The Yunnan Backpacking Route
This is the most popular travel route in Yunnan and one of the most popular backpacking routes in all of China. It is an extremely worthwhile journey and covers some epic terrain. The main destinations are Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangrila.
There are high-speed trains and between Kunming, Dali and Lijiang. Bus routes can be used for Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangrila. Shangrila also has a small airport which can be used to reach Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou or even Lhasa and Beijing.
This route can be completed in a minimum of nine or ten days but can really be extended as long as you wish. This backpacking route is well-established and sees many travelers passing through every summer so there are plenty of transportation options, hostels, guesthouses and hotels.
Yunnan is home to 26 of China’s 56 ethnic minorities. You will probably encounter many people from the Yi, Bai, Dai, Miao, Naxi, Tibetan and Zhuang minorities during your travels in Yunnan.
Kunming - 昆明
Kunming is the capital city of Yunnan province. It is easily accessible by plane or high-speed rail. It is famous for its year round “spring” climate. There is a popular shopping district called Nanping Pedestrian Street and a fantastic street food area close by called Xiangyun Food City (祥云美食城). Nanping Pedestrian Street has everything you need from large retailers to boutique shops and stalls. You can wander through the streets and find everything in between. I enjoyed the smaller shops where you can find more unique souvenirs and local products like tea, coffee or even tobacco. Yunnan is rather famous for its Pu’er tea and it is the only coffee producing province in China.
I highly recommend the short walk from Nanping Pedestrian Street over to Xiangyun Food City for a bite to eat. This area is loaded with food choices from mid-range sit down restaurants to street snacks. There are even some more adventurous food courts where you can find bugs and larvae.
Many people will pass by CuiHu JiangWuTang JingQu (翠湖讲武堂景区) or Green Lake Park for a stroll and a coffee by the lake. You can also rent paddle boats to cruise around the lake and go under the many bridges. You can find different vendors selling all sorts of items throughout your walk through the park pathways.
If you would like to spend some time around Green Lake Park, I recommend you try Salvador’s, Prague Cafe, Atable, Q Bagel Cafe or Lost Garden (be warned: they are closed on Wednesday) for brunch before or after your visit to the lake. All are excellent cafe’s with western food options and good coffee. If you’re looking for coffee shops there are no shortage of them all along WenLin Jie (文林街) – the same street as Prague Cafe.
As far as other things to do in the city, I found the Ethnic Minority Cultural park (云南民族村) to be quite an interesting way to spend a half day. It is located very close to DianChi Lake so you can visit both together. You can explore the park and discover the amazing variations in culture between a number of the minorities located in Yunnan Province. They rebuilt many classic structures unique to various minority groups and provide opportunities to learn about each culture. Food and souvenirs vary throughout the park depending on which minority area you are in. There are 26 ethnic minorities represented in the park. You can also see various shows which are performed at different times throughout the day. You can find more information from the travel china guide here but I would recommend consulting the park upon the day of your visit for the performance timetable as it is subject to change. The park is quite large but you are able to rent a surrey which can be a fun way for a group of people to visit the park together.
Dali
Dali is about two to two and a half hours from Kunming by high-speed train. There are 50 trains between the two cities running each day from 6:51 A.M. to 6:09 P.M. It should be noted that the old city is the most popular attraction in Dali but the train station is about 14.6 kilometers away from the south gate. You can take a bus from the train station to the old town or call a taxi which can be upwards of 50rmb and take about thirty minutes depending on traffic. In my opinion, there is much more to do in and around Dali than Kunming but these activities are mostly located in the ancient town.
There’s one caveat I would like to mention: if you’re using the Trip app to book train tickets to Dali you might have to search using the Chinese characters 大理 to find trains. For some reason this worked for me when trains wouldn’t come up when I searched Dali on it’s own.
The ancient city is the prime attraction in Dali and for good reason. It is a sprawling area with tourist walking streets and hidden alleys waiting to be discovered. The architecture is unique and won’t quite be replicated when you continue on to Lijiang and Shangrila. Personally, I find it incredibly rewarding to wander the streets and look for photogenic alleyways. Coffee pit stops are very enjoyable as Yunnan’s cafe culture is well established. 秋山 Cafe (Autumn Mountain Cafe) was one of my favorite stops located about 700 meters from the east gate at 111 YeYu Street (叶愉路111号). The atmosphere was excellent and they were playing some great music.
Aside from taking long walks in the old town there is also a bit of shopping you can do. There are specialty shops off of YuEr Road (玉洱路 ) which is one of the main tourist streets along with XiaXing Road (夏兴路). These two roads lead to both the east gate and south gate respectively. I noticed there were a number of smaller vendors selling items by east gate. I was able to pick up some fresh, hand rolled cigars. There is also a very chill, small beer garden just behind the east gate where you can even play table football.
There are three other popular attractions in Dali which I unfortunately did not have time for but are frequently visited nonetheless. Namely, Erhai Lake (洱海胡), The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple Scenic Area (崇聖寺三塔文化旅遊區) and Cangshan Mountain (蒼山). Erhai lake is massive and has several areas where tourists flock to. There are tons of tuktuks driving around Dali Ancient City so you can easily hail one to take you anywhere you would like to visit. The surrounding area becomes somewhat rural but close to the lake there are some shops and restaurants. I would recommend asking your hotel or hostel where you can rent bikes or ebikes for a ride along the lake. I have heard of people riding all the way around the lake but this is a full day affair. The Three Pagodas of Chongsheng temple scenic area is located a few kilometers to the north of the ancient city. It is very easy and affordable to hail a tuktuk to take you rather than walk. The same is true for Cangshan mountain where you can hike, pass waterfalls and get a view of the ancient city from above. There is also a cable car to make the mountain more accessible.
Cold chicken rice noodles (凉鸡米线 – liang ji mi xian) is one of the most popular street foods in Dali. It is also recommended to try Sand Pot Fish , Steam Pot Chicken and Dali Sweet and Sour Fish. I can also recommend Backyard Barbecue restaurant and this pizza shop “光武108比萨小院“ if you want a break from local food. Despite only having a Chinese name from what I can tell, the pizza was fantastic and most of the seating was located in a small garden off an alleyway on a side street in the ancient town. It was very worth the visit. We found some of the best table football players here at Ababa bar. This bar will also have some live music, on the right night they may even let you play if you’re up for it and they don’t need to worry about a noise complaint. We arrived a bit too late to jam when we were there August 2022. Unfortunately, Dali is similar to ancient cities all throughout China in that they also suffer from poor nightlife and live music. While these music bars are all over Dali you can still find some good, low-key places to meet cool locals.
Lijiang
Lijiang is about 3.5 – 4 hours away from Kunming by train and about 3 hours by train from Dali depending on the timetable. Taking a bus is about the same amount of time and slightly more expensive as they are only connected by a slow train. There are two train options per day but possibly up to 40 different buses per day. The buses can be taken from 大理汽车客运北站 or 大理古城客运站。 On this route it is also possible to hire cars (or self-drive) but these are on a recommendation basis. If you don’t already have a contact then you can ask hotel staff if they know any companies or drivers.
Lijiang Ancient City is the main attraction but there are two other ancient villages (BaiSha and ShuHe) as well as other attractions. I highly recommend the Lijiang International Youth Hostel as the location and amenities are quite nice. They also have spacious private rooms at an affordable price. The Ancient City is best in the early morning to mid-afternoon. At night the small paths become quite congested with tourists and the music bars start to play loud (mediocre) music. It is best to enjoy your time during the day when the walkways are less crowded and you can enjoy the architecture in full sunlight when it is the most photogenic.
Within the ancient town you can visit the MuFu Palace or Mu Family Mansion which offers some beautiful architecture and a peak at what once was the stronghold of minority power in Lijiang for the Naxi people across three dynasties. You can find more information about the history this palace here.
The Mu Family Palace is located at the foot of Lion Mountain which you may climb to discover WanGu Pavilion or 万古楼. This hill and tower mark the highest points in Lijiang Ancient City which gives you a great opportunity to admire the city from above and the mountains in the distance. If you’d like to learn more about this UNESCO world heritage site I recommend reading this article from West China Tour.
During my stay in Lijiang I found myself on an impromptu coffee tour the day I rented a bike from the Lijiang International Youth Hostel. The bike was only 30rmb for the day and was absolutely worth it. I highly recommend spending a day exploring Lijiang and the surrounding areas on bike or ebike if you have the time in your itinerary. I started from the Lijiang International Youth Hostel and biked north to Village Cafe. I had a coffee and some breakfast there as well as a short walk around the area. From Village cafe I rode the bike all the way up the road to BaiSha Village or 白沙古镇 which took about 30mns.
When I arrived in BaiSha Village I locked the bike up by the parking lot and entered the town on foot. It is quite small compared to Lijiang Ancient City but it is full of it’s own charm and character. It seemed as if there was a significant “hippy” presence in BaiSha as everything seemed much more chilled out. There is even a tie-dye unique to the village and the Bai ethinic minority. There are plenty of shops selling more unique antique souvenirs than Lijiang and there are tons of coffee shops decorated with vintage things. I walked around for awhile and then picked a coffee shop to hang out for awhile. Afterwards, I strolled a bit more and found Blue Hippo or 蓝河吗 which is run by a foreigner. The pizza was big and quite good. When I finished lunch, I went back to the parking lot to retrieve my bike. I went south along 束白路 through some back roads heading towards ShuHe Village or 束河古镇. The ride was extremely pleasant as the weather was excellent. I appreciated the character of the old buildings along the road as well as the rural feel given off by the landscape. There were plenty of wild flowers in full bloom in fields running along the side of the road. Cars stopped in lines for people to get out and admire the flowers up close.
This man even took to painting a scene Monet would also have enjoyed. The ride from BaiSha to ShuHe was quite easy and some parts had a low gradient decline. It only took about 20mns to arrive in the north part of ShuHe Village.
ShuHe Village is bigger than BaiSha but smaller than Lijiang Ancient City. I felt that it was slightly more commercialized than BaiSha as well but not quite to the extent of Lijiang. That being said if I would return I think my time would be dedicated to BaiSha then ShuHe followed by Lijiang.Lijiang is absolutely a must visit but its popularity and subsequent boom in tourism also has its detriments. If you’re looking for a calm way to pass your visit in this part of Yunnan then BaiSha may suit you well. After all, Lijiang Ancient City is only a short taxi ride away. Anyway, on to ShuHe.
ShuHe Village has plenty to explore as it is spread out and doesn’t attract the same crowds as Lijiang. I found another coffee shop and was able to lounge on the balcony for some time with an excellent Yunnan drip coffee. Afterwards, I wandered the streets and explored the south central area after my mission to take a covid test by the south gate. I went back north and cut across the QingLong River (青龙河) which I then followed back south cutting through beautiful parks and an entirely different side of the village. Eventually, SongYun Road (松云路) which I followed south on my way back to Lijiang International Youth Hostel where I dropped off the bike and proceeded to get a hearty bowl of noodles.
Tiger Leaping Gorge
Tiger Leaping Gorge is one of the most epic hikes in China. You can get a bus from the Lijiang Bus Station (丽江客运站) to Qiaotou （桥头). The bus takes about two hours and will take you just over the bridge through the small town to the ticket office. Everyone must get off to buy their ticket and then return to the bus to drive about a mile or two down the road. From this point you can continue on foot heading up the fork in the road to the trail head or you can transfer on another bus which can take you to the lower gorge. There are also baggage transportation services offered here. If you have the ability, I highly recommend doing the upper hike which will take you along the top of the gorge and immerse you in the stunning views. I also really appreciate that this is a true trail and not a paved path like many other scenic area destinations within China. From the road where you get off the bus, the trail head is about a 45mn walk up the road. Unfortunately this road is under construction (August 2022) and won’t be very pleasant until it’s finished. Once you’ve reached the set of stairs which mark the entrance on the upper trail it will take about 2 to 3 hours before you arrive at Naxi Family Guesthouse which is one of the first stops along the way and a highly recommended one. Depending on your start time you can either have lunch here and continue on the trail or check-in for dinner and spend the night.
I opted to spend the night. I found the food to be excellent and the owners extremely hospitable. I was with a friend so we took a stroll through the small village and watched the sunset. We stared at the shadows on the other side of the gorge and imagined what we saw in the wall of the mountains.
In the morning you can continue on the trail and will soon get to the 28 bends. This is a difficult part of the trail but it is certainly manageable. I didn’t transport my pack and had it all on my back. Everything that I had during my 40 day backpacking journey in China.
You pass through Old Tea Horse Inn and eventually Halfway House. Naxi Family Guest House to Halfway House is a comfortable day hike with lunch at Old Tea Horse Inn. You can stay the night at Halfway House and continue leisurely to Tina’s Guest House the next day. If you leave in the morning you will get to Tina’s well within lunch time. This is where most people end their stay in Tiger Leaping Gorge. I would recommend checking in to Tibet Guesthouse or Sean’s Guesthouse based on feedback I received from several other travellers so you can hike down to the river in the afternoon or the next morning. There are buses that leave from Tina’s to go back to Lijiang or up to Shangrila. You can book tickets by calling or visiting Tina’s Guesthouse ahead of time as they do fill up. Typically one bus leaves in the morning and one in the afternoon.
I tried to continue on to HaBa Village. It is another full days hike from Tina’s to HaBa Village. Unfortunately, it was unknown to me at the time but it is highly advisable to hire a guide for this hike. All of Tiger Leaping Gorge is well marked from the trailhead to Tina’s but the trail from Tina’s to HaBa Village is very different. Three or four hours into the hike you will encounter areas that were wiped out from landslides and thick foliage that makes it hard to stay on the trail. This part is much less trodden than the other half of the upper trail and it is much less maintained. I tried to undertake this hike by myself but about two-thirds of the way through I lost the trail and had to find my own way down the side of the gorge. I don’t believe it was a survival situation but it was precarious and very difficult nonetheless. After about two hours of finding my way down the side of the gorge I ended up in the back of a small village and was able to access the road to walk for another two hours back towards the way I came. I checked in to the Jade Snow Inn and in the morning took the low path down by the water and up to Tina’s to catch the bus to Shangrila. I relay the whole story in this episode of Trippin’ in China. Definitely get a guide for this part of the trail by asking owners of the guesthouses. From Haba Village you can hire a guide who will take you up Haba Mountain which is more than 5,000 meters above sea level and snowy year round. All gear can be borrowed and rented from the guides.
Shangrila
The bus from Tina’s Guesthouse to Shangrila takes about three to four hours and might make a brief pit stop in Qiaotou. You should be dropped off about a kilometer from the old town area in Shangrila and can walk to most hotels or hostels. I stayed at Kersang’s Relay Inn. The design is quite unique and Kersang is very welcoming. It’s located right behind the reggae bar which is a good spot to have a few drinks at night.
Shangrila is a tourist hub in the Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Region. You will see a lot of Tibetan culture in this area and it is common to see signs in Tibetan, Chinese and English or Pinyin.
You can try plenty of traditional Tibetan vegetarian dishes or Yak. It is said that the Spring is the best season for Yak as it’s the time they are usually slaughtered. I highly recommend trying Yak Hot Pot. 静静的嘛呢右藏餐 is a good restaurant to try yak hot pot and some Tibetan dishes located in Shangrila Old Town. There is also a very nice western brunch and cafe called Compass. Shangrila also has it’s own brewery called Shangri-la Highland Craft Brewery. You can even take a tour of the brewery and learn about their story. They have a few bars with fresh beer on draft within the old town area. I would recommend trying 3300 小酒馆 for a few pints.
Ganden Sumtsenling Monastery otherwise known as Sungsteling or songzanlin is one of the main attractions near Shangrila. It is the largest temple complex in Yunnan and is more than 350 years old. It is a far walk from the old town so you can call a didi or take a bus to the tourist center. You need to buy a ticket in the tourist center and then board a bus which takes you 5 minutes down a road to the temple complex. In August 2022, the park in front of the temple complex was under a lot of construction and not very possible to visit. You are able to present your ticket and go through the gate to access the stairs up to the temple complex.
You are able to freely explore this area. Be sure to walk clockwise around inside of the temples and remember that photography is prohibited. The colors, intricate paintings and incredible statues are amazing and it is always a humbling experience to visit these temples. There are also many monks around going about their day. You may be able to hear some of their chanting. If you would like more information regarding the temple complex you can check out this article here.
Continuing On...
Shangrila is the end of the main backpacking route in Yunnan and you have several options after your stay. There is an airport which can take you to Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Lhasa or Beijing. You can take a bus to return to Lijiang, Dali, or Kunming. Though take note that it takes 12 to 14 hours to travel all the way back to Kunming. Hiring a car is another option if you can get a good recommendation from a friend or hotel staff. During my trip, I was fortunate enough to make a few friends from the reggae bar so we pulled our resources and hired a car to take us to Dali where I then took a train to Kunming the next day.
However, some backpackers decide to continue even deeper into the Deqin Tibetan Autonomous Region. Yubeng is a mountainous area with a small town. This is purely a destination for epic hiking as you can hike through small mountain town and enjoy the mountain scenery. Due diligence and planning is necessary when traveling to Yubeng as sometimes guides are required to navigate some trails. You can find more information here.
I cover this full Yunnan backpacking route content in video format if you want to see footage from these areas.