Flight: CA1469 Beijing - Lijiang 16.10 - 19.45

Meet & greet: Upon arrival at Lijiang airport, you will be welcomed to China by your private English-speaking guide, and then transferred to your hotel.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bruce Chalet (Standard Room)

Time at leisure in Lijiang: Today is at leisure to explore the local area and Lijiang at your own pace. Get lost in the maze of cobbled streets, climb Lion Hill for some views over the Old Town, stroll around the Black Dragon Pool. Other places of interest near your hotel include Joseph Rock's former residence and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bruce Chalet (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day tour of Tiger Leaping Gorge: After breakfast, set off on the drive to Tiger Leaping Gorge which is one of the deepest canyons in the world. Wedged tightly between titanic cliffs, the Yangtze River is so narrow here, so legend tells us, that a hunted tiger made his escape to the other side of the river in a single bound. The drive will take around 2 hours through some truly dramatic scenery, finishing at today's starting point at an altitude of 1790m. For those wanting to include a trek, the starting point is at Tina's Guesthouse, from where a rocky, uneven path ascends steeply through shrubland for around an hour. Continue along the higher path which ascends fairly gently for around 2 hours until reaching the Halfway House Guesthouse, where you will stop for lunch. This high path offers some exhilarating views of the Gorge and imposing mountains, but extreme care is required as there are vertical drop offs and no handrails. After a well-deserved lunch, descend along a paved road for around 45 minutes until reaching the main road where you meet your driver. Continue to the lower section of the Gorge where you have the option of descending to the viewing platforms beside the water. It is recommended to visit these viewing platforms after the trek when the crowds have left. Continue by road back to Lijiang, arriving at your hotel early this evening. Please note that this is a challenging trek at high altitude, with slippery and rough terrain in places, and is only suitable for those who are fit and healthy. Decent footwear is essential, and the trek may be cancelled in wet weather. This trek is not recommended for anyone suffering from vertigo.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Bruce Chalet (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Road journey to Shaxi, with trek from Shibaoshan Rock Carvings: After breakfast, set off towards the village of Shaxi nestled deep in the Himalayan foothills, and home to the Bai and Yi minority peoples. Shortly before the village ascend the pine forested hills to the Stone Treasure Mountain Grottoes of Shibaoshan. Here, you will see some fine examples of 9th century Bai / Buddhist carvings depicting life in the region at the time, and enjoy commanding views of the surrounding peaks dotted with temples. After viewing the carvings trek along a firm footpath through pine forests and descend into the lush scenery of the Shaxi Valley, passing more rock carvings along the way. This easy trek takes around 2 hours in total, and includes many steps on the descent.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Old Theatre Inn (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Day at leisure in Shaxi: Today is free to relax and explore in and around the flat agricultural land of the Shaxi Valley. There is an excellent map available from most hotels showing a network of cycling, trekking and horse riding routes to explore local villages and other places of interest. Bicycles are available to hire in several outlets in the old town at a cost of around £2-4 per day.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Old Theatre Inn (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Road journey from Shaxi to Dali: This morning, you will be driven to Dali a journey of approximately 3 hours. En route stop at several typical Bai towns where the houses are decorated with woodcarvings, coloured patterns, marbles and wash drawings. Before arriving at Dali take a boat trip on Erhai Lake, with a magnificent setting fringed by mountains and ancient temples.

Afternoon tour of Dali: Dali is home to the Bai people, a colourfully dressed minority influenced by the Chinese, Tibetans and Indians. Throughout the town you will see typical houses of the Bais with stone walls and dark blue tile roofs. Visit the Three Pagodas, made of bricks, built a thousand years ago and coated with white mud, housing a shrine with a Buddha statue and lotus flowers. Continue to the ancient town, dating from 1382 AD when it was founded as the capital of the Dali kingdom. The original city wall was 8m in height and 6km in length with four gates in the east, west, south and north. The layout of the ancient city resembles a chessboard.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Landscape Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Private transfer: This afternoon, transfer to the railway station for the train to Kunming.

High-speed train: Depart from Dali on train D3844 to Kunming. The train departs at 10.00 and arrives at 12.15.

Private transfer: Upon arrival in Kunming, you will be met by your local guide and taken to the New Era Hotel Kunming for a two-night stay.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the New Era Hotel Kunming (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Full day tour of the Stone Forest and the Golden Temple: Located in Shilin Yi Nationality Autonomous County, the forest is a special type of limestone formation known as karst. Some 270 million years ago the area was submerged in a lake and a thick layer of limestone deposited on the bottom. The movement of the earth's crust caused the sea bottom to thrust upward and become land, and through weathering and erosion over eons, the stone was formed into pillars. These bizarre stone formations reach up to 30 metres tall and cover a large area stretching into the distance. After time to explore the Stone Forest, you will return to Kunming and there will be a visit to Kunming's famous Golden Temple, a unique Taoist temple set in the grounds of a charming park.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the New Era Hotel Kunming (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Private transfer: After breakfast today, you will be picked up from your hotel and transferred to the railway station in time to board the high speed train to Kaili.

High-speed train: Depart from Kunming on train G3198 to Kaili. The train departs at 09.44 and arrives at 12.49.

Private transfer: Upon arrival in Kaili, you will be met by your local guide and taken to the Jinguan Hotel for an overnight stay.

Guided tour of villages & Kaili Nationality Museum: This afternoon, visit a couple of nearby villages to see some of the hill tribe minority people and the Kaili Nationality Museum located in the Miao village at Shanglangde, 17 miles to the southeast of Kaili. It has been classified as one of the "100 most distinctive Museums of China" and visitors can get a glimpse into the culture and history of the Miao people with displays on bronze drum dances, Fengyu Bridge, Baoye Bridge, beauty cushions, wine songs, ox & fish culture and local festivals. In addition, the museum owns a large collection of artefacts from different ethnic groups. After time to look around the museum you will be transferred back to your hotel in Kaili. Later, dinner will be taken in a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Jinguan Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Road journey from Kaili to Rongjiang via hill tribe villages: Today, you will set off on the drive to Rongjiang passing several minority villages with possible visits to local markets. The road is currently being paved and these improvements could mean it will take around 6 hours to cover the journey. Your first stop will be at the Langde Long Skirt Miao Village which is well known for its traditional handicraft making. Lunch will be taken at a local restaurant before stopping at Datang, a short skirt Miao tribe village, and Paika Miao Village which is famous for another local product - the lusheng. The lusheng is a traditional musical instrument, with multiple bamboo pipes, each fitted with a free reed, which are fitted into a long blowing tube made of hardwood. It usually has 5 or 6 pipes of different pitches, comes in sizes ranging from very small to several metres in length, and is used at festivals and other special occasions. On arrival in Rongjiang, you will check into your hotel and have dinner in a local restaurant.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Dongxiang Mi Hotel (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

Road journey from Rongjiang to Jiabang, with sightseeing en route: This morning, set off from your hotel on the journey to the village of Jiabang, with sightseeing en route. This is a very scenic drive, and you will have plenty of opportunities to stop for visits to different Miao villages and rice terraces along the way.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Wanlongzhuang Guesthouse (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Morning walk in the rice terraces: This morning, you will have the opportunity for a guided walk to explore the spectacular rice terraces surrounding Jiabang.

Road journey from Jiabang to Zhaoxing, with sightseeing en route: This morning, set off from Jiabang on the drive towards Zhaoxing. On the way, you will visit Basha which is a very special and old Miao ethnic village. The villagers here still practice their unique traditions which date back to the Qin Dynasty. The traditional costume of Basha men has been likened to that of the ancient samurai and they are rarely seen without a knife or a spear. They are also one of the last ethnic tribes to be allowed to carry a rifle. After a look around Basha, head in to Congjiang for lunch at a local restaurant, then continue by road to Zhaoxing, arriving in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Indigo Lodge (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Full day guided tour of Tang'an and other Dong Villages: After breakfast, you will set off to visit Tang'an Village which is a Dong village a short drive from Zhaoxing. This village has been called the first ecological museum of the Dong people and here you will learn about their customs and lifestyle. Later there will be moderate walk of around 2 hours between this and another of the Dong villages. Lunch will be taken in a local restaurant during the day. In the afternoon, return to Zhaoxing for some time at leisure.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at the Indigo Lodge (Standard Room)

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Road journey from Zhaoxing to Congjiang train station: After breakfast this morning, set off on the drive to Congjiang railway station for your high-speed train journey to Yangshuo.

High-speed train: Depart from Congjiang on train D2809 to Yangshuo. The train departs at 10.48 and arrives at 12.05.

Private transfer from railway station to hotel: On your arrival in Yangshuo, you will be met at the railway station by a private driver (no guide) and transferred to your hotel to check in. Please note that the train station is located near Xingping Ancient Town, and the journey time to your hotel is around 1 hour. If you would like a guided tour of Xingping Ancient Town en route, please let us know in advance, as there would be an additional charge to organise this.

Accommodation: Stay tonight at Yangshuo Tea Cozy (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Days at leisure in Yangshuo: These days are free at leisure to roam the Guangxi countryside independently. By far, the best way of getting around is by bike, although walks of any length are also available. Spending time on the water either on the Li itself or by bamboo raft along one its' many gullies is also a memorable way to explore. Numerous other activities are also recommended, such as a cooking class at the Yangshuo Cooking School, shopping along Yangshuo's central West Street, taking in the evening Son et Lumiere show, or arranging a trip to witness the fascinating fishing with cormorants method still practised by local fishermen.

Accommodation: Stay these nights at Yangshuo Tea Cozy (Deluxe Room)

Meals: Breakfast

Private transfer: This afternoon, you will be met at your hotel and transferred to Guilin's airport in time for your onward flight.

Flight: CA1226 Guilin - Beijing 21.40 - 00.30 (overnight)

Accommodation: Stay tonight at an Airport Hotel (transfers and hotel provided by Air China)

Meals: Breakfast