1
Trending / Asia / 8-14 Days
A Different New Year – Explore Ethnic Traditions in Yunnan
Celebrate Christmas and New Year in the warm tropics of Southern Yunnan, where ancient tea mountains, lush rainforests and authentic village life create a festive escape unlike any other.
Experience Overview
12 days
7 Places
41 Activitys
Welcome the New Year on a journey through one of China’s most colorful regions! Set near the borders of Laos and Myanmar, Xishuangbanna is a culturally diverse tropical region where communities such as the Dai, Akha and Bulang have preserved distinct languages, customs and deep connections to the land. Explore ancient tea forests on UNESCO-listed Jingmai Mountain, discover Pu’er’s tea and coffee culture, and celebrate with Akha villagers through food, music and dance. Along the way, try traditional crafts, walk through tropical rainforest and relax in hot springs and peaceful retreats. It is a well-paced mix of culture, nature and genuine local connection.
Why travelers love it
This is not the kind of trip where you follow a flag from one crowded attraction to the next. You will share meals in mountain villages, make tea with local hosts and ring in the New Year far from the usual party scene. It is immersive without being exhausting, adventurous without roughing it, and full of stories you are unlikely to hear from everyone else’s holiday photos.
Itinerary
1
Day 1
Arrive in Jinghong
Jinghong, Yunnan, China
2
Later, meet your fellow travellers and your guide before setting out together for a leisurely stroll along the Mekong River, where tropical scenery and the relaxed pace of Southern Yunnan offer the perfect introduction to the journey.
3
Gather for a welcome dinner featuring authentic Dai cuisine, then explore the vibrant Gaozhuang Night Market, where colourful handicrafts, local snacks and lively riverside atmosphere provide a memorable first taste of Xishuangbanna.
2
Day 2
Jinghong-Pu'er
Pu'er, Yunnan, China
1
Depart Jinghong and enjoy a scenic drive to Pu'er, a laid-back city renowned as both the birthplace of world-famous Pu'er tea and China's coffee capital.
2
Visit a boutique coffee plantation to discover how coffee is grown, harvested and roasted before enjoying a freshly brewed cup overlooking the rolling hills. Here, you'll experience the region's flourishing coffee culture, shaped by the same unique climate that has nurtured its ancient tea traditions for centuries.
3
Enjoy a traditional local lunch featuring seasonal ingredients.
4
Spend the afternoon at Sun River National Park, one of China's finest tropical rainforest wildlife reserves. Wander through lush rainforest while encountering animals at remarkably close range, including playful red pandas, rhinoceroses, giraffes, capybaras and many other rescued species.
3
Day 3
Pu'er-Jingmai Mountain
Jingmai Mountain, Yunnan, China
1
Enjoy a scenic drive to Jingmai Mountain, home to the world's first UNESCO World Heritage-listed tea cultural landscape. Here, centuries-old tea trees thrive beneath native rainforest canopies, creating a living landscape where nature and tea cultivation have coexisted for over a thousand years.
2
Enjoy lunch overlooking the rolling tea-covered hills.
3
