Region

Southwest China

Pick one base — Chengdu, Kunming or Guiyang — and add Lhasa or Yunnan as a second stop, not both in one week.

Not field-verified

Source checked: A source and a date are on record: we read it from an official or published page. Not yet confirmed on the ground.
Field checked: Someone checked it on the ground, with the date shown.
Plan calculated: Worked out by Voykit from its own data (times, distances, budgets). A calculation, not a measurement.

Unknown times stay unknown. How we verify

Open China Plan a trip

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Key facts · China

Best months: Apr–May, Sep–Oct
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Chinese yuan (CNY / RMB, ¥)
Language: Mandarin in Simplified characters
Plugs: A · C · I · 220 V
Time zone: UTC+8 nationwide

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 7

East Asia ↗Every border in East Asia is a full international border, Hong Kong and Macau included: an entry permission for one never covers the next.
East Asia ↗Ferries between Korea, Japan and China cancel in rough seas and typhoons; keep a flight or a spare day behind every sea leg.
China ↗Most nationalities need a visa, a unilateral visa-free entry (the list and end dates change) or the transit exemption below. Confirm your route on the official sites before you buy a ticket.
China ↗Transit stay without a visa: up to 240 hours (10 days) for citizens of about 55 listed countries who pass through China to a third country or region, with a confirmed onward ticket and a stay inside the permitted area (Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei count as one area). It replaced the 144-hour rule in December 2024, which some older pages still quote. Use the transit lane at immigration, show the onward ticket, and check the current nationality list. Hong Kong and Macau count as separate regions; check whether your ticket qualifies.
China ↗Foreign visitors must register their address with the police within 24 hours; hotels do it at check-in with your passport. Carry the original passport at all times: hotels, trains, museums, Tiananmen Square and police checks ask for it.
China ↗Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card before you fly. QR payment is the default in shops, taxis and many stalls, and some places refuse cash or a foreign card. Carry cash as a backup.
China ↗Google, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and many news sites are blocked. Use an eSIM with roaming (it routes through your home network) or install and test a VPN before you fly; VPN sites and app stores are hard to reach inside China, and only government-approved VPNs are officially permitted.

Southwest China covers Sichuan, Chongqing, Yunnan, Guizhou and Tibet — a spread of 2,000 km where high-speed rail links the basin cities but mountain roads still decide your days. Fly between the far corners; use rail inside each province. One province plus one add-on is a real trip; three provinces in ten days is mostly transit.

Where to sleep

7 places in this region

Sleep base

ChengduCity guide
Pandas, teahouses, Sichuan food; rail hub for Chongqing, Leshan and the west.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Chengdu →
ChongqingCity guide
Hot pot, river gorge cityscape, Yangtze cruises.
Best Apr–May, Sep
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Chongqing →
KunmingCity guide
Mild year-round; gateway to Dali, Lijiang and Jinghong.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kunming →
GuiyangCity guide
Base for Guizhou's waterfalls, caves and village festivals.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Guiyang →

Day trip

DaliCity guide
Old town and Erhai Lake; 2 h by rail from Kunming.
Best Mar–May, Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Dali →
LijiangCity guide
Old town and Tiger Leaping Gorge access.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Lijiang →

Also here

LhasaCity guide
Permit tour only; 4–7 nights with the plateau.
Best May–Jun, Sep–Oct
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Lhasa →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

7 nights: Chengdu 3 + Chongqing 2 + Leshan as a day-trip
10 nights: Chengdu 3 + Kunming 2 + Dali 2 + Lijiang 3
12 nights: Chengdu 3 + Lhasa 5 (permit) + Kunming 3

Chengdu + Chongqing + Kunming + Guiyang in a week is four travel days and no real sightseeing.
Tibet permits take days to process and are refused for some nationalities and dates; check before booking flights.
Mountain roads in western Sichuan and Yunnan close after landslides in the rainy season (Jun–Sep).

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Leshan	Chengdu	150 min	unknown	High-speed rail about 1 h each way; the Buddha viewing queue can add 2 h.
Dujiangyan	Chengdu	90 min	unknown	Irrigation works and panda base; half day.
Dali	Kunming	150 min	unknown	Rail about 2 h; old town plus Erhai Lake loop.
Lijiang	Dali	130 min	unknown	Rail about 2 h; continue north to the gorge.
Anshun	Guiyang	90 min	unknown	Huangguoshu waterfall and karst caves; long day.

Bags between cities

Left-luggage and same-day courier services exist at Chengdu and Kunming stations; mountain guesthouses often cannot receive bags — carry them.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Chengdu	×	×	go	go	go	ok	×	×	go	go	go	×
Chongqing	×	×	ok	go	go	ok	×	×	go	ok	ok	×
Kunming	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	go	go	go	ok
Guiyang	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	go	go	go	ok
Dali	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	ok	ok	go	ok
Lijiang	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	ok
Lhasa	×	×	ok	ok	go	go	×	×	go	go	ok	×
China (country-wide)	ok	×	ok	go	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Sichuan basin (Chengdu, Chongqing)lowland	cool	cool	ok	best	best	wet	hot	hot	ok	best	ok	cool
Yunnan plateau (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang)1,900–2,400 m	ok	ok	ok	best	best	wet	wet	wet	best	best	best	ok
Tibet (Lhasa)3,650 m	cold	cold	cold	ok	best	best	wet	wet	best	ok	cold	cold

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Sichuan basin (Chengdu, Chongqing): Humid and grey much of the year; Chongqing hits 38 °C (100 °F)+ in July–August.Humid and grey much of the year; Chongqing hits 100 °F (38 °C)+ in July–August.
Yunnan plateau (Kunming, Dali, Lijiang): Mild all year; the Jun–Aug rains fall hard in the afternoon. Strong sun at altitude.
Tibet (Lhasa): Cold nights year-round; May–Jun and Sep–Oct are the workable windows.

Spring and autumn suit the whole region; the rainy season (Jun–Aug) is the only time to avoid the mountains, though it is fine for Chengdu and Kunming city days.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
Beijing	Chengdu	flight ~3 h, or high-speed rail ~7 h 30	~3 h flight	Flying is the default; rail is scenic but eats a day.
Shanghai	Chengdu / Chongqing	flight ~3 h; high-speed rail ~11 h	~3 h flight	Rail only makes sense if you want the Yangtze stops.
Guangzhou	Kunming / Guiyang	high-speed rail ~4–5 h	~4 h 30	The easiest rail entry into the region from the south.
Lhasa	Chengdu	flight ~2 h 30	~2 h 30	Permit needed to enter Tibet, not to leave it.

Regional passes

Verdict first

China high-speed rail (12306)

buy

Book Chengdu–Chongqing, Kunming–Dali–Lijiang and Guiyang–Anshun on 12306; passport is your ticket.

Tibet permit + tour

check

Mandatory for Lhasa; agency arranges permit, guide and often transport. Prices vary — check current rules.

Yangtze cruise (Chongqing–Yichang)

check

3–4 nights downstream; worth it only if the gorge scenery is the point of the trip.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Chongqing hot pot	Chongqing, everywhere	Shared spicy broth; order mild if unsure. Dipping sauce is oil and garlic, not sesame.
Mapo tofu and dan dan noodles	Chengdu	Sichuan pepper numbs rather than burns; ask for less if you are new to it.
Crossing-the-bridge noodles	Kunming	Broth arrives boiling; add the raw ingredients in order and wait.
Sour fish soup and rice noodles	Guiyang, Kaili	Miao and Dong cooking; fermented sour is the local signature.
Yak butter tea and tsampa	Lhasa, Shangri-La	Salty, not sweet; a small cup is enough to try.

Go next

Tibet

planned

Flight to Lhasa ~2 h 30 from Chengdu

Permit tour only; allow 4–7 nights.

Yunnan

planned

Rail from Kunming to Dali and Lijiang

Old towns, Erhai Lake and Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Sichuan

planned

Chengdu is the hub

Pandas, Leshan Buddha and western Sichuan.

Guizhou

planned

Rail from Guiyang

Waterfalls, caves and village festivals.

Chongqing Municipality

planned

Rail ~1 h 30 from Chengdu

Hot pot and the Yangtze gorge.

Lugu Lake

planned

Road from Lijiang, ~5–6 h

High lake on the Yunnan–Sichuan border.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Going in… · Trips here

Region in numbers

Not yet checked

Where to sleep: 4 bases
Day trips: 5, 1 h 30 to 2 h 30
Nights suggested: 7–12 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: May (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Trips that stop here

From the China guide

Capitals, pandas and karst
14 days · 3 nights here
Beijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Yangshuo → Shanghai

All China trips →

Open China Up to China

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialChina National Tourist Office
officialChina Railway 12306
officialTibet Tourism Development Commission
secondaryWikivoyage: Southwest China, revision 5339663 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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