Southern Yunnan: Honghe and Jianshui

Welcome to Yunnan! Step off the plane in Kunming and meet your local guide and driver in the airport arrivals hall. They’ll be ready to welcome you and have your private vehicle on standby for the drive to the Honghe Rice Terraces.

Drive to Honghe Rice Terraces

The journey from Kunming to Honghe will take around 4.5 hours.

Meals included: Dinner

Hike Through the Samaba Rice Terrace Fields

Sprawling for an astounding 1,000,000 acres (around 65 square miles) across four counties, the Honghe Hani Rice Terraces are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an extraordinary feat of agricultural engineering. Construction began over 1,300 years ago during the Ming Dynasty when farmers channelled water from the forests above to the terraced hillsides below.

Although less well-known than neighboring Yuanyang, the Samaba section is just as breathtaking. Hiking through its 4,300 steps of lush terraces, you’ll ascend to a panoramic viewpoint where the full 2,306-acre expanse unfolds before you.

The ride from Honghe to Samaba Terrace will take around 1 hour. Hiking length and difficulty are flexible.

Hike to an Ancient Hani Village

The Hani are traditionally tea growers who live in the mountains of southern and eastern Yunnan. This afternoon, follow a winding path up to one of the area’s traditional villages to learn about Hani culture and how tea cultivation is woven into daily life. The roundtrip hike will take around 3 hours.

Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner

Sunrise at the Samaba Rice Terraces

The Honghe Hani Rice Terraces have been carved from dense forest over centuries, in some places stacking 3,000 terraces between the treeline and the valley floor. Mountain-top forests capture and channel the water that irrigates the fields, supporting an integrated farming system of rice, buffalo, ducks, fish, and eels. This morning, watch the first light break across the terraces as the day’s work begins.

Drive to Jianshui

The journey from Honghe to Jianshui will take around 3 hours.

Next Stop: Jianshui

Resting in a fertile river valley in southeast Yunnan, Jianshui — historically known as Lin’an — was once a center of Confucian education. Today, it’s a captivating blend of old courtyard homes, historic temples, and a larger modern city beyond its old walls.

Meals included: breakfast and lunch

Tuanshan Village and Zhang Family Garden

Take a train ride into the countryside to Tuanshan Village, a hamlet seemingly frozen in time and protected by the World Monuments Fund. Narrow cobblestone lanes wind between black-tiled roofs and courtyard homes, many belonging to the Zhang family, who still return to honor their ancestors.

Zhu Garden and Ancient Well

Visit this grand residential garden with over 40 courtyards and meticulously trimmed bonsai trees. Covering 20,000 square meters, it offers insight into classical Chinese landscaping, once reserved for private enjoyment.

Jianshui Old Town

Stroll through streets lined with orange-tiled roofs, ancient gates, and hidden temples. Stop at one of China’s oldest Confucian temples and explore the town’s most famous residential garden.

Learn to Make Jianshui Tofu

Join a local host to see soybeans soaked overnight, ground into paste, pressed into cubes, and prepared at remarkable speed.

Jianshui Xiaodiao Performance

Enjoy this 600-year-old folk performance blending Yi lantern music with Han traditions.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

The journey from Jianshui to Mengzi will take around 1.5 hours along scenic rural roads.

“Across the Bridge” Noodles

Learn the story behind Yunnan’s most famous noodle dish and try your hand at preparing it before enjoying it for lunch.

Besezhai Train Station

Built by the French over a century ago, this historic station once handled nearly all of Yunnan’s imports and exports.

Zitao Night Market

Return to Jianshui for an evening at the lively night market, named for the region’s signature purple pottery.

Meals included: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

The journey from Jianshui to Kunming takes around 3 hours.

Dounan Flower Market (if time permits)Visit China’s largest fresh flower market to see a dazzling variety of blooms.

Your Flight Back Home

Your local guide will escort you to the airport and help you check in for your flight home.

Meals included: breakfast