The Great Outdoors, Overland, Escapes

Overland Discoveries: North Yunnan

The Great Outdoors, Overland, Escapes

Overland Discoveries: North Yunnan

The Great Outdoors, Overland, Escapes

Overland Discoveries: North Yunnan

The Great Outdoors, Overland, Escapes

Overland Discoveries: North Yunnan

The Great Outdoors, Overland, Escapes

Overland Discoveries: North Yunnan

  • Destination

    Yunnan

  • Trip duration

    8 days, 7 nights

  • Availability period

    1 Sep. 2022 - 30 Nov. 2022

  • Min/Max travelers

    Min.2 Max.10

  • Transport

    Private transportation

  • Accommodation

    Hotel

Experience overland adventures to locales few travellers ever get to encounter and participate in activities guaranteed to provide rich exposure to local history, culture, people, and landscapes. These trips are perfect for the more active and adventurous traveler, and for groups too.

From Dali through the Shaxi forgotten crossway, up to the stone towns of Lijiang and Shangri-La, cutting through the Tiger Leaping Gorge, and getting as far as Benzilan, you will meet Bai, Naxi, and Tibetans along your way. Passing from the green hills and placid lake of Dali, you will ascend to over 3300m to the rough Tibetan plateau and its distant peaks. We guarantee you will see remote temples, villages, dramatic landscapes and enjoy friendly encounters – and much more!

Overland Discoveries: North Yunnan

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Travel is an emotional experience, cherishing new corners and venture into unknown landscapes. Respecting this and giving back to society has taken an important role in our endeavours in leaving only footprints and taking only memories. ATRAILS committed to improving the conditions of communities we encounter on our journeys whilst safeguarding and protecting nature and wildlife

Yunnan, China

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Day 1

ARRIVAL IN DALI

Upon arrival in Dali, you are greeted by your personal Explorer and taken to your hotel. Have your first meal together while he will give you an introduction to the region and your upcoming trip.

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Day 2

WANDER COLOURFUL MARKETS - INDULGE IN MOUNTAIN DELICACIES

Stroll the morning market of a quaint lakeside town, which boasts a collection of well-preserved merchant houses. Visit a hidden Catholic Church, commissioned by French missionaries nearly a century ago. Head west into the Cangshan Mountains towards a hillside Bai village, only accessible by stairs. Once an important stop along the imperial salt route, the quiescent hamlet rose to national fame due to its artisan salted ham.

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Day 3

VENTURE ACROSS ANCIENT BRIDGES ALONG THE OLD TRADING ROUTES

Follow the curves of the Bi River, spanned by a multitude of bridges, which made trade possible in this remote corner and are still used by locals to get their livestock across. End your day in a former caravan town, which despite its recent commercial transformation still retains most of its original character.

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Day 4

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF BUDDHIST PILGRIMS & FOREIGN EXPLORERS

Explore nearby Buddhist temples and Bai minority carvings, which survived the Cultural Revolution thanks to their remote location before you make your way north to the Lijiang valley. Visit the former residence of an eccentric American explorer who lived here in the first half of the 20th century and put the local Naxi literally on the map.

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Day 5

HIKE THE TIGER LEAPING GORGE & FIRST EXPERIENCE OF GEOGRAPHICAL TIBET

Pass by the dramatic Tiger Leaping Gorge, carved out by the rushing waters of the mighty Yangtze River over the course of millennia. Leave the masses behind and hike one of the lesser-known trails criss-crossing the picturesque hillsides. Ascend curvy mountain roads to 3,300 meters and to the eastern edge of the Himalayas. Part of geographical Tibet, the area provides the perfect backdrop for an insight into Tibetan culture.

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Day 6

FIND YOUR INNER AT THE EASTERN HIMALAYAS

Visit the rebuilt yet impressive Songzanlin Temples, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan and often referred to as the ‘Little Potala Palace’. Travel to a hidden valley and visit a small Buddhist temple, frequented only by local Tibetans who come to pray for their children’s well-being. Go for a hike nearby and perhaps visit some sacred caves or try out the natural hot springs.

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Day 7

LOCAL INTERACTIONS WITH TIBETAN BUDDHISM & CUSTOMS

Take the scenic route along the Yangtze River on your way to a lesser-known Yellow Hat Monastery, founded in the late 1600s. If the timing is right, you can witness the monks chanting their daily prayers or have a quick chat during one of their breaks. Next, make your way to a lush oasis, sheltered from its brutal surroundings and set out for a pleasant hike amidst sacred oaks and bushy rhododendrons, with a picnic lunch if the weather permits.

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Day 8

TASTE THE SPECIALITIES OF THE TIBETAN HIGHLAND

Return to Shangri-La and circle a nearby lake, where countless yak and horses roam the bordering grasslands. Dig further into the culinary aspect of local culture and try a traditional yak hotpot for lunch, followed by a beer tasting at a Tibetan brewery, before you are dropped off at Lijiang airport for your onward flight.

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Travel is an emotional experience, cherishing new corners and venture into unknown landscapes.
Respecting this and giving back to society has taken an important role in our endeavours in leaving only footprints and taking only memories.

To Know More
Various

Local Accommodations

Proper accommodations have been identified, with private bathroom. A wide choice of levels is available, from boutique hotels to eco-lodges. Enquiry to have your itinerary tailor made

Travel is an emotional experience, cherishing new corners and venture into unknown landscapes.
Respecting this and giving back to society has taken an important role in our endeavours in leaving only footprints and taking only memories.

To Know More
Carbon Emission Initiative - Gold Standard

As of 2020 Asian Trails has introduced a voluntary carbon offsetting initiative for our travellers to compensate for unavoidable emissions during their tours with us. Emissions during multi-day package tours (not including international flights to our destinations) are pegged at a cost of $1.50 per traveller per day. This amount is based on average daily emissions of travellers across our eight destinations. Contributions from clients to our carbon offsetting initiative will go into a destination-specific fund to support climate protection projects certified to Gold Standard in that country. Certification to Gold Standard assures that the projects supported through our carbon offsetting initiative not only reduce harmful emissions but also positively contribute to sustainable development. Our contributions to projects in a country will be relative to the CO2 emitted by our travelers in that destination. To know more about this project: https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/collections/projects/products/more-efficient-cooking-and-heating-china

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