• Arrival Transfer (From airport or train station)
• Hotel Check-In
• Dinner at a local restaurant
• Tour briefing

• Catch a morning flight to Zhongdian
• Wander the ‘Old Town’ area with its Tibetan architecture, appreciate the scenic beauty and clear mountain air up here on the plateau of Shangri-la

• Free day
• Visit Songzanlin, the largest Tibetan Monastery in Yunnan, see monks praying and pilgrims circling the temples
• Relax in the Tiansheng hot springs

• Hike to a Naxi minority village and spend the night with spectacular mountain views from our Naxi family guesthouse
• Trek through the gorge arriving for a night in Walnut Garden
• Explore Walnut Garden and some of the gorge's deepest areas

• Catch an early private bus to Dali and enjoy the return to civilization in this sleepy backpacker friendly town
• Dali is situated on the shores of Lake Er Hai, and is home to the Bai minority
• Afternoon Cormorant fishing experience

• Cycle around Dali country side taking in views of the famous Three Pagodas
• Option to walk the stunning Cang Shan Mountain hiking course with views of the old town and lake
• Travel overnight to Kunming

• We will arrive to the city of ‘Eternal Spring’ in the morning and transfer to the hotel
• Free day, watch the locals play mahjong in Government Square or explore the vibrant market areas
• In the evening we will have our farewell dinner

• Tour Ends

What To Expect...

This tour has been put together with all the planning, skill and attention to detail possible. We need you to know however that this is a My Travel class tour and it does go to many less developed places than regular cities, we think this is what makes it particularly special. Therefore there are a few things to keep in mind

It’s a Journey

It’s not the destination, it’s the journey! We will be travelling on public buses, private buses, hard sleeper trains, in taxis, on bikes, on foot, by plane and maybe even a tractor or two. Some of these trips will be long and demanding. The trips on this tour are more than just an A – B function they make up the very fabric of the journey and will be stories in themselves. The rewards are the places we stop along the way

Go with the flow

Expect the unexpected, changes of plans, problems to be solved and things to be fixed. It’s called outback China for a reason. Be as flexible as possible, we don’t envisage any major problems but you never know what might get thrown at us. Remember if this was straight forward everyone would be doing it

It’s not that serious

It’s important not to take anything too seriously, after all this is a holiday and holidays are fun! No matter what happens on tour good/bad/ugly it will all make a good email or story at the pub. Travel with this attitude and you’ll never have a bad day!

Things To Know…

Aside form cameras and iPods make sure everything you pack can be kicked, dropped, sat on and slept on. We ride many buses and local vehicles, luggage isn't priority and it can be on roofs or under grubby buses. It might be a good idea to buy a pack cover (raincoat) to keep it clean and dry. Packs make handy seats or pillows, so don't pack anything to valuable or breakable. Remember, your pack goes on your back! This means make it light and keep mobile

What to Pack

Note: We will travel from warm to cold climates; it will be warm in Kunming and then become cooler in Tiger Leaping Gorge and Zhongdian, pack appropriately. Check the ‘More Info’ section of our website for yearly weather information. You will also need to have good shoes for hiking (actual hiking boots not necessary) and something to keep you dry

What to Spend

China isn’t an expensive country, it all depends on how well you haggle and what you like to eat/drink. We recommend budgeting 150¥ per day. This itinerary crosses a large section of China so there will be times and places where you will spend far more than this and other times when you can’t give it away

Visa

Entry to China is your responsibility. You will need a Tourist Visa (type L) to cover you for the duration of your stay. Visa extensions are difficult and not always possible, and you can not stay longer than the terms of your permit

Note: If you are living in China or a regular visitor your Visa (type F or Z) will be adequate to travel with us. Just remember not to stay longer than your Visa terms or exceed your valid number of entries

Getting Here/Away

Kunming has an international airport with connections all over China as well as Hong Kong, Macau, Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam and Japan. This is how most people choose to travel. There are also many trains that make their way to Kunming from the other parts of China

Note: Please see the ‘More Info’ section of our site for more detailed instructions on getting here

What To Tell Us…

Insurance

It is a requirement that all clients on our tours must have travel medical insurance. It is your responsibility to make sure this is in order as it is for your benefit and security

You will need to provide us, in advance, your insurance details, specifically your policy number and a 24-hour world wide emergency contact number

Health

If you have any health/allergy/dietary concerns, requirements or problems please tell us. We need to know so that we can avoid problems. We must also be able to communicate the right information to the right people at the right times

Anything Else

Tell us anything else you feel relevant that we have not covered, be it special requests, needs or questions. Your clear communication with us will make you more relaxed, and your holiday more enjoyable. Our email contact is enquiry@myjourney-asia.com. Just remember to include the tour code MTGY and the date of your tour so we can respond to you promptly