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What you'll see

Day 1

Arrival in Chengdu…I’m filled with anticipation…
You arrive in Chengdu according to your own arrangements at any time.

Day 2

Getting your Chinese driving license…and seeing a bit of Chengdu
There are two steps to getting your license: one is to assess your basic fitness to drive (e.g., test your eye sight); the other is to apply for the license itself.  We will have all the documents ready; we just need you to show up and sign.   In between the formalities, we’ll make sure to give you a taste of Chengdu.  The day ends with a fantastic Sichuan cuisine dinner together and a genuine Chengdu foot massage.

Day 3

Chengdu to Mt. Emei…and a visit to the world’s largest Buddha statue along the way
At last, we’re on the road.   Leaving Chengdu, you drive on a highway embedded in rice fields; gradually the air gets fresher and the landscape greener until, before you know it, you arrive at the site of the Le Shan Big Buddha.    This, our first day of being on the road, is very relaxed – there is ample time to wander around the lovely, lush park in which this enormous Buddha statue is situated.  For lunch, we want you to sample various dishes made with the fresh doufu for which the Le Shan region is known.  In the afternoon, you take a small detour to the Thousand Buddha Cliffs where, in contrast to Le Shan and Mt. Emei, there are hardly any tourists.  In these cliffs, situated by a lovely river, thousands of Buddha statues have been carved.  (It’s a miniature version of the Luoyang Longmen Caves in northern China.)   From there it’s a short drive to the city of Emei where you’ll stay overnight. 

Day 4

A day under the spell of fabled Mt. Emei
Mr. Emei is one of China’s fabled Buddhist Mountains.  Emei Shan (‘Shan’ meaning mountain) is dotted with ancient temples and monasteries.    The view from the top of this 3,000m mountain is spectacular on a clear day…all the way to Sichuan’s tallest mountain, Gongga Shan (7,556m).  And if the weather isn’t all clear, then Emei Shan, shrouded in mist and clouds, can be just as bewitching.   We have arranged for quite a privilege: Instead of having to queue for and jostle in the tourist buses, you will be able to drive up to Emei in your own car. The day is a reasonably leisurely one, but we do recommend getting up early such that there is ample time for exploring parts of this wonderful mountain on foot.

In the evening, we stay again in the city of Emei.   

Day 5

Into the heart of rural Sichuan….
Today we begin our ascent into the highlands.  It is a drive that goes through some of the most isolated and infrequently visited parts of Sichuan.  The road winds through rural areas where foreigners are rarely, if ever seen.  It takes you right into the heart of rural China where no tourists ever venture and right through the midst of one of Sichuan’s minorities, the Yi.  But, be warned, it is a long driving day.   (A highway is under construction in a neighboring valley.  When it is completed in 1-2 years, future travelers will both feel a gain and a loss: the gain is that the travel time to Xichang, where we stay for the night, will be cut in half; the loss is seeing these entirely untouched areas of Sichuan.)

Xichang  is only a stop-over point on the way to Lugu Lake the following day.  

Day 6

Up into the highlands and a first glimpse of Lugu Lake
Your destination on this 6th day of your journey is Lugu Lake, an alpine lake as lovely as they come.  Lugu Lake straddles the border between Sichuan and Yunnan: its northern shores are in Sichuan; its southern shores in Yunnan.     The drive to Lugu lake from Xichang takes you into the highlands for the first time. You rise to the highlands by driving in deep gorges and along fast-moving rivers.   Before you know it, you’re at 3,000m altitude.  Then you descend to Lugu Lake which lies at 2,600m.

We stay at a lovely, newly opened boutique hotel. 

Day 7

Lugu Lake … up close and personal…
In the morning, we suggest a charming hike through the coniferous forests surrounding Lugu Lake.  Along the way, you’ll eat a hearty picnic lunch.     
In the afternoon, you may just want to kick back at the hotel with a good book or join a visit to one of the oldest Mosuo houses at the Sichuan shore of Lugu Lake.  The Mosuo are the indigenous minority of this region; they are closely related to the Naxi minority of Lijiang to which you’ll be driving next.   
The Mosuo practiced, in years past, an intriguing form of matriarchy that has given rise to all sorts of stories about the licentiousness of Mosuo women.  During your visit, you will learn what is fact and what is fiction.

Day 8

Into Yunnan and the old town of Lijiang…
The drive to Lijiang takes you across the border from Sichuan into Yunnan for the second half of the journey.  It is a moderately long drive along in a spectacular mountainous region.    During this drive, you’ll come across the only non-paved section of road: a good part of it is old-fashioned cobble stones.     They are romantic, but be careful: they can be slippery when wet.
By mid-afternoon you’ll arrive in the old town of Lijiang, a UNESCO world heritage site.   You will be staying in a charming boutique hotel right in the centre of the old town.

Day 9

In and around Lijiang
It is fair to say that there is enough to do in and around Lijiang to fill a week, ranging from a trip up Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to a drive to the Tiger Leaping Gorge, or from a visit to neighboring Shu He (a small city that is as charming as Lijiang, but has fewer tourists) to simply strolling around Lijiang to get some shopping for souvenirs in.    (We are planning for you a horseback ride up to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain but can arrange other things depending on your preference. In the end, we want you to feel that our On the Road in China driving journeys are journeys that combine the best of driving in a small group – the friends you make and the safety that comes with being in a small group – with the best of free and independent travel – individual attention and choices that fit your interest.)

You will stay again in Lijiang.

Day 10

Via Dali, on the way south…
It is time to leave Lijiang behind and drive deeper south to see more of the charms of Yunnan.  You’ll notice right away that Yunnan’s roads are fabulous, among the best in China.

In the morning, you’ll drive from Lijiang to Dali which lies on the western edge of lake Er Hu.  After having seen Lijiang, Dali is not quite worth staying for a day, but, after a leisurely lunch, it is worth exploring for a few hours.  Then you’ll drive on to Chuxiong which is a stop-over on the way south.  Chuxiong is an Yi minority centre; time permitting, it will be nice to explore this very typical, small Chinese town in the evening.

Day 11

A day of spectacular roads…
In your heart of hearts, you do enjoy driving.  Else you would probably not consider joining a road journey.  Well, today is your chance to really relish it.  We’ve chosen a county road that is among the most enjoyable I’ve ever driven in China.  For starters, there is hardly any traffic.  It leads through remote sections of Yunnan that is lush, green and hilly.  And the surfacing of the road is fabulous.  A big part of today’s itinerary is perfect for celebrating the sheer pleasure of driving.

You stay overnight in Tonghai, our last stop before arriving at the spectacular terraced rice fields of Yuanyang. 

Day 12

To charming Yuanyang
Today your journey continues via a mixture of excellent highways, broad, sweeping country roads and a winding mountain road into the heart of Yuanyang.    It is a short drive of around 3-4 hours.  Just as soon as you arrive in the old town of Yuanyang in the remote mountains of central Yunnan, you’ll be enchanted by the romantic villages and the stunningly beautiful rice fields that the farmers have cultivated for hundreds and hundreds of years.   

Day 13

Amidst the splendor of the terraced rice fields…
Whether at sun rise or at sun set or, in fact, any time during the day, these rice fields are a sight to behold.  And so are the small, charming villages that dot the hills…many of them reminiscent of villages in the Italian or French Alps.   A day at Yuanyang is a day of leisure and of dreaming about and reflecting on life because time slows right down to a pace that is unhurried and eternal.   

Day 14

Sadly, it is time to return…
The drive to Kunming is lovely and easy, but the contrast between Yuanyang and this large provincial capital couldn’t be starker.   In the evening, you fly back to Chengdu – a short hop of just over an hour.  Upon arriving in Chengdu, we have a sumptuous Sichuan dinner for you planned at one of Chengdu’s finest restaurant – a time to reminisce and just have a good time with the friends you’ve made!

If you would like to see more of Kunming, we can arrange for you to stay longer and explore Kunming and its surroundings.   

Day 15

Back in Chengdu…’Life goes on’…
Feel free to schedule your return/onward journey as you like.   If you prefer, we can help you make arrangements for sight-seeing in and around Chengdu. Or why not pamper yourself a bit more by extending your journey with our 3-day Culinary Chengdu package?