Yunnan Tours

Yunnan tour highlights are difficult to reduce to one list.

• Kunming – In Kunming, there is much to see and an integral of a Yunnan tour adventure. The Stone Forest comprises of about 500 square kilometers of blade-like limestone pillars, creating a maze-like forest of dramatic stone peaks, columns, lakes, waterfalls, underground rivers, and caves.  Yuantong Temple is one of the oldest and grandest Buddhist temples in Kunming, and is famed for its majestic architecture, design, artifacts, and peaceful gardens.  A special feature of Yunan tours is the Bird and Flower Market which is the biggest and oldest bazaar in Kunming with over 700 stores selling a wide variety of birds, flowers, fish, antiques, handicrafts, and snacks.
• Dali – Capture the cultural, natural and spiritual essence of Dali with immersion into diverse attractions – from the markets, buildings and historical residences of Bai minority culture, the peaceful beauty of a vast glacial lake central to the Bai people and spiritual significance of Buddhist temples, architecture, and artifacts. On your Yunnan tour make sure you visit Xizhou Town, Erhai Lake, Chongsheng Temple, and Dali Ancient Town.
• Lijiang – In Lijiang, observe how the enduring nature of cooperation, communication and progress expressed in centuries-old magnificent Baisha murals pervades the spirit of the temple and gardens, ancient Nakhi ethnic culture and towns, including Shuhe Ancient Town amid stunning scenery.
• Shangri-la – On your Yunnan tour lift the veil on the fiction and legend of Shangri-la depicted in James Hilton’s 1930 novel Lost Horizon, when you spend a marvelous day immersed in the stunning scenery, ancient Tibetan culture and buildings and get up close and personal with the people living the traditional way that brings the legends to life.
• Dongchuan Red Land – Dongchuan is the opportunity on a Yunnan tour to delve into a photographer’s paradise. With its undulating palette of color – from all shades of deep red and orange patched with the variegated green of cultivation, it’s possible to capture the changing light of the day, the weather or the season to create stunning visual memories.
• Yuanyang – In Yuanyang, visit the Yuanyang Scenic Area where you can experience the ethnic Hani people who developed the terraced system for rice farming on difficult terrain. Take advantage of prime viewing positions of the 3700 sculptured rice terraces reaching up to 2,000 meters like a ladder into the sky, a popular Yunnan tours feature.
• Jianshui – On the way to Jianshui, visit Tuanshan Village and be transported to the past as you enter through the ancient watchtower gate to explore traditional buildings and grand mansions. Jianshui is home to the famous Zhu Family’s Garden located in a Qing-era private mansion of 200 rooms. Feel the peace and contemplation of the 700 year old Confucius Temple, with its gardens, halls, pavilions, and ancestral temples.

Special experiences not to be missed on Yunnan tours.

• Get cultured – As China’s most culturally diverse province, Yunnan offers a direct experience of different ethnic minorities. On your Yunnan tour take a trip to a local minority village and see what life is really like.
• Join the celebrations – Tour Yunnan during one of the many annual festivals, such as the Torch Festival of Yi, the Water Splashing Festival of Dai and the March Fair of Bai.
• Cycle the scenery – Boasting some of China’s most beautiful and dramatic scenery, Yunnan is the perfect place to see on a bike or on foot. Visit Tiger Leaping Gorge, one of the world’s deepest gorges and be amazed at the green valleys, snow peaks, and wildlife. Yunnan tours provide a truly different experience of real China.

Thinking about exploring more of China?  Have a look at our best China tours.