An Elegant Passage to Shangri-La
$0.00
per item
Highlights:
Historic, enchanting and ruggedly beautiful, discover a China of tea plantations, botanical gardens, wildlife reserves and spectacular mountain vistas as you make your way to Shangri-La.
​From encountering wild elephants to praying with Tibetan monks, exploring the winding lanes of Lijiang to trekking through the mountains of Shangri-La the countryside reveals its charm at every turn and creates a reservoir of unique and colorful memories.
Historic, enchanting and ruggedly beautiful, discover a China of tea plantations, botanical gardens, wildlife reserves and spectacular mountain vistas as you make your way to Shangri-La.
​From encountering wild elephants to praying with Tibetan monks, exploring the winding lanes of Lijiang to trekking through the mountains of Shangri-La the countryside reveals its charm at every turn and creates a reservoir of unique and colorful memories.
SKU:
Explore: Shangri-la
Customizable Itinerary - 14 Days (from $5,745 / person)
Days 1-2: USA-China
You depart today for the Middle Kingdom, also known as China. You will cross the International Date Line which technically loses you a day but it will be made whole on the return flight home.
Day 3: Arrival in Kunming
Upon arrival at your chosen arrival gateway you will connect with a flight to Kunming the capital of Yunnan Province. Your flight will be met by one of our guides who will take you to your hotel where you have the rest of the day and evening to relax.
Day 4: A Day in Kunming
You have an early breakfast and meet your guide for a short walk through Green Lake Park. As with most Chinese parks, early morning is one of the busiest times as many Chinese are committed to a fitness regimen that can include tai chi or qigong but can also feature ballroom dancing especially the tango. You then visit the Yuantong Temple founded by the Tang Dynasty and the oldest Buddhist monastery in the area. You also visit the Golden Temple before a guided visit to the Yunnan Provincial Museum which is an essential stop for understanding the characteristically multi-ethnic nature of this region. In the evening you will dine at the Stone House restaurant which offers both local and, interestingly, Italian specialties.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: Nature’s Bounty in Xishuangbanna
After breakfast you will be transferred to Kunming airport for a flight to Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna which is considered the most tropical region in China. Offering forests, lush jungle, fields of sugarcane and bamboo trees, it also is home to a wide variety of animals including elephants, monkeys and tigers. It is also the home to a range of ethnic groups, some of whom you will visit. Your guide will meet you and you will be driven to Jinuo, a town named after the minority Jinuo of whom there are about 20,000. Interestingly, the group observes a unique social hierarchy that respects the mother’s brother or uncles as a prominent person in the family. You then make your way to Menglun which is home to the largest Botanical Gardens in China with more than 3,000 species in an area over 2,000 acres. After touring the Gardens you arrive at your boutique resort where you can relax and enjoy the amenities including the Spa.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 6: Xiaojie and Damenglong
Start your day with a visit to Dongfeng market where the different minorities gather daily to sell their goods and exhibit their colorful traditional clothes. Continue on to Xiaojie home to the Lahu and Bulang minorities numbering around 500,000 and 100,000 people respectively. The elder women of the Lahu family follow ancient traditions and continue to shave their head. You then visit Damenglong to visit two ancient pagodas dating back to the 13th Century.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 7: Wild Elephant Valley and Lijiang
After breakfast you will visit Sanchahe nature reserve which covers over three million acres to visit Wild Elephant Valley. Here a small hotel has been built up in the trees to allow guests to observe the elephants below. You can also enjoy a one mile long cable way to get a birds’ eye view of the rainforest. On the way back to Jinghong you stop for lunch at Meghai Street before returning to the hotel and then departing to the airport for a flight to the charming town of Lijiang. This UNESCO town is a labyrinth of traditional redwood and brick houses topped with grey slate roofs surrounded by canals, stone bridges and cobbled streets a real paradise at the heart of Naxi Culture which originally came from Tibet 2,000 years ago.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Exploring Lijiang
After breakfast you will be transferred to the town of Lijiang. Morning is the best time to explore the area when the streets are peaceful and quiet. After wandering the collection of streets and canals, head across to “Lion Hill” which provides dramatic views over the village. Stop for coffee at the top of the hill. You then visit Mu Palace built during the Mongol dynasty. The palace is a vivid example of Ming and Qing architecture similar to the architecture in Beijing’s Forbidden City. Finish your tour with a walk through Black Dragon Pond which offers a panoramic view of the famous Jade Dragon Mountain. Return to your resort where there are a variety of afternoon options including a guided bike tour or a full treatment at the Spa.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La
Today you will continue the journey Zhongdian (in Shangri-La) the mythical paradise of Tibetan Buddhists and imaginary world described by James Hilton. First you will visit Tiger Leaping Gorge which is up to 12,000 feet deep making it one of the deepest gorges in the world. Separating the Jinsha River from the jagged mountains of Northern Yunnan this area has become a playground for trekkers from all over the world. Lunch is in a guesthouse overlooking the gorge. You arrive in Zhongdian and check in to your boutique hotel. If you feel like it you can travel to the old town main square where participants both locals and visitors dance in a circle to the rhythm of traditional and modern music. Everyone seems to enjoy it.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 10: Thangka and the Monastery of Songzanlin
After breakfast you go back to school as you take a morning course in Thangka with teachers directly from Tibet. This class offers a unique art which is correlated with Buddhism and Meditation. It will help you better understand the walls of temples and monasteries. After the class you put it into practice by visiting Songzanlin Monastery which is home to over 600 monks. Overlooking Lamuyancuo Lake you will enjoy the sun reflecting off the golden roofs of the monastery and the prayer flags flapping in the wind. The afternoon is at leisure, the perfect time to start reading or re-reading “Lost Horizons” or a session of Yoga followed by a massage.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11: Into the Hills!
Today you will enter into the countryside to enjoy the natural beauty of Shangri-La. After breakfast you will be transferred to a point halfway to the fixed camp. From here you will take a guided walk (while your luggage goes on ahead). A picnic will be carried on horseback for the lunch break. This is an easy walk across hilly landscapes overlooking mountains and villages. Arrive at the camp at Ringha Valley and meet the team with welcome refreshment. A great chance to unwind, visit the nearby farm refurbished as a traditional Tibetan Homestead and explore the beautiful surroundings. Enjoy an aperitif while soaking in the sunset around the campfire; dinner will be served inside the bell tent and enjoy the rest of the evening around a Tibetan wood fire under the stars.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Nixi and Dhondrupling Gompa
After a breakfast at the camp, you leave your tent behind and transfer back to Shangri-La where you will be transferred to Deqin. Along the way you will stop at the small village of Nixi which is known for its pottery so much so that 70% of the families are involved in Pottery. You will visit a typical Tibetan house to sample ‘tsampa” a mixture of Yak butter, tea and flour. Stop for lunch in the small city of Benzalin. After lunch you will visit Dhondrupling Gompa which sits on the edge of a mountainside. This monastery still has over 300 monks. You then arrive at your boutique lodge overlooking the Meili Mountain Range. For those interested in a romantic dinner it can be arranged on the open terrace where the mountain peaks seem to be a mile or less away.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Crossing the Mekong River
Rise at dawn to admire the sunrise over the “Meili Xueshan” range which dominated by the Kawa Karpo with an altitude of 20,100 feet. The Mekong River, which has its source in the Northern Tibetan plateau, carved the gorge below the Kawa Karpo. Cross the legendary river to reach the village of Mingyong the starting point for the hike towards the glacier. This walk will bring you to Lotus Temple which offers remarkable views of the glacier. This is a six mile walk and those who would rather not walk can ride on horseback or stay at the resort and relax. Another option is to visit the village of Guji Unong one of the few places where traditional Tibetan herding and farming are still practiced. The five families who live there also practice Polyandry where a woman can have more than one husband so that might be of some interest.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Return to USA
In the morning you are transferred to Zhongdian to begin the journey from Shangri-La to back to your hometown.
Breakfast
You depart today for the Middle Kingdom, also known as China. You will cross the International Date Line which technically loses you a day but it will be made whole on the return flight home.
Day 3: Arrival in Kunming
Upon arrival at your chosen arrival gateway you will connect with a flight to Kunming the capital of Yunnan Province. Your flight will be met by one of our guides who will take you to your hotel where you have the rest of the day and evening to relax.
Day 4: A Day in Kunming
You have an early breakfast and meet your guide for a short walk through Green Lake Park. As with most Chinese parks, early morning is one of the busiest times as many Chinese are committed to a fitness regimen that can include tai chi or qigong but can also feature ballroom dancing especially the tango. You then visit the Yuantong Temple founded by the Tang Dynasty and the oldest Buddhist monastery in the area. You also visit the Golden Temple before a guided visit to the Yunnan Provincial Museum which is an essential stop for understanding the characteristically multi-ethnic nature of this region. In the evening you will dine at the Stone House restaurant which offers both local and, interestingly, Italian specialties.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 5: Nature’s Bounty in Xishuangbanna
After breakfast you will be transferred to Kunming airport for a flight to Jinghong, the capital of Xishuangbanna which is considered the most tropical region in China. Offering forests, lush jungle, fields of sugarcane and bamboo trees, it also is home to a wide variety of animals including elephants, monkeys and tigers. It is also the home to a range of ethnic groups, some of whom you will visit. Your guide will meet you and you will be driven to Jinuo, a town named after the minority Jinuo of whom there are about 20,000. Interestingly, the group observes a unique social hierarchy that respects the mother’s brother or uncles as a prominent person in the family. You then make your way to Menglun which is home to the largest Botanical Gardens in China with more than 3,000 species in an area over 2,000 acres. After touring the Gardens you arrive at your boutique resort where you can relax and enjoy the amenities including the Spa.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 6: Xiaojie and Damenglong
Start your day with a visit to Dongfeng market where the different minorities gather daily to sell their goods and exhibit their colorful traditional clothes. Continue on to Xiaojie home to the Lahu and Bulang minorities numbering around 500,000 and 100,000 people respectively. The elder women of the Lahu family follow ancient traditions and continue to shave their head. You then visit Damenglong to visit two ancient pagodas dating back to the 13th Century.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 7: Wild Elephant Valley and Lijiang
After breakfast you will visit Sanchahe nature reserve which covers over three million acres to visit Wild Elephant Valley. Here a small hotel has been built up in the trees to allow guests to observe the elephants below. You can also enjoy a one mile long cable way to get a birds’ eye view of the rainforest. On the way back to Jinghong you stop for lunch at Meghai Street before returning to the hotel and then departing to the airport for a flight to the charming town of Lijiang. This UNESCO town is a labyrinth of traditional redwood and brick houses topped with grey slate roofs surrounded by canals, stone bridges and cobbled streets a real paradise at the heart of Naxi Culture which originally came from Tibet 2,000 years ago.
Breakfast and Lunch
Day 8: Exploring Lijiang
After breakfast you will be transferred to the town of Lijiang. Morning is the best time to explore the area when the streets are peaceful and quiet. After wandering the collection of streets and canals, head across to “Lion Hill” which provides dramatic views over the village. Stop for coffee at the top of the hill. You then visit Mu Palace built during the Mongol dynasty. The palace is a vivid example of Ming and Qing architecture similar to the architecture in Beijing’s Forbidden City. Finish your tour with a walk through Black Dragon Pond which offers a panoramic view of the famous Jade Dragon Mountain. Return to your resort where there are a variety of afternoon options including a guided bike tour or a full treatment at the Spa.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 9: Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La
Today you will continue the journey Zhongdian (in Shangri-La) the mythical paradise of Tibetan Buddhists and imaginary world described by James Hilton. First you will visit Tiger Leaping Gorge which is up to 12,000 feet deep making it one of the deepest gorges in the world. Separating the Jinsha River from the jagged mountains of Northern Yunnan this area has become a playground for trekkers from all over the world. Lunch is in a guesthouse overlooking the gorge. You arrive in Zhongdian and check in to your boutique hotel. If you feel like it you can travel to the old town main square where participants both locals and visitors dance in a circle to the rhythm of traditional and modern music. Everyone seems to enjoy it.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 10: Thangka and the Monastery of Songzanlin
After breakfast you go back to school as you take a morning course in Thangka with teachers directly from Tibet. This class offers a unique art which is correlated with Buddhism and Meditation. It will help you better understand the walls of temples and monasteries. After the class you put it into practice by visiting Songzanlin Monastery which is home to over 600 monks. Overlooking Lamuyancuo Lake you will enjoy the sun reflecting off the golden roofs of the monastery and the prayer flags flapping in the wind. The afternoon is at leisure, the perfect time to start reading or re-reading “Lost Horizons” or a session of Yoga followed by a massage.
Breakfast and Dinner
Day 11: Into the Hills!
Today you will enter into the countryside to enjoy the natural beauty of Shangri-La. After breakfast you will be transferred to a point halfway to the fixed camp. From here you will take a guided walk (while your luggage goes on ahead). A picnic will be carried on horseback for the lunch break. This is an easy walk across hilly landscapes overlooking mountains and villages. Arrive at the camp at Ringha Valley and meet the team with welcome refreshment. A great chance to unwind, visit the nearby farm refurbished as a traditional Tibetan Homestead and explore the beautiful surroundings. Enjoy an aperitif while soaking in the sunset around the campfire; dinner will be served inside the bell tent and enjoy the rest of the evening around a Tibetan wood fire under the stars.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 12: Nixi and Dhondrupling Gompa
After a breakfast at the camp, you leave your tent behind and transfer back to Shangri-La where you will be transferred to Deqin. Along the way you will stop at the small village of Nixi which is known for its pottery so much so that 70% of the families are involved in Pottery. You will visit a typical Tibetan house to sample ‘tsampa” a mixture of Yak butter, tea and flour. Stop for lunch in the small city of Benzalin. After lunch you will visit Dhondrupling Gompa which sits on the edge of a mountainside. This monastery still has over 300 monks. You then arrive at your boutique lodge overlooking the Meili Mountain Range. For those interested in a romantic dinner it can be arranged on the open terrace where the mountain peaks seem to be a mile or less away.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 13: Crossing the Mekong River
Rise at dawn to admire the sunrise over the “Meili Xueshan” range which dominated by the Kawa Karpo with an altitude of 20,100 feet. The Mekong River, which has its source in the Northern Tibetan plateau, carved the gorge below the Kawa Karpo. Cross the legendary river to reach the village of Mingyong the starting point for the hike towards the glacier. This walk will bring you to Lotus Temple which offers remarkable views of the glacier. This is a six mile walk and those who would rather not walk can ride on horseback or stay at the resort and relax. Another option is to visit the village of Guji Unong one of the few places where traditional Tibetan herding and farming are still practiced. The five families who live there also practice Polyandry where a woman can have more than one husband so that might be of some interest.
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 14: Return to USA
In the morning you are transferred to Zhongdian to begin the journey from Shangri-La to back to your hometown.
Breakfast
