How to Plan Your Yunnan Trip

How to Plan Your Yunnan Trip introduces a gateway city to enter to Yunnan, the best time to visit Yunnan, the must-see attractions in Yunnan, how to get to Yunnan, colorful minority culture, how many days you stay in Yunnan, etc., provides the best popular tours for you.

Yunnan, located in the southwest plateau area of China, refers to “the place south of the colorful clouds” in Chinese. It is a place bond with exotic cultures and beautiful tales. Famous destinations in Yunnan includes: The “Spring city” Kunming, romantic Lijiang old town, the “Lost Horizon”Shangri-La, and the world’s deepest gorge “Tiger Leaping Gorge“, the magnificent Dongchuan Red Land, the amazing Honghe Hani Rice Terraces, the holy Kawa Kapo Kora and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Yunnan takes pride in its rich natural resources and cultural resources. There are 25 ethnic minority groups living in Yunnan, and each have very different religion and folklore stories. It’s rare to see so many different ethnic minority groups living harmoniously in one province. Harmonious and colorful are the most frequently used words to describe people’s life in Yunnan.

Choose a Gateway City

Kunming, Dali and Lijiang are usually the most popular gateway cities to start a Yunnan tour among tourists. Moreover, you can also start your Yunnan tour from Beijing, Shanghai, Xi’an, Chengdu and other cities to appreciate more about China’s charm. 

Best Time to Visit Yunnan

If you had to pick a single province in all China that would expose you to the greatest variations in topography and climate, it would have to be Yunnan Province. There is an old and accurate saying here that “You can enjoy all four seasons on the same mountain, where each of these four season is only a few miles distant from the others. So, the best time to visit Yunnan Province depends clearly on the region you like to visit. Yunnan is a very diverse province with the Himalayas in the north and subtropics in the south. Thus, there are also specific times of the year when it’s best to visit certain destinations. The following links will tell you the best time to visit prefectures and cities in Yunnan

Yunnan Climate by Region

Must-see Attractions in Yunnan

Reputed as the “Colorful Yunnan” with both brilliant culture and profound history, you can enjoy the most unforgettable time during your Yunnan travel. Yunnan is an exotic, amazing and unforgettable place with high mountains, tropic forests, waterfalls, and distinct folk customs, which is an important and most attractive tourism destination. 

Yunnan Attractions by Region

How to Get to Yunnan

With the growth of economy, Yunnan boasts very convenient transportation systems with modern transportation facilities. Yunnan is served by numerous transport modes including several civilian airports and a major highway and rail network, and forms an integral part of the structure Yunnan Province and the Southwest of China. Therefore, traveling to Yunnan, tourists can take those means of transportation for getting to and around. Yunnan Province is large geographically and its transport hub is the capital of Kunming, which acts as an important gateway, linking China to Southeast Asia, South Asia and the Asia-Pacific region. 

More about How to Get to Yunnan

Yunnan Transportation by Region

Colorful Culture in Yunnan

The numerous minority groups in Yunnan have created lasting and splendid ethnic cultures due to their diligence and wisdom over centuries. Among these cultures, as acknowledged in the history of cultures in Yunnan, three major ones are the highlights, namely the Ancient Dian Culture, the Cuan Culture, and the Nanzhao-Dali Culture; the Ancient Dian Culture, centered around the Dianchi Lake from the Pre-Qin Period (221-207 B.C) to the Han Dynasty (25-220 A.D), epitomizes the culmination of the bronze age civilization in Yunnan; the Cuan Culture, which rose slightly later in the valley of the Panjiang River, embodies the cultural development of this province in the middle ancient times; the Nanzhao-Dali Culture, which formed and fully developed around Er’hai Lake, strikingly characterizes the local ethnic cultures in Yunnan. After the Yuan and Ming dynasties, with the constant inflow of Han people to Yunnan, the Han people gradually dominated the province and the Han culture became the dominating culture of the province co-existing with the colorful indigenous ethnic cultures.

Yunnan Culture by Region

The Recommended Tours

More about Minority Festivals Tours

Yunnan Festival and Events by Month

Make the Travel Duration Sure

If you plan to take a tour in Yunnan, you’d better decide the attractions that you want to go. Then, it is easy to decide on how many days to spend in Yunnan. In general, 2-3 days is only for visiting one top city in Yunnan. Of course, you can only visit the highlights of a city for there are numerous attractions in top city. Generally speaking, 6-10 days is the recommended choice, which you can visit the highlights of Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La.

More about How Many Days to Spend for Yunnan Trip

Make the Tour Theme Sure

Yunnan Classic Tours are the most popular tours for travelers with limited time who are keen to see the major sites of the Yunnan Province, such as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Erhai Lake, Lugu Lake, Dianchi Lake, Three Pagodas and Chongsheng Monastery, Dali Ancient Town, Lijiang Ancient Town, etc. Yunnan Classic Tours are covered the main highlights of Yunnan and are recommendable for travelers who come to Yunnan for the first time. You get a glimpse of the traditional Chinese city life, experience the rich and unique ethnic folk custom, stroll around the ancient towns to discover more Chinese traditional culture, follow our step into Yuanyang Haini Rice Terraces, enjoy the fascinating rice terraces and take nice photos there, and visit the impressive and amazing sceneries areas, such as Stone Forest, Tiger Leaping Gorge. Yunnan Classic Tours offer you a journey with the highlights of Yunnan and help you to discover the different “Yunnan”.

More about Tour Packages in Yunnan

Yunnan Tours by Region

Basic Travel Tips for Yunnan Travel

Where to Stay in Yunnan

As a top tourist resort, there are a lot of inns and hotels in Yunnan with different standards, especially in Kunming, Lijiang, Dali, Shangri-La. You may have enjoyed the 5-star modern hotels, however, it will be special to stay at hotels with traditional style and standard hygiene which presents beautiful local architecture, surrounded by lush greenery. Yunnan, as one of the important destinations in China, is famous for the numerous hotels and you can always choose the most suitable hotel for your Yunnan Tour.

Yunnan Accommodation by Region

What to Pack for Yunnan Travel

  • Take care of your luggage and important things, such as passport and visa.
  • Prepare for your SIM card to make sure the internet use in China.
  • Take some medicine with you for emergency use, especially if you are easy to get altitude sickness.
  • Bring sunscreen, sunglasses and hats for the strong ultraviolet ray on the plateau.
  • Don’t forget your umbrella and rain gear during the rainy seasons.
  • Pack suitable clothes, windproof jacket and thick coat are suggested, outdoor clothing will be good.

Matters Need Attention

  • Read some basic information about Yunnan and China so that you could have a better experience there.
  • Respect and follow local custom and avoid conflicts.
  • Eat more vegetables and fruits, drink plenty of water, it may help you to avoid altitude sickness.
  • Check out the weather report before your travel. Do not go sightseeing in bad weather.
  • In China, please had better not travel in peak seasons, such as Chinese New Year, International Labor Day and National Day. If you want to experience the traditional festival culture, Taking a tour during the traditional festivals of China can get the opportunity to experience the festivals culture.
  • Be careful of the changeable temperature. A few chilly days could be followed by relatively hot weather. So it is better to take some early winter clothes to protect you away from the sudden low temperature.

Keep Reading

How to Plan Yunnan Travel by Theme

How to Plan Yunnan Travel by Region