Code:	TQ 08
Routes:	Vientiane - Luang Prabang - Pak Ou - Oudomxay via Pak Ou - Oudomxay - Muang Sing - Mentla - Jinghong - Kunming - Lijiang
Duration:	12 Days

Itinerary in brief

Day 1   : Arrival - Vientiane
Day 2   : Vientiane - Luang Prabang
Day 3   : Luang Prabang - Pak Ou
Day 4   : Luang Prabang - Oudomxay via Pak Ou cave
Day 5   : Oudomxay - Muang Sing
Day 6   : Muang Sing - Mengla
Day 7   : Mengla - Jinghong
Day 8   : Jinghong - Kunming
Day 9   : Kunming - Stone Forest
Day 10 : Kunming - Lijiang
Day 11 : Lijiang
Day 12 : Lijiang - Kunming - Departure

Detail Itinerary

Day 1 : Arrival - Vientiane (Lunch, Dinner*)
Arrive Vientiane at Wattay Airport/Friendship Bridge. Transfer to the Lao Plaza Hotel. Lunch at the hotel. p.m. Visit Wat Sisaket, Hophrakeo, Patousay and That Luang Stupa. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 2 : Vientiane - Luang Prabang (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, excursion by car to visit Buddha Park. On the way, stopover to visit cultural Ethnic Park and Friendship Bridge. Lunch at the hotel and transfer to the Airport for departure to Luang Prabang. Arrive Luang Prabang, transfer to the Villa Santi Hotel or similar. p.m. Visit Wat Visoun, Wat Aham, Wat Phousay hill for overlooking the city and Wat Mai. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 3 : Luang Prabang - Pak Ou (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, excursion by car to Kuangsi waterfalls, on the way stop over to visit Ban Xom a traditional Lao village on the way to Kuangsi waterfalls,visit to a Kmou village ,Ban Thapene.Return to Luang Prabang, Lunch, visit of the former Royal Palace , visit Wat Xiengthong with its beautifull sixteen century wooden architecture and its exceptional colletion bronze Buddha images dating from sixteen and seventeen centuries .

Day 4 : Luang Prabang - Oudomxay via Pak Ou cave (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, excursion to Oudomxay , on the way visit to Ban Xang Hai which produce wine rice with traditional process . in this village few years ago , an archaeologic survey had discovered a very old human settlement with lithic industry and the remains of Lao village with a very nice pottery dating from fifteen century had been also unearthed .Proceed to pier for a short cruise(around 1 hr) on Mekong River , visit to sacred PaK Ou caves where are enshrined since sixteen century thousand of wooden Buddha images .Continue by car to Ban Pak Mong, Lunch at local restaurant . Dinner and accommodation.

Day 5 : Oudomxay - Muang Sing (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, visit local market, drive to Muang Sing via Luang Namtha. On the way stopover to visit Taidam (Black Tai) village famous for its weaving and Iko minority village at Ban Lakkhammai. Lunch in Luang Namtha. Arrive Muang Sing at late afternoon, transfer to the Muang Sing Guesthouse. Dinner and accommodation at a guesthouse.

Day 6 : Muang Sing - Mengla (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, visit local market where colourful minority people coming to sell their products. Drive to Boten (Lao-China border checkpoint) for check out to Mengla. Lunch at Boten. Continue to drive to Mengla. Dinner and accommodation at the Hotel in Mengla.

Day 7 : Mengla - Jinghong (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, drive for 176 kms through a marvellously rich and fecund area, holding one quarter of China's faunal species and one sixth of its plants. On the way stopover at Hani village and at typical Dai market, the Dai being one of Yunnan's major minority. In Xiaomenglun, you will also visit the tropical center, one of the richest botanical concentration in the world. Arrive Jinghong. Dinner and accommodation at the Tai Garden Hotel.

Day 8 : Jinghong - Kunming (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Kunming. Arrive Kunming and check in at the Horizon Jianguo Hotel. Lunch at local restaurant. After lunch, drive to the Western Hill and take the chair lift for a ride up to the hill, a very quiet journey through beautiful scenery overlooking the Diashi Lake at 2,200 meters above sea level, a path winds down to famous "Dragon Gates". Dinner and accommodation.

Day 9 : Kunming - Stone Forest (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, 98 kms drive to one China's most remarkable nature phenomena, the Stone Forest. It consists of 80 hectares of innumerable bizarre shaped ancient limestone cliffs and peaks created by wind a water erosion some 270 million years ago. The Stone Forest is the home of the Sani minority. Lunch at the Stone Forest restaurant. In the afternoon, return to Kunming, visit a jade factory and an ostrich farm. Dinner at a local restaurant. Accommodation.

Day 10 : Kunming - Lijiang (B, L, D*)
Breakfast, transfer to the airport for flight to Lijiang. Sightseeing of the Old Town of Lijiang which is regarded as the "Oriental Venice", unsophisticated and picturesque. Visit the Yuquan (Jade Fountain) Park also called "The Black Dragon Pond" renowned for its over 500 kinds of flowers and various famous pavilions, such as Longshen Pavilion, Deyue Pavilion and Wufeng or Fayon Pavilion. Take cable car ride up the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, the much famed mountain with thirteen peaks resembling Jade Pillars. The broad pastures on the mountain sides present a splendid view. Lunch and dinner at a local restaurant. Accommodation at the Guanfang Hotel.

Day 11 : Lijiang (B, L, D*)
Breakfast. Drive 94 kms (2 hrs) to the world-famous Grand Canyon Tiger Leaping Gorge which is one of the deepest canyons of the world. After lunch, continue (64 km - 1 hr) to Shigu, to visit the miraculous First Bend of the Yangtze River. Dinner and accommodation.

Day 12 : Lijiang - Kunming - Departure (B*)
Breakfast. Transfer to the airport for flight to Kunming. Arrive Kunming, connecting departure flight to next destination.

*B : Breakfast, L : Lunch, D : Dinner