Travel date 28 th February to12th March 2008

• Visit Songtsanlin Monastery during the Tibetan New Year Festival Losar
• 2 weeks trip through Northern Yunnan focusing on the Tibetan and matrilineal Naxi minority
• Destinations: Kunming , Shangri-La, Lijiang, Dali
• Ideal trip to get to know Yunnan and for people interested in Tibetan Buddhism
• Partake in the festivities of Losar Festival: a true insider's tip

This tour will lead you to the Tibetan New Year Festival in Shangri-La (Zhongdian) in Yunnan . Every year, thousands of believers and pilgrims gather at the biggest Buddhist monastery of the region to pray for good fortune. You will get to know Yunnan and partake in the Losar Festival. Starting in Kunming , you will explore the Tibetan Northern regions of Yunnan and the famous destinations Dali, Shangri-La and Lijiang. All hikes are rather easy, although we will reach an altitude of 3'500 meters and above. This trip is specially designed for people, who want to gain an insight into Northern Yunnan and Tibetan Buddhism as well as to get to know the matrilineal Naxi minority. With your visit to the Losar Festival you will have the unique opportunity to learn more about the local population's culture. You will logde at the best hotels available to ensure you have a pleasant stay during this cold time of the year. Temperatures may drop to -10° C on occasion.

Travel date: 28 th February - 12 th March 2008
Destinations: Kunming , Shangri-La (Zhongdian), Lijiang, Dali
Duration: 13 days
Starting in: Kunming
Ending in: Kunming
Group size: min. 8 pax, max. 12 pax

Itinerary
28 February 2008 Arrival Kunming : - Upon arrival, you will be picked up at the airport by our guide and transferred to an excellent hotel in the city center. After a first short sightseeing tour of the city and a visit to one of the lively local markets, you will enjoy a welcome dinner in a very nice restaurant.

01 March 2008 Kunming : - After breakfast we visit the Green Lake Park and the nearby Yuan Tong Monastery, a unique Buddhist site which unites all 3 great schools of Buddhism. We will eat Korean food for lunch in one of the many restaurants near Yunnan University offering various Asian specialties. In the afternoon we transfer to Shilin Stone Forest to explore the picturesque karst formation. We will have dinner in an upscale Chinese restaurant.

02 March 2008 Kunming: - In the morning we make an excursion to the Golden Temple “Jindian”, one of the most famous Taoist shrines in Yunnan Province also known as the Taihe Palace (Hall of Supreme Harmony), which is the largest copper temple in China. Among the interesting artifacts of the Golden Temple is a double-edged sword. Legend has it that this sword, which weighs more than 20 kilograms, is the magic sword of Zhen Wu, a Taoist deity, who guards Mingfeng Hill, on which the temple is located. In the afternoon we transfer to the Western Hills, site of a great system of temples and alleyways carved into the towering rocks by a Taoist monk. Weather permitting; you will have wonderful views over Dian Chi Lake and Kunming City and its environs. Evening at your disposal.

03 March 2008 Kunming to Shangri La (3300m): - In the morning we fly to Shangri-La, located at the southwestern margin of the Tibetan plateau. At an altitude of 3'300 meters it is also the highest county in Yunnan Province . We will explore the city and hike on the hills near the town. Overnight in an upscale hotel in the city center and a special hot-pot-dinner in a fine restaurant in the old town.

04 March 2008 Shangri La New Year Festival: - Early in the morning we go to Songtsanlin Monastery of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) School, one of the most important Buddhist centers in Yunnan , inhabited by approximately 700 monks. The Tibetan New Year Festival will take place on the 4 of March 2007. Countless believers gather at the monastery to pray for good fortune. Afterwards the statue of Maitreya (Buddha of the future) will be carried in procession around the monastery. Have dinner in a restaurant serving excellent Tibetan food. This day is the centerpiece of the visit world heritage cultural trip to the Tibetan New Year Festival the trip - a real insider's tip not many people know about so you will meet very few other tourists. Furthermore you gain an insight into the unique and fascinating culture of Tibetan Buddhism in Northern Yunnan as your guide will explain the festivities to you and describe the actual situation of Buddhism in China .

05 March 2008 Shangri La (3300mt): - We will hike to a nearby temple, beautifully located in the middle of several Tibetan villages, have lunch back at the hotel in Shangri-La, stroll through the town in the afternoon and visit a few lively local markets. Evening at your disposal.

06 March 2008 Shangri La to Lijiang (2350m): - Today we leave Shangri-La and travel to Lijiang. En route, visit the Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest gorges in the world. During the millenniums, the Yangtze River carved a gorge into the massifs of the Haba and Jade Dragon Snow Mountains, both over 5'000 m high with their glacier peaks towering over the rice terraces on the Yangtze banks. After arrival and check-in at the hotel, we will stroll through the nearby old town, which is enlisted on the UNESCO List of World Heritage Sites and attracts visitors from all over the world. In the small and winding alleyways you will find many cozy restaurants, bars and Countless shops selling local handicraft and antiquities traditional naxi-style dinner.

07 March 2008 Lijiang (2350m): - In the morning, we make an excursion up onto Lion Hill, with its beautiful views over the tiled roofs of the old town of Lijiang and its quiet surrounding park. The rest of the day is free. Take a stroll through the ancient town, go shopping or just relax near the little streams that flow through picturesque Lijiang.

08 March 2008 Lijiang (2350m): - After breakfast transfer to Yuhu, home to Austrian-American explorer Joseph Rock, who lived there from 1922 until 1949, pioneering in exploring the indigenous flora and various peoples in the Sino-Tibetan border area. From his home, we go to the Yufeng Temple and further to Baisha Village , the former capital of the Naxi Kingdom , located on the Lijiang plains, through which the Mongols led by Kublai Khan invaded the Nanzhao Kingdom and conquered the Chinese Imperial armies in the 13 th century. Baisha's old Taoist/Buddhist frescoes are some of the last of their kind in China and show a gathering of immortals and deities of both religions.

09 March 2008 Lijiang to Dali (2000m): - We drive approximately 4 hours through beautiful scenery to Dali, the former capital of the Nanzhao Kingdom, an empire that stretched from Burma to Canton and Vietnam between the 7th and 13 th century. After check-in at the hotel we explore the picturesque ancient town and have traditional Bai-style dinner (the Bai are famous all over South-West China for their culinary skills).

10 March 2008 Dali (2000m) : - In the morning we go for a boat trip on Erhai Lake and taste local seafood on the “ Golden Island ” with its almost Mediterranean flair. The rest of the day is free for Strolling through the old town and relaxing in one of Dali's famous cafes.

11 March 2008 Dali (2000m) : - In the morning excursion to the Zhonghe Temple by cable car, beautifully located on Cangshan Mountain about 500 m above Dali Old Town. Have lunch at the "Higherland Inn", only a short but steep hike away from the cable car station. Possibility for some hiking in the forests of Cangshan. Then we visit the Temple of Guanyin , the Goddess of Mercy in Chinese Buddhism, who is said to have saved the Dali Kingdom in the disguise of an old woman. Farewell dinner in an excellent Chinese restaurant.

12 March 2008 Dali to Kunming : - Transfer to the airport for your flight to Kunming for your connecting flight. End of trip.

Cost Tibetan New Year Festival (Losar) 2008
Per person in twin: EUR 1980
Single Supplement: On Request

Cost Includes

• Experienced European tour leader, English/German/Chinese-speaking
• Local leader guide for all days, English/Chinese-speaking
• Flight tickets Kunming - Shangri La, Dali - Kunming in economy class
• Airport taxes in China
• In Kunming , Shangri La and Dali accommodation in 5* hotels in double rooms as mentioned in the itinerary
• In Lijiang accommodation in 3* hotel in double rooms as mentioned in the itinerary
• Full board except on free afternoons/evenings (described as breakfast, Lunch, Dinner)
• All highway fees as mentioned in the itinerary
• Entrance fees to sightseeing spots mentioned in the itinerary
• All transfers mentioned in the itinerary
• Boat and cable car tickets in Dali

Cost excludes

• International flights to and from Kunming
• Personal expenses such as laundry, tips etc.
• Transports not mentioned in the itinerary (such as taxis in the evening, etc.)
• Alcoholic drinks and all meals not mentioned in the itinerary
• Expenses for medical care
• Insurances (travel insurance, travel cancellation insurance)
• Repatriation flights in case of emergencies