Day-By-Day Itinerary for our 2020 China Tea Trip

Day 1 (April 16) Arrive in Kunming Our local tea guide and driver will be picking up at the airport and transfer you to Kunming Jinjiang Hotel. If time permits, we will be visiting Green Lake Park, a local traditional house and drink local tea downtown.

Day 2 (April 17) Kunming / Yuxi / JianshuiWe will rise with Qi Gong (Taoist Yoga) with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will be driving to Eshan Mountain to visit high-altitude tea plantation, close to Yuxi city. We will share a special lunch in a local restaurant, to explore local dishes cooked with fresh tea leaves. In the afternoon, we will get the chance to harvest tea leaves in the plantation, taste fresh green tea, and learn the process of making bing cha (compressed tea cake). In late afternoon, we will be driving down the mountain to head to Jianshui and visit Zhu's family garden. We will then transfer to Jianshui Linan Hotel.

Day 3 (April 18) Jianshui We will rise with Qi Gong (Taoist Yoga) with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. We will then drive to visit one of the last remaining cultural village of the Qing Dynasty, home of the Yi ethnic minority. On the way, we will be visiting Double Dragon Bridge and a beautiful Confucius Temple built many centuries ago. The afternoon will be free, offering you the time to visit Jianshui Old town and the countryside area by bike. We will be staying at Jianshui Linan Hotel again that night.

Day 4 (April 19) Jianshui / Mojiang / PuerWe will rise with Qi Gong (Taoist Yoga) with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will drive to Wanyao Village, famous for its local purple pottery, to learn about the process and history of purple clay pottery. We will then drive to Mojiang to visit Bixi Old Town, an important part of the ancient historical tea horse road. We will also visit Mark Garden of the Tropical Cancer, before heading to Puer, a colorful city home of many ethnic minorities (Lahu, Hani, Wa, Yi). We will get the chance to share delicious pu'er tea, before transfering to Pu'er Tea Expo Garden Hotel.

Day 5 (April 20) Puer / JinghongWe will rise with a Qi Gong practice with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will be visiting Puer Tea Expo Garden, where we will learn the ancient tradition of harvesting and producing tea. In the afternoon, on our way to Jinghong, we will visit Dadugang tea mountain. We will then transfer to our hotel Jinghong Dai Garden.

Day 6 (April 21) Jinghong / Nanhuo Mountain / MenghaiWe will rise with a Qi Gong practice with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will visit Manting Park, a 1300 years old imperial garden of the Dai royal family. Its beautiful scenery once captured the attention of a queen of the Dai tribe, and used to be known by the name Chunyuan Park, which means "Park of Soul". We will then drive to Nannuoshan tea plantation, and hike to ancient tea trees. We will then get the chance to enjoy local tea in a tea house nearby. In the afternoon, on our way to Menghai, we will visit Jingzhen Octagonal Pavillon, and transfer to Menghai Guowei Hotel. 

Day 7 (April 22) Menghai / JingmaiWe will rise with a Qi Gong practice with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will visit Menghai local market and get to explore local people's lifestyle. We will then visit Dayi tea park, and take a horse cart to visit a part of the ancient tea horse road. In the afternoon, on our way to Jingmai Mountain, we will visit Zhanglang ancient Bulang village and Manzhao paper-maker village, famous for their ancient method of making puer cake paper. We will be staying on Jingmai mountain for the night at Jingmai Paaileng Zhuangyuan Hotel.

Day 8 (April 23) JingmaiWe will rise with a Qi Gong practice with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will be visiting the tea plantation and ethnic village of Jingmai mountain, to explore the preserved ancestral traditions and history. In the afternoon, there will be occasion to practice Tai Chi or Chi Kung with Sherab Jin. We will be staying at Jingmai Paaileng Zhuangyuan Hotel.

Day 9 (April 24) Laodabao Lahu Village / Pu'er cityWe will rise with a Qi Gong practice with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will be visiting Laodabao Lahu Village. After our time there, we start our journey back to Kunming and spend the night halfway, in Pu'er city at Puer Zhaolin Hotel. 

Day 10 (April 25) Tea Horse Road and journey back to KunmingWe will rise with a Qi Gong practice with Sherab Jin, followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we will be visiting an important scenic area part of the ancient tea horse road. You will have the occasion to take a cable car up the mountain to explore a beautiful hike through the ancient tea horse road and tea plantations.

We will be driving back to Kunming in the afternoon and stay at Kunming Jinjiang Hotel.

Departure Day (April 26) Kunming Airport

After breakfast, we will be transferring to Kunming Changshui International Airport. Our time together in Yunnan will be finishing that day.