Yunnan is a fantastic travel destination and a great place to relax. If you're a young person who loves freedom, being a backpacker and exploring Yunnan independently is an excellent choice.
Gear:
A hiking backpack (50 liters is sufficient); Rain gear (Yunnan’s weather is highly unpredictable); One pair of long pants and one windbreaker (the temperature difference between morning and evening in Yunnan is quite large); Two T-shirts and shorts are enough (don’t bring too much, as they’ll just be a burden while hiking, though this is different if you’re traveling in autumn or winter); A hat and sunglasses (absolutely essential); Sunscreen; A basic medical kit (for emergencies).
Accommodation:
The peak tourist seasons in Yunnan are the Golden Week holidays, July and August, and the Spring Festival holiday. During these times, rooms in places like Dali Ancient Town and Lijiang Ancient Town tend to be in high demand, so it's best to book in advance. Prices vary depending on the accommodation conditions.
Food:
Yunnan cuisine may have slightly stronger flavors compared to what people from southern China are used to, but you’ll quickly get used to it. There’s plenty of delicious food in Yunnan, so take your time to explore.
First Stop: Stone Forest
There are many buses from Kunming to the Stone Forest, usually departing between 8–11 AM. During holidays, the departure window extends by an hour. The journey takes about an hour and a half, and you can take a bus from the square at Kunming Railway Station. The Stone Forest scenic area consists of seven sections: the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests, Naigu Stone Forest, Dadieshui Waterfall, Changhu Lake, Yuehu Lake, Zhiyun Cave, and Qifeng Cave. It’s a karst landscape destination famous for its unique limestone formations, which attract huge crowds of tourists. ... During peak season, after 10 AM, it’s pretty much just people looking at other people.
Pro tip: Visit the Stone Forest early in the day.
Second Stop: Dali
You can get to Dali from Kunming by bus or train—choose based on your preference. Buses can also be booked at the square of Kunming Railway Station. After arriving at Dali Station, you can take a bus or taxi to the ancient town, which takes about 15 minutes.
In terms of accommodation, I personally found the options inside Dali Ancient Town to be a bit subpar. You might want to consider family-run guesthouses around the ancient town instead. Be sure to check the room first and ask whether hot water is available only during limited hours. (I once forgot to ask and ended up coming back to no hot water in the bathroom several nights in a row, forcing me to take cold showers.)
In Dali, you can go on a self-guided tour or join a one-day tour organized by local travel agencies. I opted to cycle around on my own. There are several bike rental shops near the ancient town. The daily rental fee is just 10–20 yuan, which is very cheap. (If you choose to cycle, make sure to apply sunscreen—the higher the SPF, the better. The UV rays in Yunnan are seriously intense. At the time, I thought guys didn’t need it, so I skipped it. After a full day of cycling, I learned my lesson the hard way—my skin turned red, swollen, and started peeling. For the next few days, I felt like I was “shedding” like a snake. Sigh...) My cycling route followed the Dali-Lijiang Highway, passing many scenic spots: Cangshan Mountain (one side of the road is Cangshan, the other is Erhai Lake), Chongsheng Temple’s Three Pagodas, Butterfly Spring (which I found rather boring—no butterflies, just crowds, so I skipped it), Xizhou’s Bai ethnic village (a quaint spot worth visiting for those interested in local culture), and Erhai Lake Park (about 15 km from the ancient town near Xiaguan). The entire ride took 10 hours, with an average speed of around 15 km/h according to my GPS (the scenery was so beautiful that there was no need to rush).
On the second day, you can wander around the ancient town, shop, or hang out in bars (note: if you plan to buy silver jewelry, always confirm whether it’s pure silver or Tibetan silver—which is basically nickel silver—and thus cheaper. Don’t get scammed).
Dali has four wonders: “Wind, Flowers, Snow, and Moon,” referring to Xiaguan Wind, Shangguan Flowers, Cangshan Snow, and Erhai Moon. Cangshan and Erhai are two of Dali’s most famous spots, nestled between mountains and water—a truly scenic and spiritually uplifting place.
Pro tip: Lots of beautiful sights and delicious food.
Third Stop: Lijiang
From Dali to Lijiang, you can only take a bus—trains weren’t available until the end of 2009. So, you’ll spend 4–5 hours on a bus watching DVDs.
It’s best to book your bus ticket to Lijiang a day in advance, as most travelers heading to Dali will continue on to Lijiang. During peak season, tickets can be hard to come by. For accommodation: try to stay inside the ancient town if possible. It’s a bit more expensive, but the charm and ambiance are totally worth it—it’s perfect for those seeking a cozy, boutique vibe. So it’s definitely worth the splurge. Book well in advance during peak season, or you might struggle to find a place to stay inside the ancient town.
The so-called Lijiang Ancient Town is actually Dayan Ancient Town—also known as the legendary “City of Love.” If you’re coming to Lijiang purely for romantic encounters, you might as well turn back now. There are indeed plenty of good-looking people, but most are already taken. Looks like romance is really a matter of fate. Personally, although Lijiang still retains some of its old-world charm, its essence has changed significantly. In recent years, commercialization has taken over. The blues music in bars has been replaced by tacky ethnic performances, and many unique shops have been turned into hotels. Sigh... what a shame.
Getting back to the point, you can pretty much cover all of Dayan Ancient Town in a day. There, you can find many unique handicrafts, enjoy authentic Yunnan small-grain coffee, and enjoy the beautiful surroundings. Lijiang is a great place for vacationing and relaxation. Just a heads-up: the temperature and weather in Lijiang change a lot between morning and night. If you plan to explore all day, bring a windbreaker and rain gear.
Pro tip: For a relaxing getaway, come to Lijiang.
Fourth Stop: Tiger Leaping Gorge – Napa Grassland – Napahai Lake – Baima Snow Mountain – Songzanlin Monastery – Deqen (Feilai Temple) – Mingyong Glacier – Lashi Lake
This route was done as a group tour with other backpackers in Lijiang. You can inquire about group tours at various travel agencies in Dayan Town—I won’t go into details here.
For travel tips on Tiger Leaping Gorge, there’s a dedicated post in my previous blog entries—feel free to check it out if you’re interested.
I do recommend visiting Songzanlin Monastery—it’s known as the “Little Potala Palace.” But unfortunately, the main hall was under renovation when I went. Baima Snow Mountain is quite beautiful on a clear day, but it sits at around 4,000 meters altitude, so it might not be suitable for those with high blood pressure.
The main reason for going to Feilai Temple in Deqen is to see Meili Snow Mountain, considered the “No. 1 sacred mountain” by the Tibetan people. The best time to view it is generally from January to May—other months are usually shrouded in clouds. This trip was no exception... what a pity. Guess I’ll have to wait for another opportunity. The Mingyong Glacier lies at the foot of Meili Snow Mountain, and there are two routes to choose from: one leads to Yubeng, taking about two days; the other goes directly to the Mingyong Glacier, a half-day hike. The Mingyong Glacier is one of the long glaciers under Kawagarbo Peak. It’s a low-latitude, tropical monsoon maritime modern glacier, with snow and ice that never melt at the summit. In winter, its ice tongue can extend from 5,500 meters down to 2,800 meters above sea level, like a silver-scaled dragon stretching from the snowy heights all the way down to the base of the mountain, nearly reaching the Lancang River just 800 meters away—so it’s definitely worth seeing.
Stop 5: Kunming World Expo Garden
Even though ten years have passed, I still went to check it out because of its fame. The landscaping there is quite nice, and the buildings are okay, but many of the exhibition areas have long been turned into stalls selling tourist souvenirs, which gives off a somewhat desolate vibe.