
Tour · 9 nights · with G Adventures
A small-group escorted tour with G Adventures tracing southwest China from Chengdu’s panda sanctuaries and Sichuan spice markets to the limestone peaks of the Li River and the colonial streets of Shanghai.
Highlights
Dujiangyan Panda Base visit
Sichuan spice market and cooking class in Chengdu
Tibetan family home visit in Shangri-La
Sunset cruise on the Li River near Yangshuo
Shanghai Circus World acrobatics show
This nine-night National Geographic Signature journey with G Adventures begins in Chengdu, where you’ll meet your Expedition Leader and dip into the heat of Sichuan cuisine at a bustling spice market and a hot pot dinner. Among the highlights is a visit to Dujiangyan Panda Base, where conservation efforts for giant pandas can be seen up close.
Journeys
The route then threads through the Tibetan highlands of Shangri-La, with a chance to sip yak butter tea in a local family’s home, and the Naxi villages around Lijiang, before descending to Yangshuo. Here, the jagged limestone peaks rise sharply beside the Li River, with a sunset cruise that offers a particular stillness rare during the day. The tour concludes in Shanghai, where the French Concession’s leafy avenues contrast with evenings at the Circus World acrobatics show.
Travelling mainly by private vehicle, plane, bullet train and boat, the trip balances the pace needed to absorb both natural sights and intangible culture, all with a maximum group of 22. Meals vary between communal banquets, cooking classes and free choices to suit the appetite and mood.
Itinerary
Chengdu
Shanghai
Lijiang
Yangshuo
These are the places the trip visits, in order. G Adventures publishes the day-by-day itinerary on its own site.
When to go
Lowest price each month, per person.
G Adventures confirms exact dates, availability and prices when you book.
Need to know
For full details of what’s included, check with G Adventures. See the full details on their site
The operator
Small-group tours around the world
Small groups, local guides and a long list of destinations, from the Galápagos to the Mekong.
You book with G Adventures directly. They confirm your place, take payment, and look after you from the moment you leave home; Atlas & Passage’s part ends when you click through.

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