China's most diverse province — ancient towns, snow mountains, Tibetan plateaus, and tropical jungle. Budget 5–8 days.
The classic route
Kunming (1 day) → Dali (2 days) → Lijiang (2 days) → Shangri-La (2 days), all connected by high-speed rail as far as Lijiang.
Stops
- Kunming — the Spring City; Stone Forest day trip and green lake parks
- Dali — cycle the Erhai Lake shore, wander the old town, three pagodas; the café scene is China's most relaxed
- Lijiang — UNESCO old town of canals and Naxi culture (go early morning before crowds), plus Jade Dragon Snow Mountain day trip (cable car to 4,506m)
- Shangri-La — Tibetan culture at Songzanlin Monastery, Napa Lake grasslands, Dukezong old town
- Xishuangbanna — tropical south: Dai temples, night markets, rainforest hikes, elephant valley
Side quests
- Tiger Leaping Gorge — 2-day trek on a cliff path above the Yangzi, guesthouses en route
- Shaxi — the quietest ancient town on the old Tea Horse Road
Practical
- Altitude: Lijiang is 2,400m, Shangri-La 3,200m — take the first day easy, hydrate, skip alcohol initially
- Weather: mild year-round, but pack layers — mountain days swing 20°C
- Yunnan moves at half speed. Don't overschedule; this is the province for lingering
Pro tip: Fly into Kunming and out of Lijiang or Shangri-La (or vice versa) to avoid backtracking — open-jaw tickets are usually barely more expensive.