Tour Description

Yunnan 14-Day Bike Tour
Kunming, Dali, Shangri-La (Zhongdian), Lijiang, and Lugu Lake

Dates: Sunday, July 03 to Satureday, July 16, 2011
Contact us with the dates that work for you.

Joyce, Barry and Danny in Dali

Yunnan 14-Day Bike Tour
Kunming, Dali, Shangri-La (Zhongdian), Lijiang, and Lugu Lake

Dates:Sunday, July 03 to Satureday, July 16, 2011
Contact us with the dates that work for you.

This 14-day bicycle tour begins and ends in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province known as the "Spring City" and the gateway to China's largest concentration of ethnic minorities. This tour is designed as a relatively easy-going ride. Average daily cycling mileage will be about 24 miles (39 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 daily use items while the support vehicle carries the rest of the luggage. 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 Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the deepest and most dramatic gorges in the world.

e following day we will spend the day hiking in this magnificent gorge and view the raw power of the Yangzi as it plunge through the narrowest points in the river. 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. The group will spend the night here is simple lodgings.

Continuing northwest the group will cycle to Baishuitai where some amazing limestone terraces grace the side of the mountains.

On the following day there is a scenic and challenging section that leads to Shangri-La (Zhongdian) as the road crosses four passes.

Shangri-La (Zhongdian) is a predominately Tibetan town and we will visit the Songzanlin Tibetan Monastery and some hot springs.

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

Next the group will head to the northern border of Yunnan for several days and visit the Lugu Lake, another Tibetan area. Afterwards, we will return to Kunming via air concluding the bike tour.

A travelogue and photos covering portions of the route:

Cycling Yunnan Province with BikeChina Adventures
Weiss Yunnan Bike Trip
Photos from the Grand Tour of Southwest China
Even More Yunnan Photos

Itinerary

Day	Location	Cycling Distance Miles/KM	Total Distance Miles/KM	YUNNAN PROVINCE
1	Kunming	18/30	18/30	Meet group members/Brief City Tour - Yuantong Temple, East and West Pagodas, and Cuihu City Park
2	Dali	12/20	12/20	Fly to Xiaguan, transport to Old Dali, Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Temple
3	Dali	24/40	24/40	Erhai Lake area, Jinsuo Island, Laotai Temple, Haidong Village
4	Jianchuan	30/50	73/120	Shapin village market
5	Tiger Leaping Gorge	30/50	118/72	Jinhuashan Precipice Bas-relief Grottos and the view First Bend of the Yangzi River on the way to Tiger Leaping Gorge
6	Tiger Leaping Gorge	0/	0/0	Spend the day hiking in this magnificent gorge and get an up close look at the power of the Yangzi River
7	Baishuitai	24/40	46/75	Visit the amazing Limestone Terraces
8	Shangri-La (Zhongdian)	30/50	65/107	A scenic and challenging ride to Zhongdian
9	Shangri-La (Zhongdian)	12/20	12/20	Visit the giant prayer wheel and old monastery
10	Lijiang	50/80	125/205	A long downhill ride on the way to Lijiang
11	Lijiang	12/20	12/20	Old town, Baisha Frescoes and the Naxi Orchastra
12	Lake Lugu	10/16	165/270	Liwubi Island
13	Lake Lugu	12/20	12/20	Yongning Monastery
14	Kunming	0/0	185/303	Fly to Kunming. End of trip.
	Total Distance	287/470	816/1338

Details

Dates: Sunday, July 03 to Satureday, July 16, 2011
Contact us with the dates that work for you.

Start location: Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

Finish location: Kunming, Yunnan Province, China

Tour type: Support vehicle will be provided - riders carry one their own daily-use gear.

Geographical location: Southwest China Elevation range: 6,250 feet (1,900 meters) to 11,500 feet (3,350 meters)

Climate: The best weather for touring is in the spring and fall.

Terrain: Flat, rolling and mountainous

Cycling tour level: Easy - support vehicle will assist when needed

Total cycling distance: Approximately 287 miles (470 km): Average distance per ride day: 24 miles (39 km) Cycling will be supplemented with vehicle transport on most days to reach the next point of interest

Days: 14

Climate: The best weather for touring is in the spring and fall. Chance of rain. For historic weather conditions, click on the link below.

Group size: 1 - 8

Rental bike: US$0 (included)

Accommodations will be basic Chinese hotels generally of the 1-3 star variety. A few times it may be necessary to use a 0-star hotel.

The prices are for double occupancy rooms, and will vary depending on the number of people who participate.

Private room supplement: US$250

This tour is limited to no more than eight people. This will permit more flexibility in the program and allow more spontaneity for taking photos or exploring villages along the way.

Prices include the following:

1. Bilingual bike tour guide to accompany the group throughout the tour.
2. All hotel accommodations for 14 nights.
3. Meals eaten as group (private meals, snacks and alcoholic beverages are not included).
4. All group transportation costs (two internal flights Kunming-Dali and Lijiang-Kunming, buses, boats, and taxis).
5. All group entrance fees.
6. A support vehicle for transport of gear (and cyclists when needed).
7. A rental bike, helmet, gloves, handlebar bag, and cyclometer.

This will be a vehicle-supported ride. This means that a dedicated vehicle will carry luggage and cyclists (when necessary) throughout the trip.

If you decide to do something on your own, you will be responsible for those costs.

Cost: Prices depend on the total number of people going on the tour and the time of year. Below are the price per person (pp) and quoted in US dollars (US$) for non-holiday periods*:

Group size:
1 person: $4,290
2 people: $3,180pp
3 people $2,530pp
4-8 people $1,950pp<<-- Price per person with next registrant

Current registrations:

There are three persons registered as of

An announcement of the cost of the tour will be made to the group 45-days prior to the start based on the number of registered members.

A deposit of $500 per person is required. This is fully refundable up to 45 days prior to the start of the tour. Submission of a deposit will guarantee your place on the tour. Balance is due at the beginning of the tour.

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For general ride information that applies to all rides, please visit out FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) and the General Info page.

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