From Yunnan to Tibet
Kunming · Dali · Lijiang · Shangri-La · Lhasa · Shigatse · Chengdu · 15 days
Stone Forest, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and on up to Lhasa.
Fifteen days that take you gradually up in altitude. You begin in Kunming with the Stone Forest, travel via Dali to Lijiang, whose old town is a UNESCO site, and on to Shangri-La, where the Tibetan influence first becomes noticeable. From there by air to Lhasa, with the Jokhang Temple, the Potala Palace and the great monasteries, then via Yamdrok Lake to Gyantse and Shigatse. The trip closes in Chengdu with a visit to the pandas. Accommodation in hotels of local 4-star category, 14 nights. Minimum number of participants: 2. Group size maximum 15.
from 3.295 € per person in double room
Single supplement from 550 € · Dates on request
International flights are not included and must be booked separately.
Dates & Conditions for this trip
Departures 2026: 10 Oct. Prices for 2026 departures differ, please enquire.
Guiding in Tibet and in Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La is in English. German-speaking guides accompany you in Kunming and Chengdu.
This trip spends several days at altitudes around 3,650 metres and above. Please discuss your suitability with your doctor beforehand.
The Potala Palace is subject to access restrictions, so the order of visits on the day may change at short notice.
A Tibet Travel Permit is required. It cannot be applied for through a tour operator by journalists, diplomats, senior government employees, members of the military or ethnic Tibetans.
Price varies by departure date. Non-binding indication per person in a double room, as of 08/2026, subject to change. The binding tour price is confirmed in your individual offer.
International flights are not included. On request we will quote flights at the current fare.
Minimum number of participants: 2. If this number is not reached, we may withdraw from the contract up to 20 days before departure. Group size maximum 15.
The specific hotels are named in your individual offer. Changes within the stated local category remain reserved.
Day by Day.
Arrival in Kunming
Your guide meets you at the airport and takes you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free. Kunming is called the City of Eternal Spring because it stays mild all year.
Stone Forest and Green Lake Park
In the morning the Stone Forest outside Kunming. Erosion here has not produced hills but steep pillars and needles that in places stand as densely as trees. The area covers over 300 square kilometres and the paths lead directly between the pillars. In the afternoon back to the city and through Green Lake Park.
By train to Dali
About two hours by high-speed train to Dali, which lies between the Cangshan range and Erhai Lake. Its best-known sight is the Chongsheng Temple with its three pagodas, whose form still dates from the Tang dynasty. Plus the partly walled old town, home to many people of the Bai nationality.
Lijiang
By road on to Lijiang, whose entire old town is a UNESCO site. The traditional houses are preserved and clear streams run alongside many lanes. Lijiang is also very popular with Chinese travellers, so the evenings are lively, with music, snack stalls and full restaurants and bars.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain rises just outside the city to almost 5,600 metres. Part of the ascent is by cable car, and at several stations at different altitudes there are laid-out paths. Afterwards the Black Dragon Pool in Lijiang, known for the reflection of the mountain in its water.
Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-La
On the way a photo stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge. The upper Yangtze, here called the Jinsha, has cut a gorge some 15 kilometres long and almost 4,000 metres deep, one of the deepest in the world. In the afternoon you reach Shangri-La, where the Tibetan influence first becomes clear. Straight afterwards Songzanlin Monastery, the little Potala Palace, founded in the 17th century and home again to around 700 monks.
Napa Lake
The Napa Hai reserve near Shangri-La covers over 600 square kilometres and is not always a lake. In late spring and summer meltwater fills it; otherwise it becomes a green plain and a refuge for wildlife and birds. You also visit a farming village inhabited almost entirely by Tibetans. Afternoon and evening in the old town of Shangri-La.
Flight to Lhasa
Flight from Shangri-La to Lhasa, about two and a half hours. Depending on the schedule there is free time either before or after. Use the rest of the day to arrive properly; the altitude takes its toll.
Jokhang Temple and Potala Palace
The Jokhang Temple in the middle of the city is the most important sanctuary in Tibet and the daily destination of countless pilgrims. Afterwards the Barkhor street that circles the temple, with stalls for religious articles, souvenirs and everyday goods. You also visit the Potala Palace, former residence of the Dalai Lamas. Because of access restrictions the order of the two visits may change.
Sera, Drepung and Norbulingka
First Sera Monastery outside the city, founded in the 15th century and home again to around 800 monks, where with luck you will see one of the lively debates. Then Drepung on a hillside, an important teaching centre of Tibetan Buddhism, which involves some climbing. To close, Norbulingka, the former summer residence.
Yamdrok Lake and Gyantse
Today the landscape of the plateau takes over. On the way to Gyantse you cross high passes and pass a glacier that reaches almost down to the road, and the views of the turquoise Yamdrok Lake are correspondingly fine. In Gyantse the Palkhor Chode monastery with the Kumbum stupa, and in the afternoon the ascent to the Dzong fortress. In the evening on to Shigatse, the second largest city in Tibet.
Shalu Monastery and the market in Shigatse
In the morning Shalu Monastery, notable for the combination of Tibetan and Han Chinese elements, having stood under imperial protection since the Ming dynasty. Then the market of Shigatse, which draws villagers and nomads from the whole region and spreads over several streets.
Tashilhunpo and back to Lhasa
Tashilhunpo Monastery is the seat of the Panchen Lama and is really a group of monasteries that grew together over time. In the afternoon back to Lhasa, where some free time remains.
Flight to Chengdu and the pandas
Transfer to the airport and flight to Chengdu in the neighbouring province of Sichuan. Straight after arrival the panda breeding centre, where animals of different ages live in large enclosures, most of them being prepared for release into the wild. Then transfer to the hotel.
Departure
Depending on your flight time, transfer to Chengdu airport for your return or onward journey.
Sample program, subject to change. Minimum number of participants: 2.
What is included.
Included services
- Accommodation in a double room with bath or shower and WC, breakfast daily
- Local German-speaking guides in Kunming and Chengdu
- Regional English-speaking guides in Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La and in Tibet
- Domestic flights as per programme in economy class
- High-speed train Kunming to Dali, 2nd class
- Transfers, admissions and sightseeing as per programme
- Air-conditioned vehicles of local standard
Not included
- International flights, arrival in Kunming and departure from Chengdu
- Visa, where required for your nationality. We advise on current entry and visa requirements with the offer
- Personal expenses
- Meals and drinks not listed in the programme
- Tips for guides, drivers and porters
Send an inquiry
Tell us your wishes regarding date, route, and group size. We will get back to you personally with a suitable proposal.
Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 · Response usually on the next working day