10 Day Private Yunnan Religious Culture and Wa Ethnic Minority

Day 1: Kunming – Shilin – Chuxiong

1. Stone Forest
   3h · Admission ticket included
   Explore Shilin, a UNESCO World Heritage karst landscape where towering limestone pillars rise from the earth like a natural maze, shaped by 270 million years of erosion. Wander narrow stone corridors, take in panoramic views from the peaks, and pass through traditional villages of the Sani people, a subgroup of the Yi ethnic minority, along the way.
2. Yiren Ancient Town
   2h
   Explore Yizu Ancient Town, a national AAAA-rated cultural tourism town built around traditional Yi ethnic architecture from Yunnan, Guizhou, and Sichuan. Wander through scenic squares, ancient theaters, and riverside pavilions, taking in the town's blend of architecture and Yi culture. If travelers wish, they may also join the Yi Long Street Banquet, a lively nightly communal feast held within the town — Yi villagers in festive dress welcome guests with singing, the Zuojiao dance, and torch performances, while the traditional "Eight Bowls" Yi cuisine is served along a water-side stilted pavilion, accompanied by rice wine and music.

Day 2: Chuxiong – Nanjian

1. Nanjian County
   2h
   Visit Nanjian's Earth Forest, a striking natural formation of colorful earthen pillars carved by centuries of wind and rain. Unlike the limestone Stone Forest, these soft-hued clay towers create a starkly beautiful, otherworldly landscape. The entire site is fitted with wooden boardwalks, making it an easy, comfortable walk suitable for all ages.

Day 3: Nanjian – Lushi Ancient Town

1. Fengqing County
   1h
   Cross the dramatic Lancang River Grand Canyon on the border of Nanjian County and Fengqing County. Stop at Xiaowan Dam, Asia's tallest double-curvature arch dam, for sweeping views of the reservoir known as the "Hundred-Li Long Lake," its still waters stretching like a vast inland sea between the mountains.
2. Fengqing County
   2h
   Arrive at Lushi Ancient Town, a well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty staging post along the ancient Tea-Horse Caravan Road. Wander its cobblestone streets and timber courtyard houses, where centuries of trading history linger in the evening light

Day 4: Lushi Ancient Town – Yunxian

1. Fengqing County
   1h
   Discover Gumo Village, a secluded hamlet tucked deep in the mountains and virtually unknown to outsiders. Its earthen-and-timber houses and terraced fields offer an authentic glimpse into rural Yunnan life, unchanged by time.
2. Fengqing County
   1h
   Visit Anshi Village, known as "China's No.1 Dianhong Village," and walk through its ancient tea gardens to learn the century-old history of Dianhong black tea. Enjoy a cup of handcrafted tea brewed by local farmers and feel the deep bond between the land and its leaves.

Day 5: Yunxian – Cangyuan

1. Cangyuan Rock Paintings
   1h 30m · Admission ticket included
   See the Cangyuan Rock Paintings, among China's earliest known cliff art, dating back over 3,000 years. Painted in red ochre across a cliff face nicknamed the "Kilometer-Long Ink Painting Corridor," the scenes depict ancient hunting, ritual, and dance.
2. Cangyuan County
   1h
   Explore Gourd Town in the afternoon, where the Wa ethnic people's distinctive gourd-based culture and folk art come to life through decorative motifs, crafts, and local customs. Location: Mengdong Town, Cangyuan Wa Autonomous County.

Day 6: Cangyuan

1. 2h
   Rise early to catch the Wa Mountain Sea of Clouds from a scenic viewpoint, where layers of mist roll like cotton through the valleys below at sunrise — a breathtaking natural spectacle.
   
   Visit Banhong Township and its Anti-British Resistance Monument, commemorating the Wa people's 1934 uprising against British colonial encroachment — a little-known chapter of local history.
2. 1h
   Visit Banhong Township and its Anti-British Resistance Monument, commemorating the Wa people's 1934 uprising against British colonial encroachment — a little-known chapter of local history.
3. 2h
   Walk the Xiabanba Glass Skywalk in Banhong Township, one of China's longest glass skywalks at approximately 800 meters, suspended roughly 200 meters above a forested valley. Nestled within a pristine woodland reserve, the skywalk offers a thrilling, transparent-floor walk with sweeping views over the valley below — and on lucky days, glimpses of wild Asian elephants roaming the surrounding forest.
4. Wengding Wa Nationality Gregarious Village
   1h · Admission ticket included
   End the day at Wengding, China's best-preserved primitive Wa village, where thatched-roof houses and timber-post village gates reflect the ancient wisdom of Wa survival and community life.

Day 7: Cangyuan – Ximeng – Lancang

1. 3h
   Arrive at Mengsuo Dragon Pool, known as the "Kidney of Ximeng" — a serene highland lake ringed by dense rainforest, its mirror-still waters home to rare waterbirds and said to share an underground water source with a sister lake across the border in Myanmar. Follow the lakeside boardwalk through wetlands and forest, passing lotus ponds, a holy spring, and ancient banyan trees along the way. Continue on to Longmoye, tucked within the same scenic area — the most sacred spiritual site of the Wa people, shrouded in mist and mystery deep in the Awa Mountains. Thousands of buffalo skulls hang from cliffs and trees here, offerings accumulated over generations, where tribal leaders have held solemn annual ceremonies for centuries to pray for blessings and protection.

Day 8: Lancang – Jingmai Mountain – Lancang

1. Jingmai Mountain
   2h · Admission ticket included
   Spend the morning exploring Jingmai Tea Mountain. Walk through thousand-year-old ancient tea gardens and visit Wengji Ancient Village, where the Blang ethnic people still live alongside centuries-old tea trees, hand-picking and processing leaves using traditional methods passed down through generations.
2. 2h
   In the afternoon, walk through Nuogan Ancient Village, the best-preserved Dai traditional settlement on Jingmai Mountain, where bamboo houses nestle beneath ancient shade trees and time seems to stand still.

Day 9: Lancang – Xinping

1. Ning'er County
   1h
   Pass through Nakeli, a historic stop on the ancient Tea-Horse Caravan Road, and trace the footsteps of the mule caravans that once carried tea and goods across Yunnan's mountains. This is a natural stop en route from Lancang to Xinping, near the Pu'er city area.
2. Xinping County
   2h
   Visit Xinping Ethnic Culture Square to learn about the Huayao Dai, a Dai subgroup renowned for their elaborately colorful traditional dress and distinctive folk customs.
   
   In the evening, admire Wucai Pavilion, a striking architectural complex blending Dai, Yi, and Hani ethnic design elements, glowing in vibrant color under the sunset and evening lights.

Day 10: Xinping – Kunming

1. Mt. Ailao Natiaonal Natural Reserve
   2h · Admission ticket included
   Explore Jinshan Primeval Forest Park, located within the visitor-accessible zone of the Ailao Mountain Nature Reserve — an ancient forest known as the "Oasis on the Tropic of Cancer" and one of Yunnan's most biodiverse regions. Towering, moss-draped trees create an otherworldly atmosphere, and rare plants and wildlife may be glimpsed among the dense canopy. Travelers stay within designated, developed trails with safety railings; access to the undeveloped core reserve is prohibited by law.
2. Xinping County
   2h
   From Gasa Town, follow the scenic mountain road up into the Ailao range to Nan'en Waterfall, where water cascades down a 100-meter drop across sheer cliffs — dramatic and easily viewed right from the roadside. Continue along the same route to Shimen Gorge, a deep, narrow canyon flanked by towering cliffs and natural stone "gates," often called the "Jiuzhaigou of the Ailao Mountains" for its crystal-clear streams and lush greenery.

Pickup details

For airport/station arrival, our driver or guide will wait for you at the arrival hall exit holding a welcome sign with your name. For hotel pickup, please wait in the lobby 10 minutes prior to your scheduled time. Your guide/driver's contact and vehicle license plate number will be sent to you via WeChat, WhatsApp, or Email 1-2 days before departure.

• Wheelchair accessible
• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Specialized infant seats are available
• Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
• Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
• Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness