Yunnan Travel Guide
Yunnan is a province that encompasses the climate in four seasons. It is suitable to travel all year round. Visitors will not only feast on their stunning scenery of snow mountains and glaciers but also their exotic ethnic culture and customs.
Why Should Visit Yunnan in a Lifetime
1. Yunnan Province has the largest number of minority groups in China. The 25 minorities consist of an amazing array of ethnically diverse cultures, tourists are willing to experience minorities' cultures and customs that differ from the cities they live.
2. The majestic nature beauty: The ancient city of Lijiang, the spring city of Kunming, the Tibetan inhabit of Shangri-La, Dali, the famous Cang Mountain, Erhai Lake, the scary Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lugu Lake, etc...
3. The spring-like weather: the city of Kunming, Dali is located on the low latitude of the plateau, characterized by a small temperature difference and an average temperature of around 12℃(54F) ~ 22℃(72F). The places are suitable for travel all year round.
4. The Food: Yunan food is famous for its wide range of ingredients and different ways of cooking. The dishes you must try are: Crossing the Bridge Rice Noodles (过桥米线), Yak Meat Hotpot (牦牛肉火锅), Steam Pot Chicken (汽锅鸡), Wild Mushroom Hotpot (野生菌火锅), Fried Rice-Flour Cake (炒饵块).
Best Places to Visit in Yunnan
Top 1. Kunming - the City of Ever Spring
Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan and is reputed as a flower city that attracts tourists from all over China. Owning China's largest flower market that delivers to all over the country every day.
Kunming is endowed with many historical temples and stunning landscapes like Stone Forest; Kunming Western Hill (Xishan); Dongchuan Red Land; Green Lake (Cui Hu); and Dian Lake (Dianchi)...
Top 2 Lijiang - Old Towns and Snow Mountains
Lijiang has three famous ancient towns - Dayan, Shuhe, and Baisha, which were listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites and inhabited by Naxi People. Lijiang is also renowned as an important gateway to the Ancient Tea Horse Road, the Tea Horse Museum and Lashihai Tea Horse Trail are worth exploring.
Things to see and do in Lijiang: 1. the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains; 2. Lugu Lake · 3. Dayan Ancient Town; 4. Shuhe Ancient Town; 5. Black Dragon Pond Park; 6. Lashihai Town
Top 3 Dali - Explore by Bike
Dali, being the capital of the Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture, was the capital of the ancient Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms and served as the political, economic, and cultural center of ancient Yunnan for more than 500 years.
The place we visit is commonly known as Dali Old Town, and the other must-sees are Erhai Lake, bike or take a boat ride there, Shuanlang Old Village, Xizhou Bai Village, composed of the most well-preserved Bai-style architecture complex; Three Pagodas, the simple of the region.
Top 4 Shangri-La - Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture
Formerly known as Zhongdian County, located at the intersection of Yunnan, Tibet, and Sichuan provinces, with an average altitude of 3,380 meters. Shangri-la featured vast primitive forests, holy snow-capped mountains and glacial lakes, and unique Tibetan culture.
Best places to visit in Shangri-La: Potatso National Park · Songzanlin Lamasery · Napahai Natural Lake Reserve, Balagezong Grand Canyon, Tiger Leaping Gorge
If You Have Enough Time to Travel, Go a Bit Deeper to Explore
Extend your trip to see more authentic Yunnan, the Dai ethnic groups and wild tropical forest in Xishuangbanna, the gorges rice terraces in Yuanyang; Laid back in the hot spring resort in Tengchong; One of the important cultivation regions of the Pu'er tea - Pu’er City...Yunan has a lot more to discover.
Top Attractions in Yunnan
Best Time to Visit Yunnan - Weather & Climate
Generally speaking, Yunnan is suitable for travel all year round, among the four seasons, the best time to visit is from October to April, the weather is dry and pleasant at this time.
Due to the different topography and latitudes, you can experience seasonal scenery from winter to summer within one province, according to the regions you visit.
February to April is the best time to visit Yunnan as the spring warms up earlier than in the north. Luoping is the best place to see the rape flowers. The "spring city" of Kunming is in its most pleasant season, and the peach blossoms in southeastern Yunnan are just in time.
In April, you can go to Xishuangbanna to engage in the grand Water-sprinkling Festival. Furthermore, it is time for the azalea to bloom in Laojun Mountain in Lijiang.
May to August is the best travel time to enjoy the summer scenery of Shangri-La; in addition, lotus flowers are in full bloom in Puzhehei and Damei in southern Yunnan.
July and August are the seasons when the wild mushrooms are in harvest, savor your taste buds for the meals of mushroom hot pot.
Summer is the rainy season in the south and southwest of Yunnan, The driving road in the mountain area was use to blocked by a landslide. Should pay attention to the weather forecast when you travel in this region.
From September to November, you can visit Dali to experience the fishing festival in Erhai Lake. In November, the hundred-year-old ginkgo village of Tengchong offers the most beautiful golden autumn scenery in Yunnan.
Xishuangbanna is in its dry season with pleasant weather. You can also enjoy the world-famous Yuan Yang Terraces offer stunning views during this season.
How to Plan a Trip to Yunnan
Yunnan is the most diverse country in China, Take a trip to the must-see regions Kumming, Lijiang, and Dali in Yunnan takes at least one week. However, if you want to cover all the highlights, suggest spending two weeks or more discovering the region from south to west.
So Where to start the trip? How to arrange the classical 7-day itinerary? How to get around Yunnan? To find out the answers in this article, click for Yunnan trip planning
How Many Ethnic Groups in Yunnan
Besides its Han Chinese majority, China has 55 ethnic minorities, 51 of which can be found in Yunnan Province, of which a subgroup of 25 both have a population over 5000 and have lived for generations in enclaves in the province.
15 ethnic minorities are indigenous to Yunnan. These include the Bai, Blang (aka Bulang), Dai, De'ang (aka Deang), Drung (aka Dulong), Hani, Jingpo, Jinuo (aka Jino), Lahu, Lisu, Naxi, Nu, Wa, Pumi, and Yi.
Four minorities Dai, Hani, Yi, and the Zhuang have populations that exceed one million.
Moreover, among all the above ethnic groups, the national majority of Han, Hui, Miao, Shui, and Yao are distributed in different regions of Yunnan.
Top Recommended Yunan Tours
- 8-Day Authentic Yunnan Discovery
- 4-Day Lijiang and Magnificent Tiger Leaping Gorge Tour
- 6-Day Yunnan Xishuangbanna Tour
We can customize your trip based on your group size, budget, interests, preferences, and other requirements.