FROM May 1st, 2025
China Tea Tour
Shanghai - Yixing - Wuyishan - Tongmuguan - Jianyang - Fuzhou - Kunming - Xishuangbanna - Nannuo - Laobanzhang - Yiwu
We selected the places, the people and the leaves we love the most, for an unforgettable experience immersed in the tea passion that we share.
After meeting in Shanghai, our journey begins on the east coast of China in Yixing city, a centuries-old pottery district, where National artists Yuan Weixin and Lian Meiping lead us through their work, clay, and ancient kilns.
We then move to a town that has been the international point of reference for lovers of porcelain and tea accessories for over a thousand years: Jingdezhen, where every pottery student comes to study and where the art of ceramic pervades every moment of life and fills the eyes with meaning and beauty.
The nearby valley is surrounded by running peaks and green lands: we will visit the ancient city of Tunxi, Huangshan,close to the origin of green tea and Qimen red teas.
We then travel by train to Wuyishan, where the striking scenery all around us tells the stories of the prestigious rock teas, of the red teas found in the stunning Tongmuguan natural park, and the Jianzhan pottery found in the ancient Jianyang district, the most sought-after ceramic used for the emperors of Song dynasty.
The second half of the tour starts in Yunnan's capital city of Kunming, where we study the theory and ritual of gongfucha tea in an exquisite studio. From there, we go south to the areas that are most significant for pu'er tea production: Laobanzhang, Hekai, our tea forest in Nannuo and the most esteemed villages in Yiwu.
In this travel you find everything that makes up Eastern Leaves: our Yunnan, a comprehensive look at Chinese culture, the peaks and rivers of Wuyishan park, our favorite artists from Yixing and of Dai minorities, and all the people that give meaning to our adventure in tea.
China tea tour
May 1st - May 20th, 2024
Note: you can also choose a 12-day itinerary option instead of the full 20-day trip. Contact us to plan your journey!
Our travel is designed by us, and it is independent from any travel agency: we bring you with us on Eastern Leaves routes, guided by a farmer and tea scholar, through places, tastes and people that are most meaningful for us.
Our travel package includes accommodation in selected, cosy hotels, all the internal transportation, and meals. It doesn't include the flight from/to your country of origin, visas (but we support your application), and insurance.
Once you decide to travel with us, we assist you in everything we can, following our experience with travelers from all over the world.
We apply special rates for our Eastern Academy alumni: contact us to choose a date and customise together your travel at the origin of tea!
Contact us
Further travel options
Winter Tour
December 23rd - January 5th
This new itinerary explores the diversity of our beloved Yunnan in tea, geography, and culture: we cross its high-mountain geography from north to south, through its two most important kingdoms of Nanzhao (Tang dynasty, 618-907) and Dai (Song dynasty, 960-1279), indulging in the best leaves that the locals who inhabited these lands refined over centuries.
In the winter, it is possible to travel over the majority of the tea roads and trails, and all of the new teas in both maocha and pressed bricks are waiting to be brewed.
Temperatures in the Xishuangbanna valley are expected to range between 18°C and 25°C, while Kunming and Dali, where we will be attending the majority of the professional seminars, will be between 5°C and 16°C.
Spring tea tour
March 9th - March 22nd, 2025
The tour starts at the vigil of spring, when the tea leaves, the trees and the mountains all are waiting for the first rain: the buds will sprout, and new fragrances and aromas will be discovered.
We explore all the most important mountains and tea-forests of Yunnan: we will brew together the best teas, we speak with the producers and assist them in their work, we walk their lands; we will be hosted by skilled pottery masters and professionals, we will attend to scholars' workshop on Gongfucha and Yixing, and we will live of our passion for tea.
Summer Tour
August 2025
For this summer we have many ideas and inspirations; we will explore the mountains, we will hike and meditate, together with people we love.
It will be a new itinerary among teas and cultures, immersed in the Chinese west, where boundaries means few in front of culture, geography, and flavors.
We plan to publish the complete itinerary during Spring 2025; in the meanwhile fell free to write us to express your preferences: we will be happy to hear from you, and plan together our trip.
From our travelers
I still can't believe I was in all these amazing places
"I am drinking a rock tea from Wuyishan at home, a month after our trip. Brewed in a beautiful Yixing pot that I bought in actual Yixing, and tea from the mountain that I hiked on. I still can't believe I was in all these amazing places... I am reminiscing about this holiday a lot. It was just perfect. People were incredibly nice. We had wonderful encounters with lots of lovely different tea people and the people in our group where the best. Tea people are so nice. We saw incredible things, drank the best teas and had so much fun together. Everything that was abstract for me beforehand, became concrete while traveling. It's hard to capture my feelings in words, but but I am back home for a month now and there was not a single day that I didn't think about the trip. I wasn't homesick while traveling, but I am tripsick now.
And all of this took place under the caring and enthusiastic guidance of Vivian and Lorenzo, truly two of the most kind, warm-hearted and knowledgeable people that I know."
W.E., from The Netherlands
We have become more sensitive and have touched beauty
"I want to consider a different approach. I don't want to make a review of what went well and what didn't go well. I don't want to dwell on individual stages and describe a fantastic world. I reject any image of travel, tea, an extraordinary country and all that. I want to forget any kind of knowledge I have. Tea lovers already know all about these things. I want to tell them that they don't need "yesterday" because it is the necessary condition to savor any moment with its different temperatures, colors and fragrances. Isn't this what happens when you drink forgotten tea? Isn't it like drinking a new tea, after all? When we abandoned the concept of tea bags, what did we do? We entered an ancient forest for the first time. We put our hands in the clay. We tasted food with a sparkling and surprising flavour. We have become more sensitive and have touched beauty. And this is where the world of Eastern Leaves becomes real"
D.N., from Italy
Customized Trips
Tailor your trip, visit us Xishuangbanna for the time of a tea or for extended journeys: let us know about your plan and what you like the most, we are pleased to customise your time here according to your preferences.
Travel's FAQ
To join our tours it is requires a tourist visa: for travels up to 15 days, for most countries is not required; for tours longer than 14 days, it is a straightforward process that requires between 3 and 10 business days, according to the country and the processing way.
We offer all possible assistance based on the experiences of the travellers we have welcomed over the years from all over the world.
For the most recent news on China visa policy, we recommend visiting the website of the China Visa Application Center.
Sure! Food is an important part of our experience (and of our lives), so we plan it carefully.
Chinese cuisine is extremely diverse: it includes countless varieties of tofu and a variety of vegetable cooking techniques; we will encounter tuberoses and radishes, wild herbs and flowers: a plant-based diet, in addition to a onnivore diet, is entirely possible.
We also have experience with various dietary restrictions, such as gluten-free, lactose intolerant, and religious restrictions; when you contact us, please let us know your needs and preferences, and we will gladly plan your meal accordingly.
As you are probably aware, we are huge fans of photography, particularly when done slowly and with passion: if you, too, enjoy cameras and pictures, it would be wonderful to share our enthusiasm along the way.
Photos and videos are permitted as long as they do not disrupt the flow of travel for our farmers and experts, ensuring a pleasant experience for all of our guests.
If you want a tour specifically designed for documentary purposes, complete with filming mics and equipment, please contact us in advance to plan a customised trip.
When you decide to book we advise to keep in touch with us, we will assist you as much as possible with flights from your country of origin, visas, and any preparation you may need.
Visas for China have recently become easier to obtain for the majority of nationalities; for the most up-to-date visa rules, we recommend checking the official Chinese website and your local Chinese Embassy or Consulate.
Yes, if you wish, we can provide you with a digital or printed certificate for your travel experience into tea.
For travellers, China is one of the safest countries in the world, with extremely low crime rates, including pickpocketing.
Our commitment along the route is to keep you as safe as possible, both physically and mentally.
For our longer tours, we usually offer the option to join only a portion of the tour, for at least 12 days, based on availability.
If this is your wish, please contact us so that we can plan your trip together.