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Overview
Most first journeys pick either Yunnan or Sichuan. This one runs them as a staircase: you start high, among the snow mountains, old towns and forest villages of the northwest, sleep a night at more than three thousand metres in Shangri-La, then fly down into the basin, where an ancient waterworks still waters the plain and life runs on teahouse time. Trains, one flight and a private van link the arc; on the high days, oxygen and a pulse oximeter ride along in the van. By the end you will be able to explain what altitude does to a way of life: that answer is what you carry home.
LyrikTrip travel designers
Your route and its notes are settled before you land; licensed English-speaking local guides walk each region with you.
Why you'll love this trip
- Best for: private travellers, active couples and families, Yunnan and Sichuan visitors
- Begin in Yunnan's high country, then descend into Sichuan's teahouse pace.
- Take the cable car up to Spruce Meadow beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, then watch Impression Lijiang fill the open air.
- Take the slow road to Shangri-La, an old-growth forest by morning and the plateau air by dusk.
- Enjoy a chicken feast cooked in Nixi black pottery by the family that made the pots.
- Spend a morning with Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys, then stand over the gorge where the river tears through.
- Watch pandas at their liveliest hour, then ride a tuk-tuk to the eateries Chengdu keeps for itself.
- Stand beside the Samantabhadra statue on Emei's Golden Summit, then meet the Leshan Giant Buddha from the water.
Things to do
We are loading the host-led experiences for the second half of the page.
Itinerary
Arrivals
Kunming · Day 1
· Kunming in, the rails up to Lijiang
The staircase starts at the bottom. No sightseeing today, on purpose.
High-speed rail3.5 hours
Lijiang · Day 2
· Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
The snow-capped mountain at eye level, with a stage set against it.
Private vehicle4 hours
Shangri-La · Day 3
· The forest road up to Shangri-La
The road climbs to around 3,200 metres. Tonight you will sleep higher than on any other night of this trip.
Private vehicle
Chengdu · Day 1
Flight
Tacheng · Day 4 - Day 5
· Nixi black pottery, on to Tacheng
A village fires its pots the way it always has, and lunch comes out of them.
· Snub-nosed monkeys & Tiger Leaping Gorge
A morning with one of China's rarest primates, an afternoon over a roaring river.
Flight
Dujiangyan · Day 2
Private vehicle
Leshan · Day 3
Private vehicle
Chengdu · Day 6 - Day 8
· Down to the basin: Chengdu
You fly off the plateau and land where life runs on teahouse time.
· Sanxingdui, once it confirms
A bronze face from a culture unlike any other in China. If it confirms, the day is yours.
· Pandas & a Sichuan kitchen
Pandas at their busiest hour, then dinner you cook yourself.
Private vehicle1.5 hours
Dujiangyan · Day 9
· Mount Qingcheng & Dujiangyan
Tai Chi under Taoist trees, then a waterworks that has run for two thousand years.
Private vehicle
Leshan · Day 10 - Day 11
· To Mount Emei: crafts, kung fu, a dusk temple
Heritage still made by hand, and a temple after the crowds go.
· Emei's Golden Summit
The trip's last high point, reached by cable car. What the weather gives, it gives.
Private vehicle2.5 hours
Chengdu · Day 12
· Leshan Giant Buddha & a tea farm
One last look from the water, one last cup at a farmer's table. Then the answer you carry home.
Departures
Hotels
Hotel pairings continue loading right after the upper journey sections.
Included / Excluded
What's Included
- Private vehiclesAir-conditioned private vehicles for all listed sightseeing and transfers, including station and airport pick-ups
- High-altitude supportSupplemental oxygen and a pulse oximeter arranged for the van on the highland Yunnan days
- GuidesLicensed English-speaking guides throughout every region
- RailKunming to Lijiang high-speed train ticket, first class
- Hotels11 nights in selected four-star, five-star or quality boutique stays, breakfast daily
- Tickets and experiencesAll listed attractions, cable cars and scenic-area shuttles, the Blue Moon Valley shuttle, the Lijiang old-town maintenance fee and the Tiger Leaping Gorge escalator, plus the hands-on and cultural experiences in the confirmed itinerary
- Included mealsWild mushroom hotpot · Nixi black pottery chicken feast · tuk-tuk food tastings · Sichuan cooking class dinner · Taoist vegetarian lunch · tea farmer meal
- AlsoTravel accident insurance
Not Included
- Long-haulInternational flights into Kunming and onward travel from Chengdu
- Domestic flightThe Lijiang to Chengdu flight is quoted at your confirmation unless stated otherwise in the final quotation: one figure, no surprises
- SanxingduiSanxingdui Museum tickets, specialist interpretation and related costs, until confirmed in your final itinerary
- MealsBeyond the included meals, lunches and dinners stay flexible: each day your guide recommends and books around the group's tastes
- PersonalVisas, gratuities, single-room supplement, personal spending, and optional activities not included in your confirmation
Special Notes
A few things on this route depend on weather, seasons or operators. Here they are, told straight: with the backup already planned.
- Altitude — The Yunnan days run between about 2,400 and 3,300 metres, with the highest night on Day 3 in Shangri-La; from Day 6 you descend to the Chengdu Basin's roughly 500 metres. The Shangri-La evening is kept free to allow your body to acclimatise, and oxygen and a pulse oximeter are provided in the van on the highland days.
- Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys — They are wild animals on their own schedule, so the visit is set for the morning; sightings are never guaranteed, and the forest walk and conservation talk go ahead either way.
- Golden Summit — The sea of clouds depends on the day's weather; the summit, the Samantabhadra statue and the temples stand either way.
- Impression Lijiang — An open-air, seasonal performance that runs on the venue's own calendar; seating is outdoors, so dress for mountain weather.
- Tea farmer participation — The stages you can join yourself depend on the tea season; the visit and the family meal go ahead either way.
- Sanxingdui — Arranged only once tickets, English-language interpretation and the added cost are confirmed; if it cannot confirm, the Chengdu city day moves to that day.
- Hotels and venues — Named in your confirmation; or similar always means the same class and comparable location, never a quiet downgrade.
Is Twelve Days Your Length?
Tell us your dates and who's coming: we will shape the length around you.
Have the full window?
This is the whole staircase: Yunnan's high country first, then the Sichuan basin, in their proper order.
Shorter on days?
We trim a region, not the pace: keep Yunnan, keep Sichuan, or tell us what matters most and we will cut the line to fit.
Travelling with older parents or kids?
The highland days can soften further, and every climb has a cable-car answer.
Good to Know
- Group
- Private; from 1 guest: no minimum
- Altitude
- The Yunnan days run between about 2,400 and 3,300 metres, with the highest night on Day 3 in Shangri-La; from Day 6 you are down at roughly 500 metres
- Language
- English-speaking guides throughout
- Shopping Policy
- No shopping stops or commission detours on the route; your time is dedicated solely to the places listed here.
- Tailoring
- Fully flexible. Days, stops, and pace can be added, removed, or swapped. We'll reshape the plan together before you confirm and pay.
- Payment
- A 10% deposit, minimum $399, secures your dates and resources; the balance is due 14 days before departure.
- Flexibility
- Walking distances adapt to your pace throughout; weather-dependent items and their backups are listed in Special Notes
- Best season
- Spring and autumn are ideal across both provinces; summer is lush and green, while winter is quiet and crisp.
- Ports
- Kunming In · Chengdu Out
- Gateway markets
- Lead country marker: FR. Gateway markets from inventory: WEU, SEU, UK, ANZ. Kunming-side access may need a connection.
- Advance booking
- Shiyu Heting Cultural Park must be reserved 7 days in advance; your travel designer will handle this once your dates are confirmed.
Your Private Concierge
LT
Jason Hu
Private China Route Concierge
“A bilingual planning desk for tailor-made China journeys.”
Our China team tailors the pacing, hotels and local hosts to suit each route style.
20+
Years
300+
Trips Designed
24/7
On-Trip Care
Step 01
Tell us what excites you
Not your dates and budget — your curiosity. Where have you always wanted to go? What do you want to feel? We start there.
24h
First concept delivered
Step 02
We design it around you
Your specialist builds the itinerary from scratch — routes, hosts, hotels, and experiences you won't find anywhere else.
100%
Bespoke, never off-the-shelf
Step 03
Lock it in with 10%
When the plan feels right, a 10% deposit holds your entire trip. Balance due 30 days before departure.
10%
Deposit to secure everything
Step 04
Travel. We handle the rest.
Your Trip Pack arrives before you fly. On the road, your concierge is one message away — for the expected and everything you didn't plan for.
24/7
Support throughout your journey
Free cancellation up to 30 days
English-speaking concierge
Secure payment via Stripe
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