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.




98.8% positive customer reviews among 10,000+
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
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
![]() |
Best Decision Engaging China Highlights - Yunnan
Local guide from Kunming @ 程靖淇 is calm , well mannered and accommodated all the ladies whims and fancies ??as we were very overwhelmed with the harsh afternoon. more
May 2023,
Sherwee
![]() |
Excellent Tour of Yunnan
China Highlights prepared an excellent trip for us in Yunnan. Murphy, Frank, Lily and Daniel were amazing! They were kind, knowledgeable and went above and beyond to make our trip enjoyable! We had the same driver for our time in Dali to Shangri-La and he was fantastic. He was kind, respectful and focused on the safety of his passengers! I would absolutely book another trip with these guides and driver. Thank you for a wonderful trip! more
Aug 2021,
Ashley Meadows
![]() |
5 stars!
What a memorable and smooth trip with China Highlights! I will most definitely be choosing China Highlights for my next adventure. My friend and I organized two private trips with them back to back, one through Qinghai/Gansu and this one through Yunnan. I give both experiences five stars. As for our Yunnan tour specifically, I believe that this trip is well-worth its value. How awesome is it to just “show up” and have everything organized for you, with friendly guides and drivers to take you where you need to go, explaining all you need to know along the way. The trip was seamless and well-organized, and accommodations were comfortable even when choosing the more economical options. We opted for the 8 day trip (the first and last day of which were arrival and departure, so 6 true days of sightseeing). This included Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-la. If you are okay with a high-paced trip, this is a great option to see the main highlights in a short time. more
Aug 2021,
ruth_charity
![]() |
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.

Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.