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China Ethnic Minorities Private Tour
14 Days or 18 Days with Yangzte River Cruise

Meet China's diverse ethnic groups in their peaceful, rural settings. Enjoy majestic mountains, ancient monasteries and cruise one of the great rivers of the world.

Choose your own dates. This tour can be modified in several ways. Please call to discuss.

Detailed Itinerary

Day 1 Fly US-Hong Kong

Day 2 Arrival in Hong Kong

Day 3 Fly Hong Kong-Kunming. Haiyi Hotel (5 star) Kumming is the capital of Yunnan Province and is inhabited by 26 ethnic groups. Flt Schedule: CSWA Flt CZ342 Sun-Fri, dep 1325, arr 1535. Dragon Air Flt KA760 Mon & Fri, dep 1555, arr 1830; Thurs & Sun dep 1310, arr 1540.ÊÊTransfer to hotel, visit of Flower and Bird Market if time permits.

Day 4 Kunming Day excursion to the Stone Forest, China's most remarkable geographical wonder. It consists of innumerable bizarre-shaped ancient limestone pools, caves and peaks created by wind and water erosion 270 million years ago. This area is home to the Sani tribal people, a branch of the Yi. We also visit a nearby village for an introduction to the handicrafts and folklore of this minority.

Day 5 Fly Kunming- Lijiang. Guanfang Hotel (5 star)
Transfer to airport for morning flight to Lijiang, former capital of the famed Naxi Kingdom. This ethnic group embraces the Dongba religion, which incorporates Buddhism and TaoismThe Old Town is a maze of cobblestone streets, narrow canals and decorative wooden houses. This is a wonderful place to wander around and imagine you are in a bygone era. In the evening, a performance of the local Naxi orchestra, a unique and entertaining musical experience (please check schedules in Lijiang to see if the show is on during your visit.)

Day 6 Lijiang
Excursion to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain discovering the much famed thirteen peaks. En route visit the Baisha village, the ancient capital town of the Naxi Kingdom. In the afternoon, a walk up to the Black Dragon Pond to have a look at the renowned Moon Embracing Pavilion, free time visiting the Old Town of Lijiang.

Day 7 Drive Lijiang-Zhongdian Gyeltang Hotel (3 star)
A breath-taking journey past the upper reaches of the Yangze River to one of the worldÕs deepest gorges and ChinaÕs most spectacular natural scenery. Part of theYangze River (known here as the Jinsha River) thunders through Tiger Leaping Gorge, which is in turn framed by 16,400-foot high mountains. It is one of the four deepest gorges in the world. In the gorge, a sheer cliff face rises from the raging torrents. We head NW to Zhongdian (Gyeltang in Tibetan), 3300 meters above sea level. Gyeltang, translated, means the land of " Limitless Bounty." Here under blue sky, are snow-capped peaks, virgin forests of immense spruce and pine, meadows ablaze with fragrant wild flowers, pristine lakes.

Day 8 Zhongdian (Gyeltang) The town of Zhongdian is the capital of the Dechen TibetanAutonomous Prefecture, which is a treasure house of bio-diversity supporting about 7000 species of native plants. In Zhongdian sightseeing tour of the old town of mud packed houses, typical farmhouses, and visit the Ganden Suntseling Monastery, which is the largest Tibetan Buddhist complex in this region, and currently houses 700 monks. This monastery was originally constructed during 17 th century by the 5th Dalai Lama

Day 9 Fly Zhongdian-Chengdu (Wed only). Crown Plaza Hotel (5 star) Flt SZ4430 dep 15:50; Arr 16:20. Transfer to airport for the flight to Chengdu, after arrival, visit the Panda Breeding Farm.

Day 10 Fly Chengdu-Lhasa. Hotel Doodhgu (4 star) Morning flight to Lhasa, after arrival at Gangkar airport about two hours drive to Lhasa, which is situated at an elevation of 3650 meters. Afternoon sightseeing tour of Norbulingka, the former summer places of the Dalai Lama, which surrounded by lush green garden, it is a favorite place for Tibetan people to celebrate their festivals.

Day 11 Lhasa
Sightseeing tour of one of Tibet's most important monasteries, Drepung, which is beautifully situated on a mountain 12km.outside Lhasa. After returning to the city for lunch we will visit Sera monastery, 5km, outside Lhasa. At Sera we can watch the ancient tradition of monks debating. They do this in a very special way by making all kinds of gestures with their hands and arms.

Day12 Lhasa
In the morning, visit the Potala Palace, one of the miracles in the world. This huge structure is the former home of the Dalai Lam. In the afternoon, we visit the Jokhang Temple the most sacred and oldest temple in Tibet. The walk around it is called the Bakhor and a must for all pilgrims, it is also a famous bazaar for Tibetan handicrafts and antiques.

Day13 Fly Lhasa-Chengdu and drive to Chongqing. Overnight cruise ship*
After lunch in Chengdu, we drive to Chongqing (4 hrs) to board our cruise ship for our journey down the Yangtze river. The Princess Jeannie, also called Regal China, is a cruiser of European standard designed and built in Germany specifically to navigate inland waterways. Launched in September 1992, the vessel is 129 meters in length, and accommodates up to 290 passengers. It is the largest and most luxurious cruiser on the river. All her systems, from navigation to safety to water production, are of the highest standard. All guest cabins offer private bath facilities, air conditioning, closets, TV, and windows. Both western and Chinese cuisine are offered in the large dining hall and restaurant. Special programs are offered daily on such topics as Chinese medicine and culture, Tai Chi and Qigong, shadow boxing, traditional dance, and Yangtze history and geology. On-board facilities include a gym, library, gift shop, business center, laundry, and clinic. Ê

Day 14 Ð 16 Yangtze River Cruise
Departing Chongqing in the morning, we will spend the next three days aboard our cruise ship as we journey down the Yangtze River. The Yangtze is the site of the controversial Three Gorges Dam Project, the largest hydroelectric project in the world. When complete, it will provide much-needed electricity to the area, but will also flood much of the landscape. Some 450 towns and villages and a vast amount of farmland, as well as ancient temples and other historic sites, will be lost beneath a huge lake, as will the spectacular canyons that have drawn visitors from all over the world. We will travel through the spectacular scenery of the Three Gorges, past cities that will soon be underwater. We'll go ashore to visit FengDu, the "Ghost City," said to be the home of the King of Hades, where we can photograph a typical river town and its temple complex. We'll pass through the locks of the dam, and learn of the history and the future of the area. If weather permits, we will travel in smaller boats up the Lesser Three Gorges of the DaNing River.

Day 17 Arrive in Wuhan (4 star) Our cruise will end at around noon today in Wuhan.
Afternoon flight Wuhan- Chengdu. Hotel Crown Plaza (5 star)
Flight schedule: CWA Flt CZ3576 Tue, Thu, Sat, Sun dep 1825, arr 2000; Flt ÊCZ3441 Fri dep 1720, arr 1910; CSWA Flt SZ4504 Tue dep 1835, arr 2015; Wed dep1905, arr 2040; Thu,ÊSun dep 2055, arr 2235ÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊÊ

Day 18 Fly Chengdu-HongKong In the morning, sightseeing tour of the historic city of Chengdu, visit the Temple of Marquis Wu and the Thatched Cottage of Du Fu, after lunch transfer to airport for departure.
Flight Schedule: CSWA Flt SZ411 T,W,S dep 0815, arr 1025; M,Th, F, Sn dep1500, arr 1710
Dragon Air Flt KA821 T,W,F,S,Sn dep 1410, arr 1640; M,Th dep 1650, arr 1920Ê

PRICES

China Minority + Yangtze Cruise 18 Days: $3275 per person, single supplement $910
China Minority 14 days: $2538 per person, single supplement $425
Plus Airfares: Kunming- Lijiang $56; Zhongdian-Chengdu $96; Chengdu-Lhasa $164; Lhasa-Chengdu $164; Wuhan- Chengdu $109 Flts Hong Kong-Kumming & Chengdu-Hong Kong should be included in international ticket for best price. (all airfare prices subkect to change)

Includes:

Accommodation, dbl occ
Escorted throughout by a professional Tibetan or Chinese guide
Sightseeing tours throughout with English speaking local guides
Entrance fees of monasteries and view spots
All permits required for this tour
Transportation by Land cruiser or Mitsubishi or Mini bus as required by the tour
Breakfast in hotel; Lunch & Dinner in specified restaurants for tourists by SCTB & TTB Government taxes

Does Not Include:

Airport tax Visa fee
Insurance (highly reccommended)
Extra cost in the event of landslides; road blockage
Expense of personal nature such as phone calls, laundry
Tips

NOTES:

Best season: year around; for cruise: May, September, October

Minimum size: 2 people; Maximum group size: 16

* Yangzte Cruise--May, September and October vessel is always full, so book early if you want to do this tour during those months.

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All Photos on this page courtesy of Gao Li Qiang.

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