Yunnan: Kunming, Dali & Lijiang — 7 Days

On arrival in Kunming you are met at the airport and driven to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you to rest after the flight and take a first stroll around the city at your own pace.

You travel to the Stone Forest, a vast field of limestone pinnacles shaped over millennia and revered by the Yi people as a natural wonder. In the afternoon you visit Haigeng Park on the shore of Dianchi Lake, Yunnan's largest freshwater lake, a calm spot for a walk beside the water.

You take the bullet train west to Dali, set beneath the Cangshan range beside Erhai Lake. The afternoon is left free for you to wander the old town or simply relax, easing into the slower pace of the Yunnan highlands.

You visit Xizhou Old Town, known for its well-kept Bai courtyard houses and morning market. A walk along the Erhai Lakeside Ecological Corridor follows, beside the clear waters of the lake. The day ends in Dali Old Town, whose lanes and city gate recall the former Bai kingdom of Nanzhao.

You drive north into the mountains to Lijiang, a town of canals and stone lanes shaped by the Naxi people. In the afternoon you explore Lijiang Old Town, a UNESCO-listed maze of waterways where the Naxi still keep their traditions, including the Dongba script and a matriarchal family life.

You ascend Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, a glaciated peak sacred to the Naxi and the source of the region's waters; cable cars spare the steep climb. Below lies Blue Moon Valley, a series of turquoise pools fed by meltwater, named for the blue it takes on under a clear sky.

After breakfast you are collected and driven to the airport for your onward flight. Your guide handles the transfer and sees you off, leaving the morning unhurried so you can leave Yunnan with ease.