Tour Duration: 1 day(s)
Group Size: 1 - 8 people
Specialty Categories: Bicycle Touring Hiking & Trekking
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No

This tour is designed as a relatively moderate ride. Average daily cycling mileage will be about 30 miles (50 km). On most days we will use vehicle transport to supplement the cycling to get us to the next destination. Riders will carry their own luggage in their bike panniers . This tour will visit both well-known and little-known sights and will appeal to those who have cultural, social and geographical interests.

On the first day, the group will meet and there will be a warm-up tour of the city where we will visit the Yuantong Temple, Cuihu (Green Lake) Park and the East/West Pagodas.

The following morning, the group will fly to Xiaguan and then get transport to Old Dali. Old Dali still has some of that small town charm and ideally located between the Cangshan Mountains and Erhai Lake. In the afternoon we will visit the Three Pagodas and Chongsheng. On the third day we will cycle half way around Erhai Lake, visiting several villages, temples and Jinsuo Island before returning to Dali via boat.

Next the group will head north to Jianchuan cycling along the old Dali-Lijiang road where numerous minorities can be seen along the road in traditional dress. In Jianchuan we will have an opportunity to visit the Jinhuashan Precipice Bas-relief Grottos.

Continuing north will we cycle along side the Yangzi River and view the First Bend (where the river makes a U-turn and heads north) on the way to Qiaotou, the gateway to Tiger Leaping Gorge (which will be visited later). The following day we will to see the Tiger Leaping Gorge. Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the deepest and most dramatic gorges in the world and is still quite wild despite the enormous efforts to tame it. We will visit the narrow spot of the gorge where it takes it name. It is a powerful spot with the whole of the Yangzi River confined to a 20- meter (70-foot) width. We will spend the night in the gorge in simple cabin-like lodgings.

The next day the group heads to Lijiang, the center of the creative Naxi minority group spending a day to explore the city and view several temples and the Baisha Frescoes.

On the eighth day, we will return to Kunming via air concluding the bike tour.

Your Itinerary

Day 1:Kunming - Meet group members/Brief City Tour - Yuantong Temple, East and West Pagodas, and Cuihu City Park(B) (L) (D)

Day 2:Dali - Fly to Xiaguan, transport to Old Dali, Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple(B) (L) (D)

Day 3:Dali - Erhai Lake area, Lanquan Temple, Jinsou Island(B) (L) (D)

Day 4:Jianchuan - Shapin village market(B) (L) (D)

Day 5:Qiaotou - Jinhuashan Precipice Bas-relief Grottos and the First Bend of the Yangzi River(B) (L) (D)

Day 6:Tiger Leaping Gorge - One of the world's deepest gorges. Visit the rushing Yangtze River where the river narrows to 20 m (70 feet).(B) (L) (D)

Day 7:Lijiang - Zhiyun Temple, Old town, Baisha Frescoes(B) (L) (D)

Day 8:Kunming - Fly to Kunming. End of trip.(B) (L) (D)

Notes:

Prices include the following:

1. All hotel accommodations.
2. Meals eaten as group (private meals, snacks and alcoholic beverages are not included).
3. All group transportation costs (buses, boats, and taxis).
4. All group entrance fees.
5. Bilingual bike tour guide to accompany the group throughout the tour.