City: Yunnan
Top Things to do in Yunnan
Top Hotels in Yunnan
- 1. HUALUXE Hotels and Resorts Kunming, an IHG hotel
- 2. Sofitel Kunming
- 3. Crowne Plaza Kunming City Centre, an IHG hotel
- 4. Pullman Lijiang Resort & Spa
- 5. InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort
- 6. Banyan Tree Lijiang
- 7. The Bivou
- 8. Hilton Yuxi Fuxian Lake
- 9. Songtsam Tacheng Lodge
- 10. Holiday Inn Kunming City Centre, an IHG hotel
What to do and see in Yunnan, China: The Best Places and Tips
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country. It spans approximately 394,000 square kilometres (152,000 sq mi) and has a population of 45.7 million (as of 2009). The capital of the province is Kunming, formerly also known as Yunnan. The province borders the Chinese provinces Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan, and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and the countries Vietnam, Laos, and Myanmar.
Restaurants in Yunnan
1. Yuanyang Rice Terraces
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By journeywesteast - Utrecht
One of the highlights of our trip were the Yuanyang riceterraces. Especially sunset and sunrise are wonderful. Photographer's paradise! What we also really liked is that Yuanyang is a wonderful base to explore the surroundings for markets. The local markets are so colourful and authentic, not so easy to find in China nowadays...We booked a tour with a car and guide though as it's impossible to know when the markets are on and they don't happen every day. Do prepare for long drives though and sometimes basic stays out of Yuanyang. We highly recommend this area to go off the beaten track!
2. Meili Snow Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 182 reviews
Also known as the Prince Snow Mountain, it is famous for its main and yet unconquered peak, Kagebo Peak.
Reviewed By jameshuang - Taipei, Taiwan
Meili Snow Mountain (梅里雪山, also known as Prince Snow Mountain) is located northwest of Shangri-La City, Yunnan, China. Meili Snow Mountain Fei Lai Temple Viewing Platform (梅里雪山飛來寺觀景台) is about 185 km from Shangri-La City via G214 national highway. It is the perfect location where you can enjoy the incredible sunrise of the Meili Snow Mountain. Meili Snow Mountain has 13 snow-clad ridges and peaks. Kawagarbo (卡瓦格博峰) is the highest mountain in Yunnan Province at 6,740 m (22,113 ft). The 6,054 m (19,862 ft) Mianzimu (緬茨姆峰) on the far left (south) and the 5,420.5 m (17,784 ft) Jiarien-an (加瓦仁安峰) in the middle are also easily identified from the viewing platform. Kawagarbo is one of the most sacred Mountains for Tibetan Buddhists as the spiritual home of a warrior god of the same name. It is still a 'virgin peak' because no one has ever successfully reached the top. Meili Snow Mountain is a challenge for all mountain explorers from home and abroad. In 1991, 17 mountaineers from China and Japan lost their lives while trying to reach the peak of Kawagarbo; a tragedy which is amongst the worst ever in history of mountain climbing incidents in China. In 2001, local government passed laws banning all future climbing attempts on cultural and religious grounds.
Meili Snow Mountain was the highlight and farthest destination of our trip. We didn’t actually climb up or get close to the mountain. On the contrary, we went to Deqin close to Meili Snow Mountain Fei Lai Temple Viewing Platform. We stayed at the hotel just next to the viewing platform. It also provided a very convenient roof top viewing spot for us to enjoy the Meili Snow Mountain scenery without other tourists. We arrived just in time to see the sunset on the Meili Snow Mountain. Although it wasn’t as magnificent as the sunrise, we could feel the might of the Mountains. The sun set behind the Mountains. At night we went to the rooftop again to photograph the galaxy and stars. This was the first time I tried to shoot the galaxy, and the outcome was acceptable to me. The next day we woke up in the early morning and went to the rooftop again around 7 am. The sun went up behind us, and we saw the Meili Snow Mountain light up from dark. It started with gray and then white before the Sunshine hit the tip of the Mountains. The first golden light hit the top of Kawagarbo (卡瓦格博峰), which of course was the highest in the range. The 2nd one was the Mianzimu (?茨姆) on the far left which was the 4th highest peak in the range. The golden light show ended in about 10 minutes, and the Mountains turned to white color of the snow. I continued taking photos of the surroundings including the Meili Snow Mountain Fei Lai Temple Viewing Platform from above.
The National Highway 214 is the main road from Shangri-La City to Deqin County. It is part of the famous Yunnan Tibet highway (滇藏公路). It is a two-way road with no center divide lines, no convex traffic mirrors on curves and no traffic barriers at most of the edges of the road. Trucks, buses and cars are the most seen vehicles on this road. Our driver honked the horn whenever the bus came close to a curve. It was amazing and scary when he passed the slow truck on the 2-way highway. The beautiful scenes are worth the worrisome ride. The weather can be very unstable in early spring and summer to early fall. From mid fall to winter (between November and March) the weather is usually dry with clear skies.
3. Yunnan Shaxi Ancient Town
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 239 reviews
Reviewed By ecotravelz
Booked for 4 days and stayed 6. Wonderful small village surrounded by rice paddies, other villages, and friewndly people. The Friday local market is a must. Lovely restaurants, and we hired the e-Bikes (40rmb ea per day) to explore the countryside. Gumo Hotel was the best on our 10 week trip. Highly Recommended. Go there before the Chinese govt spoils it as a "tourist destination".
4. Lugu Lake
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 824 reviews
Reviewed By KodoDrummer - Yekaterinburg, Russia
This beautiful, peaceful, alpine-like lake is shared by Ninglang County of Yunnan Province and the Yanyuan County of Sichuan province. The border between the two provinces goes through approximately the middle of the lake. There are many ancient villages in the area, and many of the Mosuo inhabitants live similar to the lives of their great-grandparents, but most have electricity now and a few modern day conveniences.
While driving our rental car on the road a few hundred metres from the lake, we stopped to photograph a Mosuo child, his mother, and grandmother, all carrying loads of branches on their backs. We got invited to their home, where they had meat hanging. The firewood and meat were in preparation for the Chinese New Year Festival to celebrate the Year of the Dog.
The lake waters are clear and calm. They appear to be a beautiful deep blue colour. In many places along the shore, we saw brightly coloured boats. The most common colours were red, blue, and orange.
On Lugu Lake Road, we stopped at a village market. Many of ladies were dressed in their elaborate festive Mosuo-Minority costumes. They likely wear them for the tourists or the upcoming Chinese New Year Festival.
At many locations on the lake, we saw boats anchored out in the water.
The southern section of Lugu Lake goes by the name Caohai Lake.
The Mosuo minority people of Lugu Lake are noted for their “walking marriages,”
where most couples do not marry or live together, and where the Mosuo women may have children fathered by different men.
Tourists have to pay a 100 rmb per person entrance fee to get into the Lugu Lake Scenic Area.
5. Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia)
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 994 reviews
Reviewed By Boris K - Haifa, Israel
Tiger Leaping Gorge high trek is all in one: stunning views, rural nature, Waterfalls, goats, eagles, forest and stones, wind and sun... But the climb is long and difficult and the descent is narrow. It needs two days for medium hiker. We did it at winter, not many people on road, dry, sunny afternoon and cold night. Good hiking shoes are required!
6. Yulong Snow Mountain and Glacier Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 251 reviews
Reviewed By Chrisneoh69 - Singapore
The southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere, 4680 meters above sea level, with a cable car ascending 1000 meters on 8 1/2 minutes. China's first AAAAA attraction takes grand and breathtaking to another level. However, this also means EVERYONE wants to see it too. we went on July 2 ( peak season is July 8 for 2 months coinciding with China's school holidays) and it was still a 2 hour queue to get the cable car up, and another 1 1/2 queue to get it down. and it was raining ( summer is raining season in Yunnan) In the 2 hours we spent up there, climbing up a further 500 meters, it was raining the whole time and freezing cold. it was also covered in cloud so visibility was poor. But for 3 minutes the skies cleared and we got a breathtaking views that made it all worthwhile. I would say do it at least once BUT be prepared for the ugly chinese tourist. When mobs of chinese domestic tourists congregate their worst behaviour surfaces. we were pushed, people were cutting queues, smoking indoors in no smoking zones, and even when in queue they will push you even if there is nowhere else to go. needless to say I pushed back. BUT am still glad I went, it just has to be done, just wrap up warm and bring your wet weather hear. Even on July 2 it was around 5 degrees on top.
7. Yunnan Stone Forest Geological Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1 reviews
This forest of stone, formed by erosion over millions of years, is comprised of many stone peaks, pillars and stalagmites rising abruptly from the ground and extending as far as the eye can see.
Reviewed By Fangxin S
Not as grand as yellow stone, not as recognised as the local Potatso National Park, but definitely worth the 175 yuan ticket. Very clean, very organised, no need for guided tour, though it will take longer to figure out the imaginary shapes on the stones, with aid of the signboards. Very crowded even in winter, before the local holidays. Recommended to visit in late nov and early dec for the smallest crowds.
8. Kunming Dragon Gate
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 271 reviews
Reviewed By lsmkw - San Francisco Peninsula
Cable car to top closed for maintenance until Dec. 25, 2017...boo-hoo. I was told there is a bus to the top but that navigating down to the Dragon Gate and to the bottom is "a little confusing". Since it's all in Chinese, I'm already confused...I didn't go.
9. Lijiang Impressions Show
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 658 reviews
Reviewed By Chrisneoh69 - Singapore
Grand, stunning backdrop against the Jade Dragon Snow Mountains, with over 300 dancers, 20 dancers at. Typical Zhang Yimou production, very poetic, focused on the ethnic identity ( all the dancers, actors are not actually professionals but tribes people trained to perform) BUT a lot gets lost in translation. The english " subtitles" are over simplified and unless you understand mandarin, you will not be able to get anywhere near the full.meaning of the show. Still worth watching for the costumes and grandeur. For production value, I actually enjoyed the Chen Ku Ching show at Lijiang Romance Park the previous day more. Top tip. Hire a private driver to take you to Jade Snow Mountain, Lijiang Impressions, Baisha Village for RMB200/day and he can negotiate lower ticket prices for you. e.g. we paid RMB200 per adult for Impressions Lijiang vs RMB280 official price and our 2 kids went in for FREE vs half price for kids between 1.2 and 1.4 metres. You save and u don't have to be linked with 30 others in a tour bus.
10. Cangshan Mountain
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 180 reviews
Reviewed By LG_Kay - Singapore, Singapore
I spent 4.5 hours at Canshan, but was insufficient to visit majority of attractions. I recommend allocating 1 full day for the visit. Cangshan entrance ticket 40rmb, while the cable car ticket from bottom to top (2-way) is a hefty 300rmb. To be fair, the cable car ride was long, took more than 30 mins to reach the top.
At the mountain top, one can do a round loop and visit Ximatan Pool (洗马潭). The hike was easy, with boardwalks and clear signages. Unfortunately, it was drizzling and the weather was foggy. Hence, I couldn’t have a good view of the lake.
Next, I took the cable car to the middle section of the mountain and headed to Qilongnv Pool (Seven Dragon Fairies Pool, 七龙女池), by walking down a few hundreds steps. One can pay for the tram ride to the bottom (and vice versa) to minimise walking. About 15mins, I arrived at the base of Qilongnv Pool. There was a restaurant, but not operating due to low peak season, I supposed. I only managed to explore the nearby waterfall, but didn’t have enough time to hike to the actual pool. There was a sign indicating that it takes 4 hours to hike to Zhonghe Temple. I didn’t realise the mountain attractions were far apart and didn’t plan for 1 day stay here. See my photo for Cangshan map.
I climbed up the hundreds of steps back to the middle section of cable car & then took the cable car back to the base. It was already 2:30pm. I would have love to cover more places in future, hopefully with a clear & sunny day.
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