How Plan Yunnan Itinerary

Yunnan is one of the most diverse provinces in China, and this two-week trip to Yunnan will take you to see all the highlights. I have been to China many times and this travel guide describes my trip from Kunming to Shangri-La. Great for first-time visitors to China, but best recommended for a second visit, unless you don't care about China's top five attractions. Finally, I'll also give you some ideas on how to combine your China itinerary with those in other regions. Yunnan is a vast country, and it is impossible to cover every attraction, but all I have covered are must-sees. I'll also provide some ideas on how to extend your trip. As you read my day trip report, please note that I have rearranged this itinerary based on my own experiences for better planning. Join me now on this Yunnan travel adventure by car, train and plane.

Whether it is a graduation trip, a honeymoon trip, a girlfriend trip, or a parent-child trip, a family trip, many people's first choice is Yunnan, travel is a relatively complex issue, especially the first time or a family trip, there are many things to consider.

About the best time to visit Yunnan

Yunnan is suitable for four seasons of travel, each season has its different scenery, among which Dali and Lijiang are not greatly affected by the season, Shangri-La is relatively cold in winter because of its high altitude, and Yulong Snow Mountain does not have much snow in summer, and the landscape is not as good as in winter.

From July to August, as well as statutory holidays such as National Day and Spring Festival, it is the peak season for tourism, and other times are off-season.

If you like Yunnan and want to travel to Yunnan, whether it is a classic route, a niche route, a special food, a group tour, or a customized tour, you can contact us, we will plan the best travel plan for you!

About the weather and dress guide

Yunnan is like spring all year round, not so simple, there is almost no weather over 30 degrees throughout the year, and very mild, suitable for vacation.

In Dali and Lijiang, the temperature ranges from 15 to 25 degrees Celsius in summer and 0-15 degrees Celsius in winter, while in Shangri-La, the temperature ranges from 5 to 18 degrees Celsius in summer and -10 degrees Celsius to -10 degrees Celsius in winter.

It's good to wear seasonal clothes in spring, summer, autumn, and winter, but because of the large temperature difference between morning and evening, you need to bring a jacket or two in addition to summer T-shirts and skirts in summer.

The rain in Yunnan is very peculiar, July to August is the rainy season, but it is different from the crazy rainstorm in the coastal areas, and it is also different from the continuous drizzle in the south of the Yangtze River, the rain in Yunnan is mostly sun rain, almost every day, but the duration is short, the coverage is small, and even ten miles of different days, the weather forecast is basically useless.

About Yunnan Itinerary Planning

As the top tourist route in China, starting from Kunming and heading all the way to the northwest, almost every stop is a very classic destination. In terms of time, at least 5 days are arranged, and if you want to play enough for no less than 8 days, I designed a 10-day itinerary, on which you can make deletions, additions and adjustments. Before planning the route, there are a few things I need to tell you about transportation:

1- Lijiang and Kunming are the most developed cities in Yunnan, and most tourists fly directly to Lijiang or transit to Kunming;

2- The high-speed railway from Kunming to Dali has been opened, shortening the previous 6-8 hours by car to 2 hours;

3- Lijiang is the geographical midpoint of Lugu Lake, Shangri-La and Dali, so Lijiang is a transit station;

4- Lijiang is 180-200 kilometers away from the other three places, due to the difference in road conditions, Lijiang to Lugu Lake is more than 4 hours, Lijiang to Dali according to different modes of transportation, the time is 2.5-3 hours, Lijiang to Shangri-La is 3 hours.

Day 1: Arrive in Lijiang

After arriving in Lijiang on the first day, check in to the hotel, take a rest, find a roadside restaurant to eat a local meal, and then visit the ancient city, and the beautiful journey begins;

Day 2: Lashi Lake, Lijiang

Lashi Lake is a wetland lake, known as the first stop of Lijiang tourism, more than 10 kilometers away from the city, a small urban area of Lijiang is also considered "remote".

Day 3: Lijiang Yulong Snow Mountain + Blue Moon Valley for one day

Yulong Snow Mountain is well-known, 50 minutes drive from the ancient city, and the main highlights are "Blue Moon Valley", "Glacier Park", "Impression Lijiang" performances, etc.;

Days 4-5: Lugu Lake two-day tour

From Lijiang to Lugu Lake, it takes 4 hours each way, and it is generally arranged for 2 days to stay at Lugu Lake for one night and return to Lijiang the next day. The main attractions and projects of Lugu Lake are: 360-degree tour around the lake, taking a pig trough boat to tour the lake, Mosuo bonfire party, Lige Observation Deck, Caohai Wedding Bridge, etc.;

Days 6-7: Shangri-La 2-day tour

Starting from Lijiang and going to Shangri-La, it takes 3 hours each way, and 2 days are arranged, staying in Shangri-La County for one night, and returning to Lijiang the next day.

Day 8: Lijiang departs Dali

Different from the itinerary of Lugu Lake and Shangri-La, after returning to Lijiang and Dali, you can go to Kunming or leave directly from Lijiang and Dali airports, so you should bring all your luggage.

Day 9: Dali Erhai Lake day trip

On the second day of Erhai Lake, I recommend going to play Erhai Lake, which has more ways to play, which is to go around the lake or take a cruise to the lake.

Day 10: Departure, end of the journey

In the past, most tourists would return to Lijiang Airport to fly away, and some tourists chose to fly directly from Dali Airport, now because Dali to Kunming to the high-speed rail has been opened, the time has been reduced from the previous 4-8 hours, reduced to the current 2 hours (but remember to buy tickets in advance), so many tourists choose to go from Dali to Kunming, and then leave Yunnan.