10 Day Private Yunnan Religious Culture and Wa Ethnic Minority

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

Day 1
Kunming – Shilin – Chuxiong
2 stops
1
Stone Forest
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.
3 hours • Admission ticket included
2
Yiren Ancient Town
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.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 2
Chuxiong – Nanjian
1 stop
3
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.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 3
Nanjian – Lushi Ancient Town
2 stops
4
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
5
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
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 4
Lushi Ancient Town – Yunxian
2 stops
6
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
7
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Day 5
Yunxian – Cangyuan
2 stops
8
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.
1 hour 30 minutes • Admission ticket included
9
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
Day 6
Cangyuan
4 stops
10
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 hours • Admission ticket free
11
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
12
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.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
13
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket included
Day 7
Cangyuan – Ximeng – Lancang
1 stop
14
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.
3 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 8
Lancang – Jingmai Mountain – Lancang
2 stops
15
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 hours • Admission ticket included
16
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.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 9
Lancang – Xinping
2 stops
17
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.
1 hour • Admission ticket free
18
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.
2 hours • Admission ticket free
Day 10
Xinping – Kunming
2 stops
19
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 hours • Admission ticket included
20
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.
2 hours • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• 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

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