SPECIAL
LAUNCH
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CHINA’S WINE TRAIL

HEBEI, NINGXIA & YUNNAN

Join the Journey

Duration

Sept 3 - 16, 2026

13 nights / 14 days

Starting Point

Beijing

Beijing Province

Ending Point

Lijiang

Yunnan Province

Group Size

Max 12 guests

Min 8 guests

Price

$18,979.98 AUD‍ ‍$14,970.99 AUD
based on double occupancy

Solo supplement available

A person harvesting grapes in a vineyard on a sunny day, with green vine-covered rows and baskets for collecting grapes.

China has been making wine for decades. Most of the world doesn't know it's happening, let alone how interesting it's gotten.

This trip moves through three versions of that story. In Hebei, just outside Beijing, we visit the producers who were among the first to plant — the origin point of a modern wine industry still finding its footing in the global market. In Ningxia, the great desert plateau east of the Yellow River, we meet the winemakers who turned a strange, arid landscape into one of Asia's most credible appellations. And in Yunnan, where river valleys cut through the Himalayan foothills at elevations that would make most viticulturalists sweat, we find the frontier: producers like Tinnyu and Xiao Pu who are making wine unlike anything else on earth, in one of the last places you'd ever think to look for it. China's wine past, present, and future across 14 days and three regions that share almost nothing except the vine.

We travel in September, which means harvest is beginning. Winemakers are in their vineyards, and we're with them. We'll be joined by Hamish Williams from Periphery Wine, one of the foremost authorities in Australia on Chinese wine, to lead our wine program, bringing a level of context and access that opens doors most visitors simply don't get to walk through. Beyond the glass: ancient imperial tombs and Yellow River sunsets in Ningxia, morning markets and street food in Kunming, the ancient cobblestone lanes and Naxi culture of Lijiang, and Tibetan villages high above Shangri-La where the food, the people, and the landscape feel genuinely like nowhere else. These are sides of China most visitors never reach, and a side of Chinese wine the global industry is only just beginning to pay attention to.

Day 1 - 2: China’s Wine Past

Day 1 - Arrival

Everyone arrives in Beijing in their own time. We gather for a Peking duck welcome dinner, the perfect way to start any trip to China, and a dish that's been perfected in this city for centuries.

Included: Dinner, Accommodation

Day 2 - Canaan Winery & Shixiaguan Great Wall

After breakfast, we drive northwest to Huailai, where Canaan Winery gives us our first taste of Hebei's wine story. This is a region that was at the centre of China's first wine boom in the 1980s, when China was opening up and needed wines that could hold their own on a diplomatic table. After lunch, we make visit The Great Wall at Shixiaguan. While areas like Badaling draws crowds onto gleaming, restored ramparts, this section sits just a few kilometres away, largely unrestored, with standing watchtowers, mountain ridges in both directions, and almost nobody else on it. We return to Beijing for dinner.

Included: Breakfast, Winery tour and tasting, Lunch, Dinner, Accommodation

A person walking through a lush vineyard with neatly arranged rows of grapevines, green hills, and mountains in the background under a blue sky with clouds.

Roasted whole ducks hanging inside a roasting oven over open flames.

Skyscrapers in a city skyline under a partly cloudy sky.

A section of the Great Wall of China winding over a mountain hill with trees and vegetation in the foreground and background.

Day 3 - 5: China’s Wine Present

Day 3 - Arrival in Ningxia

We fly into Yinchuan and land in a completely different China. The Helan Mountains rise to the west, the Yellow River runs to the east, and in between is a high-altitude, semi-arid plateau that has quietly built one of Asia's most credible wine appellations over the last two decades. Our welcome to Ningxia is a harvest festival organised by the winemakers themselves. Dozens of producers gather for this — some from right here in the Helan Mountain foothills, others travelling in from Yunnan and beyond. Many of these makers don't have their own wineries or cellar doors; they work with shared facilities, or alongside others, which means an evening like this is often the only way to find them in one place. Wines open, food on the table, and the kind of atmosphere that comes with harvest season in wine country. You'll have the whole evening to move between makers, try what's in the glass, and start building the connections that are the whole point of being here.

Included: Breakfast, Harvest Festival, Accommodation

Day 4 - Western Xia Tombs & Silver Heights

Before the vineyard, a detour into deep history. The Western Xia Tombs are the remnants of a kingdom that ruled this region for nearly 200 years before being erased from the historical record by the Mongols. Dozens of earthen mounds stretch across the desert floor, eerie and enormous, sometimes called the Eastern Pyramids. In the afternoon, we make our way to Silver Heights, where Emma Gao has been farming biodynamically since 2017 and achieved Demeter certification in 2023, the only winery in China to do so. She and her family live on the vineyard. We’ll have a tour of the vineyard with tastings, and then they're cooking dinner: a whole roast lamb, the great Hui specialty of the region.

Included: Breakfast, Western Xia Tombs entry, Lunch, Winery tasting, Dinner, Accommodation

Day 5 - Onwards to Kunming

The morning is yours to explore Yinchuan before we fly south. The Muslim quarter around the Nanguan Mosque is worth the wander, with food stalls and tea houses that give you a different angle on the Hui culture you've been eating your way through. In the afternoon we swap the desert plateau for Kunming, a subtropical city sitting at 1,900 metres where the air is softer, the markets are full of tropical produce, and the food shifts completely. We're in Yunnan now, and tonight's welcome dinner is Dai, the cuisine of one of the province's most distinctive ethnic minorities: herb-forward, bright with lemongrass and lime, grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves, with pineapple rice on the side.

Included: Breakfast, Dinner, Accommodation

A wine maker harvestin grapes in a high-altitude vineyard in Yunnan on a sunny day.

People slicing a whole roasted lamb on a wooden cutting board at a food event.

The Western Xia Tombs, ancient pyramid style structures in the desert landscape of Yinchuan, Ningxia with mountains in the background and a pale yellow sky.

Three Uyghur men in aprons preparing skewered meat at a street food stall in Ningxia, China, with a display of skewers of raw and cooked meat, and illuminated signs above.

Farmers picking fruit in a Chinese vineyard in Hubei with mountains in the background.

Day 6 - 8: The Road South

Day 6 - Kunming

Kunming earns its nickname. The Spring City's weather rarely dips below pleasant, and September is the best time to arrive. It's the tail end of wild mushroom season and the wet market stalls are piled with varieties that would cost a small fortune back home: matsutake, boletus, chanterelles, and a few you won't have a name for. We spend the morning at the market, then the afternoon and evening are yours. Green Lake Park (翠湖公园) is worth a slow wander as the city winds down, and the lanes around Wenlin Jie near Yunnan University are good for coffee and browsing. Or visit Yuantong Temple, the oldest Buddhist temple in Kunming, quietly active and architecturally striking.

Included: Breakfast, Accommodation

Day 7 - FARMentation

We drive two hours southwest into Chuxiong, Yi minority territory, where fermentation culture runs deep — historically through grain spirits and smoked teas rather than wine. FARMentation is doing something different. Their pear orchard sits in the shadow of a wind turbine with an old granary alongside it. The tagline says it all: 风土横切面 (fēngtǔ héng qiēmiàn), a cross-section of terroir. We arrive in the afternoon for the winery visit and tasting, then take a slow walk through the orchard before dinner. The meal is an outdoor copper pot spread, communal and unhurried, built around whatever is in season. The bonfire goes late. We overnight at Mouding Tranquil Lakeside Retreat, a simple local guesthouse on the water, the kind of place that doesn't appear in any travel guides, run by people from here, with a view across the lake that you won't forget.

Included: Breakfast, Wine Tasting, Dinner, Accommodation

Day 8 - Erhai Lake and Lijiang

The morning starts with a trip to the local farmers' market with the FARMentation team. It's a window into how Chuxiong people shop, cook, and eat, with the same seasonal logic the winery applies to the land. Then we load up the coach for the drive to Lijiang, breaking in Dali for a stop at Erhai Lake. At over 250 square kilometres, the lake has been central to Bai culture for centuries. Their villages line the shore, their boats still work the water, and in September the light is clear and the Cangshan mountains behind it are sharp against the sky. We arrive in Lijiang in the late afternoon, check in, and then you're free to spend the evening exploring this 800-year-old town, a UNESCO-listed maze of stone lanes and waterways that comes alive after dark when the lanterns go up.

Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Accommodation

Traditional Chinese building with green and red roof, reflections in water, clear blue sky

Fresh vegetables including garlic, ginger, chili peppers, bell peppers, onions, and green vegetables at an outdoor market under a blue tarp canopy.

Interior of a wine tasting room at FARMentation in Yunnan with wine barrels, bottles, and a display screen.

Colorful spread of Yunnan dishes including grilled chicken, fresh fruit, salads, and sauces on a large platter and a smaller dish with green herbs and vegetables.

Two elderly women wearing traditional colorful ethnic clothing and headscarves are sitting on the ground at an outdoor market in Yunnan, China, surrounded by bags and baskets of vegetables, engaging in a market transaction.

Day 9 - 12: China’s Wine Future

Day 9 - Chalu Sparkling Tea

The morning belongs to Chalu. Based here in Lijiang, Chalu makes sparkling tea using foraged botanicals from the surrounding mountains, and this half-day tasting takes you properly inside what they're doing. You'll work through the range with the team, understanding how altitude, seasons, and local plant life shape what ends up in the glass. It's a serious exploration of terroir told through tea rather than wine, which for this group should feel like a natural conversation. The afternoon is free to explore on your own terms.

Included: Breakfast, Chalu tasting, Accommodation

Day 10 - Ascent to Shangri-La

We take the train north from Lijiang to Shangri-La, a journey of just over an hour that covers a dramatic change in altitude and landscape. By the time you step off, you're at 3,200 metres and the air tells you immediately. Check in, take it slow, and let the afternoon unfold at whatever pace feels right. The old town of Dukezong is right there for a wander, with it's cobblestones, prayer wheels, and incense drifting from open doorways. Tonight dinner is on your own, allowing for a low key, early meal wherever looks good. If you want a steer, look for anything with yak meat or a bowl of tsampa barley porridge. Tibetan food is built for cold and elevation.

Included: Breakfast, Train, Accommodation

Day 11 - Into the Mountains

We're staying in Dukezong, the oldest surviving Tibetan settlement in the region, with more than 1,300 years of continuous habitation behind it. The morning begins with a visit to Songzanlin, the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan, built in 1679 during the reign of the fifth Dalai Lama and home to around 700 monks. This one is optional. If you'd rather keep wandering the stone lanes of Dukezong, or simply need more time to adjust to the altitude, please take it. After the monastery we load up and head deep into the mountains. It's a five to six hour drive toward the Meilishui area to Mingyong, a small village with a local guesthouse arranged by the Tinnyu team, where we'll be based for the next two nights. On arrival, we’ll make our first winery visit at Muhan Winery, a short walk from our guesthouse. Given how remote we'll be, all meals are taken care of, with simple home cooking made from locally sourced ingredients.

Included: Breakfast, Songzanlin entry, Lunch, Dinner, Accommodation

Day 12 - Tinnyu Winery

We wake up among the sacred peaks of Kawagebo, which rise over 6,700 metres from the valley of Mingyong, crowned by Meili Snow Mountain. Today we visit Tinnyu. Leqi Liu and Yuxuan Qiu started this project in 2021 after both had trained in France and worked at Domaine Franco-Chinois in Hebei, the sister winery to Canaan, which we visited on Day 2. They work with Tibetan villagers across three villages in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, farming less than a hectare across plots at 2,600 to 2,800 metres above sea level. The wines are a direct expression of that elevation and that place. While in the area, we’ll also be visiting Yubo Winery. We're spending another night in Mingyong, and in the evening Tinnyu has arranged dinner with the local Tibetan community.

Included: Breakfast, Wine Tastings, Dinner, Accommodation

A person pouring a glass of non-alcoholic sparkling tea made by Chalu from a bottle outdoors.

Vineyard in a valley in the Himalayas in Yunnan with rows of grapevines, surrounded by green trees and mountains under a partly cloudy sky.

Dukezong Temple presiding over Shangri-La, with multiple terraces, golden roofs, and pagoda-style rooftops, situated on a hillside with other smaller buildings around it, and a body of water in the foreground under a clear blue sky.

A small village in the Himalayas of Yunnan, China with traditional houses nestled in lush green mountains, with snow-capped peaks and a partly cloudy sky in the background.

An elderly woman with a maroon headscarf and floral shirt sorting grapes on a plastic sheet in Yunnan, China, with more grapes in a metal bucket nearby.

Day 13 - 14: Farewell

Day 13 - Back to Lijiang

We make the long drive back out of the mountains — five to six hours with a break along the way at Zaxee Winery for one last tasting. Once we reach Shangri-La we transfer to the train for the final stretch down to Lijiang, arriving in time for a bit of down time before our farewell dinner. Lijiang rewards a last look: the cobblestones, the running water channels, the smell of food coming from every direction. One final Yunnan feast to close out the trip, built around the cuisine that started when we landed in Kunming.

Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Train, Farewell Dinner, Accommodation

Day 14 - Zai Jian

From here, everyone heads in their own direction. Lijiang connects to Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Guangzhou for onward flights home, and there are train connections for those who want to keep exploring China. If you have time before you leave, the old town is five minutes from most hotels and worth one last slow lap. Fourteen days, three regions, more wine than we can count. Safe travels.

Included: Breakfast

Itinerary is subject to change based on availability, seasonal conditions, and local circumstances

Two ethnic minority women in Yunnan, China wearing colorful headscarves and traditional clothing, sitting beside a cooking pan with steam coming out, outdoors against a stone wall.

Traditional Chinese-style architecture along a river with a mountain in the background

A traditional Yunnanese restaurant scene with three musicians performing, two women with a drum and tambourine and a man playing guitar, surrounded by an array of food dishes on the table.

Aerial view of the traditional Chinese old town in Lijiang, China with densely packed houses and tiled roofs, surrounded by green mountains.

Our Wine Expert

A man with crossed arms smiling in front of a large wooden wine barrel labeled Silver Heights in a winery in China.

Hamish Williams is Australia's leading Chinese wine enthusiast and importer of Chinese wines. He works with small, independent producers across the country who value environment, sustainability, and quality. Since establishing Periphery Wine in 2024, Hamish has become passionate about sharing the story of Chinese wine, and now serves as a vessel for Chinese-Australian independent wine dialogue. He loves providing Australian consumers with new experiences that challenge assumptions and encourage new perspectives.

Periphery Wine is a small collection of premium wines made by independent producers who hold a grounded perspective on wine culture, use environmentally-conscious farming techniques, and are committed to quality-driven winemaking practices.

Around the world, alternative wines from new and emerging markets are underrepresented, with new stories to tell and different outlooks to explore. Diversity is the key to a delightful life, and it’s through our lived experiences and unique perspectives, united by the humble bottle of wine, that evokes excitement and adventure.

Accommodation

Luxurious hotel bedroom with a large bed, orchids, and modern decor.

Beijing

Intercontinental Beijing

Luxurious hotel room with a large bed, bedside lamps, a patterned chair, dark wood furniture, and a wall partition with decorative design, with an open bathroom area visible through a glass wall.

Yinchuan

Wanda Realm Yinchuan

A modern hotel room with a large bed, wall art, television, sitting chair, and ambient lighting.

Kunming

Cachet Boutique Hotel

A modern bedroom with a large bed, white bedding, and pillows. There are two bedside lamps, a window with curtains, and a balcony with outdoor furniture and scenic trees in the background.

Chuxiong

Mouding Tranquil Lakeside Retreat

Luxury hotel room with a large bed, sitting area, and a view outside the window.