Should I take a direct flight or combine road to Lijiang?

Depending on your needs, you can choose a direct flight to Lijiang or a combination of air and road.

Answering reader Tu Anh's question about the newly opened direct flight from Hanoi to Lijiang, a representative of Vietravel Tourism Company said that current direct and combined flights have their own advantages and disadvantages. Depending on the needs, time and economic conditions, tourists can choose the appropriate flight.

Lijiang is one of the most famous ancient towns in China, ranked as a World Cultural Heritage. Lijiang is beautiful in every season, but the most attractive and appealing season is autumn (from September to November) when the whole space is covered with yellow and red colors of ginkgo and maple trees.

Lijiang Ancient Town (Yunnan Province, China). Photo: Wikipedia — Lijiang Ancient Town (Yunnan Province, China). Photo: *Wikipedia*

Currently, the Kunming - Lijiang - Shangrila tour product exploited by travel companies has two routes: China Eastern Airlines (long-standing) and Bamboo Airways (newly exploited since July 30). Package tour programs flying with these two airlines are popular for 5 days 4 nights or 6 days 5 nights.

According to Mr. Pham Van Bay, Deputy Director of Vietravel Hanoi, China Eastern Airlines and Bamboo Airways flight products have many differences in both itinerary and visa application procedures. Customers should research carefully to choose a tour that suits their needs.

Accordingly, China Eastern Airlines flight products of Vietravel as well as many other travel companies fly from Hanoi to Kunming, then travel by high-speed train to Lijiang. With this journey, tourists will experience more famous and ancient landmarks of Kunming and the ancient city of Dali, the destination in the movie "Going where the wind blows" with two actors Liu Yifei and Li Xian.

In addition, the visa procedure when participating in this program is convenient and economical. Visitors only need to provide a personal photo and a passport photo to apply for a group visa, at a cost of about 30-35 USD per person. This is a flight route with regular departures.

With Bamboo Airways' direct flight from Hanoi to Lijiang, which has just been operating since August, the 5-day, 4-night itinerary will focus on visiting Lijiang and Shangrila, suitable for those who want to go on a tour with few attractions. This program requires visitors to apply for a visa directly on their passport, the procedure is more complicated, and they need to prepare an original passport with a validity of 6 months, an information form, a notarized copy of their ID card, and a household registration book... The cost of a visa is also about 100 to 150 USD per person.

The cost for a direct flight tour will be 2 to 3 million VND more expensive.

Reference prices for tours of travel companies to Lijiang:

Vietravel: flight tour Ho Chi Minh City - Kunming - Lijiang - Shangrila (6 days) all-inclusive 19,990,000 VND, flight tour Hanoi - Kunming - Lijiang - Shangrila (5 days) all-inclusive 17,900,000 VND.

Flamingo Redtours: road tour Hekou - Kunming - Dali - Lijiang (5 days) all-inclusive 13,990,000 VND; air tour Hanoi - Kunming - Dali - Lijiang (6 days) all-inclusive 16,990,000 VND.

Best Buy: Hanoi - Kunming - Lijiang - Shangrila (5 days) all-inclusive package 18,990,000 VND.

Tam Anh

Source link