Xishuangbanna, in Yunnan's tropical south, is China's only rainforest region - a lush corner of wild elephants, ancient tea mountains, and the Dai people, whose gilded temples and villages line the Mekong. This private four-day tour takes its time, with an English-speaking guide and comfortable van, so you go beyond the usual quick loop.

Day 1: Your driver meets you at the Xishuangbanna airport or train station and transfers you to your hotel to settle in and rest.

Day 2: Spend the morning at the Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, a world-class research garden of thousands of tropical species. Continue to Wild Elephant Valley, where elevated walkways cross the rainforest home of China's last wild Asian elephants. In the evening, browse the Starlight Night Market. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 3: Head into the ancient tea mountains, the birthplace of Pu'er tea, for a taste of the leaf that made this region famous. Visit the golden Mengle Grand Buddhist Temple and the Manting Royal Garden, once the private garden of Dai kings. Breakfast and lunch included.

Day 4: Wander one of Xishuangbanna's prettiest Dai villages, with its stilted bamboo houses and gilded stupa, then walk the trails of the Primeval Forest Park before your guide transfers you to the airport or station. Breakfast and lunch included.

Throughout, your private guide translates, orders off local menus, and shapes the days around your group alone - the rainforest, the tea, and the Dai culture at your own rhythm.