Roaming Eastern Yunnan | 6-Day Tour of Kunming, Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Jianshui Ancient Town and Honghe Hani

Welcome to Kunming, the "Spring City". Our guide will meet you at the reception desk of the airport/railway station and transfer you to the hotel for check-in and rest. If it is still early and you want to look around, you can also ask the guide for professional travel advice. How to Arrive 1. By Air: Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) has many direct international routes, such as Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, the United States, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Nepal, etc., as well as many direct domestic routes, such as Beijing, Chengdu, Shanghai, Xi'an, Hong Kong, etc. 2. By Train: Kunming has two railway stations, namely Kunming Railway Station and Kunming South Railway Station. You can take a train or high-speed train to Kunming from various cities in China, such as Chengdu, Chongqing, Guilin, Guiyang, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong, etc.

This morning, you will head to the Western Hills. Located on the shores of Dianchi Lake, the Western Hills offer a panoramic view of the beautiful Dianchi Lake from the summit, making it an excellent destination for leisurely hikes and enjoying natural scenery. The Western Hills are also home to Yunnan's largest and most exquisite Taoist grottoes, the Dragon Gate Grottoes, which are open for visits. These grottoes are set into sheer cliffs, appearing as a magnificent work co-created by nature and humankind, and each grotto has its own unique history and stories. Tip: A half-day tour of the Western Hills generally includes round-trip shuttle bus, one one-way cable car ride, and one one-way electric cart within the scenic area. After visiting the Western Hills, you will drive 78 kilometers (about 1.5 hours) to visit the Stone Forest Scenic Area, known as the "God's Bonsai." Also called Yunnan Stone Forest, it is famous for its stunning karst landscape and is highly praised as the essence of the world's karst landforms. You can take a shuttle bus to visit the Major Stone Forest and Minor Stone Forest in turn, admire and learn about various unique karst landscapes up close, and listen to moving legends about the Stone Forest.

This morning we will drive about 300 km (about 4 hours) to visit the Honghe Yuanyang Rice Terraces. [Yuanyang Rice Terraces] is the core part of the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces and one of the World Cultural Heritage sites, boasting the most magnificent and unique terraced landscapes, such as Bada Terraces, Duoyishu Terraces, and Laohuzui Terraces. Today's highlight is enjoying the sunset scenery at Bada Terraces. Bada Terraces, with its gentle-slope terraces and superb light-and-shadow effects, is hailed as a paradise for photography enthusiasts, especially at sunset when the light-and-shadow effects are at their best and the colors are the richest. You can stand on the viewing platform and overlook the magnificent panoramic view of the terraces. Tips for photographing the Yuanyang Rice Terraces 1). Water reflections (December to April): In winter and early spring, the terraces are filled with water in preparation for the subsequent rice planting. This is the best time to photograph the terraces reflecting the sky and mountains. 2). Golden terraces (September to November): Autumn is the harvest season, when the rice in the terraces is ripening, presenting a beautiful golden scene from top to bottom. 3). Verdant rice waves (June to August): In summer, the rice seedlings of the Yuanyang Rice Terraces are lush and green, presenting a vibrant and verdant scene. 4). Photography accessories: Using a wide-angle lens and a tripod can help you capture higher-quality works.

Today you will immersively explore the Yuanyang Rice Terraces Scenic Area, hike through the terraces, and with the guide's explanation, learn about the special construction structure of the terraces and discover various interesting farming scenes such as plowing oxen, spring sowing, mechanized planting, and fish farming in rice paddies, and further understand the traditional way of life of the Hani people. In addition, while enjoying the beautiful terrace scenery, you can also taste local Hani specialties such as terrace fish, red rice noodles, Hani dipping chicken, and Hani glutinous rice cakes. Suggested route for today: Duoyishu Rice Terraces (enjoy sunrise and sea of clouds) - Aichun Blue Rice Terraces (a unique blue terrace area in the Duoyishu scenic area) - Qingkou Folk Village (learn about Hani culture and way of life) - Laohuzui Rice Terraces (the steepest and most spectacular terraces)

This morning you will visit the local [Hani Market] in Yuanyang. Here you can see various local specialty foods and handicrafts, making it the best place to pick out travel souvenirs. In addition, you will have the chance to see locals wearing various ethnic costumes and experience the rich local atmosphere of daily life. Afterwards, you will drive 116 kilometers (about 3.5 hours) to visit [Jianshui Ancient Town], which has a history of more than 1,200 years. First, you will visit Chaoyang Tower, known as the Little Tiananmen, which is also one of the landmark buildings of Jianshui. From the third floor, you can overlook the entire Jianshui Ancient Town. Then you will visit the exquisitely built and historic Zhu Family Garden, admiring the finely carved beams and painted rafters and the beautifully laid-out garden scenery of olden times, and learning about the rise and fall of the Zhu family. After that, you will visit the Jianshui Confucian Temple, pay respects to the sage Confucius, and learn about Confucian culture.

This morning, you will visit the Double Dragon Bridge, one of the landmark structures of Jianshui. Also known as the Seventeen-Arch Bridge, it was first built during the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty and features traditional Han Chinese architectural style, with intricate carvings of dragons, phoenixes, lions, elephants, flowers, fish, and more. It is one of China's ten most famous bridges and holds extremely high ornamental value. After visiting the Double Dragon Bridge, you will visit Tuanshan Village, praised as a treasure of Chinese folk dwellings and the most beautiful village in Yunnan, to learn about China's 19th-century architectural style as well as the local traditional way of life and cultural customs. PS: You can take the Jianshui sightseeing train (at your own expense) to visit the two attractions above and enjoy a leisurely train tour. The Jianshui train covers about 13 kilometers in total, with 4 stops, and takes about 4 hours round trip. Along the way, you can enjoy Chinese-style architecture, French-style architecture, and pastoral scenery such as rapeseed flowers in spring and lush green seedlings in summer. After the tour, you will return to Kunming, and we will conclude this wonderful 6-day, 5-night nature and culture journey through Kunming, the Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Jianshui Ancient Town, and the Honghe Hani people. Our guide will escort you to the airport or train station for your next destination. Extend This Trip 1. If you would like to spend more time in Kunming, you can add a one-day tour visiting attractions such as the Yunnan Provincial Museum, Guandu Ancient Town, Dounan Flower Market (Asia's largest fresh-cut flower trading market), and Nanqiang Street Night Market. 2. If you would like to continue exploring other distinctive attractions in Yunnan, such as the Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Jianshui, the Dongchuan Red Land, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, Xishuangbanna, and more, you can contact our customer service to arrange them for you. 3. If you would like to continue exploring other cities in China, such as Chengdu, Tibet, Xi'an, Beijing, Shanghai, and more, we can also plan a perfect trip for you.