Arrival and Departure

Arrival and Departure of Yunnan mainly introduces how to get to Yunnan and how to get out Yunnan, which guides visitors choose the most suitable transportation way to get to and depart from Yunnan, including by air, train, long-distance bus and other featured transportation ways.

With the rapid economic development of Yunnan and the strong support of central government, transportation condition in Yunnan has changed greatly in recent 30 years. Centered around Kunming, a transport network has taken shape in Yunnan, including highways, airlines, railroad, etc. Now, Yunnan’s major cities have their own transportation systems too.

By Air

To some extent, flying to Yunnan is the best choice. At present, there are totally 15 airports for passengers distributed in Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Xishuangbanna, etc. In Yunnan, Kunming Airport and Lijiang Airport are the most frequently used for visitors to get to and get out Yunnan. What’s more, there are four airports under construction.

Airports Including International Flights

Other Airports in Yunnan

Airports Under Construction in Yunnan

By Train

The cheapest way to Yunnan would be by train from other cities of China, though it is not as convenient as travelling by air. Yunnan are mainly connected with Chengdu, Nanning and Guiyang through Chengdu-Kunming railway, Nanning-Kunming railway, and Guizhou-Kunming railway. At the end of 2016, Yunnan high-speed railway was officially opened, which greatly facilitates the travel of tourists. At present, bullet train lines basically cover most cities in the southwest, central, east, north and pearl river delta regions as well as many regions in the province.

Main Railway Stations in Yunnan

At present, there are 9 prefectures and cities in Yunnan province that has railways including Kunming, Qujing, Dali, Lijiang, Chuxiong, Yuxi, Zhaotong, Honghe, Wenshan. With the development of railway construction, Yunnan will be transformed into an international corridor leading to southeast Asia and South Asia. See How to Get to Yunnan from Neighbouring Countries for more details.

By Long-distance Bus

Neighboring Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi, and Tibet, Yunnan has a developed highway network stretching to the major cities in Yunnan. The highways in Yunnan province center on Kunming, with 7 national roads (G108, G213, G214, G320, G321, G323, G326), 61 provincial roads, connecting it with domestic and foreign cities. It even neighbors Myanmar, Laos, Vietnam, and Thailand. To travel to Yunnan, many tourists will choose to travel by coach. In general, there are more coaches connecting Sichuan, Guizhou, Guangxi and other places to Kunming. 

More about Bus Stations in Yunnan

By Waterway

Generally, rivers are obstacles to transport in Yunnan. Only very small parts of Yunnan’s river systems are navigable. In June 2001, commercial shipping service among China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand on the Lancang-Mekong River was officially inaugurated. Jinghong, Guanlei and Simao District river ports are open to the outside world. Many rivers open for commercial international trade with neighboring countries. Lancang River (known as the Mekong in its lower reaches) is the only international river linking 6 countries in Asia. There are cruises sailing from Chiangsan to Guanlei portvia Myanmar and Laos.

Yunnan Transportation by Region

Transportation in Yunnan:

Yunnan Travel by Air

Rail Transport in Yunnan

Roads in Yunnan

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