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Huanglong’s travertine pools and the lakes of Jiuzhaigou, then Yunnan’s old towns of Dali, Shaxi and Lijiang and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
This journey starts in Chengdu and takes the high-speed train into the mountains of northern Sichuan for a day among the terraced travertine pools of Huanglong and a full day in Jiuzhaigou Valley, before an evening back in Chengdu with a Jinjiang River cruise and a face-changing show.
From Chengdu you continue by high-speed train to Yunnan: the Bai village of Xizhou and Dali Ancient Town, Shaxi on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, UNESCO-listed Lijiang, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain by cable car, with the Impression Lijiang show and a Naxi royal banquet. You stay in international-brand hotels such as Four Points by Sheraton, InterContinental and Wyndham, or similar, and end in Kunming.
Private tour. Just your own party with a private guide and vehicle, starting on any day you choose in 2027 (minimum two travellers). Travelling on a budget? The group version of this tour costs less and leaves on fixed dates.
How the price works: CAD $4,163–4,650 depending on the season per person sharing a twin or double room (land only — flights to Chengdu and home from Kunming are not included). Gratuities for your guide and driver, CAD $200 per person (CAD $20 a day), are added at checkout; the estimate on this page already includes them. The single supplement is CAD $550–750 by season.
You arrive in Chengdu by flight. You are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel for check-in. There is no sightseeing today.
Take the high-speed train from Chengdu East Railway Station to Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou Station (Songpan Station) for a full-day visit to Huanglong Scenic Area. You ride the ropeway up, take the mountain-top shuttle bus and ride the ropeway down. Huanglong is famous for its terraced, colourful calcified pools and snow-capped mountain views, and is known as the “Earth’s Golden Pools”.
After the visit, a car takes you to your hotel in Jiuzhaigou (about 2.5 hours’ drive).
Spend a full day exploring Jiuzhaigou Scenic Area by the official park shuttle bus (ticket included). You cover the core sights, including Five-Flower Lake, Arrow Bamboo Lake, Panda Lake and Pearl Shoal Waterfall. Jiuzhaigou is known for its crystal-blue lakes, multi-tiered waterfalls and old-growth forest.
Take the high-speed train from Huanglong-Jiuzhaigou Station (Songpan Station) back to Chengdu East Railway Station at the scheduled time.
In the evening, explore Kuanzhai Alleys, which preserve old Chengdu folk customs, and Chunxi Road, the city’s busy commercial centre, then take a Jinjiang River night cruise for views of the city lit up after dark. Dinner is Sichuan hot pot, with a Sichuan opera face-changing show.
After breakfast, you are transferred by bus to the high-speed railway station and travel to Kunming by high-speed train. On arrival in Kunming, you are met and transferred to your hotel for check-in.
Take the high-speed train (second class) from Kunming to Dali. Enjoy afternoon tea at a Santorini-themed spot, a popular photo location known for its blue-and-white buildings. Then visit Xizhou Ancient Town, with well-preserved traditional Bai houses, red walls, rural scenery and old turrets.
Continue to Dali Ancient Town, a grid of old streets set between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake, and finish on Foreigners’ Street in the heart of the old town, lined with book shops and independent boutiques.
You travel by car today. First stop is Shaxi Ancient Town, a well-preserved mountain town on the Ancient Tea Horse Road, with Sideng Street, its old opera stage and Yujin Bridge.
Continue to Lijiang and visit Black Dragon Pond Park, a classic garden with clear water and a view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. End the day in Lijiang Ancient Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of small bridges, canals and narrow lanes shaped by Naxi culture, and Sifang Street, the old town’s busy central square and market area.
Ride the cable car up and down Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (round trip included), the southernmost snow-capped mountain in the Northern Hemisphere and Lijiang’s landmark. Watch Impression Lijiang, an open-air show staged with the snow mountain as its backdrop, presenting Naxi folk culture.
Visit Blue Moon Valley (electric cart included), with its blue lakes and travertine terraces, and Yushuizhai Scenic Area, a sacred site of Naxi Dongba culture. Dinner is the Lijiang Royal Banquet (standard seat), a Naxi palace-style feast recreating the banquets of the Mu chieftains, with Naxi hot pot and song-and-dance performances.
Take the high-speed train (second class) from Lijiang to Kunming, with a car for the day. Visit Daguan Pavilion beside Dianchi Lake, known for its famous ancient couplet and lake views, then Kunming Old Street, with Ming- and Qing-era buildings, long-established shops and local snacks.
See the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Archway, a city landmark, and finish on Nanping Pedestrian Street, Kunming’s main shopping street.
After breakfast, you are transferred to the airport at the scheduled time for your flight.
5 hand-picked hotels over 9 nights of this itinerary. Open any property for photos, video, a full introduction and what's on site.
A new Four Points by Sheraton opened in 2025 in central Chengdu, about 600 m from Taikoo Li and 700 m from Chunxi Road, the city's busiest shopping streets.
See the hotel › 9 photos
Vast mountain resort at Ganhaizi in the Jiuzhaigou valley, famous for the glass-domed 'disappearing architecture' that encloses its atrium gardens, a short drive from the Jiuzhaigou scenic-area entrance and about 65 km from Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport. Opened 2003, renovated 2021, with 979 rooms and suites (33 to 116 sq m), four restaurants and a tea house, a 1,680 sq m hot-spring bathing centre and a theatre; no swimming pool.
See the hotel › 10 photos
A 26-floor Wyndham Garden opened in 2025 on Beijing Road, Kunming's main north–south avenue, an 8-minute walk from Linyuqiao metro station.
See the hotel › 9 photos
A lakeside resort on the shore of Erhai Lake, opened in 2020, with lake-view rooms, a spa and three restaurants. It sits outside the old town, about 11 km from Dali Airport.
See the hotel › 9 photos
A 241-room Wyndham opened in 2022 next to Lijiang Railway Station, with views toward Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The Old Town is about 7 km away, roughly 15 minutes by car.
See the hotel › 9 photosWhere a day says “or similar”, a comparable property of the same standard may be used on some departures. Room photos are representative; the room category is set by your booked package.
Your tour price covers:
The following are not covered by the tour price:
Practical guidance to help you prepare for and get the most out of this trip.
How the price is built. Per person in Canadian dollars, two travellers sharing a twin or double room. Children pay the adult price and have their own bed. Gratuities of CAD $200 per person are added at checkout. The single supplement is CAD $550–750 by season; a room cannot be shared with a stranger, so a solo traveller pays it.
Private tour. Your guide and vehicle are for your party only and you pick the start date. Every booking needs at least two travellers; if you are travelling alone, ask us.
Altitude. Huanglong and Jiuzhaigou lie at roughly 2,000–3,500 m, with Huanglong’s upper pools near 3,500 m. Walk slowly, drink plenty of water and tell us about any heart or breathing conditions before booking.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The cable car takes you to high altitude (the upper stations are well above 3,000 m, and the main glacier station is about 4,500 m). Warm layers are needed in every season.
Long travel days. Day 2 starts early with the train to Huanglong and ends with about 2.5 hours’ drive to Jiuzhaigou; Day 5 is a travel day by high-speed train from Chengdu to Kunming with no sightseeing; Day 7 is a full day by car from Dali via Shaxi to Lijiang.
Open-jaw. The tour starts in Chengdu and ends in Kunming, so book your flights into Chengdu and out of Kunming.
Dates and validity. Prices apply to departures in 2027. Dates over China’s public holidays (Spring Festival, May Day and National Day week) and major conferences are not sold at these prices — ask us for a quote. The hotels named are the usual ones; another hotel of the same standard may be used, and the order of visits can change for weather, train times or local conditions.
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Reserve online and pay the CAD $300 per-person deposit right away (unless a different amount is stated for this tour) — that secures your booking. We then confirm availability, usually within 24 hours, and update your booking status — if we cannot confirm your reservation, your deposit is refunded in full. The balance is due 30 days before departure. The deposit option applies to bookings made more than 60 days before departure — within 60 days of departure, full payment is required at booking.
Price adjustments (Travel Industry Act, 2002 — O. Reg. 26/05): increases resulting from retail sales or federal tax changes excepted, if the total price rises by more than 7% you may cancel for a full refund — and no price increase is permitted after you have paid in full.
Card details are entered directly into Moneris, Canada’s largest payment processor — your card number never reaches our servers.
Cancellation charges, from the date we receive written notice:
Once airline tickets have been issued, the air portion is non-refundable regardless of the schedule above.
Ali Travel Inc. is registered with the Travel Industry Council of Ontario as a travel retailer (#50025124) and wholesaler (#50026847) — both checkable on TICO’s public register. Ontario’s Travel Industry Compensation Fund may reimburse you if we, or an end supplier such as an airline, become insolvent and the travel is not provided.
The Fund has a per-person limit, exclusions and a claim deadline — TICO’s page sets out what it covers.
One named consultant stays with your booking from confirmation to your return — the same person for documents, seat and room requests, changes, and anything that comes up while you are away. Call (416) 560-5888 or visit any of our five stores across the Greater Toronto Area.
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Land package · plus Gratuities $200 (mandatory, per person)
CAD $4,163–$4,650 per person · double occupancy · departures 1 Jan–31 Dec 2027
Price notes
Prices shown are the land package. Gratuities $200 per person is mandatory and is added at checkout.
International flights not included — quoted from your city.
Peak dates (public holidays, summer): est. +CAD $550 per person, confirmed before you pay.
Maplelux Holidays serves travel agencies. Choose how you would like to continue.
Four Points by Sheraton Chengdu Chunxi Road opened in 2025 in Jinjiang District, right in the city's main shopping area. The hotel has 322 rooms and suites with a modern industrial look, and it is rated 5 diamonds on Trip.com. It suits a city stay where you want to step out on foot in the evening.
Rooms range from standard king and twin rooms to suites; many are named for their skyline or Chunxi Road views, and some sleep three or four. Accessible rooms are available.
There is a café, a lobby bar and a snack bar, plus room service from 10:00 to 23:30. Halal meals can be provided on site.
Taikoo Li is about 610 m away and Chunxi Road about 710 m, so the evening streets are a short walk. Tianfu Square is 1.4 km. The nearest metro station (Chengdu Second People's Hospital) is about 8 minutes on foot.
The gym is open 24 hours. Free Wi-Fi covers the public areas, there is a free guest laundry room, and English and Mandarin are spoken at the front desk.
The resort sits in a forested side valley at Ganhaizi in Zhangzha town, with snow-capped peaks all around; the Jiuzhaigou scenic-area entrance is a short drive away and Jiuzhai Huanglong Airport about 65 km. Its landmark is a steel-and-glass dome over the lobby and atrium gardens, designed so the building 'disappears' into the landscape. Opened in 2003 and renovated in 2021, it has 979 rooms and suites from 33 to 116 sq m, including Club InterContinental rooms, all with mountain or forest views and Wi-Fi.
Dining ranges from the Forest Walk restaurant and Tiantang Mabang to the Guza Tibetan-style banquet hall and Shunxing Old Teahouse; the Tianyu Spa hot-spring centre covers 1,680 sq m and there is also a grand theatre, an old Qiang village street and shops. Free parking with EV charging, paid airport and scenic-area transfers, check-out by noon. Note there is no swimming pool and the resort lies at high altitude (over 2,000 m).
Wyndham Garden Kunming Panlong opened in 2025 in the Yonghe Fu commercial centre on Beijing Road, at the corner of Linyu Road. The 26-floor building has 132 rooms and is rated 5 diamonds on Trip.com. It is a city hotel aimed at business and leisure travellers.
Rooms include city-view queen and twin rooms, triples, executive rooms with large panoramic windows, family rooms and suites. Accessible rooms are available.
The restaurant offers both buffet and à la carte service. There is also a café, a lobby bar and 24-hour room service, and halal meals can be provided.
Linyuqiao station on metro Line 1 is about 550 m, roughly 8 minutes on foot. Kunming Square is 1.7 km away and the Harmony shopping centre 1.4 km.
There is a free gym, a tea room, a garden and a children's playground. The hotel lists only Mandarin as a spoken language, so your guide is the best help with requests.
Argyle Resort Dali Yueyun opened in 2020 on Jichang Road by Erhai Lake, the large lake beside Dali. It is rated 5 diamonds on Trip.com. This is a resort stay by the water rather than an old-town hotel.
Most room types face the lake (named "sea-view" locally, as Erhai is often called a sea), including rooms with 180° and 270° views, lake-view suites and family suites. Some rooms allow smoking, so ask for non-smoking if it matters to you.
There are three restaurants: a Chinese restaurant for lunch and dinner, a lake-view restaurant serving all day from 07:00 to 21:00 with outdoor tables, and a bar for afternoon tea. Room service runs 24 hours.
The resort has a spa and massage room, a free gym, a tea room, a garden and a children's playground.
Erhai Jade Cabbage Wetland Park is 1.2 km away, Dali Passenger Transport Terminal about 5.5 km and Dali Airport 11.4 km. You will need transport to reach Dali Old Town.
Wyndham Lijiang Yulong Hotel opened in 2022 beside Lijiang high-speed railway station, facing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It has 241 rooms and is rated 5 diamonds on Trip.com. It is a quiet, modern base rather than an old-town inn.
Many rooms look toward Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, including king and twin rooms, 180° panoramic rooms, triples, family rooms and two-bedroom suites.
The all-day restaurant serves breakfast from 06:30 to 10:00. There is also a café, a bar and a lobby bar.
The hotel has a gym (10:00–20:00), a spa (extra charge), a sky garden, a tea room and a sunbathing area. The outdoor pool is seasonal and is listed as closed until 31 December 2026.
Lijiang Railway Station is 330 m away, about 5 minutes on foot. Lijiang Old Town is 7.4 km, roughly 15 minutes by car, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain about 45 minutes by car.