DESCRIPTION:

The most daunting trade route in the world, the Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road, passes through the mightiest mountain range on Earth—the Himalayas. The Road linked the fertile emerald teas of Yunnan and Sichuan to the arid landscapes of the Tibetan Plateau, serving as a vital route for isolated tribes. Remaining a virtual mystery to the West for over a millennium, the Road, its history, and cultures are now at long last revealed in all of their stunning diversity.

Retrace portions of this historic road, sampling teas at their origin and studying the Road’s impact on ethnic minority villagers. begins in China’s deep southwest, in subtropical Xishuangbanna, the original source of all tea. Bordering Laos and Burma, the area feels less like mainland China and more like Southeast Asia, and is considered a tropical paradise to the Chinese who like to vacation here. Here, the mighty Mekong River flows through and large, impressive forests still stand.

Then head north up the Ancient Tea and Horse Caravan Road to a former trading post and one of seemingly very few Chinese villages that has retained its original feel. Quiet, with cobblestoned lanes and courtyard homes, this village is currently undergoing a restoration to preserve its historical market square, inner village, and, eventually, ready the entire  Valley for tourism. Though only a few hotels and shops currently smatter the tiny village, it is impossible that a town like this will stay this quiet for long.

Travel farther north to the city of Lijiang, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which boasts an 800-year history. Lijiang sits where the Jade River divides into three and its streams form the canals and waterways which flow along the old town streets. We end our journey in the mountainous Tibetan region of Shangri-La. Located at point where Tibet, Sichuan and Yunnan all meet, this region was recently renamed after British novelist James Hilton's Lost Horizon. Inhabited by many different ethnic groups, with Tibetans comprising the majority of the population, we will have an opportunity to experience Tibetan life, religion and cuisine.

To round out the journey, travel to Beijing, Xi’an, and Shanghai, where China’s classic imperial palaces and scenic gardens stand alongside emerging skyscrapers. Travelers will stand in Tiananmen Square, experience the Forbidden City, walk the magnificent Great Wall at Mutianyu in Beijing and witness the famed Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an. The journey ends in Shanghai, China’s bustling financial center and the “Paris of the East.”

CONSIDER:

Including a special guide along the way who was the first westerner to have ever traveled the entire 3,100-mile route end-to-end.

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS & ADD-ONS:

Shanghai.