8-Day Yunnan Tour of the Nu River and Tengchong

Discover Less-Traveled Roads in Northwest Yunnan

In the northwest corner of Yunnan Province, three great rivers flow through the mountains in parallel. If you have listened to the roar of the Jinsha (Yangtze River) at Tiger Leaping Gorge and have seen the torrent of the Lancang (Mekong River) at Meili Snow Mountain, the Nu Jiang (Salween River), known as "the land where God and human beings live together", will be your ultimate destination.

Meet incredible landscapes and friendly ethnic people in an untouched land during this 8-day northwest Yunnan tour. It is a trip of which you will proud for a long time after you do it.

Tour 'Wow' Points

Witness the Great Gorges along "the Last Untamed River in China"

Drive up into the folds of the Tibetan Plateau foothills. Be impressed by high mountains, deep valleys, and the rushing torrents of the Nu Jiang (Salween River), the only great river in China without a hydropower station.

Escape from Modern Civilization to Isolated Villages

Discover the Arcadia of China's ethnic minorities. Feel their respect for nature, their love of their homeland, and their optimism towards life.

Hike on the Original Tea Horse Road

Have a moderate hike in the gorge. Cross the bridge where the horse caravans had to. Take the path where the bells of caravans rang

Travel back to China of 50 Years Ago

Visit an abandoned village where the time stopped in China's Culture Revolution period. See the "City of Memory" in Zhiziluo town.

Fly acrosee the Running River

Experience the way that the local people went across the Nu river in old time. Feel their courage and optimism

Relax Your Body and Mind in a Volcanic Hot Spring

Enjoy the best volcanic hot spring in China! Relax yourself when soaking in a pool with a view of the old town or a forest.

Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

Yunnan tour with China Highlights This visit to Yunnan was 10 days long with stops at Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La and Kunming. We had 4 different guides - Dali with Daisy, Shangri-La with Peter, Lijiang with Li and Kunming with Doyle. Our guides, Daisy, Peter and Doyle was outstanding in their service. They were sensitive to our needs, flexible when we wanted any changes and did their job with enthusiasm and pride. The measure of how good a travel agency provides their service is not only in the planning of the itinerary but the follow through with good guiding service. Daisy, Peter and Doyle were exemplary in this regards! Well done, China Highlights for having guides of this quality. more Mar 2025, Michel Siew Ngo... F

Unforgettable 7 Day Travel Experience in Yunnan Our 7 days Yunnan trip with China Highlights started at Kunming then took us all the way to Dali, Lijiang and Shangri La. Visiting Yunnan in December during winter time was interesting, less crowded and most importantly enable us to see Yunnan in a different landscape. A special mention to our fantastic guides, May (in Kunming) and Sunny (in Dali) and their respective drivers who were personable and shared a wealth of knowledge and insights of the places we visited. They spoke good English, helpful with our requests and ensured that we were comfortable and satisfied with our tours. We will not hesitate to use China Highlights again for our next trip to China! more Jan 2025, Jess W

Lijiang- family trip Dec 2024 Eleanor My family really enjoyed our time with Eleanor in Lijiang. She was able to pass on a lot of knowledge about her city which made the trip lots more interesting! We enjoyed having her guide us to amazing places. She was really attentive when one of us were feeling sick at the top of the mountain and provided us all with adaquete preparation for the 4000km+ altitude ascension. more Jan 2025, Nicole L

Itinerary Quick Look

Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour according to your interests.

Hotel Selection

—the Icing on the Cake

Boutique hotels are recommended to enrich your travel experience.