Northern Yunnan and Eastern Tibet

Trekking Northern Yunnan

This trip is ideal for people who would like to combine a China experience focused on the Tibetan minority in Northern Yunnan with some fantastic trekking along the Tibetan pilgrim routes around Mt. Kawakarpo. Kawakarpo is at an altitude of 6740 meters not only the highest peak in the region; it is also one of the most beautiful massifs in China. In addition it is one of the most sacred mountains for Tibetan Buddhists. Yunnan is also famous for being one of the richest ecological systems world-wide, it also boasts many of China's minorities, such as Tibetans, Yi, Naxi and Mosuo.

Please click here for a detailed travel itinerary (pdf format)

Do you have a question? Use our online support system! Simply click on the "live chat" icon, fill in the required fields and choose an available operator.

Quick Introduction

Yunnan is probably one of the most visited destinations by Chinese travelers. Nevertheless, Chinese travelers mostly visit the obvious tourist attractions such as Lijiang and go on less adventurous journeys than most western travelers.

Yunnan boasts half of China's animal and plant species and is also China's most diversified province, offering more or less everything from rain forest to close to 7000 meter high peaks. With one third of China's ethnological minorities, it provides an insight into these cultures.

With its mild climate, Yunnan basically means "south of the clouds" and its capital Kunming is also known as "spring city". During this trip we take you from Kunming to Lijiang. The Old Town of Lijiang is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Here, you will visit Baisha Village, the former capital of the Naxi Kingdom. From Lijiang, we travel further northwards to China's self-proclaimed Shangri-La (Zhongdian) named after the famous novel "Lost Horizon" by James Hilton, and then on to Feilai via Deqin to start our trekking tour on the Inner Kora, which leads to the heart of Eastern Kham's Holy Mountain Kawakarpo.

On this quite demanding tour, you will trek along the Minyong Glacier, visit different Buddhist monasteries and Catholic villages, get in touch with local people and get a unique insight into the daily life of local communities. After you have paid tribute to one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in Tibet - the Holy Waterfall near Yubeng Village - you will take a bus ride through the Mekong Valley to Weixi and then back to Lijiang and Kunming to conclude this stunning trip.