5 Days Lijiang & Shangri | China Wonder Tours

Morning: Stone Forest — a UNESCO geopark of surreal limestone pinnacles formed 270 million years ago. Walk through 'Ashima' rock and 'Sword Peak Pond'. Afternoon: Green Lake Park — Kunming's living room with locals singing, dancing, and feeding black-headed gulls (winter). Flower and Bird Market. Evening: Crossing-the-Bridge Noodles, Yunnan's most famous dish.

Morning bullet train to Dali (2 hours). Explore Dali Ancient Town — cobblestone streets between the dramatic Cangshan Mountain (4,122m) and Erhai Lake. Visit the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, 1,200 years old. Afternoon: cycling along Erhai Lake's western shore through Bai minority fishing villages. Xizhou town for traditional Bai architecture and tie-dye workshops.

Drive to Lijiang (2 hours). Afternoon: Lijiang Old Town — UNESCO World Heritage, a 800-year-old maze of cobbled lanes, stone bridges, and willow-lined canals. Visit Mu Palace, the 'Forbidden City of the South'. Climb Lion Hill for panoramic views of the old town with Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5,596m) as backdrop. Evening: Naxi ancient music performance.

Full day trekking Tiger Leaping Gorge — one of the world's deepest canyons. The 15km high trail offers jaw-dropping views of the Jinsha River crashing 3,900m below between Jade Dragon and Haba Snow Mountains. Lunch at a cliff-side guesthouse. Visit the Tiger Leaping Rock where legend says a tiger once jumped across the gorge. Return to Lijiang.

Drive 4 hours to Shangri-La (Zhongdian). Visit the First Bend of the Yangtze River. Photo stop at the dramatic upper gorge. Arrive in Shangri-La (3,200m). Visit Dukezong Ancient Town and climb to the world's largest prayer wheel (21m, 60 tons). Evening: Tibetan hot pot dinner with yak meat and highland barley wine.