A Tea Journey to Southwest China--Yellow tea & Pu-erh

Welcome to home of the Giant Pandas! Upon landing, your Chengdu guide will greet you with a sunny smile. You will be transferred to the hotel in a comfortable vehicle with an experienced driver. After check in, rest or explore outside on your own.

• Hotels: Buddha Zen Hotel Chengdu, Grand Hyatt Chengdu, JW Marriott Hotel Chengdu

Great Wall

The cute pandas await you. Drive for about 40 to 60 minutes from city, you will reach the Chengdu Panda Breeding Research Center where raises more than 100 pandas. After lunch nearby, back to the city area to discover Jinli Ancient Street, where you can find fascinating shops as well as all kinds of snacks. Drive to the People’s Park, the perfect place to experience the locals' laid-back lifestyle and leisure life! Enjoy a cup of tea at a local tea house. Talk to the locals and play Mahjong if you want. Night is free on your own.

Optional evening activity: Shufengyayun Sichuan Opera & Tea

Feature Dinner options: Hot Pot or other local restaurant

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Great Wall

Mengding yellow tea (harvest from late March to May)

Drive for about 2 hours, you will reach Mt. Mengding in Ya’an City, where you will learn about Yellow tea. As the altitude, soil and climate of Mengding Mountain are most suitable for growing such tea, so as early as 2,000 years ago during the Western Han dynasty, people began to domesticate and plant wild tea trees in Mengding Mountain. Up to now, Mengding yellow tea is still one of the top ten famous teas in China.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Great Wall

Menghai Pu-erh tea (harvest in spring and autumn)

Meet your Chengdu guide and driver at your hotel in the morning. They will take you to the airport and help you with check in. Your Xishuangbanna guide will greet you with a sunny smile and show you around. Immerse in the dense tea plantation in Mt. Nannuo and partake in a tea experience in Menghai. During the experience, you will not only see tea picking and tea processing, but also learn how to make compressed tea cake with the guidance of the master. Get the chance of picking tea leaves during early April.

After lunch, you will explore Jingzhen Octagonal Pavilion. Harmoniously combined with southeast style and ancient Chinese style in architecture, it was built in the honor of Sakyamuni by the local Dai people. Tradition has it that the Dai Buddhists usually have meetings and some important religious activities here.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Anantara Xishuangbanna Resort , InterContinental Xishuangbanna Resort, Pullman Resort Xishuangbanna Hotel

Great Wall

The Pu-erh tea produced here is one of the top in China. Continue your tea tour to the biggest tea plantation of Yunnan near Dadugang and delve into the long history and production process of Pu-erh. After 2 hours’ drive, you will reach Pu’er. A local lunch will be served here. In the afternoon, explore the tea plantation and Pu’er Nakeli Village, an important station on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road here.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: New Century SPA and Resort Pu'er

Great Wall

After breakfast, meet your guide and driver and go to the Pu’er airport. Guide will help you with check in and won’t leave till you go through the security check. After landing in Kunming, your Kunming guide will escort you to your Kunming hotel. Afternoon is free for you to rest after a few days’ tour.

• Meals: Breakfast,
• Hotels: Cachet Boutique Kunming Artime, Crowne Plaza Kunming City Centre, Intercontinental Kunming

Great Wall

Today’s highlight is Stone Forest. After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel and take a one and a half hour to Stone Forest. Because of its complexity, multi-period and rarity, as well as the aesthetics of rock mechanism modeling and the diversity of landscape forms, stone forest has become a typical example of the evolution of karst geological landforms in the world reflecting the history of earth evolution.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Great Wall

The pleasant climate in Kunming makes it suitable to grow flowers and it has the biggest flower market in China. A morning exploration to a local Bird and Flower Market awaits you. Green Lake was once part of Dianchi Lake and became a separate one due to the drop of the water level. Now the Green Lake Park has become a perfect place to immerse into the locals’ life.

After lunch head over to your last stop in Kunming – the Dragon Gate on Xishan. It is close to the Dianchi Lake. This group of grottoes, sculptures, corridors and pavilions were hacked from the cliff between 1781 and 1835 by a Taoist monk and his co-workers. You will be taken to the airport in Kunming after the flight. Upon arrival in Guilin, be greeted by your guide and escorted to the hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Sheraton Guilin, Jolie Vue Boutique Hotel Guilin, Guilin Shangri La Hotel

Great Wall

Climb up the Folded Brocade Hill, you will see the Li River winding across the Guilin City. Visit the Reed Flute Cave, a spectacular stalactite cave with colorful lights on. Lunch will be arranged at Mc Found, a restaurant that features the noodle and dumpling cuisines and cooking style of the northern part of China. After lunch, you will head to visit the Yao Mountain. Surrounded by limestone hills, this mountain is famous for its seasonal transformation. Round ways’ chairlift up and down to have stunning views of the limestone hills and villages from the top is arranged. Aside from the chairlift down, visitors can try the slide way at an extra cost of 35 RMB per person. Down to the bottom to visit the tea plantation. Listen to the staffs to learn about the tea culture. You will also enjoy a tea ceremony. Transfer back to the hotel.

Optional evening activity: Night Cruise in Two Rivers and Four Lakes

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Great Wall

Longsheng rice terraces are large in scale, and are divided into Dazhai rice terrace, Ping’an rice terrace and Longji Guzhuang village rice terrace. Today you will visit Ping’an Rice Terrace. Hike along the winding paths in the undulating rice fields. Visit a local family at Ping’an Zhuang Village to know their culture and learn to make oil tea which has become a popular local breakfast and afternoon tea. Lunch is included. After the visit, you will drive to the Guilin hotel. If you like hiking, we are happy to arrange you longer hike route. If you can’t walk much, we can arrange the sedan for you in advance. Please inform your tour advisor in advance.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,

Great Wall

Li River is one of the must-see in Guilin. Today, pick up time is around 7:30am to 8:00am as you need to catch the cruise before 9am. Sailing through the dramatic karst peaks, verdant villages and the calm water exudes a distinctive charm of nature. A simple buffet lunch is served on the boat before disembarking at Yangshuo. Yangshuo is favored by photographers for its breathtaking nature and countryside sceneries. After a stroll at West Street, your guide will show you the picturesque countryside while biking under those karst peaks. Step into a local family home to get to know their life style on your way.

Optional evening activity: Impression Sanjie Liu, Guilin Romance Park

Feature Dinner options: Beer Fish is the specialty of Yangshuo. Xiedajie Beer Fish Restaurant is recommended. Your guide will offer good suggestions as well.

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch,
• Hotels: Yangshuo Mountain Retreat, Yangshuo Banyan Tree Hotel, Alila Yangshuo

Great Wall

This morning is on your own arrangement to enjoy the tranquil town yourself. Wake up to the birds’ melody, savour a cup of drinks and feast your eyes with the bucolic countryside. Get your mind relax for a while. Your guide and driver will transfer you to train station in Guilin. Board your train to fast pace Hong Kong. Neon lights, wall graffiti, and bustling streets, reach the mesmerizing Hong Kong in the afternoon. Meet your Hong Kong guide and driver at the train station before driving to your hotel.

• Meals: Breakfast,
• Hotels: Four Seasons Hotel Hong Kong, Grand Hyatt Hong Kong, Harbour Grand Kowloon

Great Wall

Start the morning by visiting Victoria Peak, the highest peak in Hong Kong where offers a beautiful outlook. Drive to Repulse Bay, a crescent-shaped bay with comfortable beach. It is one of the richest areas in Hong Kong. End today’s tour by visiting Aberdeen. Together with a sampan ride, this tour will show you the beauty of this fishing village.

• Meals: Breakfast,

Great Wall

Meet your guide who is waiting at the hotel lobby and be transferred to the airport. See you next time!

• Meals: Breakfast,

Great Wall