Day 1 Various locations → → Dali ★ Assembly day
All day
National tourists will check in at the hotel in Dali Ancient Town for the entire day (submit "China - Travel Note + Name" for check-in). Once settled in, you can fully enjoy this leisurely city. Quiet, comfortable, and charming, Dali is one of China's top ten self-catering towns.
Day 2 Dali Ancient Town → Nuodeng
All day
Nuodeng Countrywalk: Explore the past and present of Yanma Town
Thanks to the development and legacy of its salt industry, Nuodeng became a key stop on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road. The village's name has remained unchanged for over 1,000 years since the Nanzhao period of the Tang Dynasty, making it one of the oldest villages in western Yunnan. Nestled on a mountainside, Nuodeng still boasts numerous well-preserved Ming and Qing dynasty-era buildings, and horses are still used as a means of transportation. Walking along the village's stone paths, the intricate carvings of the ancestral halls, memorial archways, and courtyards make you marvel at the passage of time. Had it not been for the TV series "A Bite of China" that told the story of Nuodeng and its ham, the village would have remained largely forgotten.
China-TravelNote specially invited locals to lead everyone on a stroll through the ancient village, from the salt wells to the smooth stone steps, to the family museum of the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, and the ham shop that appeared in "A Bite of China", telling the story of the rise and fall of the Nuodeng salt industry and the story of the horse caravans of that time.
Day 3 Nuodeng → Lujiangba
·morning
Enjoy the Yuntui rice noodles and overlook the Tai Chi water
Breakfast is served with a special local specialty, Yuntui rice noodles (unanimously recommended by tour leaders who have been here). After breakfast, we departed Nuodeng at an opportune moment. The road was shrouded in mist, with clouds drifting through the canyons. At the confluence of the Nuodeng River and the Bian River, a tributary of the Lancang River, we made a detour into a large S-shaped bay, forming a wondrous natural formation resembling a Taoist "Tai Chi Diagram," known locally as "Tai Chi Locking Water." Surrounded by peaks, it felt like thousands of mountains were paying homage, offering a panoramic view of the natural Tai Chi diagram.
·afternoon
Retracing the Ancient Southern Silk Road in Gaoligong Mountain, experiencing the charm of the species gene pool
We'll continue on to Gaoligong Mountain, one of the world's most biodiverse regions. We'll embark on a light hike (1370-1570 meters above sea level, a 5-kilometer round-trip distance, approximately 2 hours, on stone steps, making it a relatively easy hike). We'll follow streams and pass through dense primeval forest, admiring the exotic flowers and plants swaying freely along the roadside. This will allow us to connect with nature from a different perspective and experience the diversity and wonder of the world. Deep within the Gaoligong Mountains lies a natural hot spring, where steaming water rises from the ground and converges into a clear spring. Bring a change of clothes and feel the warmth of Mother Earth.
If the Baihualing hiking route is closed due to force majeure or policy factors, the record-keeping will be initiated:
Day 3 Nuodeng - Tai Chi Locking Water - Lujiangba Coffee Experience - Stay in Lujiangba
D4 Lujiang Dam - Longjiang Bridge - Rehai Scenic Area - Volcanic Geological Park - Ginkgo Village
The subsequent itinerary remains unchanged.
Day 4 Lujiangba → Atami → Ginkgo Village
·morning
Visit a coffee farm and experience handmade coffee
Lujiangba, blessed with a subtropical dry-hot valley climate, has become one of my country's most important coffee-growing bases, home to the renowned Baoshan Arabica coffee. Visit a local coffee farm and learn the traditional coffee roasting method, experiencing the entire process of charcoal roasting, grinding, and tasting, further expanding your coffee knowledge.
·afternoon
Feel the warmth gushing out of the earth at Rehai, Tengchong's signature spot.
Drive to the Rehai Scenic Area, a prime example of Tengchong's volcanic landscape. Hot springs gush forth from the surface, offering both viewing and bathing opportunities, as well as the opportunity to steam food. This is the origin of the famous Yunnan 18 Oddities: eggs tied to straw and sold. A spectacular sight is the large boiling pot, reaching temperatures of around 100 degrees Celsius and sending steam soaring into the sky. Along the way, we'll also visit the Longjiang Bridge, a major engineering feat. With a total length of 2,470.58 meters and a main span of 1,196 meters, it's one of the largest steel box girder suspension bridges in Asia. Connecting Gaoligong Mountain on one end and Tengchong on the other, standing at the bridgehead and gazing across the other bank, the entire bridge, shrouded in mist and clouds, is a truly magnificent sight.
Special seasonal offer, Border Town Golden Fairy Tale World
We then arrived at Ginkgo Village, where the golden ginkgo trees and quaint village houses made us feel like we'd stepped into a fairytale. We'll offer a complimentary dinner under the ginkgo trees (or lunch the following day, depending on availability) to savor local ecological farm cuisine. In this crisp autumn air, the rustling of falling ginkgo leaves and the cool breeze bring a touch of coolness as we savor the local specialties!
Day 5 Tengchong Ginkgo Village → Heshun Ancient Town
·morning
Stroll through Ginkgo Village in the autumn
We'll spend the entire morning here quietly enjoying the scenery (the morning is a great way to avoid the crowds and enjoy the beautiful scenery, perfect for taking photos). Ginkgo Village boasts over 3,000 ancient ginkgo trees, many of which are four or five hundred years old. These ginkgo groves are not only naturally continuous but also boast a unique characteristic: "the village is within the forest, the forest is within the village," creating a truly natural and beautiful autumn landscape. (Regular tours offer a quick 2-hour tour, but China-TravelNote allows for two half-days and one night to fully experience the scenery.)
·afternoon
Western Yunnan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall, pay tribute to the martyrs of the Anti-Japanese War
After lunch, we'll visit the Yunnan-Western Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall. This cemetery, built to commemorate the fallen soldiers of the 20th Group Army of the Chinese Expeditionary Force during the capture of Tengchong during the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression, is one of the largest and best-preserved memorials for those killed on the front lines of the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in China. The Chinese Expeditionary Force engaged in fierce battles with the Japanese invaders in western Yunnan, blocking the enemy on the west bank of the Nujiang River. The intensity of the battle, known as the "scorched earth war," commemorates a tragic and heroic chapter in history. We'll lay a white chrysanthemum in remembrance of those who sacrificed their lives for peace and restore national memory.
Special note: The Western Yunnan Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall is closed on Mondays. If it falls on a Monday, the itinerary will be swapped with the Heshun Ancient Town Citywalk the next day. The itinerary for that day will be Ginkgo Village-Heshun Ancient Town Citywalk, and the fee remains the same.
·night
Stay at the Heshun Ancient Town Hot Spring Inn and experience the charm of the hot spring city
After the movie, we went to [Heshun Ancient Town] to check in. We selected the Heshun Ancient Town Hot Spring Inn with a 4-diamond rating online. It introduced local hot spring water, so you can soak in Tengchong Hot Springs without leaving the hotel!
Day 6 Tengchong → Dali★Dissolution Day
·morning
Heshun Ancient Town Citywalk, explore the important town on the Ancient Tea Horse Road
Heshun Ancient Town is a key town on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road and a must-stop on the Southwest Silk Road. Built around a mountain, the town's buildings rise gradually from east to west, stretching for two to three kilometers. The town is surrounded by a vast plain, with a clear stream winding around the village and willows gracing the banks, creating a harmonious, pastoral landscape. After checking in, depart at an appropriate time to explore the town's winding alleys, its old houses, streets, and ancient ancestral halls. Before the crowds gather, the ancient town remains peaceful. Unlock Heshun with 5,000 steps.
·afternoon
Gather and leave Tengchong in time. In order to facilitate tourists to return or continue their fun, we have carefully set up two disbanding points:
[Tengchong Disbandment] Tourists who choose to continue sightseeing in Tengchong or fly home from Tengchong should check out before 12:00 and continue other itineraries or go to Tengchong Tuofeng Airport. Heshun Ancient Town is about 13 km away from Tengchong Airport, which takes about 30 minutes and costs about 30 yuan by taxi.
Dali Railway Station arrives around 5:00 PM. Tourists departing by train should book a train after 6:00 PM, allowing ample time for boarding and possible travel delays. Tourists departing by plane should book a flight after 7:30 PM.
