Region

Yunnan

Base in Kunming (3 nights); day‑trip Dali (4 h), Lijiang (7 h), Shangri‑La (12 h); total 5–7 days.

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Key facts · China

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

Rules in force · 10

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 ↗Tibet (Lhasa, Shigatse) needs a permit arranged through a licensed agency before you fly; you cannot buy it on arrival.
Southwest China ↗Alipay or WeChat Pay linked to a foreign card covers almost everything; small-town stalls may still want cash.
Southwest China ↗Shangri-La (3,200 m), Litang (4,000 m) and Lhasa (3,650 m) need a slow first day; do not fly straight up and hike.

Kunming is the cheap hub for Yunnan; stay 3 nights there and use it as base for day‑trips to Dali (≈4 h), Lijiang (≈7 h) and Shangri‑La (≈12 h). The province’s draw is ethnic diversity, high‑altitude scenery and tea culture, so a 5–7‑day itinerary covers the main highlights.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

KunmingCity guide
Cheapest hotels, airport link, gateway to all day‑trips.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Kunming →

Day trip

DaliCity guide
Lake Erhai, old town; reachable by bus or train from Kunming.
Best Mar–May, Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Dali →
LijiangCity guide
UNESCO old town, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; 7 h by bus/train.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Lijiang →
Shangri‑LaGuide: planned
High‑altitude Tibetan culture, Pudacuo Park; 12 h by bus/train.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.

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

5 nights: Kunming 3, day‑trip Dali, Lijiang
7 nights: Kunming 3, day‑trip Dali, Lijiang, Shangri‑La

Altitude sickness can affect visitors to Shangri‑La (≈3 200 m); hydrate and ascend slowly.
Border areas near Myanmar and Laos may have occasional security checks; carry passport.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Dali	Kunming	240 min	mid‑evening	Bus or train; sights close by late afternoon.
Lijiang	Kunming	420 min	early night	Longer ride; start early to see old town.
Shangri‑La	Kunming	720 min	check schedule	High‑altitude; acclimatise if sensitive.

Bags between cities

Check local transport schedules for onward connections; Kunming is the main hub for buses, trains and flights to other Yunnan regions.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons

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
Kunming	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
Southwest China (country-wide)	ok	ok	ok	go	go	ok	–	–	go	go	ok	ok

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.

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
Kunming Changshui International Airport	Kunming city centre	Airport shuttle bus or metro line 6	~45 min door‑to‑door	Most domestic flights land here; buses run every 15 min.
Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu, Guangzhou	Kunming	High‑speed rail (Beijing‑Kunming ~12 h) or direct flight (~2 h)	flight ~2 h; train ~12 h	Check visa‑free transit rules if only passing through.
Vientiane (Laos)	Kunming	International train (opened 2023)	~10.5 h	Border formalities at Boten (Laos) and Mohan (China).

Regional passes

Verdict first

China Rail Pass (nationwide)

skip

Not cost‑effective for Yunnan‑focused trips; individual tickets are cheaper.

Kunming Transportation Card

buy

Tap on city buses, metro and some regional buses; no pass math needed.

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
Crossing the bridge noodles	Kunming, Dali, Lijiang	¥3–15 per bowl; add meat, vegetables, raw egg.
Pu'er tea	Kunming tea markets, Xishuangbanna	Buy loose leaf; price varies by grade.
Yunnan goat cheese (Rubbing)	Shi Ping county	Often fried with vegetables; vegetarian-friendly.
Yak butter tea	Tibetan villages, Northwestern Yunnan	Warm, salty; typical breakfast drink.

Go next

Sichuan

planned

High‑speed rail ~5 h from Kunming

Add Chengdu for pandas.

Tibet

planned

Train to Lhasa via Xining ~24 h

Requires permit.

Guizhou

planned

Bus or train ~4 h north

Continue the minority‑culture trail.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids1 partIn numbers

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 3, 4 h to 12 h
Nights suggested: 5–7 nights
Ways in: 3 listed

Explore Kunming Up to Southwest China

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialWikidata – Yunnan
secondaryWikivoyage: Yunnan, revision 5262351 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Yunnan

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