Kunming
The provincial capital at 1,890 m — Green Lake Park, the bird-and-flower market and the Dianchi lakeshore. Use it as your acclimatisation and rail base.
Yunnan · Yunnan
Yunnan Tours 2026 | Kunming, Dali & Lijiang | JoyoTour
Yunnan Province runs from the stone forests outside its capital Kunming to Tibetan Shangri-La and the tropical south: 25 of China's 56 ethnic groups, Pu'er tea mountains and the old town of Lijiang. Private Yunnan tours from US$219 a day.
The short version
Yunnan Province is entered through Kunming, its capital, and it is the most varied province in China — 25 of the country's 56 ethnic groups, snow mountains in the north-west and tropical rainforest in the south. Two weeks covers Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La; one week means choosing between the north-west and the tropical south. Kunming itself deserves a full day before you head north-west.
- Kunming is the capital of Yunnan Province and sits at 1,890 m with spring-like weather year-round.
- The Stone Forest, 90 minutes from Kunming, is a 270-million-year-old karst maze.
- Dali is 2 hours from Kunming by rail and Lijiang 3h 30m.
- Yunnan is home to 25 of China's 56 officially recognised ethnic minorities.
- Kunming Changshui (KMG) flies daily across Southeast and South Asia.
The place itself
What Yunnan is actually like
Yunnan is where China stops being uniform. The province runs from 76 m above sea level in the tropical south to 6,740 m at Kawagebo on the Tibetan border, and that vertical range is why 25 of China's 56 ethnic groups live here — Bai, Yi, Naxi, Dai, Tibetan, Hani — each with its own calendar, costume and cuisine.
Kunming, the provincial capital, is the logistical hinge and a genuinely pleasant city in its own right: 1,890 m up, which keeps summer below 25°C and winter above 5°C. The Chinese call it the Spring City, and its flower market sells more cut flowers than anywhere else in Asia.
Beyond Kunming the choices are real. The north-west takes you to Dali's lake and Lijiang's Naxi old town, then on to Shangri-La at 3,200 m. The south takes you to the Dai tea and rubber country of Xishuangbanna, where the Laos and Myanmar borders are visible from the road.
Destination — click to open the guide
Province or autonomous region
Provincial capital
Major river
Pins are plotted from real latitude and longitude on a 5° graticule. This is a schematic orientation diagram, not a political map — no boundaries are drawn.
What not to miss — Yunnan
The Stone Forest
Shilin, 90 minutes from Kunming: a karst maze of grey pinnacles up to 30 m high, with Sani Yi performers in the clearings.
Dali and Erhai Lake
A walled old town between the Cangshan range and a 250 sq km lake, home of the Bai people. Cycle the lakeshore in the morning.
Lijiang old town
Naxi architecture, cobbled lanes and a canal water system that still works. Go at 07:00, before the tour groups arrive.
Shangri-La and the Tibetan north-west
Songzanlin Monastery at 3,200 m, then the road climbing toward the Mekong and the first Himalayan snow peaks.
Xishuangbanna and the tea mountains
Tropical Dai country on the Mekong, with 800-year-old Pu'er tea forests on the slopes above.
China tours that include this stop — Yunnan
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View tourGetting there and away
Kunming Changshui International (KMG) is the provincial hub, with daily services across Southeast and South Asia plus dense domestic coverage. Metro Line 6 reaches the city in about 30 minutes.
High-speed rail runs Kunming–Dali in 2 hours and Kunming–Lijiang in 3h 30m, the backbone of almost every Yunnan itinerary.
For Xishuangbanna and Shangri-La, flights from Kunming save a day of mountain driving each way. We build the loop to avoid backtracking.
Best time to visit — Yunnan
| Month | Weather | Crowds | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2°C / -12°C · bitterly cold, clear | Quiet | Avoid |
| February | 5°C / -9°C · bitterly cold, clear | Very busy | Avoid |
| March | 10°C / -3°C · bitterly cold, clear | Moderate | Good |
| April | 15°C / 3°C · bitterly cold, clear | Moderate | Good |
| May | 19°C / 8°C · bitterly cold, clear | Busy | OK |
| June | 22°C / 12°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| July | 23°C / 14°C · clear and mild | Busy | Best |
| August | 22°C / 13°C · clear and mild | Busy | Best |
| September | 19°C / 9°C · clear and mild | Moderate | Best |
| October | 14°C / 2°C · bitterly cold, clear | Very busy | Good |
| November | 7°C / -6°C · bitterly cold, clear | Quiet | Good |
| December | 2°C / -11°C · bitterly cold, clear | Quiet | Avoid |
How many days do you need?
Eight to ten days for the classic Kunming–Dali–Lijiang–Shangri-La route. Five days covers Kunming, Dali and Lijiang if you fly in and out of the province. Two weeks lets you add Xishuangbanna or the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek.
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Combine it with
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The Tibet Autonomous Region is entered through Lhasa, its capital, and it is the one destination in China that requires planning rather than booking:
Sichuan
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Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Yunnan?
Kunming, in the centre of the province at 1,890 m. Almost every Yunnan itinerary starts in the capital Kunming, because it holds the international airport and the high-speed rail junction, and because its spring-like climate makes it a comfortable place to arrive.
How many days do you need in Yunnan?
Eight to ten days for the standard route through Kunming, Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-La. Five days is enough for Kunming, Dali and Lijiang alone. Two weeks lets you add the tropical south at Xishuangbanna or the Tiger Leaping Gorge trek.
Is there altitude sickness in Yunnan?
Only in the north-west. Kunming is 1,890 m and Dali 1,976 m, well below the threshold where most people feel anything. Lijiang is 2,400 m and Shangri-La 3,200 m, where you will notice stairs. We route northward so the ascent is gradual.
What is Yunnan famous for?
Ethnic diversity — 25 of China's 56 minorities — plus Pu'er tea, the Stone Forest near Kunming, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and the overland routes into Tibet and South-East Asia. Kunming also runs Asia's largest cut-flower market.
When is the best time to visit Yunnan?
March to May and September to November. Kunming is mild year-round, but the north-west is cold from December to February and the southern tropical belt is best from November to April. June to August is the monsoon, with daily afternoon rain.
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