Flying to Chengdu, cross the Int’l Date Line.

Arrive in Chengdu (via Shanghai or Beijing). Your tour guide will greet you at the airport and assist with your transfer to your hotel for a great night’s rest.

Visit the Giant Panda Research Center. This is the best place to see Chengdu’s most famous residents, our world famous Giant Panda! As an endangered species, there are only less than 2,000 left in the world, while approximately 250 are in some breeding programs. The museum gathers information on panda’s reproductive problems and there is also a large breeding ground at the site. In the afternoon, tour the Wuhou Temple and take a walk through the Wide-Narrow Alley (Kuan-Zhai Xiangzi). Later visit a local tea house, one of Chengdu’s best links to the past before enjoying delicious local spicy favors. In the evening, fly to Shangri-La, a long lost paradise in poems.

Your full day tour begins by visiting the Ganden Songzanlin Monastery in the morning. It is the biggest monastery in Shangri-La with more than 500 lamas living and studying here. Enjoy an excursion to Bita Lake which is the most scenic lake in Shangri-La. After lunch, continue your tour to visit a Tibetan family where you can savor Tibetan specialties, the yak butter tea, local yogurt, and Tibetan barley. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

In the morning, travel by coach to Lijiang. On the way, visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge which is considered one of the world's deepest river canyons. You also witness a grand geological phenomenon and panoramic scene of the First Bend of Yangtze River. Arrive in Lijiang, the cultural center of Naxi Ethnic Minority Groups. Lijiang has beautiful landscape and the Lijiang Old Town has been inscribed by the UNESCO as a World Cultural Heritage Site. Travel back in time and gaze in wonder at the sights and sounds of this ancient city as you walk down cobblestone streets preserved for over 700 years. Watch a traditional ancient Naxi Music Performance in the evening.

The highlight of the day is the Jade Dragon Mountain, the mythical mountain worshipped by the Naxi Ethnic Minority people. Stop at the mountain’s base where you will board chair lifts to access higher regions that afford a beautiful view of the famed Thirteen Peaks. Tour the Baisha Village, the ancient capital of the Naxi Kingdom. The Baisha Frescoes with fine and smooth lines, bright colors, vivid patterns and balanced and harmonious composition are a wonderful sight. Enjoy this evening at leisure.

This morning, tour the Black Dragon Pond then travel by coach to Dali, home of the Bai Minority Group. Dali is a 600-year-old town featuring stone walls, grey-tilted roofs, doors and windows carved with dragon and phoenix patterns. Get a firsthand experience of local daily life as we visit Xizhou Bai Nationality Village, taste famous “Three Courses Tea” and see the ancient architecture of Bai Nationality. Visit Chongsheng Temple and Three Pagodas. With a history of over 1800 years, they are symbol of of Dali City, and a record of the development of Buddhism in the area. Visit a local souvenir shop followed by dinner.

This morning, tour the Dali ancient town. Walk along the cobble-paved streets and see the traditional and distinctive Bai ethnic folk houses. The newly–opened Foreigner Street is also a must see. Later have a relaxing boat tour on the Erhai lake and have a beautiful panoramic view of the Dali town and Cangshan Mountain.  In the afternoon, tavel by coach to Kunming, the capital city of Yunnan Province. It has the best climate of all Chinese cities and is popularly known as the “Spring City”. Check into hotel followed by local special cuisine dinner. 

Enjoy a full day tour to the Stone Forest (Shi Lin), an UNESCO world heritage site. Due to weathering and erosion, nature has created an art gallery of stone sculptures here. This evening is at leisure.

Visit the Dragon Gate, Jinma (Golden horse) Biji (Jade rooster) Plaza and the Flowers and Birds market in the morning. After lunch, fly to Hong Kong, the financial center and shopping paradise in the orient. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Hong Kong is called the "City of Life", a destination that begs to be explored at one’s own pace. No activities are scheduled today. Take time for some last minute souvenir and gift shopping. You can also choose to join one of our optional Hong Kong tours at your own expense.

Your China journey is over all too soon…Fly home and arrive home on the same day as you leave China.