Upon your arrival at Kunming, you'll be met by the tour guide in the airport and then transferred to the luxury hotel.

We'll take a half-day tour around the Golden Palace Temple at the top of Mingfeng Hill which is the home of the Taoist Taihe Palace and the biggest copper temple in China. Then visit Dragon Gate and the Western Hills, a range of mountains that many claim has a silhouette that resembles Sleeping Beauty. 

Today we'll travel about 75 miles south of Kunming City to Stone Forest, one of China's most unique natural phenomena. The Stone Forest features towering peaks of limestone in some very bizarre shapes. Some of them are as tall as a 6-story building, and the entire area is over 200 acres. There's a long path (about 1.2 miles) that winds through the deepest parts of the forest where you can spot caves, pavilions, and ponds – many of which have their own associated legends.

Today we'll drive to Dali, the capital of the ancient Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms (it will take about four hours to get there). Here we'll take a two-hour cruise on the beautiful and scenic Erhai Lake and marvel at the alpine environment. Then, visit Jin Suo Isle, where many people of the Bai minority live. Here is a fishing village and colorful market to experience before continuing on to see the Three Pagodas at the Chongsheng Temple. This is an amazing example of the 9th century architecture and art of the Bai ethnic culture.

In the morning, drive to Lijiang and stop at the Village of Xizhou. The drive will take about three hours total, and this is a very important stop. It was once a major stop on the trade route to Tibet, and the area flourished during the Ming Dynasty (around 1368 to 1644). We'll visit a traditional Bai house today. Lijiang has a very diverse population, and the Naxi ethnic minorities have a long history here. Their culture, traditions, clothing and architecture have a large influence on the area. Before the day is out we'll visit the famous Black Dragon Pool and its Moon Embracing Pavilion, Five Phoenix Pavilion, and the Dongba Cultural Village.

Today we'll take a nice walking tour of the ancient Dayan Town, which was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The homes here are wood-and-earth structures with tiled roofs and some incredible courtyards filled with flowers. Here you can visit the Mu Family Mansion and then move on to the Baisha Village and see the Ming and Qing Dynasty frescos that are gathered there. Finally, we'll visit Yunshanping Meadow (Jade Dragon Snow Mountain) and take advantage of the round-trip cable car service.

The trip comes to an end today and transfer to the airport for the flight home.