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Laos - Yunnan overland 15 days / 14 nights

Discover the natural beauty, fascinating history and friendly people of Laos and China on our 15 days Laos - Yunnan overland tour.

Overview :

This classic trip exploration of multi-country Laos and China, starts in capital city of Laos - Vientiane and ends in the official city of Yunnan province - Kunming. Along the way we pause to visit the main sites in Luang Prabang, Oudomxay, Muang Sing, Mengla, Jinghong, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri La and finally Kunming. What makes this tour special is our route hardly touches the beauties of Northen Laos and Yunnan province in China.

Ltinerary :

Day 01: Arrival - Vientiane
Meet on arrival and you are welcome to Vientiane, the city of the moon - an ancient city, situated on the bend on the left bank of the Mekong as the largest city and the capital of Laos. Transfer to hotel for check-in. In the afternoon, we take a sightseeing tour of Vientiane, to visit religious museums of Wat Sisaket, the oldest temple to have been survived from the Siamese war of 1828 and its cloister contains more than 8000 Buddha statues; Wat Ho Prakeo, the former home-temple of the Emerald Buddha statue or Pra Keo, but today it contains a collection of Buddha statues, antiques and all artifacts found in around Vientiane; That Luang Stupa, the single most important monument in Laos, which was built to cover the original small stupa containing a piece of the chest bone of Buddha; Patouxay (Arch de Triumph), built quite recently in commemoration of those who died during the wars in the past and it is today as the land-mark of Vientiane. (L, D)
Day 02: Vientiane - Nam Ngum Lake
Breakfast at hotel, we depart to visit the Morning Market, the biggest shopping center in Vientiane and we take a full day trip by road No. 10 to Nam Ngum Lake (90 km N), with hundreds of small islands. We en route stop to visit a cottage-salt factory, where natural salt are extracted at Ban Bor village. After arriving at Nam Ngum Lake by noon, we enjoy our Lao food lunch at a restaurant by the Nam Ngum Lake. In the afternoon, we relax by taking a boat ride about 1 hour for panoramic view around small islands. On the way of returning to Vientiane along the road No. 13, we make a few stops at Ban Phone, a village where most people weaving bamboo-baskets, dinning tables, besides we will see how Lao traditional rice-whiskey to be distilled, and we can have a taste and take a way. Before getting back to Vientiane, we also stop at Vang Xang, an archaeological site containing the 11th century stone carvings of Buddha sculptures hidden in the forest. (B, L, D)
Day 03: Vientiane - Luang Prabang
Breakfast, excursion by car to visit Buddha Park. On the way, stopover to visit cultural Ethnic Park and Friendship Bridge. Lunch at the hotel and transfer to the Airport for departure to Luang Prabang. Arrive Luang Prabang, transfer to the Villa Santi Hotel or similar. p.m. Visit Wat Visoun, Wat Aham, Wat Phousay hill for overlooking the city and Wat Mai. Dinner and accommodation. (B, L, D)
Day 04: Luang Prabang - Pak Ou
Breakfast, excursion by car to Kuangsi waterfalls, on the way stop over to visit Ban Xom a traditional Lao village on the way to Kuangsi waterfalls,visit to a Kmou village ,Ban Thapene. Return to Luang Prabang, Lunch, visit of the former Royal Palace, visit Wat Xiengthong with its beautiful sixteen century wooden architecture and its exceptional collection bronze Buddha images dating from sixteen and seventeen centuries. (B, L, D)
Day 05: Luang Prabang - Oudomxay via Pak Ou cave
Breakfast, excursion to Oudomxay , on the way visit to Ban Xang Hai which produce wine rice with traditional process . in this village few years ago , an archaeological survey had discovered a very old human settlement with stone industry and the remains of Lao village with a very nice pottery dating from fifteen century had been also unearthed .Proceed to pier for a short cruise(around 1 hr) on Mekong River , visit to sacred Pak Ou caves where are enshrined since sixteen century thousand of wooden Buddha images .Continue by car to Ban Pak Mong, Lunch at local restaurant . Dinner and accommodation. (B, L, D)
Day 06: Oudomxay - Muang Sing

Breakfast, visit local market, drive to Muang Sing via Luang Namtha. On the way stopover to visit Taidam (Black Tai) village famous for its weaving and Iko minority village at Ban Lakkhammai. Lunch in Luang Namtha. Arrive Muang Sing at late afternoon, transfer to the Muang Sing Guesthouse. Dinner and accommodation at a guesthouse. (B, L, D)
Day 07: Muang Sing - Mengla
Breakfast, visit local market where colorful minority people coming to sell their products. Drive to Boten (Lao-China border checkpoint) for check out to Mengla. Lunch at Boten. Continue to drive to Mengla. Dinner and accommodation at the Hotel in Mengla. (B, L, D)
Day 08: Mengla - Jinghong
Breakfast, drive for 176 km through a marvelously rich and fecund area, holding one quarter of China's faunal species and one sixth of its plants. On the way stopover at Hani village and at typical Dai market, the Dai being one of Yunnan's major minority. In Xiaomenglun, you will also visit the tropical center, one of the richest botanical concentration in the world. Arrive Jinghong. Dinner and accommodation at the Tai Garden Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 09: Jinghong - Dali by air
Take the morning flight from Jinghong to Dali. Visit the morning market and Bai family in Xizhou, batik factory and local temple in Zhongcheng, Three Pagodas,afternoon cruise on Erhai Lake with small boat to Shuttle Island. (B, L, D)
Day 10: Dali - Lijiang by road
Drive to Lijiang by new road,with sightseeing of Xinhua village in Heqin county.
Sightseeing of the Old Town of Lijiang which is regarded as the "Oriental Venice", unsophisticated and picturesque. Visit the Yuquan (Jade Fountain) Park also called "The Black Dragon Pond" renowned for its over 500 kinds of flowers and various famous pavilions, such as Longshen Pavilion, Deyue Pavilion and Wufeng or Fayon Pavilion and Dongba Culture Museum. (B, L, D)
Day 11: Lijiang - Jade Dragon Snow Mountain - Lijiang
Take cable car ride up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the much famed mountain with thirteen peaks resembling Jade Pillars. The broad pastures on the mountain sides present a splendid view.
On the way back to visit Baisha village and Murals,Shuhe Old Town which has a history more than 1000 years. Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant. Accommodation at the Guanfang Hotel. (B, L, D)
Day 12: Lijiang - Tiger Leaping Gorge - Shangri La
After breakfast, Drive to Shigu (Stone Drum) Town,you will enjoy the First Bend of Yangtze River, then drive 60KM more to visit the world-famous Grand Canyon Tiger Leaping Gorge which is one of the deepest canyons of the world..After lunch,drive 100KM more to Shangri La which means the Paradise in the human beeing. Night walk around the Dukezong Tibetan Old Town. (B, L, D)
Day 13: Shangri La - Kunming
The whole day to visit the original forest in the National Reserve Park,visit the Bitahai Lake,Shuduhu Lake. After lunch drive to visit the Songzanlin Monastery. Take the night flight to Kunming. (B, L, D)
Day 14: Kunming - The Stone Forest - Kunming
Early morning 98 km drive to one China's most remarkable nature phenomena, the Stone Forest. It consists of 80 hectares of innumerable bizarre shaped ancient limestone cliffs and peaks created by wind a water erosion some 270 million years ago. The Stone Forest is the home of the Sani minority. Lunch at the Stone Forest restaurant. In the afternoon, return to Kunming, visit a jade factory and an ostrich farm. (B, L, D)
Day 15: Kunming - Departure
Transfer to airport for departure flight to next destination. (B )

Cost :

Tour cost is upon your request !
You are interested in of this tour, please feel free to contact us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . One of our staffs will contact you within 24 hours when we receive your request.
We are here to meet and exceed all of your requirements and expectations !

Trip note :

* Tour code: MULCL-02
* Included:
• Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
• Domestic flights and airport taxes
• Private transfers and transportation with A/C on tour
• Sightseeing and Entrance fees
• English speaking guides
• All meals list in the itinerary
• Mineral water per pax per day
* Excluded:
• All visas
• Travel insurance
• Meals and drinks not mentioned
• All international flights and airport taxes
• Excess or overweight baggage
• Other personal expenses
• Tipping/gratuities for local guides
• Single room supplement
• All optional programs

Destination info :

Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with high elevations in the northwest and low elevations in the southeast.

Most of the population lives in the eastern part of the province. In the west, the relative height from mountain peaks to river valleys can be as much as 3,000 m. Yunnan is rich in natural resources and has the largest diversity of plant life in China. Of the approximately 30,000 species of higher plants in China, Yunnan has over 17,000. Yunnan's reserves of aluminium, lead, zinc and tin are the largest in China, and there are also major reserves of copper and nickel. Yunnan has over 600 rivers and lakes, which provide an annual water supply of 222 billion cubic meters. Projected hydropower reserves stand at 103 million KW, with an exploitable capacity of 90 million KW, capable of generating 349 KW of electricity annually.
Yunnan became part of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD) during 2nd century BC and became the seat of a Tibeto-Burman speaking kingdom known as Nanzhao in the 8th century. Nanzhao was multi-ethnic, but the elite most likely spoke a language close to Yi and modern Burmese. The Mongols conquered the region in the 13th century, with local control exercised by warlords until the 1930s. As with other parts of China's southwest, Japanese occupation in the north during World War II forced a migration of Chinese into the region. Ethnic minorities in Yunnan account for about 34 percent of its total population. Major ethnic groups include Yi, Bai, Hani, Zhuang, Dai and Miao.
Yunnan lags behind the the east coast of China in relation to socio-economic development. However, because of its geographic location the province has comparative advantages in regional and border trade with countries in southeast Asia. The Lancang River (upper reaches of Mekong River) is the waterway to southeast Asia. In recent years land transportation has been improved to strengthen economic and trade co-operation among countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion. Yunnan's abundance in resources determines that the province's pillar industries are , agriculture, tobacco, mining, hydro-electric power, and tourism.
The Laos People's Democratic Republic is a landlocked country in southeast Asia, bordered by Burma (Myanmar) and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south, and Thailand to the west. Laos traces its history to the Kingdom of Lan Xang or Land of a Million Elephants, which existed from the fourteenth to the eighteenth century.
After a period as a French protectorate, it gained independence in 1949. A long civil war ended officially when the communist Pathet Lao movement came to power in 1975, but the protesting between factions continued for several years.
After years of war and isolation, Southeast Asia’s most pristine environment, intact cultures and quite possibly the most chilled-out people on earth mean destination Laos is fast earning cult status among travellers. It is developing quickly but still has much of the tradition that has sadly disappeared elsewhere in the region. Village life is refreshingly simple and even in Vientiane it’s hard to believe this sort of languid riverfront life exists in a national capital. Then, of course, there is the historic royal city of Luang Prabang, where watching as hundreds of saffron-robed monks move silently among centuries-old monasteries is as romantic a scene as you’ll experience anywhere in Asia.

Away from the cities, there is so much more to see; the Plain of Jars in Xieng Khuang Province, the forested mountains of Northern Laos, the gothic limestone karsts around the backpacker-haven Vang Vieng and in the deep south, past the market town Pakse, is Si Phan Don (Four Thousand Islands), where the mighty Mekong spreads out and all the hammocks are taken.

Map & Photos :

 

 

 

 

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