Destination guide
Yunnan Tours
Updated November 2026
Yunnan is the province travellers wish they had done first: twenty-five ethnic minority groups, four climates, and borders with Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. The classic route runs Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La, and it needs eight days. Anything shorter and you spend it in a car.
The four stops, and what each is for
- Kunming, 1,890 m: the mild capital and the transport hub. The Stone Forest, 86 km southeast, is the one sight worth the drive.
- Dali, 1,970 m: Erhai Lake, the ninth-century Three Pagodas, and a walled old town older than the Ming. Bai minority culture and the best cycling in the province.
- Lijiang, 2,400 m: a Naxi town of canals and cobbles, UNESCO listed since 1997. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is 30 km north at 5,596 m, with a cable car to 4,506 m.
- Shangri-La, 3,200 m: Tibetan plateau, Songzanlin monastery — the largest in Yunnan — and the upper Yangtze gorges within a day’s drive.
Altitude, in the right order
Kunming 1,890 m, Dali 1,970 m, Lijiang 2,400 m, Shangri-La 3,200 m, and the Jade Dragon cable car at 4,506 m. The jump from Lijiang to Shangri-La is 800 m in three hours by road or ninety minutes by train, which is exactly why the order matters. Fly into Kunming and work north. Flying into Shangri-La from sea level on day one is the single most common way to lose two days of a trip.
Three routes that work
| Length | Route | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 8 days | Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La | The classic; two nights in Lijiang, one elsewhere |
| 12 days | Add the Yuanyang terraces in the south | Best November to March, when the paddies are flooded |
| 14 days | Add Xishuangbanna | Tropical south, Dai culture, direct flights from Kunming |
What the eight days look like
One night in Kunming on arrival and a morning at the Stone Forest is enough; two nights there is one too many. Dali deserves two, with a day on Erhai by bike or boat. Lijiang needs two, one for the old town and one for the mountain. Shangri-La needs two to make the altitude worthwhile, and the road back or the flight out of Diqing eats a third. That is eight nights, and it leaves no room for the two-day trek through Tiger Leaping Gorge. If the gorge matters to you, add three days and take one off Kunming.
When to go
October to April is the dry season: clear skies, 15 to 22 degrees by day, cold nights at altitude. May to September is the rainy season — greener, cheaper, with afternoon downpours and occasional landslides on the mountain roads. February and March bring rapeseed around Luoping and peach blossom around Lijiang. The Torch Festival falls in June or July depending on the lunar calendar, and hotel rates double around it.
Getting there and moving
Kunming Changshui (KMG) is the hub, with direct flights from Bangkok, Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong and most Chinese cities. High-speed rail runs Kunming to Dali in two hours and Dali to Lijiang in one. The line on to Shangri-La opened in late 2023 and takes about ninety minutes. Buses fill the gaps, but mountain roads are slow: allow five hours for Lijiang to Shangri-La if you drive.
What trips people up
- Old towns charge a maintenance fee. Keep the receipt; it is checked at some sights.
- Jade, silver and aged Pu er tea carry the standard mark-up. Buy tea in a Kunming shop, not at a factory stop on a tour.
- Lijiang old town is at its worst between 10:00 and 17:00, when the groups move through. Early morning and after 20:00 it is another place.
- Menus sold as highland barley or yak butter are aimed at coach groups, not at the food Yunnan actually eats.
- One province, four climates. Pack layers rather than a wardrobe, and add a down jacket for Shangri-La even in summer.
We build Yunnan as an eight- to fourteen-day journey with a driver-guide, and use the train for the long legs. Tell us your month and how much walking you want.
Questions travellers ask
How many days do you need in Yunnan?
Eight days for Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La at a sensible pace. Twelve if you add the Yuanyang rice terraces in the south, fourteen with Xishuangbanna. Distances are long and mountain roads are slow, so fewer stops with more nights always beats a longer list.
Is altitude sickness a problem in Yunnan?
Shangri-La sits at 3,200 m and the Jade Dragon cable car climbs to 4,506 m, which is enough to cause headaches and breathlessness in otherwise healthy travellers. Go up through Dali and Lijiang rather than flying straight to Shangri-La, keep the first day light, and skip alcohol for the first 48 hours.
What is the best month to visit Yunnan?
October to April is the dry season, with clear skies and warm days. May to September is greener, cheaper and wet, and landslides occasionally slow the mountain roads. February and March bring rapeseed flowers around Luoping and peach blossom around Lijiang.
Do I need a guide in Yunnan?
Not legally, and Kunming, Dali and Lijiang are easy on your own. Outside those cities English is rare and the bus and rail networks are hard to read without Chinese. A driver-guide for the mountain sections, with independent days in the old towns, is the usual compromise.