NEW: from December 22nd, 2025
Winter tea tour: Yunnan
Xishuangbanna-Nannuo-Kunming-Dali-Yiwu-Menghai-Jingmai-Laoman'e-Laobanzhang-Hekai
The sweetest season
Winter in Yunnan is gentle and quiet: the weather in the valleys is mild, with the occasional cloud framing trees and flower fields; the tea has been pressed and is on each tea table, ready to be tasted; and everyone's soul is ready to welcome you.
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.
It is a tour of study, with the workshop we prepare for you on brewing, ancient incense, and Tang dynasty cakes; of exploration, with mountains, forests and new encounters; of awe, thanks to the breathtaking landscapes of Yunnan; of people: we will brew together with the producers their best teas, and we will be hosted by pottery masters and tea professionals, freely interacting with their humanity and work.
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.
This journey will take you through everything that makes Eastern Leaves: our Yunnan, a deeper understanding of Chinese culture, and all of the people that make our tea journey meaningful.
Dec 22nd, 2025 - Janaury 4th, 2026: The gentle winter in Yunnan
Our travel is designed by us, and it is independent by 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.
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
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 travellers 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
Spring 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.
China Tea Tour - May
May 1st - May 20th, 2025
This tour crosses the historical tea line of the east coast, before immersing in our Yunnan: it starts from Yixing, before proceeding to Huangshan and Qimen valley, where we visit extensively the most important production areas.
From there we travel to the Wuyishan valley, where we visit extensively the most important production areas, and from where we start to Tongmuguan, the birth-place of red tea, and Jianyang, the ancient site of production for the Jianzhang teaware, Tenmoku in Japanese.
For the second part of the tour we fly to our Yunnan, where we'll immerse in pu'er lands of Xishuangbanna, following the traces of pu'er tea from the ancient days until the contemporaneity.
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.
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.
