13-Nights Beijing to Kunming: Undiscovered China - Classic

13 nights from: $2,166

Beijing to Kunming: Undiscovered China
China will ignite your imagination with its futuristic cities and sweep you off your feet with ancient traditions and rich cultural heritage. This two-week adventure checks off the must-sees like the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and Xi'an's Terracotta Warriors, but that’s just the start. Journey south to Kunming and discover hidden gems in smaller cities brimming with centuries of history. Wander through Chengdu’s lively People's Park and stroll the charming old towns of Shaxi and Dali. It's the perfect balance of old and new, city and countryside - China like you’ve never experienced before.

Highlights
Forbidden City Visit, Tiananmen Square, Great Wall of China excursion, Terracotta Warriors Guided Tour, Giant Panda Breeding Center, People's Park & Tianfu Square Visit in Chengdu, Lijiang Old Town Visit, Black Dragon Pool Park, Shaxi Walking Tour, Dali Old Town walking tour.

Accomodation
Twinshare hotel

Group Leader
All G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of our Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the CEO is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are travelling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting- we think it's the best of both worlds.

Group Size Notes
Max 16, avg 14

Meals Included
1 lunch, 2 dinners

What's Included
Your Welcome Moment: Meet Your CEO and Group
Your Foodie Moment: Local Family Lunch Xi'an, Xi'an.
Orientation walk in Beijing, Xi'an. Forbidden City Visit. Tiananmen Square. Free time in Beijing, Xi'an. Great Wall of China. Muslim Quarters Visit. Terracotta Warriors Guided Tour. Lunch with local family in Xi'an. Giant Panda Breeding Center. People's Park & Tianfu Square Visit in Chengdu. Lijiang Old Town Visit. Black Dragon Pool Park. Shaxi Walking Tour. Dali Old Town. Dali Xizhou Old Town walking tour. Transport to and from included activities.

Stone Forest Travel Packages

Categories: Stone Forest

Located 400 mi/645 km south of Chengdu at an elevation of 6,200 ft/1,900 m, Kunming, the "city of eternal springs," is surrounded by gorgeous mountain scenery. It's a pleasant, well-laid-out city, with a temperate climate and many gardens and lakes. The city was a base for the Flying Tigers during the early stages of World War II. It also played a key role in the Sino-Japanese War as the end point of the Burma Road.Free Kunming Travel
Vacation Package Quote

Kunming Travel Agents

Kunming also has a number of golf courses. China's burgeoning middle class is enthusiastically taking to the sport of golf, and greens are being built around the city. The Lakeview Country Club course was designed by British golf pro Nick Faldo.

Kunming is home to many of China's ethnic minorities—tribal people—who consider themselves distinctly different from China's predominant ethnic group, the Han. The city is also intriguing because some of the neighborhoods escaped the ugly 1950s Chinese modern architecture that characterizes most cities in the rest of the country, although given Kunming's rapid growth and ongoing construction this may not always be the case.

Things to see in Kunming include an interesting market, some ruined pagodas, the Yuantong Temple (a glorious building set on Green Lake) and stores selling tribal handicrafts.

Perhaps the best thing about Kunming, however, is that its traditional Chinese teahouses have survived. Tucked into side streets, they serve as neighborhood centers where older citizens play games and smoke the afternoon away—visitors are welcome.

There are many lakes and old temples outside the city that make fun destinations for day trips. Most notable are the Huating Temple in the Western Hills (built in the 1300s) and the 300-year-old Golden Temple (bronze-covered pillars, roofs and gates), linked by cable car to the World Horticultural Expo Garden.

Another attraction in the vicinity is the Shilin Stone Forest of Lunan county. These oddly shaped rock formations are actually better seen during an overnight stay rather than a day trip because they're about 75 mi/125 km southeast of town, although a highway makes a day trip possible.

Well-connected by road and rail, as well as the Kunming Airport, Kunming makes an excellent hub from which to explore the Yunnan province. The metro system, comprised of six lines, is a great way of getting around.