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Best of Yunnan on Back Roads 13D Map

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• Best of Yunnan on Back Roads - 13 Days Tour Description

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What you'll see

Day 1

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

Day 2

Getting your Chinese driving license… and a bit of sightseeing in Kunming
There are two steps to getting your license: one is to assess your basic fitness to drive (e.g., test your eyesight); the other is to apply for the license itself. We will have all the documents ready; you will just need to show up and sign. In between the formalities, we’ll make sure to give you a taste of Kunming. The day ends with a lovely dinner together in a restaurant serving the mushroom hotpot for which Kunming is famous!

Day 3

On the road to the ‘Mirrors of God’…
You’re on the road in China! Today you will enjoy a wonderful drive south to the magnificent Yuanyang rice terraces, poetically referred to as the ‘mirrors of God’. On the way, you will stop at Jianshui, a city with a charming old town which is also a perfect place for lunch and a stroll through its plentiful markets. The afternoon’s drive will give you a good first taste of mountain roads in China, before arriving in Yuanyang in the late afternoon. If the weather is good, you will enjoy a stunning view over the rice paddies as the setting sun glints off each paddy field.

Day 4

On back roads towards Xishuangbanna…
At dawn, you will drive to one of the best viewing spots in Yuanyang to enjoy the rice terraces in their best light.

You’ve joined this trip because, surely, you enjoy driving. You will be in your element today and tomorrow because the next few days are spent on beautiful back roads winding through lush green countryside. After an early lunch, you start your drive from Yuanyang to Jinghong, the sleepy capital of Xishuangbanna Autonomous Region, travelling through parts of Yunnan that hardly any tourist sees, before reaching our overnight stop in Jiangcheng.

Day 5

Xishuangbanna Biodiversity Centre and Jinghong
In the morning, your journey continues in the direction of Jinghong. Along the way, you will visit the wonderful Xishuangbanna Biodiversity Centre, and learn about the amazing (and increasingly threatened) biodiversity of this tropical region. In the evening, you’ll enjoy a relaxed dinner at a splendid garden restaurant in the centre of Jinghong.  

Day 6

In Xishuangbanna – rainforests and the Dai minority
You’ll take a break from serious driving today, and spend the day exploring Jinghong and the surrounding countryside. In the morning, you could visit the market at Menghai, as colourful as markets get.  The afternoon could be spent in Ganlanba, a lovely Dai minority village with a wonderful Thai-style wat.  There are many more activities available – we can help you choose something that suits your interests best!

Day 7

Drive to your heart’s content on some of Yunnan’s loveliest country roads…
Today is another day of enjoying southern Yunnan’s countryside and some of the best roads on offer.  It starts with one of China’s best highways, which winds its way through the rich vegetation of the numerous mountains of this part of Yunnan. Just before lunch, you will turn off the highway and onto sweet country roads that meander through more of Yunnan’s lush green, rolling hills.  If ever there’s a time to celebrate driving, it is right here…

Late in the afternoon you will arrive in Chuxiong, a small town that is a centre of one of China’s most pervasive minorities, the Yi.

Day 8

The scenic route to Shaxi
Today is an unhurried day.  In the morning you will drive on one of Yunnan’s modern (and largely traffic-free) highways from Chuxiong to Dali, a quaint town by the Lake Erhai.  You will arrive in time for an early lunch and a leisurely walk through its charming cobbled roads. 

In the afternoon, you will continue onward toward Shaxi – one of the best-preserved caravan stops on the old tea-horse trade route that ran between China and India across Tibet. You will arrive early enough to enjoy its tastefully conserved old town.

Day 9

Onwards to spectacular Lijiang…
It isn’t far from Shaxi to Lijiang which means we can arrive well before lunch in this bustling town where there is so much to do… easily enough for the remainder of this day and the following.  We recommend exploring Lijiang’s old town today with a possible side-trip to nearby Shuhe which is still - but for how much longer? – a relative backwater compared to the more famous Lijiang.

Day 10

At last to Shangri-La, mythical paradise
There are many roads to Shangri-La, but we’ve chosen the most scenic one, far away from the tourist buses. It steadily climbs higher and higher onto the Tibetan Plateau. This winding back road is a beautiful approach to Shangri-La and will heighten your anticipation of reaching the highest point of your driving journey. Tonight you will stay in the loveliest hotel of the entire trip, the Gyalthang Dzong Hotel, (an Angsana hotel, and member of the Banyan Tree Group). 

Day 11

In and around Shangri-La…
Visit the largest lamasery outside of Tibet, the Songzanlin Monastery, go hiking or take a ride on horseback, or if you prefer a more relaxed approach to the day (or are feeling the effects of the altitude), simply rest at the hotel - the Gyalthang Dzong Hotel is a splendid place for unwinding and reflecting on what you have seen on your journey thus far…

Day 12

On back roads to Tiger Leaping Gorge and Lijiang…
Here’s to your last day on Yunnan’s magical roads! Today’s drive starts with crossing of 4,000m pass on perfectly paved roads that wind their way southward toward Tiger Leaping Gorge. The morning’s scenery is spectacular and among the most untouched along the entire journey – the mountains are steep and the vegetation lush, this region truly is the edge of the Tibetan Plateau. When you reach the Yangtze, which here carries the poetic name of Golden Sand River, the road narrows and hugs the river cliffs as you approach Tiger Leaping Gorge on a road inaccessible to anyone without their own transport.

After lunch and a visit to Tiger Leaping Gorge, you will drive for another few hours to the old town of Lijiang, your overnight stop.

Day 13

Flying back to Kunming… Life must go on…
Today you will fly back to Kunming, arriving by lunchtime. Please feel free to make arrangements for onwards travel in the afternoon, but why not stay a day or two longer in Kunming? Kunming offers a great range of activities and is home to some fantastic restaurants. Stay and relax at a spa, as masseurs revive your travel-weary muscles, or browse Kunming’s markets for exotic treasures. We can offer suggestions for restaurants and activities, and are happy to help you make arrangements to enjoy more of Kunming.