Wanvela's 7-day, 6-night private Yunnan journey leads into a China most travelers never see, a province of high mountains, still lakes and ancient towns. Begin in Kunming, the Spring City, where the air is mild all year. Take the high-speed train to Dali for Erhai Lake and the Golden S Curve viewpoint, then continue to Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage old town of cobbled lanes and running streams beneath Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Stay two nights in Lijiang without repacking, then climb gradually to Shangri-La, Yunnan's Tibetan plateau at roughly 3,200 metres, for Napahai Grassland, Songzanlin Monastery and Dukezong Ancient Town. Best in January–April 2027, when skies are clear and visibility is at its finest. THB 145,000 per person (6 travelers), with a tour leader and photographer throughout.
Last updated: 21 October 2026
18:30 Meet at Suvarnabhumi Airport, level 4, Thai Airways (TG) counters. Your tour leader is with you from the start and hands over the trip dossier. 21:30 Depart for Kunming on TG 612. 01:10+1 Arrive at Kunming airport (local time) and transfer to the hotel to rest.
InterContinental Kunming (1 night) or equivalent
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 08:00 Transfer to the railway station and board the high-speed train to Dali. 12:00 Lunch. 14:00 Erhai Lake, Yunnan's second-largest freshwater lake, and the Golden S Curve viewpoint, the most photographed stretch of its shoreline. 18:00 Dinner, then check in to the hotel.
Hilton Dali Resort & Spa (1 night) or equivalent
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 08:00 Depart for Lijiang. 12:00 Lunch. 14:00 Blue Moon Valley, where meltwater from Jade Dragon Snow Mountain pools into a chain of turquoise lakes. 16:30 Lijiang Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site of stone lanes and canals. 18:00 Dinner, then check in to the hotel.
Jinmao Purelax Lijiang (2 nights) or equivalent
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 08:00 Baisha Ancient Town, the original Naxi settlement. 10:00 Impression Lijiang, the grand open-air performance staged against the real slopes of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. 12:00 Lunch. 14:00 Free time in the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain park, taking in the views at your own pace. 18:00 Dinner, then return to the hotel.
Jinmao Purelax Lijiang (2 nights) or equivalent
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 08:00 Depart for Shangri-La, climbing steadily onto Yunnan's Tibetan plateau through gorge and mountain scenery the whole way. 12:00 Lunch. 15:00 Dukezong Ancient Town and its Tibetan architecture, including the great golden prayer wheel on the hill above the town. 18:00 Dinner, then return to the hotel.
Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City (2 nights) or equivalent
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 08:00 Napahai Grassland, a broad highland meadow where yaks and horses graze against the ring of mountains. 11:30 Songzanlin Monastery, the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan, known as the Little Potala Palace. 13:00 Lunch. 14:30 Shangri-La old town, with free time for Tibetan handicrafts and keepsakes. 18:00 Dinner, then return to the hotel.
Hotel Indigo Diqing Moonlight City (2 nights) or equivalent
07:00 Breakfast at the hotel. 08:00 Transfer to Shangri-La airport. 12:55 Depart for Kunming on MU 5940. 14:45 Arrive in Kunming and connect for Bangkok. 17:25 Depart for Bangkok on TG 613. 18:50 Arrive at Suvarnabhumi Airport, home with your memories and a digital album from Yunnan.
"I have been to China many times, but Yunnan is nothing like the rest of it — quiet, beautiful, far fewer people than I expected. Two nights in Lijiang was the right call. Waking up to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from the window, and no repacking."
"Songzanlin in the morning light is the image I keep coming back to — the whole roofline turned gold. Our photographer caught every angle of it. I am still going through the album."
"I was worried about the altitude in Shangri-La, but the route climbs one city at a time, so we adjusted easily. The team checked on us the whole way."
