Kunming Trip Overview
On this 4-day private photography tour, you will experience the Dongchuan Red Land, Jianshui Ancient City and Yuanyang Rice Terrace from Kunming. Accompanied by your own private tour guide, travel by private air-conditioned vehicle. Take an easy walk around to snap photos of the famous attractions from different location. Capture stunning image of a dramatic sunrise and sunset moment. Visit local villages and markets and learn from your guide about the local minority communities. Visit the 1,200 years old Jianshui Ancient city, explore major attractions including: Double Dragon Bridge, Confucius Temple, Zhu Family Garden etc. You will take your time when visit the locations where you may explore and create fantastic photographs. You will go home with lots of great pictures and memories that will last a lifetime! Tour including English speaking tour guide, entrance fee, lunch and travel by private vehicle. And the option to book local 3 or 4 star accommodation with daily breakfast.
Additional Info
Duration: 4 days
Starts: Kunming, China
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Kunming Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Kunming, Yunnan, China
On this 4-day private photography tour, you will experience the Dongchuan Red Land, Jianshui Ancient City and Yuanyang Rice Terrace from Kunming. Accompanied by your own private tour guide, travel by private air-conditioned vehicle. Take an easy walk around to snap photos of the famous attractions from different location. Capture stunning image of a dramatic sunrise and sunset moment. Visit local villages and markets and learn from your guide about the local minority communities. Visit the 1,200 years old Jianshui Ancient city, explore major attractions including: Double Dragon Bridge, Confucius Temple, Zhu Family Garden etc. You will take your time when visit the locations where you may explore and create fantastic photographs. You will go home with lots of great pictures and memories that will last a lifetime! Tour including English speaking tour guide, entrance fee, lunch and travel by private vehicle. And the option to book local 3 or 4 star accommodation with daily breakfast.
Itinerary
Day 1: Kunming-Dongchuan (L)
Stop At: Dongchuan Red Land, Xintian Town,Dongchuan District, Kunming 654109 China
Meet your private guide in hotel’s lobby in Kunming, heading directly to Dongchuan Red Land which takes about 3 hours. Sit back and enjoy the sceneries along the way. Dongchuan Red Land has the most typical and special red soil on Yunnan highlands. At an altitude of 1,800-2,000 meters (5,900-6,500 feet), the red soil is rich in iron and aluminum, giving it an amazing crimson color.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Hongtudizhen, Dongchuan District, Kunming, Yunnan, China, 654109
Upon arrival, choose the routine suites you best, then set off and explore. Typically you will start from Laolongshu. Laolongshu is a fir tree with an age of over 1,000 years. It is regarded as a patron saint of the red land by local people. Enjoy your lunch in the local restaurant, then move to Luoxiagou–Sunset Valley, here is one of the best place to enjoy sunset. The scenery of Luoxiagou changes from time to time according to winds, clouds, sunshine and plants. Follow your tour guide to stroll around the area, be amazed by the stunning view and get ready your camera to capture the best moment. Afterwards, you will be transferred to your hotel in Dongchuan.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: If you choose the option to including the hotel : Overnight 3/4 Star Hotel in Dongchuan Red Land
Day 2: Dongchuan-Jianshui (B,L)
Stop At: Damakan, Luxi County, Yunnan, Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China, 652405
After breakfast in your hotel, meet your guide and start to explore. If you want to capture the sunrise, just let your tour guide know the day before to make arrangement. Damakan is the village where you can enjoy amazing sunrise. Your next stop is Seven-Color Slope where you can find seven fields with seven different colors during certain season. Finally, you will visit Jinxiuyuan where you can find many rolling hills with red fields. Spend some leisure time here to stop for photos to capture the colorful fields, traditional villages, old trees and countrysides.
When you are ready, hop on your private vehicle, heading directly to Jianshui Ancient City.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Double Dragons Brige, West of Jianshui, Jianshui County 654300 China
Enjoy lunch, then heading to Jianshui Double Dragon Bridge.
Double Dragons Bridge was first building in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), now it have 17 arches and 3 pavilions. It is the largest ancient multiple arch bridge with the highest artistic value. It adopted the main character of Chinese bridges and perfectly combined the technique with formative arts. It embodies the superb skill and wisdom of local people living in south Yunnan.
If you want to stay longer to capture the sunset moment just let your tour guide know.
Afterwards, you will be transferred back to your hotel in Jianshui.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: If you choose the option to including the hotel, breakfast will be offered by hotel
• Lunch
Accommodation included: If you choose the option to including hotel, overnight 3/4 star hotel in Jianshui
Day 3: Jianshui-Yuanyang (B, L)
Stop At: Jianshui Ancient City, Within Jianshui County, Jianshui County 654300 China
Your tour guide will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel, spend some time to explore Jianshui Ancient Town.
Built in the Tang Dynasty (618-907), Jianshui is the well-known hometown of grain and sugarcane and an amazing place with mix culture of central plains and border. With more than 100 ancient temples, 50 ancient bridges and 56 state-protection cultural relics, Jianshui enjoys the fame “the Museum of Ancient Constructions”, which highlights the ancient Chinese culture and art.
Follow your tour guide to explore major attractions at Jianshui Ancient City.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Zhu’s Family Garden (Zhu Jia Huayuan), Jianxin Street, Jianshui County 654300 China
Move on to Zhu’s Family Garden. Jianshui Zhu Family Garden is a set of large-scale residential buildings of Qing Dynasty with the reputation as “Grand View Garden at Southwest Border of China”. There are about 42 small or large courtyards and 214 rooms. Stroll around the halls and gardens, enjoy its steep ridge eaves, painted beams and intricate painted ceiling, exquisite and elegant.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Jianshui Confucius Temple, North-west of Jianshui County, Jianshui County 654300 China
Next, explore Jianshui Confucius Temple. With a history of more than 600 years, Jianshui Confucius Temple is the third largest Confucius temple after Confucius Temples in Qufu and Beijing. Stroll around the halls and courtyards with your tour guide, learn about the symbolic significance of the architecture, pay a visit to memorial archways, pavilions, palaces and memorial temples. Get to know Confucius’ life experience, and many other historic and cultural items related to Confucius and Confucius culture.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Yuanyang Rice Terraces, Yuanyang, Yuanyang County China
After lunch in the local restaurant, heading directly to Yuanyang Rice Terraces which takes about 3.5 hours. Sit back and enjoy the sceneries along the way.
Yuanyang is renowned for its rice terraces, which claim as the world’s largest and most spectacular one, crafted out by bare hands by the Hani people one thousand years ago and is still in use today. The rice farmers have had to practice ecology and land preservation centuries before those concepts were widely accepted around the world. At present, known as ‘land sculpture’ the terraced fields have been being officially acknowledged by UNESCO as a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Bada Terrace, Wenliu Country, Qiubei County 662400 China
Upon arrival, choose the sites interests you most, then set off and explore. Typically you will start from Qingkou Village. Qingkou Hani Village is the key area of declaring the World Culture Heritage Site. It maintains a compete ecosystem of four elements: forests, water system, mountain villages and terraces. Follow your tour guide to stroll around their Mushroom House. Get to know Hani people’s folk customs which featuring with a distinctive national cultural, unique production and lifestyle.
Then, spend the rest of the day at Bada Terrace. It is the biggest attraction in terms of acreage of Yuanyang Terraces and the best of the sunset scenery.
Afterwards, you will be transferred to your hotel in Yuanyan.
Duration: 2 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: If you choose the option to including the hotel, breakfast offered by hotel
• Lunch
Accommodation included: If you choose the option to including hotel: Overnight 3/4 Star hotel in Yuanyang
Day 4: Yuanyang-Kunming(B, L )
Stop At: Duoyishu, East of Shengxiang Country, Yuanyang County 662401 China
Meet your tour guide early in the morning, heading to Doyishu Village and enjoy the spectular sunrise moment.
Duration: 1 hour
Stop At: Shengcun Market, China, Yun Nan Sheng, Hong He Ha Ni Zu Yi Zu Zi Zhi Zhou, Yuan Yang Xian, 胜村段 邮政编码: 662401
Visit Shengcun Morning Market to experience local minority life. Your tour guide will help you negotiate price if you want to purchase. Afterwards, return to your hotel to have breakfast. Then, stroll around Duoyishu Area with your tour guide. You will enjoy the scenery of the terraced fields from the top of the mountains to the bottom. Discover different Hani and Yi ethnic villages.
When you are ready to leave, enjoy lunch, then you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kunming.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Xiqian Buddha Caves, West of Dunhuang, Dunhuang 736200 China
If you choose to end your tour in Dunhuang, then you can start the tour late, then visit Xiqian Buddha Caves or Dunhuang Museum in the morning, then Singing Dunes and Crescent Moon Pools in the afternoon. Tour including Lunch.
As part of the Mogao Grottoes, the Western Thousand-Buddha Cave is set into a cliff on the northern bank of the Dang River. Because the frescos in this cave are similar in structure and artistic style to those in Mogao Caves, the Western Thousand-Buddha Cave is considered as one of the important components of Dunhuang Buddhist art.
Follow the professional tour guide from the attraction to discover the charms of this site. You will explore 5 caves. As you explore the caves, your guide will point out the meaning of different wall paintings which aspects of medieval politics, economics, culture, arts, religion, ethnic relations, and daily dress in western China.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Dunhuang Museum, No.1390 North MingShaShan Road, Dunhuang China
You can choose to visit Dunhuang Museum in the morning, Singing Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring in the afternoon.
Dunhuang Museum is a perfect place for you to gain some knowledge about Dunhuang and the ancient Silk Road. There are more than 10000 Chinese and Tibetan items for you to appreciate, including some exquisite and vivid replications of the murals and sculptures in Mogao Grottoes. As taking photos is not allowed in Dunhuang Mogao Caves, tourists can take some photos here instead.
Follow your tour guide to visit one Preface Hall and five Exhibition Halls. You will visit these halls one by one to know the history of Dunhuang from prehistoric times to the Qing Dynasty.
Meals included:
• Breakfast: If you choose to including the hotel, breakfast offered by hotel
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.
