Which attractions in Yunnan are most suitable for a one-day tour?

The beautiful and magical land of Yunnan attracts countless people every day. Kunming, which is like spring all year round, romantic Lijiang, and mysterious and charming Shangri-La, are all painted with their own national colors, warmly calling everyone tourists who come here. The beauty of Yunnan is all ready, all you need to do is find a simple and hassle-free way to travel.

Dongchuan Red Earth Map by Benbenhu

Why should we participate in the 1-day tour/2-day tour?

There are many scenic spots worth seeing in Yunnan, and some places, such as Lashihai and Shangri-La, are not very convenient if you go there by yourself. What’s more, if you like to travel independently, you need to prepare food, accommodation and transportation for each scenic spot. You also have to deal with unexpected situations during the journey. Going out this way is actually more tiring. However, by participating in a one-day tour, you retain the freedom of the journey and can freely splice together, unlike with a group where the daily itinerary is restricted.

You can also avoid having to worry about the trivialities of the journey. The vehicle connection is convenient, and the tour guide will tell you where to eat and have fun. You don’t need to plan your own routes and connect scenic spots, and you don’t have to worry about being bullied. All you need to do is enjoy the scenery and take more beautiful photos to post to your friends.

Army Lecture Hall Picture by Sarah Xiaochen

Kunming

When traveling to Yunnan, many people will choose to go to Kunming first and then transfer to other tourist destinations. As the capital city of Yunnan, Kunming also has many scenic spots worth visiting. It is recommended to set aside 1-2 days to visit Cuihu Lake, Xishan, Ethnic Village in Kunming city, as well as geological landscapes such as Stone Forest and Jiuxiang in the suburbs of Kunming.

Suitable for one-day tour route 1: Xishan, Ethnic Village, Green Lake

“If you haven’t climbed Xishan, you haven’t reached Kunming. If you don’t climb Xishan, you have climbed Xishan in vain.” Located in the western suburbs of Kunming Xishan, 15 kilometers away, is a must-see attraction in Kunming. The Ethnic Village condenses the essence of various ethnic minorities in Yunnan, while Green Lake is a must-visit place in the center of Kunming.

Dragon Gate Map of Xishan Mountain by stevedom

西山

Climb up Xishan Mountain and you can overlook the entire Kunming and Dianchi Lake. There are Huating Temple, Taihua Temple, Sanqing Pavilion, etc. on the mountain. Attractions, the most important attraction is Longmen on Qianren Cliff, which is the largest and most exquisite Taoist grotto in Yunnan. You can take the cableway from Haigeng Park to Xishan Longmen, and enjoy the scenery of Dianchi Lake along the way. After arriving at Longmen, transfer to the cableway, then walk around the small stone forest and see inscriptions and other landscapes along the way, then return to Longmen and take the cableway back.

Yunnan Ethnic Village

After visiting Xishan, you can go to Yunnan Ethnic Village next to Xishan. The ethnic village is the epitome of the cultural customs of various ethnic minorities in Yunnan. There are villages of 25 ethnic minorities, including the Dai, Bai, and Yi, built in a 1:1 ratio. Each has its own folk customs, craft performances, etc. You can visit them all in one day. The customs of many ethnic groups in Yunnan.

Photo of Yunnan Ethnic Village by bboouuyy

Cuihu Lake

Cuihu Lake is the central tourist spot in the city. It was originally a bay in Dianchi Lake. As the water level dropped, it became a clear lake. It is famous for its "spring dawn on the green embankment". Go to Cuihu Lake to see lotus flowers in summer and seagulls in winter. You can also visit the surrounding Army Lecture Hall and Meiyun University Campus.

Green Lake Picture by Backpacker Namjagbarwa

Why do you recommend a one-day tour?

1. It takes about an hour and a half to take a bus from the city center to Xishan. You have to transfer to other scenic spots and have to deal with it on the way, which reduces the time spent visiting the scenic spots. A one-day tour can cover multiple scenic spots in a row, solve traffic problems, have more time to visit scenic spots, and make time arrangements more efficient and reasonable.

2. If you plan your own itinerary, you need to plan the bus route from the hotel to Xishan in advance, and purchase a round-trip ticket for the Dianchi Lake Cableway (70 yuan/person), a ticket for Longmen Scenic Area (40 yuan/person), and a ticket for Longmen Scenic Area. Cableway ticket (25 yuan/person). After visiting Xishan, you must plan a route to the ethnic village, purchase tickets for the ethnic village (90 yuan/person), and then take a bus back to the city center. On a day trip, you don’t need to worry about these trivial things.

3. The price is more affordable. If you do not participate in the one-day tour, you need to purchase tickets for the ropeway and scenic spots separately for a total of 225 yuan, a taxi for 150 yuan, lunch for 30 yuan, and a total of 405 yuan. The price for a one-day tour is 360 yuan.

Suitable for one-day tour route 2: Stone Forest and Jiuxiang Cave

When traveling to Yunnan, there is a widely circulated saying: see the Stone Forest on the ground and visit Jiuxiang underground. The beauty of the stone forest lies in the peaks, and the beauty of Jiuxiang lies in the valleys.

Stone Forest:

Shilin County is a remote county under the jurisdiction of Kunming. It is famous for its Stone Forest Geopark. Yunnan Stone Forest preserves and displays the most diverse karst forms, almost All the karst forms in the world are concentrated here. The Big Stone Forest is the main tourist area here. There is Stone Forest Lake at the entrance of the Stone Forest. The two official script characters "Shilin" are engraved on the stone peak on the right side of the stone gate, making it a must-take photo spot for tourists. The Stone Forest Scenic Area also has many scenic spots such as Small Stone Forest, Moon Lake, Long Lake, etc. It takes about 4 hours to visit.

Stone Forest Picture by Biao?/p>

Jiuxiang:

Jiuxiang Scenic Area is located in Yiliang County, on the golden tourist route from Kunming to Stone Forest. , come here mainly to see the caves.

The Jiuxiang cave group originated from the ancient dolomites 600 million years ago. There are hundreds of large and small caves in total. The quality of the caves is very high. There are holes in the caves, rivers in the caves, and sky in the caves. They are very worth visiting. Cave landscape.

Jiuxiang Cave Picture by 30585646

Why do you recommend a one-day tour?

1. The distance between Shilin and Jiuxiang scenic spots is relatively scattered. When visiting these two scenic spots, the transportation advantage of taking a one-day tour is very obvious. Including the time taken by public transportation, it takes 2-3 hours to get from Kunming to Shilin. You need to rent a car to go from Shilin to Jiuxiang. To return to Kunming from Jiuxiang, you need to take the bus from Jiuxiang to Yiliang, and then take the bus from Yiliang. Ba returned to Kunming. The journey has many stops, which is not only tiring but also time-consuming. There is not enough time to visit the scenic spots. If you participate in a one-day tour, you will be picked up and dropped off by a commercial vehicle throughout the entire journey, which can avoid vehicle transfers during the journey and is convenient and fast.

2. Shilin and Jiuxiang are both Yi townships. If you take a one-day tour with an experienced driver, you don’t have to worry about not being familiar with the local customs or the local language, and you will feel more at ease.

Lijiang

Lijiang can be regarded as the tourism distribution center in northwest Yunnan. There are many tourist attractions in and around Lijiang, such as the Old Town of Lijiang, Lashihai, and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, which are far away. Such as Lugu Lake, it is a scenery that many tourists yearn for. You can also go to Shangri-La from Lijiang north. Because the attractions are relatively scattered, it is recommended to book a day trip in advance.

Lashi Sea Map by ?

Suitable for 1-day tour route 1: Lashi Sea

Lashi Sea is located 10 kilometers west of Lijiang City, Yunnan Province The first nature reserve named after "wetland". Bird watching, boating, and horse riding to experience the Ancient Tea Horse Road are the main ways to visit here. Horse riding in Lashihai allows you to enjoy the scenery of the auspicious pasture and Naxi fields, and boating on the clear water allows you to enjoy the scenery of the mountains and rivers. You can also visit Zhiyun Temple, a Tibetan Buddhist holy place where ancient caravans must go to pray before entering Tibet.

Lashi Haitu by ?

Why do you recommend a one-day tour?

1. Lashihai is not far from Lijiang Old Town, about half an hour’s drive. It costs about 70-100 yuan per van to go there from the entrance of Lijiang Old Town. Tickets are 30 yuan/person. Horse riding and boating need to be paid separately. Including the expenses for horse riding and boating, the cost is about three to four hundred yuan. The price for a one-day tour is 160 yuan per person, including transfers, sightseeing and lunch.

2. By taking a one-day tour, the quality of the tour is more guaranteed. You can ride horses for two hours at the most beautiful self-operated horse farm in Lashihai instead of just going to any horse farm. When you go kayaking in Lashihai, professional coaches will teach you kayaking skills, so you can have fun with peace of mind.

Tips:

Regular one-day tours do not use low prices to attract group tourists, do not sell horse food, gloves, hats, etc., and limit the number of people, which will allow you to experience a truly professional experience. It is a free experience for independent travel. Don’t consider a day trip with less than 100 yuan.

Suitable for one-day tour route 2: Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is located about 15 kilometers north of Lijiang, about 40 minutes’ drive from Lijiang Old Town. When you arrive at the scenic spot, you can take the large ropeway to an altitude of more than 4,500 meters, and follow the scenic plank road to Glacier Park to enjoy the scenery of the snow-capped mountains. After going down the mountain, you can visit Blue Moon Valley and Baishui River, and then go to the natural meadow pasture Ganhaizi to take photos. If you are interested in ethnic performances, you can also enjoy the large-scale performance "Impression of Lijiang" co-directed by Zhang Yimou, Wang Chaoge, and Fan Yue.

Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Picture by Tianlaixinxin

Why do you recommend a one-day tour?

1. It is about 15 kilometers from Lijiang Old Town to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The one-day tour includes pick-up and drop-off, which is convenient and trouble-free.

2. Tickets to the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain Scenic Area cost 105 yuan, environmentally friendly vehicles in the scenic area cost 20 yuan, Glacier Park tickets cost 180 yuan, and "Impression of Lijiang" tickets cost 190 yuan. The above expenses alone cost 495 yuan. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain has low temperature and high altitude, so mountaineering requires cold-proof clothing and oxygen. The rent at the foot of the mountain is about 100-200 yuan. The price for a one-day tour is 499 yuan, and cold-proof clothing, oxygen and drinking water are provided, which is more cost-effective.

Suitable for 2-day tour route 3: Lugu Lake

Compared with the two scenic spots of Lashihai and Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Lugu Lake is farther from the ancient city of Lijiang, but the scenery is more charming , it is recommended to arrange a 2-day tour. On the first day, you can go around the lake and visit the Rige Peninsula and Lover's Beach. In the evening, go to Daluoshui for a walk along the lakeside plank road to enjoy the beautiful sunset. In the evening, you can also participate in the enthusiastic bonfire party of the Daughter's Country.

On the second day, you can take a pig trough boat to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the sea of ??grass and flowers. Lugu Lake is known as the "Magical Daughter of the East". The residents around the lake are mainly Mosuo people. After admiring the natural scenery of Lugu Lake, you can also go to Mosuo people's homes and explore Mosuo culture. The scenery of Lugu Lake is stunning, so it’s a worthwhile trip to choose a lake-view room when staying here.

1 Picture of Lugu Lake by Yuan

Why do you recommend a 2-day tour?

1. You need to walk on a high-altitude mountain road from Lijiang Old Town to Lugu Lake, and the journey takes 3-4 hours. If you rent a car alone, you cannot guarantee the professionalism of the driver, and you will also worry about paying more fares. If you take a bus, the departure time is too late and you will spend more time on the road than a professional driver picking you up, which will delay your trip. When participating in a two-day tour, a professional driver will lead the way. You can just rest in the car and enjoy the scenery along the way. You don’t have to worry about the driver ripping off customers or taking the wrong route.

2. The hotel is a highlight of the two-day trip.

The two-day tour includes one night's accommodation. If you want to stay in a lake-view room, you can choose Zizaijialan and Qieman in Langfang Village. The hotels have viewing platforms, allowing you to enjoy the scenery comfortably. The tour guide and store manager will also Tell you which places are suitable for taking pictures, or take the initiative to help you take beautiful photos.

If you want to choose a place to stay in Lige Village, then Muyun Villa Hotel is a good choice. In addition, participating in a two-day tour is cost-effective and purchasing merchant services as a package is much more cost-effective than booking merchant hotels separately.

3. Lugu Lake is located in a remote place. Choosing a high-quality pure play group to go to Lugu Lake will better protect your personal travel quality and personal safety.

Shangri-La

Compared with the scenery of other tourist destinations in Yunnan, Shangri-La is more original and has a rich Tibetan customs.

Guishan Park Picture by Flying

Suitable for 2-day tour route: The First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, Pudacuo National Park

From Lijiang Ancient Town Heading north, you can go to Shangri-La. Shangri-La is a paradise in people's minds, and the scenery here is worth seeing. It is recommended to arrange 2 days to visit Shangri-La, starting from Lijiang Old Town to the north. Along the way, you can enjoy famous scenic spots such as the first bay of the Yangtze River and the famously "dangerous" Tiger Leaping Gorge.

When you arrive in Shangri-La, you can go to Guishan Park to see the world’s largest prayer wheel, which is about five stories high. The most unmissable thing to visit in Shangri-La is Pudacuo National Park, where the original ecological environment is well preserved. You can see amazing scenery at Shudu Lake, Grassland Observation Deck and Bita Sea.

Puda Tsotu by Bastet Evita

Why do you recommend a 2-day tour?

Jinsha River Map by Bastet Evita

1. The scenic spots along this road are relatively scattered, and the road conditions are complicated. You need to walk in places such as the First Bend of the Yangtze River, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and Guishan Park. Stop and visit. When taking a one-day tour, a special car will guide you, eliminating the trouble of backing up and down. You only need to see the scenery, and the journey is very relaxing.

2. Shangri-La has a high altitude and is prone to altitude sickness. Choose a high-quality tour. The tour guide will take good care of you and pay attention to the physical condition of the tourists. If an accident occurs, you will take timely measures to make your journey safer and more secure.

3. The tour guide and driver are familiar with the scenic spots on the route and can take you to the most suitable places to enjoy the local scenery. They can also introduce you to which scenic spots have local stories and what are the customs of the local ethnic groups. The tour guide will also recommend local authentic food, which is more delicious than ordinary group meals.

Tips:

Currently, there are many two-day tour products on the market, and the prices vary. Low-priced products inevitably make profits by guiding tourists to shop. If you want to travel freely and comfortably, it is best to choose a trip that is purely for fun and without shopping.

Dali

Dali is a stop on Yunnan’s golden tourism route. The local area has a unique Bai ethnic customs. Many famous artists live in seclusion here, crouching tiger, hidden dragon.

Dali Ancient City Map by Yunyun 33701827

Suitable 1-day tour route: Cangshan Mountain, Erhai Lake

"Wind, Flowers, Snow and Moon" are the four wonders of Dali, namely Xiaguan Feng, Shangguan Feng Guanhua, Cangshan Snow, Erhai Moon, if you go to Dali, you must not miss the scenery of Cangshan Erhai.

Cangshan Mountain

Cangshan Mountain is a unique spot in the Cangshan Mountain landscape. It is covered with snow in winter and does not disappear in summer. When climbing Cangshan Mountain, you can enjoy the beautiful scenery along the winding and steep paths. There are deep pools and streams on the mountain and lush vegetation. The clouds and mists in the mountains change, and "Wangfu Cloud" and "Jade Dai Cloud" become a major landscape. Touring along the Yudai Road shrouded in Yudai clouds is like walking in the clouds. When the clouds disperse, you can overlook the scenery of Erhai Lake, and your horizons are very broad.

Cangshan Mountain Picture by Flying

Erhai Lake

Erhai Lake and Cangshan Mountain are dependent on each other. Under the blue sky and white clouds, the Erhai Lake is blue and the scenery is beautiful and charming. When going to Erhai Lake, you can try cycling around the Erhai Lake or take a boat trip. When cycling around the Erhai Lake, you can go to some Bai villages to experience local folk customs and taste local snacks. You can not only enjoy the scenery by taking a boat trip, but also watch wonderful Bai songs and dances.

Er Lake Duoduo & Big Fish Picture by

Why do you recommend a one-day tour?

1. Participate in a one-day tour. When climbing Cangshan Mountain, you will be led by a professional tour leader. The tour leader is usually a local who is familiar with the route, and can introduce the flowers, trees, and cultural landscapes of Cangshan Mountain along the way. You will not know the beautiful scenery along the way. Don't miss it, this kind of tour can let you know the difference between Cangshan Mountain and other mountains, making the journey more rich and interesting, and you don't have to worry about getting lost.

2. There are many ways to play around the Erhai Lake. If you choose a one-day tour with a car to guide you, you can concentrate on enjoying the scenery. If you ride by yourself, it is not safe enough to sightsee while riding. Some itineraries include the services of professional photographers. You will not miss any places suitable for taking pictures or any scenery.

Conclusion

There are so many beautiful scenery in Yunnan that it is not possible to see them all in one visit. If you want to know its true beauty, leave the trivial matters along the way to professionals to worry about, and just enjoy the beautiful scenery.