A Stunning, Off the Beaten Path China Tour (16 Days Tour)

Over the Pacific

Today sees you embarking to your unique and fascinating tour of the hidden gems and quickly disappearing cultural and environmental charms of China. Due to the International Date Line, you lose a day when crossing the Pacific, but have no fear: you’ll get this day back when you turn west and head back home.

Culture and Speed in Cutting-Edge Shanghai

Following breakfast at the hotel, you’ll tour the Ohel Moshe Synagogue, where you’ll learn about the Jewish experience in Shanghai, from its cultural contributions to the day-to-day life of Jews in Shanghai. Then you’ll soar more than 1,500 feet above the city streets, as a high-speed elevator takes you to the Observation Deck of the Shanghai World Finance Center, the fourth-tallest building in the world by some standards and a one of a trio of super tall skyscrapers that compose Shanghai’s iconic skyline. While the view may not be for those afraid of heights, the incredible luxury of the complex is sure to impress even the staunchest acrophobe.

Lunch is at the famous Dingtaifeng Restaurant, where you can sample the delicious Shanghai Soup Dumplings before boarding the Shanghai Maglev Train to Shanghai Pudong Airport.  One of the first trains in the world to operate using magnetic levitation as opposed to traditional wheels and rails, this is the first and only commercially operated high-speed Maglev train in the world, catapulting through space at an astounding 250 miles per hour while retaining the smooth and effortless ride that comes from floating on air. You can enjoy the incredible surroundings and the luxuries of this feat of technology while your bags follow you to the airport, where you’ll board a flight that will take you to Guilin.

Upon arriving in Guilin, you’ll be escorted to the magnificent Shangri-La Hotel, where you’ll have your breath stolen from you by the amazing Chinese-style architecture and a staff that is friendly, helpful and attentive. With sensational views of the serene Li River lazily winding its way through the countryside or the verdant and pristinely manicured gardens, you’ll find beauty and elegance everywhere you look, from the awe-inspiring rise of Diecai Mountain to the sweet and fragrant scents of the Sweet Osmanthus blossoms that can be found throughout the city.

What's Included: breakfast, tour, lunch, transfer, accommodation

Turning to Yunnan’s Fascinating Capital

Following a delicious breakfast, you’ll visit the nearby Giant Panda Garden, where you’ll get a chance to interact with these iconic and charismatic megafauna, undeniably adorable and unfortunately endangered. Their sweet faces and gentle dispositions will almost certainly steal your heart and warm your spirits. Then travel to the fecund and altitudinous Longsheng County to catch a glimpse of the spectacular rice terraces of Longi. You can’t miss the “Dragon’s Backbone,” whose undulations and elegant lines have captivated viewers for centuries. The gentle ridges and slopes of these incredible fields give way spectacularly to the rising hills beyond, presenting a picture that is one of the most fantastic on Earth. 

This evening sees you back in Guilin, where you’ll enjoy a local Chinese dinner before being taken to the airport, ready to board a flight that will take you south to the borderlands of China and the provincial capital of Kunming on the northern edge of Lake Dian, a City of Eternal Spring surrounded by limestone hills and the blossoms of hundreds of flowers. A trading hub for centuries, Kunming is intricately linked to the countries that border it, and its incredible success as host of the World Horticultural Exposition in 1999 has helped turn this into an up-and-coming tourist destination. 

Your accommodations while in Kunming are at the Green Lake Hotel, perfectly situated within an attractive part of Kunming’s urban center and staffed by friendly and attentive people who go above and beyond for their guests, from late check-ins to personal requests and everything in between.

What's Included: breakfast, dinner, transfer, accommodation

Yuantong Temple and Excursion to Dongchuan Red Land

This morning, after a hearty and traditional breakfast, you’ll venture out to witness the incredible grace and serene splendor of the Yuantong Temple, the most famous Buddhist temple in Kunming and one of the most unique in China, noted for its recent expansion and its relatively unorthodox architecture. After touring the grounds of this amazing site, you’ll ride for about three hours until reaching the Dongchuan Red Land Scenic Area, a scenic hideaway in the Wumeng Mountainous region. 

After enjoying lunch at a local restaurant, you’ll stop to admire the awe-inspiring landscape at Yueliangtan and explore the many gorgeous vistas at Damakan village, Qicaipo and the splendid Jinxiu Garden. Then in the evening, enjoy the one-of-a-kind experience that is Dongchuan at sunset, as you perambulate terraced fields until arriving at Luoxiagou, where the entire area is cast in a vivid and rugged shade of red and filled with visions of color and light unlike any on Earth. You’ll return to Kunming for the evening.

What's Included: breakfast, transfer, accommodation

Discovering Dali

After breakfast in your boutique hotel, tour the awe-inspiring Three Pagodas. Built on the corners of an equilateral triangle and soaring hundreds of feet in the air, these fantastic structures have stood for more than a millennia, withstanding the rolling tides of war and powerful earthquakes. Climb up into the marble hills onboard a cable car to the Qingbixi Scenic Park for a spectacular view of the city and its environs before cruising the sapphire blue of Erhai Lake, the second largest highland lake in the country, where you might find a few trained cormorants of the Bai fisherman who have worked the waters for generations. 

You’ll then visit the Shuanglang Village to witness life much as it has gone on for generations in this part of China, touring arts and crafts workshops, restaurants and food stands run by local families, before heading to an ethnic art gallery for a fun and informative introduction to the local history and culture. The night sees you in Xizhou, enjoying a delicious and unforgettable dinner of local cuisine at the Linden Centre. 

What's Included: breakfast, tour, dinner, accommodation

Exploring Lijiang

Break your fast on a traditional meal before venturing out into the Old Town of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site with more than 800 years of history and culture. Once an important stop along the Southern Silk Road, the Old Town is now famous for its system of waterways and bridges and its winding, labyrinthine collection of cobblestone streets. There is a unique past here, as the town is recognized as the heartlands of the Naxi people, known for their handmade embroidery, their matriarchal social structure and their own writing system, a pictographic script that is mainly the purview of elders. 

Following the tour of the Old Town, turn to the beautiful and tranquil surroundings of the Black Dragon Pool, where you’ll find a Naxi Cultural Center, an elegant white marble bridge, several small temples and pavilions, and a spectacular view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, perfectly reflected in the pool’s calm waters. Your day ends at the Shuhe Naxi Village, where you’ll have the opportunity to experience the richness of Naxi culture even further. Catch a glimpse of Naxi women in their traditional dress, take some tea and griddlecakes at one of the renowned tea houses of the area, and see if you can spot Naxi falconers practicing an art that has been part of their culture for centuries. The afternoon is left to your leisure, giving you ample opportunity to investigate all of the unique offerings of the Naxi people.

What's Included: breakfast, tour, accommodation

Through the Himalayas to a Legendary City

This morning sees you leaving Lijiang to brave the foothills and lower peaks of the ponderous Himalayas, past plunging gorges and snow-capped peaks until you reach Shangri-La County. Despite the powerful allure of this mythical utopia, you’ll find that the journey is just as memorable as the destination. Your senses will seem to fail as you pass the tumbling slopes of the Tiger Leaping Gorge, a canyon cut from a tributary of the Yangtze River that plummets more than ten thousand feet from the peaks of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Haba Snow Mountains to the roiling river bed below. 

After lunch in Xiao Zhongdian Village, the late afternoon sees you in Shangri-La County, thrilled from your mountain excursion and anxious to check-in to your secluded and scenic setting at the Banyan Tree Ringha, where relocated and refurbished Tibetan farmhouses create a complex that is as romantic as it is exotic. This remarkable 5-star resort is truly one-of-a-kind, nestled between the rising peaks of the mighty Himalayas, and filled with facilities and dining options that are among the world’s best, like the Chang Sa Bar and Restaurant or the scenic and unforgettable yoga sessions. You’ll be wowed by the luxurious accommodations as well as the serene and unforgettable landscapes that surround you, ready to sink into the tranquility of a stopover in Paradise. 

Dinner is a celebratory affair, with food and drink in the resort’s world-class restaurant, certain to enhance your already remarkable experience in your one-of-a-kind lodgings.

What's Included: breakfast, transfer, lunch, dinner, accommodation

Back to the City

Today sees you leaving the idylls of southwest China to return to one of her great cities near the coast, the vibrant, commercial metropolis of Shanghai. Once you land in this bustling city—the largest in China and a centerpiece of its most recent economic development—you’ll be transferred to your magnificent room at the Pudong Shangri-La Shanghai, an oasis of calm and an escape from the fast-paced urban settings outside the hotel’s lobby. You’ll ogle at the incredible views that your room offers, overlooking the teeming banks of The Bund, as well as the myriad services that the hotel offers, including reinvigorating services at the CHI, The Spa to the gorgeous, indoor swimming pool and sauna. 

Spend the rest of your day exploring this iconic city, taking in the sights of Old Town Shanghai, where the 19th century splendor of this famous port is still evident, shopping at Xujiahui or on Nanjing Road, or simply walking the river’s shore past the colonial buildings that line The Bund. Dinner tonight is on your own, with the entire city offering a panoply of options. 

What's Included: breakfast, transfer, accommodation