Yunnan Tour |
| Country:
Tibet |
| Description |
Tour route: Kunming (2N)
– Dali (1N) – Lijiang (2N) – First
Bend of the Yangtse - Zhongdian (2N) – Dechen
(1N) – Markam (1N) – Zuogong (1N) –
Baxoi (1N) – Ranwu Lake - Bome (1N) – Tongmai
- Nyingchi (2N) – Basum Tso Lake –
Lhasa (3N) – Chengdu (1N)
- Hard overland tour by 4WD vehicle from Dechen - Lhasa
- Visit the minorities in Dali and Lijiang
- Folkway of the Tibetan in Kham
- On the "roof of the world" to Lhasa
- Beautiful landscapes Nyingchi
- Three nights in Lhasa with great sightseeing program
From Kunming we drive to Dali, which is located between
the Erhai Lake and the Canqshan range, the subsequent
trip leads you to East Tibet where experience various
landscapes. The Jade-Dragon Snow-Mountain and the Tiger
Jumping Gorge in Lijiang are probably the most famous
scenic spot in Yunnan Province. On markets you get to
know peoples of the Bai and Naxi minorities who still
partly carry their own colorful national costumes. The
visit to some of the temples will repay us long-time
stop here.
We reach Gyalthang (Zhongdian), which is situated in
the east edge of Himalaya Range with an altitude of
3330 m above sea level. Here you visit Sumsanling (the
city of monasteries) and trek to the isolated Dabao
Temple. The route leads us through the Hengduan Range
to Dechen. Followed, must conquer, particularly these
zigzag ways up and downs, the complicated landforms
of the three river confluence, which is at the boundary
of Sichuan, Yunan and Tibet: at first across the Jinsha
Jiang (Golden Sand Rive, upper reaches of Yangtse) enter
Tibet, then come Lancang Jiang (Mekong) and Nu Jiang
(Salween). Going on westwards, pass by Ranwu Lake, cross Lulang
forests and visit Basum Tso Lake, at last we reach the
holy city Lhasa. In Lhasa we visit the Potala Palace,
which stands on the Red Hill in the city proper,
the holiest place Jokhang as well as Drepung and
Sera. |
| Itinerary |
| Day01
Arrive in Kunming 2N in 4*Kunming Hotel D
Today arrive in Kunming and transfer to the hotel.
Kunming, capital of Yunnan province, is also called
“Spring City” due to its fine climate
all year round. Yunnan in Chinese means "to the
south of the clouds". This multinational city
is famed for its fascinating multicolored street picture
and numerous day and night markets.
Day02 Kunming (B/L/D)
After the breakfast visit the Lunan Stone Frost about
125 kilometers to the east of Kunming, which enjoys
its distinct landscapes and unveils the best out of
the wonders of the Karst topography. The Lunan Autonomous
county is a home of the Sani minority. This Karst
Stone Frost with an area of 270 sq km, appeared approximately
270 million years ago when the crust of earth lifted
and the original endless sea allowed to disappear.
The bizarre line stone rocks feature in various formation
and some of them tower above to 30 m high.
Day03 Kunming - Dali 380 km 1N in 4*Asia Star Hotel
(B/L/D)
In the morning drive to Dali, where stroll in the
alleys of the ancient small town and then visit San
Ta Si (Three Pagoda Temple) in the northwest outskirts
of Dali.
|
|
| Included |
| 19N
in hotels and guest house (N=overnight).
meals as stated: B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner.
all transfers, excursions, boating, overland trips
(jeep, 4WD Mitsubishi or similar from Dechen to Lhasa);
sightseeing tickets; local Tibetan English speaking
guide; entry permit to Tibet; air ticket Lhasa –
Chengdu and airport tax.
Excluded:
tip for guide and driver
all individual issues
China visa |
| Departure
Dates |
| May – Middle of
June, September – Middle of October |
|
Day04
Dali – Lijiang 200 km 2N in 4*Jade Dragon Garden
Hotel (B/L/D)
The well preserved ancient city gates and the historic
buildings have shown the city’s long history.
In the afternoon visit the Erhai Lake in the east
of the city. The lake with an area of 249 square kilometers,
is 40 km long and surrounded by high mountains such
as Cang Shan (the Azure Mountain) being 4122 m. high
in the sky. Undertake a bicycle tour by the beautiful
lake. In the afternoon drive northwards approx. 200
km to Lijiang by the Erhai Lake. With an altitude
of 2600 m above sea level on Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau,
Lijiang is located in the Naxi Minority Autonomous
County of Yunnan Province. The city had a 800-year-old
history and is the only city where the Naxi ethnic
minority reside. It is famous for its old wooden houses
and the layout of the town’s streets. The cobblestones
are seen here and there in the city as one walks.
Day05
Lijiang (B/L/D)
First drive northwards 30 km to the Yulong Xueshan
(Jade-Dragon Snow-Mountain), which is 5596 m high
and at the south edge of the Tibetan Plateau. This
mountain has long been admired as “kingdom of
forests” or “treasure of house vegetation”
with rare birds and animals moving and flying about
in it. In the mountain visit Yu Feng Si (a Buddhist
monastery complex). The giant camellia in the monastery
is more than 500 years old and has gained the fame
of 10,000 Flowers Camellia due to its flourishing
flowers every year. Afterwards visit Baisha village
of Naxi minority where about 350 Buddhism mural paintings
made between 14th and 17th century are preserved.
If the time allows, visit Hei Long Tan (Black Dragon
Pool), which is located in the northern foot of the
Elephant Hill. The summits of the snowy mountain nearby
are clearly reflected in this pond. In addition, visit
a five-arch marble bridge and different pavilions,
for example, the Tower Five Phoenix.
Day06 Lijiang – Zhongdian 220 km 2N in 4*Sightseeing
Hotel (B/L/D)
Continue the journey to Tiger Jumping Gorge on the
Jinsha Jiang (Golden Sand River), the upper reaches
of the Yangtse River (the longest river of China,
6380 km). In the15 km long gorge, as the turbulent
water of the Jinsha Jiang River is forced by Hapa
Snow Mountain standing in its way to turn abruptly
100 degrees north eastwards and thus gives birth of
the “First Bend of the Yangtse River”.
Here the cliffs on the west bank of the river is 4000
meters above from the surface of the water, while
a giant rock, just called Tiger Jumping Gorge of 300
cubic meters or so, is laying in the middle of the
river to cause the waves up to the sky. In the afternoon
arrive in Zhongdian (3330 m), the historic southern
gateway to Kham. Most of the residents here are Tibetan.
Day07 Zhongdian (B/L/D)
In the morning visit the Sumsanling Monastery, which
was created in 1679 by the Fifth Dalai lama. In 1958
the monastery complex still accommodated about 1300
monks of the Gelugpa Sect. It is a pity that in 1959
this monastery was almost completely devastated during
the tragic Culture Revolution. Anyhow it was systematic
reconstructed in 1982. Today several hundred monks
in the prayer halls do their Buddhist exercises again.
Characterized by Its Han-Chinese and Tibetan construction
style, the monastery with an area of 34 ha is considered
as the most important monastery of Gelukpa-sect in
Yunnan province. The mural paintings and wood carvings
in the monastery are quite fine. On 29th of November
every year in Chinese traditional lunar calendar an
important religious party called Gedong-party is held
here. People dance with masks to pray for luck of
the next year. In the afternoon walk to visit the
Dabao Si Monastery, which is situated on a hill with
an altitude of 3.300 m above sea level. The flying
streamers around the monastery and the approx. 2 km
long Mani-stone will impress you deeply.
Day08 Zhongdian - Dechen 190 km 1N in 3*Rainbow Hotel
(B/L/D)
Drive through parts of the Hengduan Range along the
Jinsha Jiang (upper reaches of Yangtse). Have a break
in a beautiful small town named Benzilan. On the way
we enjoy far view of Meili Xueshan, the highest peak
in Yunnan Province, with an altitude of 6740 m above
sea level. This peak is called “Kawagebo”
by Tibetan compatriots, which means “the white
snowy mountain” in Tibetan language. Regarded
as one of the “Eight Buddhist Mountains”
and the “Divine Mountain and Holy land”,
every year the Buddhist followers from Tibet, Sichuan,
Yunnan, and Qinghai trek thousands of miles to pay
religious homage to it. In the afternoon arrive in
Dechen, situated close to the border between Yunnan
and Tibet.
Day09 Dechen – Markam Jeep 220 km 1N in 2*Kangsheng
Hotel (B/L/D)
Go on northwards along the Langcang Jiang River valley,
the upper reaches of the Mekong River. After a lunch
break in the Mekong valley, pass the border between
Yunnan and Tibet, and then arrive at Yanjing country.
In the afternoon reach Markam, where the Sichuan-Tibet
Highway (Chengdu - Lhasa) and Yunnan-Tibet Highway
meet (Kunming - Lhasa).
Day10 Markam - Zuogong, 158 km, 5 hours 1N in simple
guesthouse (B/L/D)
Heading for Zuogong (3980 m). On the way we cross
the Lancang Jiang (Mekong) and overcome three passes:
Joba, Lawu (4358 m) and Dongda (5008m).
Day11 Zuogong - Baxoi, 201 km, 6 hours 1N in simple
Ya'an guesthouse (B/L/D)
Drive upstream to Bangda, a town junction where Lhasa
connects to the Chamdo-Kunming Highway. The Yu-chu
valley lies north of the Salween gorges in the highlands
of Tsawagang, where the immense geographic spatial
dimensions of the land dwarf our presence. While distance
covered is less than 100 km and probably half
that by the way the crow flies, the terrain is steep,
as defined by the 180 switchbacks we will conquer
when we cross Gama La Pass at an altitude of 4,618
meters.
Day12 Baxoi - Ranwu – Bome 1N in 2*Zhongxing
Hotel (B/L/D)
On the road to Bome, we will stop in Ranwu to cast
our lines in the pristine waters of Ngan Tso (Ranwu
Lake), a spectacularly crystal blue lake cupped by
snow peaks. After our lunch of freshly caught
fish, we will wander along the Poto-chu Valley at
Tramog (2,743 m), located deep in the thickly forested
gorge of Parlung Tsangpo with glacial waterfalls streaming
from the mountainsides.
Day13 Bome – Nyingchi 1N in 3*Nyingchi Hotel
(B/L/D)
We will go down several hundred meters in altitude
as we reach the lowland jungle settlement of Tongmai
where the Tsangpo and Parlung Tsangpo rivers meet.
Crossing Serkhyem La Pass (4,515 m) we will have spectacular
views of Mount Gyala Pelri (7,150 m) and Mount Namchak
Barwa (7,782 m).
Day14 Nyingchi (B/L/D)
The garrison site Nyingchi is an ideal place for the
discovery of two neighbouring high points: From the
golden roof of the Gelugpa monastery Buchu to view
the unique scenery of the Lamaling temple which is
only a few kilometers runway. North of Bayi, Bajie
village lies on the edge of a primary dense forest
with sacred cypress trees that are more than two thousand
and five hundred years old. Around May, we would
be able to see three to five-meter rhododendrons in
full bloom.
Day15 Nyingchi - Basum Tso Lake – Lhasa 3N in
3*Dhood Gu hotel (B/L/D)
After breakfast we drive to the Basum Tso Lake. More
than 6000 m high snow covered mountains make the lake
film like, well, the leading actor is, without doubt,
is the island monastery - Tsodzong. We take a boat
travel around the island and up to the Tsodzong monastery
on it. In the afternoon we driving on along the Niyang
river for Lhasa. Afterwards we pass through scenic
terrain with lush alpine forests and clear snow-melted
streams and over the impressing Mi La pass (4865 m)
to Lhasa. Late in the afternoon arrive in Lhasa (3650
m), capital of Tibet Autonomous Region. The city is
situated on the bank of the Kyichu River and has long
been the "Holy Land" of Tibet.
Day16 Lhasa (B/L/D)
In the morning visit Potala, which was originally
constructed in 637 by Songtsen Gampo, the first king
of the united Tibet, and later expanded and served
as the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas as well
as the religious-political nexus of traditional Tibet.
The crowds of pilgrims, innumerable magnificent murals,
Buddhist statues, scriptures and rare treasures altogether
creative a dense religious and art atmosphere that
impresses every visitor. In the afternoon visit Jokhang
monastery, the center of the Tibetan Buddhism and
the sacred land of Buddhist followers where thousands
of pilgrims come for worship everyday. The temple,
built in 647, is the earliest wood-and-masonry structure
still existing in Tibet. Walk on the Barkhor street
surrounding Jokhang, a big free market with its prolific
stalls for selling local specialties.
Day17 Lhasa (B/L/D)
In the morning visit Drepung monastery the sacred
land of Gelug Sect., which was established in 1416
and the second, third and fourth Dalai Lama once resided
in. In the afternoon visit Sera monastery, which was
created in 1419 and has always been an important Buddhist
seminary. As rose are planted everywhere in the monastery,
it is also called “the court of wild rose”.
Today still 200 lamas live in there.
Day18 Air Lhasa – Chengdu 1N in 3*Xinliang Hotel
(B/L/D)
In the morning transfer to Gongga airport (100 km),
fly to Chengdu, capital of province Sichuan, the home
town of Panda. Picked up by the local guide at airport
and transferred to hotel. In the afternoon visit the
Giant Panda Breeding Search Base, located in the north
suburbs of the city proper. In the base about 43 pandas
live in the semi-natural environment.
Day19 Chengdu – Home (B)
Transfer to airport, fly back home. |
| Departure |
| Chengdu,
Tibet |
|
Price: $ 2735
Single supplement: $380
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