Vietnam & China: Hanoi to Kunming by Rail

Hanoi

Welcome to Hanoi. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 6 pm at your hotel to meet your leader and fellow travellers. If you arrive early, explore Hoan Kiem Lake, the Old Quarter, or book the Hanoi Street Food Experience with Urban Adventures. This evening, get to know your leader and group over dinner.

Sapa

After breakfast, take a private transfer to Sapa – a misty mountain town on the slopes of the Muong Hoa Valley near the Chinese border. Relax at your hotel before a sunset walk around town with your local leader, visiting Sapa Church and learning about its cultural significance. Check out the night market and enjoy a feast of grilled meats, seafood and corn at a local barbecue.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner

Sapa

Take a private vehicle to Tan Van Village for a day hike through Sapa's iconic rice terraces. Meet traditional hilltribe villagers and share a home-cooked lunch with a local H'mong family. Return to Sapa town in the mid-afternoon for a free evening.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Kunming (Border Crossing)

Drive to Lao Cai and cross the border into Hekou, China. Clear immigration independently, then meet your new China leader. Board a private bus to Honghe City and take a high-speed train to Kunming, capital of Yunnan province. Check in late afternoon and enjoy an orientation walk. Try over-the-bridge rice noodles for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast

Shangri-La City (3200 m / 10,500 ft)

Take a bullet train from Kunming to Shangri-La, an alpine city in the Hengduan Mountains. Join a walking tour of Dukezong Ancient Town – one of the largest and best-preserved Tibetan settlements in China, dating to the 7th century. See the 21-m-tall prayer wheel (largest in China), wander cobbled lanes, watch thangka painters, and join traditional music and line dancing in the square.

Shangri-La City (3200 m / 10,500 ft)

Visit Ganden Sumtseling Monastery – the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan province. Explore halls with elaborate frescoes, enjoy views of the countryside and Lamuyangcuo Lake. Return to the city to visit a local Tibetan family, learn to make yak butter tea, share a home-cooked lunch, and see the family's scripture/shrine room. Free time in the afternoon.

Meals: Lunch

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Private transfer to Tiger Leaping Gorge – a dramatic canyon on the Jinsha River. Begin a guided hike through one of the world's deepest river canyons, with the Jade Dragon and Haba Mountains rising nearly 3800 m above the riverbanks. Overnight at a guesthouse overlooking Jade Garden Snow Mountain.

Tiger Leaping Gorge / Lijiang

Continue hiking through the gorge past waterfalls and giant boulders on a mostly downhill trail. Take a private vehicle to Lijiang – a UNESCO World Heritage city. Join an orientation walk in Old Town to learn about the city's role in the Tea Horse Road. Explore cobbled alleys, canals and traditional Naxi wooden houses. Try steam pot chicken or chickpea jelly for dinner.

Meals: Breakfast

Lijiang

Visit Baisha Old Town on the outskirts of Lijiang, with traditional architecture, murals, craft shops and cafes. Visit a local Naxi family for a Dongba calligraphy class – one of the world's last living pictographic scripts dating to the 13th century. Free time in the afternoon; optional bike ride around Lashihai Lake.

Kunming

Take a train back to Kunming, arriving in the early afternoon. Explore Green Lake Park, the Village of Ethnic Culture or Wenlin Street. Optional farewell dinner with your leader and group.

Kunming

No activities planned. Your adventure comes to an end after breakfast. Free to leave any time after check-out. Extensions to Kunming can be arranged through your booking agent.