A School Trip with Culture and Adventure
7-Day Yunnan Tour for Teenager School Groups
This 7-day Yunnan tour, including the popular destinations Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La, is designed for junior or senior high school groups and their teachers.
During this tour, you will experience Chinese minority cultures flourishing in the landscapes of Southwest China. Walk into the history of the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Go adventure in the "most magnificent gorge". And interact with local people to experience their lifestyles.
Expert local guiding and flexible tour design from China Highlights will enable this tour to fit your educational and extra-curricular goals, while being a fun and enjoyable break.
Tour 'Wow' Points
Experience Intangible Cultural Heritage — Bai Tie-Dye
Dive into the peaceful life of the Bai people in a village at the foot of the Cangshan mountains. Discover the beauty of their old stages, house doors, headwear, and family tie-dyeing workshops. Learn the secrets of the dye, and dye your own handkerchief the traditional Bai tie-dye way.


Taste Home-Cooked Cuisine in a Bai Lady's Home
Sit in the traditional courtyard of a Bai lady's home. The hostess will warm your stomach and your heart with her home cooking. Also enjoy the amazing beverage that Bai people treat important guests to.


Soar on the Wind of the Erhai Lake
Have a bike ride alongside Erhai Lake. Feel the wind, enjoy the flowery meadows and rice fields, and see the clouds floating above the majestic Cangshan mountains.


Follow the Footprints of Caravans on the Ancient Tea Horse Road
Visit the last remaining market town on the Ancient Tea Horse Road — Shaxi. The old buildings still tell stories about the horse caravans. Enjoy a moderate hike on a country road that horse caravans took. Recall the memories of the Tea Horse Road cherished in the most beautiful bookstore and old stage hidden in the village.


Experience the Daily Life of Naxi People in Yuhu Village
Visit a Naxi family living at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Learn about the customs of building a traditional house, their traditional dresses, daily food, and some mysterious Naxi characters. Help local villagers to shuck the corns and collect the firewood.


Explore One of the Most Magnificent Gorges in China
Hike in the most wonderful section of Tiger Leaping Gorge. Admire the peaks of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reaching to the sky and the rushing torrents of the Jinsha River flowing off into the distance.


Paint Your Own Thangka
Feel the Tibetan spirit in Shangri-La. Learn about the valuable Thangka pigments and how to paint a thangka. Take the good luck and energy of Shangri-La back home with you.


Why Choose Us

Your Wellbeing is Our Priority.
- 1-to-1 travel expert
- Vaccinated guides
- Private Rides

Your Trip is Perfectly Planned.
- No crowds
- Exclusive Exciting Experiences

Your Booking is Risk-Free.
- No cancellation fee
- Free changes
Finish Your Booking in as Quick as 1 Day
1. Tell us your dream travel idea
2. Work out your unique plan with 1 to 1 expert advice
What Our Customers Said
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. moreMar 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! moreMar 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. moreFeb 2022, RoshR
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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. moreFeb 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. moreAug 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. moreAug 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. moreJul 2021, olya84
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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 moreFeb 2019,
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Tour Map

Itinerary Quick Look
Here is a suggested itinerary. We are happy to customize a tour to make it adapted to your school group and your educational and experiential goals.
Meet your guide at the airport and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy a welcome dinner in a local restaurant in Dali Old Town.
Morning:
Visit an authentic Bai village at the foot of Cangshan — the 'Dark-Green Mountains'. Learn and experience the unique tie-dyeing of the Bai people and find the wind, the flowers, the snow, and the moon depicted on their Bai traditional dress. Enjoy the privilege of tasting home-cooked cuisine in a private Bai house.
Afternoon:
Have a bike ride of 12 km (7 miles) along Erhai Lake in the afternoon. Feel the wind, enjoy the flowery meadows and rice fields, and see the clouds floating above the majestic Cangshan mountains.
Stop at the Square for a group picture with the landmark of Dali, the Three Pagodas
Morning:
Drive from Dali to Lijiang via Shaxi Town. Listen to the stories behind the shining wall, the aged stage and bridge, and grand courtyard.
Afternoon:
Walk out of the town and follow the country road along the river. Enjoy the peaceful countryside. Local people might be working in the fields. Stop at Beilong Village and visit a beautiful bookstore. The building used to be a factory for processing crops. It has a large collection of books about the Bai minority and the Ancient Tea Horse Road.
The hike is about 4 km (2 miles). When you get to Duanjiadeng Village, you can find a well-maintained old stage with a history of more than 150 years.
Morning:
Visit to Black Dragon Pool Park, where the view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is one the most famous postcard-perfect sceneries.
And then head for the Yuhu Village at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It is a well-preserved and less-touristy Naxi Village with traditional houses built with stone and wood. You will stop at Yuhu Lake first. Discover the secret of how to cool the snow mountain when there is global warming.
Visit American explorer Joseph Rock's former residence in the village and listen to stories about his adventures and relationships with local Naxi people.
Afternoon:
Be invited into a Naxi family home, where you will learn about every aspect of Naxi people's daily life. Study the construction of courtyard, try on traditional Naxi clothing, experience making Naxi paper and tofu, taste homemade snacks, and learn to write the mysterious Naxi Dongba characters.
Help the family to do the cornhusking and collect the firewood in the bushes nearby.
Morning:
Drive from Lijiang to Shangri-La. Stop at Tiger Leaping Gorge on the way. Enjoy an exciting hike taking in the highlights of the gorge. Enjoy incredible views of the mountains and river.
Afternoon:
Drive from Tiger Leaping Gorge to Shangri-la.
Evening:
Explore Shangri-La Old Town in the evening. Dance with local people on the square in the old town.
Morning:
Visit the largest Tibetan Buddhist Lamasery in Yunnan — Songzanlin. Discover the beating heart of local Tibetan belief, which reflects the elevated purity and awe of its surroundings. Walk to the back of the monastery to experience a Tibetan ceremony of blessing..
Afternoon:
Visit Shangri-La Thangka Center. Appreciate exquisite thangkas and discover the secrets of making a thangka. Learn to paint your own thangka with a Tibetan artist.
Evening:
Enjoy a farewell dinner in a local Tibetan restaurant. Taste a Tibetan hotpot and dance around a bonfire after dinner.
Transfer to the airport for your flight back to your city.
Hotel Selection
—Gurong Hotel, Dali
—Lijiang Wangfu Hotel
—The 5th Meteorite Grace Hotel, Shangri-la


Price includes:
- Private air-conditioned bus with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: dal-3a
Start planning your tailor-made tour now. Your 1:1 travel consultant will reply within 1 working day.