Enjoy early springtime in one of the most beautiful places in China.  This tour will begin in Kunming – known for it’s beauty and subtropical environment.  From Kunming we will travel south towards the border with Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam.  On the way you will get a chance to explore the colourful cultures of several Chinese minority groups and of course the awe inspiring scenery.  If you have an adventurous spirit and enjoy experiencing cultures very different from your own this is a trip that you will love.

This trip follows a somewhat different format than the usual club tours.  First, it is an all-inclusive tour.  The base price includes all meals, all accommodations, even a rental bicycle and domestic airfare.  Your only additional costs are for alcohol and souvenirs.  Second, this is a fully supported tour.  Our tour contractor will provide van support for all riders.  This allow you to challenge yourself with a difficult day knowing that the van is there for you should the challenge prove too much.  This tour will visit both well-known and little-known sights and will appeal to those who have cultural, social and geographical interests.

Overview of the Route

This 18-day bicycle tour begins and ends in Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province known as the “Spring City” and the gateway to China’s largest concentration of ethnic minorities.

Upon arrival in Kunming, the tour leader will meet you at the airport for transfer to the hotel. Once everyone has arrived and settled in we’ll meet for our first group dinner. The next morning we’ll have a tour orientation, bicycle fitting, followed by a bike tour of Kunming, still leaving time for everyone to explore on their own before dinner. The morning of the second full day we’ll ride on small country roads to visit the Stone Forest scenic area. After spending the night in the village adjacent to the forest, we’ll continue eastward to catch a glimpse of the vast fields of rapeseed in bloom. Just so happens we’ll be arriving at the perfect season.

After three pretty light riding days at the beginning we start to push it a bit as we head back southwest through the Honghe region south of Kunming. This region is rich with ethnic minorities, including Yi and Hani, not to mention endless small, rural villages and towns. We’ll get a good 300km taste of Honghe in just four days to finally bring us to Yuanyang. There we’ll have our first full rest day where we can explore the rice terraces cut out of the rolling, mountainous landscape. Early spring is the perfect time of year to see all the rice terraces flooded with water and catch the reflecting sun. If we’re lucky with weather we may even catch a glimpse the cloud sea from above, a feature so common in this province its where Yunnan gets its name ( yún = cloud; nán = south).

Good and rested, we’ll begin to head further southwest into a more subtropical climate as we head toward the infamous Pu’er region. For four more days we’ll cycle some 350km over undulating terrain, leaving the Red River valley and heading into Xishuangbanna. Xishuangbanna is known for its tropical climate and lush rainforests, the region is teeming with wildlife, rare plants, and historical and cultural significance. Located along the ancient tea and horse road, Pu’er is most notably famous for it’s “living tea”, a tea that goes through a special microbial fermentation and oxidation process after the leaves have been dried and rolled.

Our final three days in the saddle will bring us by increasingly tropical regions, mango and pineapple plantation, not to mention lots and lots of bananas. Home to the Dai minority, Xishuangbanna is Yunnan’s southern most prefecture, boarding Myanmar, Laos, and Vietnam.

The following morning we will return to Kunming via air concluding the bike tour. From Kunming you are free to book the next leg of your journey or return flight home

Route Map

All accommodations will be in 3-star hotels and above.  All hotels will have western style toilets.  Non-western style toilets (squat toilets) can be expected on the road.

Food will include the best available en route. Most of the time this will be delicious local meals including Chinese fried dishes with rice, noodles with various toppings, fruit and vegetables, and various snacks as available. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated, however please notify the ride coordinator of any restrictions prior to the ride.

Water will be purchased while on the road and be stored in the support vehicle.

Over 16 riding days we will cover ~1200 kilometres or an average of ~75 kilometres per day with an average of elevation gain of ~850 meters per day.  65% to 70% of the trip will be on roads with shoulders.  Up to 10% may be on unpaved roads.  

If for any reason you are unable to ride on a given day (or portion of), the itinerary will not be delayed. You may not proceed at your own pace. A support vehicle will be available which you are obligated to make use of.  

• All transport, including airport pick-up and transfers
• Domestic airfare (return flight to Kunming)
• 18 full days cycle touring (including 2 rest days)
• Rental touring bicycle, helmet, bicycle mounted day bag
• Spare tires and/or parts for your bike
• Private vehicle and driver, plus an excellent bilingual guide/mechanic
• All meals, snacks, and bottled water
• All accommodation (19 nights) based on double occupancy
• All activities and entrance fees (per the itinerary)
• 2% of the tour contractor charges are levied by the club to cover credit card processing fees.  These are the only fees retained by the club, everything else goes directly to the tour contractor.

• International airfare
• Medical, travel, and trip interruption insurance
• Passport and visa fees
• Activities not included on the trip itinerary
• Alcoholic beverages
• Souvenirs, laundry, items of a personal nature
• Energy bars & gels, electrolyte mixes, and other commercial sources of high energy

• Day 0: ARRIVE in Kunming, Yunnan Province
• Day 1-2: Shilin (Stone Forest), 65km.
• Day 3-4: Luoping, 140km
• Day 5-8: Yuanyang, 355km
• Day 9: Panzhihua, 1650m elev. REST DAY
• Day 10-11: Daheishan, 190km
• Day 12-13: Kangping, 125km
• Day 14-15: Pu’er, 80km; REST DAY
• Day 16: Dadugang, 1380m elev. 80km
• Day 17-18: Xishuangbanna (Jinghong), 240km
• Day 19: Return flight to Kunming; end of tour

The above itinerary is not final.  Daily routes including elevation profiles will be provided prior to departure.  Several days have optional extensions for those desiring more of a challenge.  All days can be shortened by taking the van.

The registration process will follow the recently amended CCCTS system.  Registration will take place on the CCCTS website (not Karelo) at the date and time noted above, with a $50 deposit.  A computer-generated lottery system will be used to assist in the selection of riders in the event that the ride is oversubscribed, (not the time based previous system).  The lottery signup will run for 3 days, after which time a waitlist is automatically generated and the ride coordinator will review the results.  The ride coordinator may select up to 30% of the participants outside of the lottery system.

The fitness and riding experience of registrants will be considered in terms of suitability for the tour.  For registrants whose riding skills are not known to the ride coordinator, he will contact the registrant or others who know them to verify their suitability and may require completion of a qualifying ride. The ride coordinator will contact those who have been selected and direct them to make the second payment on the website within approximately 1 week from the close of the lottery.

Payments are fully refundable until you have been accepted for the ride.  Payments are also refundable if a suitable replacement can be found.  Other cancellations are subject to the cancellation policy of the tour contractor.

If you wish to bring your own bike your are entitled to a $180 discount.  Please advise the ride coordinator prior to the final payment if you plan to bring your own bike.

Payment Schedule:   

1. $50 on registration, April 10-13, 2018.
2. Second Instalment: $2000, April 23, 2018     
3. Final Instalment: $1724, November 19, 2018 

Optional charges:

1. Single room supplement (due with final instalment): $360
2. Bring your own bike rebate (deduct from final instalment): $180