A Walking Holiday In China's Yunnan Province

Our tour starts in Kunming in the late afternoon. The capital of Yunnan province is known for its mild climate and is referred to in China as the "City of Eternal Spring".

Overnight Standard Hotel

We drive north-west to Dali. Sited on a fertile plateau that lies sandwiched between the peaks of the Cangshan Ranges and the waters of Erhai, Lake Dali was the ancient capital of the Bai and Nanzhao kingdoms and is one of Yunnan’s most popular destinations. In the afternoon we enjoy tour a short orientation tour on foot around the streets of Old Dali.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Tracing its ancestry back over a thousand years, Dali was once believed to be the 13th largest city in the world. Heading out of its historic heart this morning we walk up to the Ming-era, Zhonghe Temple (2550 metres), hiking through woods of cedar and eucalyptus and into the foothills of Zhonghe Feng. Depending on the wishes of the group, it may be possible to extend the walk further, walking south along the Clouds Road and returning via the Seven Daughter’s Dragon. The rest of the day is then free to enjoy at our own pace. One possibility is to rent bikes and cycle out to the famous ‘Three Pagodas’ on the outskirts of the city.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Following the western edge of Erhai Lake we drive north to the market town of Xizhou, another place that can trace its cultural origins to the Bai and the Nanzhao. Once one of the most important trading centres in Yunnan, the town has an interesting traditional market. We stop for the chance to look around before continuing our journey towards Qiaotou (1980 metres), our gateway into the spectacular landscapes of the ‘Tiger Leaping Gorge’.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Setting out from Qiaotou we head out along a meandering trail that zigzags up into the mountains, following a path called the ’28 Bends’. The trail takes us along a well-constructed stone path that leads through a series of villages and rice terraces, offering us some great views of Tiger Leaping Gorge and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance. Reaching the top of our climb, at around 2640 metres, we then continue through the alpine forests to our overnight stop at a small guesthouse (2450 metres).
Walking time: approximately 6.5 hours.

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Heading out after breakfast we enjoy a five hour downhill trek into the ‘Tiger Leaping Gorge’, passing a number of once secluded mountain villages and the eight ‘Bandiwan‘ waterfalls en route. The Gorge itself stretches from the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain down to the waters of the Yangtse, a 19 kilometre journey that carves through towering cliffs that rise some 3900 metres from the river below. After lunch we drive for a short way before trekking downhill once again to the Yangtse river and crossing in a small ferryboat. From here it's around another hour walk to Daju, the end point of the Gorge trek.
Walking time: approximately 7 hours.

Overnight Simple Guest House Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

This morning we drive up into the mountains to Yangzhi Laoke village sited at 3200 metres. The inhabitants are members of the Yi tribal minority and the women wear a striking costume with colourful tiered skirts and large black headdresses. From here we set out on the next section of our trek. Over the next 6 days we will pass through stunning landscapes and the remote villages of a number of different minority tribes  Our destination today is the Xaxi stone village of Baoshan (1886 metres), a walk through a forested landscape that ends on a huge escarpment of beautiful terraces near to the Yangtse River.
Walking time: approximately 8 hours.

Overnight Basic Homestay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

After our long walk yesterday, today is left free to enjoy time mingling with the inhabitants of the village and the spectacular surrounding scenery.

Overnight Basic Homestay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Following the course of the Yangtse once again, we head north to Liuging (2300 metres). The route today is long and quite demanding but rewards us with impressive views of the river and towards the Taiziguang Mountains. We will pass through 2 tunnels that were hand-blasted into the solid granite by the villagers in the 1960s. The villages we pass through today are inhabited by the Naxi minority tribe.The Naxi themselves are believed to have originally migrated here from Tibet and display a mix of Tibetan and Han cultures.
Walking time: approximately 10 hours

Overnight Basic Homestay Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Continuing north the first part of our trek today takes us through villages and past rice terraces towards the waters of the Yangtse. After around four hours of walking we reach the river itself and take a ferry across to the other side.
Walking time: approximately 7 hours.

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Today’s hike takes us across a landscape scattered with the secluded villages of the Pumi and Mosou minority tribes. Ethnically related to the Tibetans, the Pumi once roamed across the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, before migrating down into the warmer valleys within the Hengduan Mountains. Fearful of the spirit world, the Pumi worship Suoguonaba, the god of the mountains, a deity they still worship with offerings and ceremonies on the 15th day of the  lunar month.
Walking time: approximately 7 hours

Overnight Basic Guesthouse Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

We have a long day today, beginning with an eight hour trek to Yongning, one of the highest rice growing areas in Yunnan. The trek begins from the site of Zhuangzi’s famous ‘Big Trees’, before continuing on through forests and up to a mountain pass at around 3560 metres. From here we trek down into Yongning, passing by a number of Yi and Mosou villages as we enter a fertile landscape blanketed with plants and flowers. Meeting up with our bus we then drive on to Lake Lugu, nestling amongst the mountains of Western Yunnan, some 35 kilometres from the end of our trek.
Walking time: approximately 8 hours.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Lying at an elevation of 2685 metres, Lugu is the highest  lake in Yunnan Province. Surrounded by mountains and sprinkled with bays, beaches and islands, the lake is home to a rich mix of minority groups. This morning we take a ride across its expansive waters, visiting its famous island temple before returning to the shore for some free time. The predominant tribe in this region are the Mosuo, a branch of the Naxi people, who practise an interesting take on the traditions of matrimony. Mosuo women follow a tradition of ‘walking marriages’, allowing them the right to choose and change their husbands at will.

Overnight Simple Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Today we drive to Lijiang, heading through Ninglan and stopping to visit some of the Yi villages along the way. The Yi are the largest ethnic group in Yunnan, following a form of animist worship, with Daoism, shamanism and fetishism thrown in for good measure. We may come across some Yi markets during the seven hour journey too. This afternoon we then hope to take an orientation tour on foot of Lijiang’s Old Town, a World Heritage site that is described by UNESCO as ‘...an exceptional ancient town set in a dramatic landscape’.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Lijiang has an ancestry that dates back to the late Song dynasty and this morning we have some free time to make the most of this historic and picturesque city. Later in the day we then drive out to the airport to catch an evening flight to Kunming.

Overnight Standard Hotel Included meals: Breakfast

Our tour ends in Kunming this morning. Passengers travelling on the early evening group flight back to London will have some free time to explore this rapidly growing city.

Included meals: Breakfast