Project Description
Shangri-La & the Golden Land
13 Days / 12 Nights
Kunming • Lijiang • Zhongdian • Mandalay • Bagan • Yangon
PRICE AND DATE
Departures dates and prices are available on request. Please call 1-800-387-0387
E-Mail: tours@jadetours.com
ITINERARY
DAY 1 Arrive Kunming
Upon arrival, proceed to visit the Western Hill and enjoy a cable car ride up for a bird’s eye view of the beautiful Dianchi Lake & Kunming city. Take a guided walk through the local flower & bird market.
Hotel: 4★+ Green Lake Hotel or similar (2 nights)
DAY 2 Kunming B, L, D
Drive to the Stone Forest (approx. 85 km) where stands a 270-million year old limestone karst formation of tightly bundled gray rocky outcrops, a natural wonder acknowledged as “World Karst Landscape Museum”. Savour a local flavor dinner of Rice Noodle followed by ethnic songs and dance entertainment.
DAY 3 Kunming ✈ Lijiang B, L
Fly to Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a leisure walk around the Ancient Town, also known as Dayan Town with a history of over 800 years. Enjoy a Naxi performance by local seniors.
Hotel: 5★ InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town or similar (2 nights)
DAY 4 Lijiang B, L
Enjoy a cable car ride up to the snow-capped Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, followed by the “Impressions Lijiang” show, a spectacular outdoor performance at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Proceed to the Baisha Mural Paintings, a rich fusion of Han Buddhism, Daoism, Tibetan, Bai and Naxi Lamaism form of art in the early Ming Dynasty, the scenic Black Dragon Pool Park and the Museum of Naxi Dongba Culture inside the park.
DAY 5 Lijiang – Zhongdian B, L, D
Drive to Zhongdian (Shangri-la County). En route, stop at the First Bend (60 km) on the Yangtze River with imposing gorge scenery, and the Iron Chain Bridge in the Stone Drum Town. Continue your drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge (approx. 40km), the deepest gorge in the world. Arrive in Zhongdian and check in to your hotel.
Hotel: 5★ Songstam Retreat at Shangri-la or similar (1 night)
DAY 6 Zhongdian ✈ Kunming B, L
Visit the Gedan Songzanlin Monastery, home to the Living Buddha and the largest Tibetan monastery in Yunnan. After lunch, proceed to Zhongdian’s Tibetan-style old town and local market. Continue your tour to Ringha, a Tibetan village and hike to the summit of Dabaosi. Transfer to the airport for flight to Kunming.
Hotel: 4★+ Green Lake Hotel or similar (1 night)
DAY 7 Kunming ✈ Mandalay B,D
Fly to Mandalay.
Your tour in Mandalay begins with a visit to Shwenandaw Kyaung (Golden Palace Monastery), an imposing teak monastery-temple that was originally built within the palace complex but subsequently dismantled and rebuilt some years later. Continue to Kuthodaw Pagoda which is said to house the world’s largest book on account of the 729 marble slabs that are inscribed with Buddhist scriptures. Conclude your tour with a drive to the top of Mandalay Hill for sunset and a panoramic view of the city.
Hotel: 4★ Mandalay Hill Resort Hotel or similar (2 nights)
DAY 8 Mandalay – Amarapura – Sagaing – Mandalay B, L, D
This morning, visit the Mahamuni Pagoda, second most sacred image in Myanmar and named after the holy image, “Maha Muni”. Drive to Amarapura, a retreat for Buddhist devotees. Visit Mahagandayone Monastery and observe the lunch process of hundreds of monks who take their last meal of the day at 10:00 am. Spend the afternoon visiting the surrounding area of Sagaing Hill, touring Sagaing villages on a cyclo ride and get a real taste of local Burmese life. Enjoy a sunset from U Bein Bridge, Myanmar’s longest teak bridge before driving back to Mandalay.
DAY 9 Mandalay ✈ Bagan B, L
Fly to Bagan, home to thousands of temples and pagodas.
Visit the best preserved pagodas, the Shwezigon Pagoda, Ku Byauk Gyi Temple for its exquisite murals, Khay Min Ga Temple, Htilo Minlo and the amazing Ananda Temple. Enjoy a panoramic sunset view of the temples from the top of a pagoda.
Proceed to the monuments around the Myinkaba Village including the Nanbeya Temple, Manuha Pagoda, and UNESCO Heritge Site Myingaba Gu Byauk Gyi, noted for its ancient mural paintings.
Hotel: 4★+ Aureum Palace Bagan or similar (2 nights)
DAY 10 Bagan B, L, D
Optional: Early morning balloon ride over Bagan.
After breakfast, visit to the colorful Nyaung Oo Market. Visit Phwar Saw Village and observe home cooking in one of the local homes. Proceed to the monuments around the Myinkaba Village including the Nanbeya Temple, Manuha Pagoda, and UNESCO Heritge Site Myingaba Gu Byauk Gyi, noted for its ancient mural paintings. Discover Bagan’s temples on a pony cart and end the day on a relaxing sunset cruise along the Irrawaddy River. Enjoy dinner with local puppet show.
DAY 11 Bagan ✈ Yangon B
Fly to Yangon and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy an early evening sunset tour of the spectacular Shwedagon Pagoda (Myanmar’s holiest temple). The 2500 year-old temple is covered with hundreds of gold plates with the top of the stupa encrusted with 4531 diamonds, the largest of which is a single 76-carat diamond.
Hotel: 4★ Chatrium Hotel or similar (2 nights)
DAY 12 Yangon B,L,D
Your full-day sightseeing highlights an exploration of downtown Yangon starting with the Sule Pagoda, famous landmark of the city; the Kalaywa Monastery, home to 1000 monks; Chauk Htat Gyi Reclining Buddha; Kandawgyi Park; Karaweik Royal Barge and the Mahasi Meditation Center for an afternoon meditation session with the monks. End the day at the 70-year old Scott Market for amazing bargains.
DAY 13 Yangon Departure B
Transfer to the airport.
Day 2 – Stone Forest
Day 3 – Lijiang Ancient City
Day 4 – Impression Lijiang
Day 6 – Gedan Songzanlin Monastery
Day 9 – The Thousand Temples on Sagaing Hill
Day 11 – Shwedagon Pagoda
Day 12 – Sule Pagoda