Yunnan Spotlight Experiences
Yunnan, meaning 'south of the beautiful cloud', attracts people with its various landscapes, rich minority cultures, and unique regional history. Many people are deeply impressed by it even though they have found out a lot about its beauty before going there. It always lives up to expectations.
Besides sightseeing, we would like to help you have a more in-depth experience in Yunnan, no matter whether you are interested in the history of the Tea Horse Road, the old and mysterious minority cultures, or the legend of Shangri-La. Our spotlight experiences connect you with the local people. They will show you the splendid cultures they have created and the hometowns they love.
China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.


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Lijiang Tour with Alice
My husband and I arrived in Lijiang after Dali. We met Alice, our new tour guide for the next two days. Alice is a compassionate person with a heart full of love and care. She makes sure we dress warmly before taking our tours to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and the Tiger Leaping Gorge.Alice is well-spoken about the culture of local people in Lijiang. During our visit to the Naxi ethnic community, we learned how to make and sample the Naxi pancake and tea with Yak butter. We felt it was a rewarding experience to learn about the livelihood of people as we tour.Many thanks to China Highlights for arranging our traveling itinerary in Lijiang. more
Nov 2023,
AL
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Our trip to Yunnan
Alice is very personable, warm, friendly and shared with us many of their cultures and stories. Pema is very energetic and accompany us for the half day hike in the tiger leaping gorge.We would definitely recommend China Highlights to anyone for their holiday in China! more
Nov 2023,
TAN YIDA
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Our trip to Li Jiang and Shaxi Yunnan
We arrived at Lijiang on 9/8. We enjoyed the time in Lijiang a lot with good hotel selection and a well planned program. We went onto Shaxi for the local singing festival of the local minority groups. It was a fantastic experience. What makes the trip most memorable is our guide Alice. She took excellent care of us, anticipating our every need. She was personable, warm and very knowledgeable. We shared many laughters and traded stories. She brought smiles to us during the entire trip. We will specifically ask for her again when we come back to Yunnan. Five star service. more
Sep 2023,
Consumer
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Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangri-la
We would like to thank China Highlights Travel for planning and organizing our China hiking trip. Roger Li (Trip Planner) was really prompt in all correspondences and helped us to fine tune our travel details. We are a party of 4 and had multiple hiking destinations in mind in the beginning. Roger gave us details of each option and we finally decided to go hiking in the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge. In addition, Roger helped us to add itinerary in Lijiang and Shangri-la after the hiking. Really looking forward to our China hiking trip in October! more
Sep 2023,
Joyce Lee
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We love China
From the beginning we had a trustfull knowlegeable base of communication, started with Lukas the tour advisor and guide around Guilin and continued with the other guides in the other locations. Shanghai FU, Zhangjiajie Emili, Xián Juanli, Kunmimg Nen ,Lijiang Luzhuoying, Chongqing ??, Yangtze, Haikou ?? and Beijing Chengang. We were totaly positivly impressed about the overall service during our time in China. We felt save and wellcomed at any time. We had every day our individual highlight. For example, breathless nature, extraordinary hotels, historical buildings and places, well tasting food and social contacts on the streets. All our tour guides and drivers made a professional customer orientated job and supported us in the best possible way. Even if we want to make changes on short notice they made it happen. We spent a remarkable and unforgetable time in China and been very thankful to China Highlights to create this moments in time for us. more
Jun 2023,
Karlheinz Potuznik
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Unforgettable Yunnan!
Jack Li , our tour guide at LiJiang, took great care of us when we climbed Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and suffered high altitude issues. At Dali, our tour guide Nancy Li doubled up as our photographer and speaks excellent English and entertained us with her rich knowledge of Chinese history. We had a wonderful time. more
Apr 2023,
April Lee
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Thank you for such a wonderful traveling experience!
We have Jack Lee in our Lijiang trip he was such a considerate and kind tour guide. He is very knowledgeable and he accommodated all our requirement. We were fortunate to have such a nice local tour guide. I had altitude sickness and he really cared. Our private driver Mr Tang is very safe and patient. He is compliant and cares for our safety all the time. He is very humorous and gave us so much laughter. He was also very caring towards me. more
Apr 2023,
Hazel T
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Cultural and scenic beauty second to none!
I would highly recommend this tour to Lugu Lake to everyone and anyone! The tour guide Jack taught me more in two days about minority cultures, Chinese history, and the amazing natural history and geography of Yunnan and the Lijiang area. As well, the drive to Lugu Lake requires an expert - and Mr Wang is an expert! (From someone who has crossed the Rockies at least 20 times) As a single woman travel who still doesn’t have great Chinese it was a flawless experience - from the communications, accommodation and breathtaking scenery and cultural experiences. Please book and go! more
Feb 2023,
Connie VH
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We have been travelling around Yunnan…
We have been travelling around Yunnan Province for 8 days and it’s been amazing. The culture, the food, the people’s kindness, all these things made our trip unforgettable. Especially our guide Nancy! The most helpful and friendly guide we could have. We really appreciate her knowledge about the local history and the culture. She’s really amazing and we strongly recommend her services. more
Mar 2022,
Danielle Toledo
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Awesome Yunnan trip with Nancy
We had a 6-day tour with guide Nancy around Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La in Yunnan. She’s very professional and experienced guide that made our tour far exceed expectations. It was a pleasure to have her as our tour guide. We strongly recommend her. Thank you! more
Mar 2022,
Rodrigo
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One of the best things I’ve done in China
One of the best things I’ve done in China. Being that I am pretty well traveled in China this Experience was so different from the others. Each city provided a different aspect of the culture, local traditions and beauty that China has to offer. Our Tour guide Nancy was amazing as she made our itinerary very well constructed and organized. She was there to make sure we were comfortable and happy. Her hyper energy and cheerfulness made us feel enthusiastic for the day. We are very satisfied with this trip and Nancy’s services that we will be sure to book again. more
Feb 2022,
RoshR
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Lijiang Trip July 2021
Kudos to Alisa Liu from the agency who I must say was on hand almost 24/7 for requests and queries. Even though our trip was marred with the onset of the Typhoon In Fa with various flight and train cancellations but Alisa was quick to arrange for alternative solutions under the circumstances and made the most effort to make our journey as comfortable as possible whilst we made our way back to Shanghai. As for the itinerary, Alisa understands her clientele’s different needs very well and for the most part my expectations were met. I love private tours with a very relaxed itinerary and comfortable accommodation and some of us prefer more exclusive accommodation vs a packed itinerary trying to go to a hundred location type of tour. more
Aug 2021,
Ida Suriani
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Summer holiday in Yunnan
After spending 5 nights in Dali visiting sights in our own time, Alice who was very friendly and helpful, accompanied us on our drive from Dali to Lijiang. She shared interesting facts about the local area and the things we had done. In Lijiang, we met our guide Peter. Peter did an amazing job taking care of us and showing us the beautiful sights for our 3 days. He was so kind, providing us with snacks each morning and always ensuring the food met my dietary requirements. He even picked up our last minute NAT results that we did before our departure late at night! His passion and dedication to his job was very impressive, and we would highly recommend him to our friends. more
Aug 2021,
O6866ZGlaurag
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Amazing experience in Yunnan
Please bear in mind that booking tickets and actually getting to the sightseeing point is very challenging, especially during peak season. But with the help of our guides everything went smooth and silky. Thank you, China Highlights, for making our first trip to Yunnan an unforgettable and carefree adventure. It was a true relaxation without any headache or stress. We had nothing to worry about, except enjoying breathtaking beauty of Yunnan. more
Jul 2021,
olya84
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Natural landscapes are everything
I visited Lijiang during the Spring Festival and I thought it was gonna be packed with people but my guide always knew were to take me to avoid crowds. I had a great time, my guide was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions with gusto. I’m very happy with my trip. --lunarcicles,Buenos Aires, Argentina more
Feb 2019,
lunarcicles
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China is the most beautiful country inthe world
Great job,Glad chose China Highlights,Everything is top rate.Lodging,restaurants and tours,But what is so special are the great guides.Doyle and Sophie (Kunming)Li(Dali) and Eleanor (Liji.ang).Knowledgeable,kind and thoughtful.Five stars all rhe way.Great job guys.Love Yunnan.Recommend China Highligtsvto kith and kin. more
Nov 2023,
philip Sardar
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Kunming - well worth a visit.
An excellent visit to Kunming. The stone forest was spectacular, though there were a lot of steps and even with my hiking poles I has to give up on some areas. The city itself is vibrant and really interesting. Many thanks to my brilliant guide, Sophie, who understood my limitations and adapted the itinerary accordingly. more
Nov 2023,
Hilary P
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Impressive Experience with China Highlights
My recent experience with China Highlights, with Roger Li as liaison on my inquiry for Yunnan tour, confirms to the overwhelming positive reviews posted here, about their excellent prompt services, flexible accommodation for tour itineraries, and hardworking tour guides. I am very impressed and will most definitely look up to China Highlights for future tours to China and beyond. Thank you Roger Li for your personal attention, hard work and prompt services. Bravo! more
Sep 2023,
A Tan
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Can't wait for my Kunming Trip!
I've been working with Roger Li on my Kunming, China trip for the past month. Roger has been very knowledgeable and responsive to all my questions. Furthermore, he has been very helpful in making sure our itinerary makes sense and is able to make changes per our needs. I am looking forward to the upcoming trip! more
Aug 2023,
T. Lee
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Exploring Yunnan
This is the second time that I engage China Highlights to plan for my vacation to China.The Travel Advisor, Roger Li, attended to my enquiry and followed through my questions diligently. He was responsive to making recommendations regarding the itinerary and assisting with my application for the China visa. more
Jul 2023,
Sal
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Find the Lost Tea Horse Road
Duration: one day
In this tour, you will visit two old towns hidden between Dali and Lijiang to find the last remnants of the Tea Horse Road, to cross the bridge that the horse caravans crossed, and to stay in the old town where they stayed.
Starting from Dali, you will drive for about 1½ hours to get to the ancient town of Jianchuan. It used to be an important stop on the Tea Horse Road. It is regarded as the cultural center of the Bai nationality. The residential houses, the city gates, the temples, and the bridges are still in the ancient Bai style.
To help you understand the Bai culture, we will introduce you to a handicraft of the Bai nationality — Buzha. You will visit a workshop belonging to a Buzha master in the ancient town to discover this beautiful folk art and see the excellent skill involved. You will meet people who love and protect their nationality's culture.
After enjoying some local food that was also enjoyed by the horse caravans, you will continue to Shaxi Old Town, the last remaining market town on the ancient Tea Horse Road.

Discover the Colorful Culture of the Naxi Nationality
Duration: 4 hours
If you would like to experience the culture of the Naxi nationality, visit Baisha Village at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Enjoy the mysterious Baisha Murals. Painted over 1,000 years ago, the murals display the life stories of China's main religions, including Confucianism, Taoism, and Tibetan Buddhism.
Visit Baisha Naxi Embroidery Institute, the best ethnic embroidery institute in China. You will have an opportunity to learn how to make a cup mat with the traditional Naxi embroidery.
In an ordinary Naxi family's house, you will meet a shaman who is a master or wise man in the village. A shaman is called a Dongba in the Naxi language. In ancient times, a Dongba created the characters of the Naxi nationality's written language, so the style of writing is now called the Dongba script. Nothing could be better than visiting a Dongba and his family if you are interested in the mysterious Naxi culture, its words and music, and the Naxi people's understanding about the relationship between nature and humans.
After the family visit, you will learn about the Naxi cooking culture. You will learn to make a Naxi pancake in a local restaurant run by a local family. A Naxi pancake is a popular food for the Naxi nationality. Locals call it Naxi baba. You will make your own Naxi baba as the main dish for your lunch.

Discover the Life of a Tibetan Lama
Duration: 3 hours
Songzanlin Lamasery is the biggest Tibetan Buddhist temple in Yunnan Province. There are about 400 lamas studying in the lamasery and they live in the dormitories around it. After visiting the main halls of the lamasery, your guide will take you to a dormitory, which is not normally open to tourists. The lamas who live there will show you their hospitality and will be happy to talk with you in their study room. If you are curious about their lifestyle, religious beliefs, practices, and discipline, this is a great chance to get close to and interact with them. If you are lucky, you might meet a living Buddha.
Note: This visit cannot be arranged in March, October, or November due to the religious activities of the lamas during these times. It could also be suspended at other times if the lamas need to attend to some activities, such as being invited by villagers to host a ceremony.

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