The 8-day loop
- Day 1 — Kunming: fly in. Half-day at the Stone Forest, dinner in the old town.
- Day 2–3 — Dali: HSR Kunming → Dali (2 hr, $25). Bike around Erhai Lake, sunset over the Three Pagodas, stay inside the old city wall.
- Day 4–5 — Lijiang: HSR Dali → Lijiang (2 hr, $15). Old town at dawn before tour groups, Black Dragon Pool, Naxi music night.
- Day 6 — Tiger Leaping Gorge: day hike or 2-day trek along the high trail. One of China's best.
- Day 7–8 — Shangri-La: bus from Lijiang (4 hr). Songzanlin Monastery, Pudacuo National Park. Altitude 3,200m — go slow.
Getting in
Fly to Kunming Changshui (KMG) from Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Hong Kong, Bangkok, or Singapore. HSR connects Kunming → Dali → Lijiang. Onward to Shangri-La is a 4-hour bus or a 2-hour drive — no train yet.
Food worth flying for
- Crossing-the-bridge noodles (过桥米线) — Kunming's signature, build-your-own bowl of broth, sashimi-thin pork, and rice noodles.
- Erkuai — pounded rice cake, grilled with sauce.
- Wild mushroom hotpot — Yunnan has 800+ edible fungi. June–September is peak season.
- Dai cuisine in Xishuangbanna — closer to Thai than to anything else in China.
What to skip
- Lijiang nightlife strip — the bar street is a tourist trap. Get to bed early; mornings are the magic.
- Stone Forest VIP carts — walking the loop is the point.
Practical
Yunnan is one of the safest regions in China (see safety guide). Altitude matters from Lijiang onward — hydrate, skip the first night's beer. Pair with Chengdu for a 2-week southwest itinerary, or extend the classic 14-day route.