HOW THIS TRIP FEELS
Freedom · Connection
Feel free as the route leaves the main roads for the Nu River Valley and Gaoligong Mountain, then feel connected through coffee tastings, farm work, village meals and long conversations with the people who know this landscape best.
Travelers Said
Melissa Werneck (Brasil)
“CGT takes good care of all of us during the trip. I liked everything, and Shanghai was the most impressive. I didn’t know China is like this before I really came!”
James Rosenfield (America)
Our Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative tour was fantastic. The CGT team is highly professional, organized and dedicated. Very knowledgeable and showed great passion, attention to detail, and enthusiasm throughout an intense and enjoyable tour of almost two weeks!
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival in the Nu River Valley and Coffee at Lao Shuijing
Arrive at Baoshan, Mangshi or Tengchong Airport, or at Baoshan Train Station, where your driver and guide will meet you for a private transfer to Lujiangba in the subtropical Nu River Valley. The journey takes approximately one to two hours, depending on your arrival point and road conditions.
After settling into Lujiangba Town, join the estate owner in Lao Shuijing Village for a hand-poured coffee tasting. This is not a café stop in a city centre; it is an introduction to coffee within the landscape that produces it, with time to talk about local beans, growing conditions and the people behind the cup.
Later, visit Zuoyuan, described in the current itinerary as Lujiangba’s largest coffee-processing facility. See the transition from freshly harvested coffee cherries to processed beans, and learn why processing choices shape the final flavour profile.
Day 2: Coffee History, Village Restoration and a 1,700-Metre Plantation Walk
Begin at the Beaton Coffee Cultural Center, where you will learn about coffee cultivation in the area and the development of Yunnan Arabica. Continue to APEXONE, a village restoration project located near older trade routes connected with the wider Southern Silk Road landscape.
In the afternoon, walk to a boutique agroforestry coffee plantation at approximately 1,700 metres on Mount Gaoligong. The route introduces the higher, cooler growing environment behind the coffee you tasted on Day 1, with trees, shade cover and mountain terrain all part of the farm’s character.
Share a mountain lunch with local coffee farmers. Depending on the season, you may join in activities such as picking coffee cherries or spreading beans for sun-drying. These activities follow the agricultural calendar and should not be guaranteed outside the relevant harvest or processing periods.
Day 3: Departure or Continue into Gaoligong Mountain
Option A: Departure
Morning private transfer to Baoshan/Mangshi/Tengchong Airport or Baoshan Train Station for departure.
Option B: Begin the 5-Day Gaoligong Mountain Hiking Extension
Drive for approximately one hour to Baihualing, stopping at the Double Rainbow Iron-Chain Bridge across the Nu River. Continue on a 7 km loop trek through tropical rainforest, with an estimated walking time of around three hours.
The route includes forest paths, waterfalls, old stone sections and hot springs. Local guides should set the pace according to trail conditions and the group’s fitness level.
Day 4: Off-Road Access and the Southern Silk Road Trail
Travel from Bawan toward Xiangbozi, also known as Elephant’s Neck Old Village. Depending on conditions and your chosen route, this section is completed by off-road vehicle in approximately 40 minutes or on foot in around three hours over roughly 9 km.
Stop for a rustic lunch in or near the old village before joining the afternoon trek along a section of the Southern Silk Road toward Dahaoping. The walk covers approximately 10 km and takes around three hours, passing old beacon-tower remains, former horse lodges and forest habitat associated with gibbons.
This is the most active day of the extension, so it should be described clearly for guests who are deciding between the 3-day coffee journey and the 5-day hiking route.
Day 5: Departure
After breakfast, take a private transfer to Baoshan, Mangshi or Tengchong Airport, or to Baoshan Train Station, for your onward journey.
Day 6:
| Program Option | Duration | Route Focus | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yunnan Coffee Journey | 3 days / 2 nights | Lujiangba coffee culture, estate tasting, coffee processing, a 1,700-metre plantation walk and a mountain lunch with local coffee growers | US$840 |
| Yunnan Coffee & Gaoligong Hiking Extension | 5 days / 4 nights | Includes the 3-day coffee journey, plus Baihualing rainforest walking, the Nu River iron-chain bridge, village stays and a Southern Silk Road trek | US$1,400 |
The price per person may vary based on group size. For group rates and booking details, contact us at our trip planning form.
What is included
- Transfers: Private vehicle for all transfers
- Accommodation: 2–4 nights in comfortable local hotels and authentic village homestays (based on chosen duration).
- Meals: Meals as specified in the itinerary, including local mountain lunches and meals shared with coffee-growing communities.
- Coffee Experiences: All estate visits, coffee tastings, processing tours, and seasonal farm activities.
- Guides & Support: Professional English-speaking guide and local mountain host.
What is not included
- Flights/Trains: Flights or train tickets to/from Baoshan, Tengchong, or Mangshi.
- Personal Expenses: Personal purchases (coffee beans, souvenirs)
- Gratuities: Tips for guides and drivers (optional).
- Single Supplement: Extra charge for single room occupancy.
