feel free to ask your local guide for suggestions or recommendation.

 

Private Sightseeing Escort:

Normal sightseeing activities as the itinerary listed will be escorted with English-speaking guide. The English-speaking guide and driver in each city are with you throughout the entire itinerary around that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another.

 

Hotel Accommodation:

Hotel service criterion: two adults share on one standard twin/double-bed room; solo traveler who want to occupy one twin/double-bed room assigned is required for extra single supplement rate. A single room is available on prior request at an additional cost; if a recommended hotel unavailable, it will be replaced by one of the same class. All hotels as the itinerary listed serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.

 

Tour Arrangements:

The tour cost includes the planning, handling, booking, operation and communication charges.

 

Service Charge & Government Taxes

Price Excludes:

International airfare or train tickets for entry or exit China, unless that is noted or required otherwise.
Visa Fees, passport application or renewal fee.
Excess Baggage Charges.

 

Personal Expenses:

Expenses of a purely personal nature such as excess luggage fees, laundry, drinks, fax, telephone call, optional activities (shows) and meals, beverages...

 

Meals:

Any meal are not specified in the itinerary with "B", "L" or "D".

 

Any extra cost caused by the changes of natural disasters, fires, weather, government and local authority orders, politics, strikes, war, riots, quarantine, custom regulations; as well as tourist law violation, accident damages or injury incurred out of Access China Travel control.

 

Gratuities:

Tips to guides, escort, drivers bellman, etc.