Best of Yunnan — Self-Launched Solo Adventure
10 days · Yunnan, China
G Adventures charges £1,100
No-markup version: ~£506 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A 10-day independent version of G Adventures' "Best of Yunnan" loop from Kunming to Kunming. Trade the small-group van and guide for China's cheap, efficient public buses, high-speed rail and low-cost flights — hitting the same highlights: Kunming's Bird & Flower Market, the lakeside old town of Dali, the cobblestoned caravan town of Shaxi, UNESCO-listed Lijiang, and the legendary two-day Tiger Leaping Gorge hike. Book dorm beds and family-run guesthouses along the way and eat your way through Yunnan's famous spicy cuisine. All costs are approximate per person in GBP.
Day-by-day
Arrive in Kunming
Kunming
Land at Kunming Changshui International Airport and make your way into the city by Metro Line 6 + Line 3 (~¥10/£1.10) or a shared taxi (~¥100/£11). Settle into a hostel dorm in the Green Lake (Cuihu) area, then spend the evening wandering the lake park and grabbing a bowl of 过桥米线 (crossing-the-bridge rice noodles) for around £3. Sort your National Railway 12306 app and WeChat Pay/alipay before you sleep — you'll book tomorrow's bus and every onward leg through the app.
🚌Airport Metro + local metro to hostel (~£1-2)
🛏Hostel dorm, Green Lake area, Kunming (~£10-14)
- →Green Lake Park evening stroll
- →Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles dinner
- →Set up 12306 + WeChat Pay for onward bookings
Kunming to Dali — Bird & Flower Market
Dali
Start the day at Kunming's Jingxing Bird & Flower Market — expect birdsong, orchids, weird snacks and old men playing cards. Then take the high-speed train from Kunming to Dali (2 hrs, ~¥145/£16 booked on 12306) instead of the slower express bus, and take a local bus or shared van up to the old town. Bed down in a courtyard guesthouse or dorm inside Dali Old Town and explore the Ming-era streets and the little bars along Renmin Lu after dark.
🚌High-speed train Kunming-Dali ~£16; local bus to Old Town ~£1
🛏Guesthouse or dorm in Dali Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Jingxing Bird & Flower Market (Kunming)
- →High-speed rail to Dali
- →Dali Old Town evening walk
Free day — Lake Erhai & Xizhou
Dali
A full free day around Dali. Rent a bicycle or e-bike (~£4-6/day) and ride the lakeside road toward Xizhou village, stopping for the Bai-minority market and the elaborate wooden courtyard houses. Alternatively take a public sightseeing boat on Lake Erhai or climb the Cangshan Mountain gondola. Cheap street food everywhere — try 乳扇 (fried cheese) and 饵丝 noodles. Evening back in the old town for a beer on Renmin Lu.
🚌Bicycle/e-bike rental ~£4-6
🛏Guesthouse or dorm in Dali Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Cycle or e-bike to Xizhou village
- →Lake Erhai boat ride (optional)
- →Cangshan cable car (optional)
- →Bai-minority market snacks
Dali to Shaxi — ancient caravan town
Shaxi
Take a shared van or local bus from Dali to Shaxi (approx 2.5-3 hrs, ~¥60/£7) — often you'll change in Jianchuan. Shaxi is a beautifully preserved stop on the old Tea Horse Road with a Friday market and a Ming-dynasty theatre stage in the main square. Check into a small courtyard guesthouse and walk the cobblestoned lanes in the late-afternoon light.
🚌Shared van / local bus Dali-Shaxi ~£7
🛏Courtyard guesthouse in Shaxi (~£10-15)
- →Explore Shaxi Old Town square and theatre stage
- →Tea Horse Road heritage walk
Free day in Shaxi
Shaxi
Slow morning with Yunnan coffee on the square. Walk or cycle out to the Shideng / Shibaoshan (Stone Bell) temple complex for rock carvings and hillside trails (~¥50/£5.50 entry plus transport). Drop by the Shaxi Market if it's market day, or just read a book in the courtyard and chat with other travellers. Dinner of local 白族 (Bai) food — pine-bacon, mushrooms and wild greens are the specialty.
🚌Local bus or shared taxi to Shibaoshan ~£2-3 each way
🛏Courtyard guesthouse in Shaxi (~£10-15)
- →Shibaoshan rock carvings & temple hike (optional)
- →Shaxi local market (market days)
- →Bai cuisine dinner
Shaxi to Lijiang — UNESCO Old Town
Lijiang
Bus from Shaxi to Lijiang (~2.5 hrs, ~¥55/£6). Lijiang's Old Town is UNESCO-listed: a maze of cobbled lanes, canals, willow trees and Naxi minority culture under Jade Dragon Snow Mountain views. Check into a guesthouse or hostel in the old town fringe (cheaper than inside the lanes), then walk up to the Lion Hill viewing pagoda in the late afternoon. Optional: Black Dragon Pool Park (¥50/£5.50 combined ticket) for the classic postcard view of the snow mountain reflected in water.
🚌Bus Shaxi-Lijiang ~£6; walk/local bus within town ~£0.50
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Lijiang Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Walk Old Town Lijiang (UNESCO)
- →Lion Hill pagoda sunset
- →Black Dragon Pool Park (optional)
- →Naxi music & food in the old town
Lijiang to Tiger Leaping Gorge — hike Day 1
Hetaoyuan
Bus from Lijiang bus station to Qiaotou (2 hrs, ~¥35/£4), the gateway to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Pay the gorge entrance permit (~¥45/£5) and start the classic High Trail hike — roughly 5-7 hours over the famous 28 Bends switchbacks to your guesthouse at Naxi Family Guesthouse or Halfway House. The views down into the Yangtze gorge are staggering. Overnight in a basic guesthouse room with dinner and breakfast included — half-board is typically ¥150-200 (~£17-22).
🚌Public bus Lijiang-Qiaotou ~£4
🛏Trail guesthouse (Halfway House / Naxi Family), half-board (~£17-22)
- →Tiger Leaping Gorge entrance permit
- →High Trail Day 1 hike (28 Bends)
- →Sunset over the gorge from Halfway House terrace
Tiger Leaping Gorge — hike Day 2, back to Lijiang
Lijiang
Descend from the guesthouse to the gorge floor (~2-3 hrs), scramble the boulders at the famous Tiger Leaping Stone where the river roars through the narrowest point, then climb the steep Tina's Guesthouse / Tianti ladder route back up to the road. Grab a shared van or local bus back to Lijiang (~£5-7). Reward yourself with a hot shower and an old-town dinner of Lijiang baba flatbread and wild mushroom hotpot.
🚌Shared van / local bus from gorge road back to Lijiang ~£5-7
🛏Guesthouse or hostel near Lijiang Old Town (~£12-18)
- →Gorge floor + Tiger Leaping Stone scramble
- →Tianti ladder climb (optional advisory route)
- →Return transfer to Lijiang
Lijiang free day, fly to Kunming
Kunming
Free day in Lijiang — wander the old town again, rent a bike out to Baisha village (Naxi frescoes and quieter lanes, ~£4), or visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain if your budget stretches (day trip ~¥300/£33). Late afternoon take the short flight Lijiang-Kunming (~1 hr, £30-55 booked on Ctrip/Trip.com — far cheaper than the 9-hr bus). Settle into a Kunming hostel near Green Lake for your last night.
🚌Domestic flight Lijiang-Kunming ~£30-55; local bus in Kunming ~£1
🛏Hostel dorm, Green Lake area, Kunming (~£10-14)
- →Baisha village bike trip (optional)
- →Jade Dragon Snow Mountain day trip (optional)
- →Lijiang Old Town free wander
Depart Kunming
Kunming
Last morning — grab breakfast, pick up any last souvenirs at the Bird & Flower Market, and head to Changshui Airport by metro for your onward flight. If your flight is late, Kunming's Yunnan Provincial Museum (free) and the Green Lake area cafes are a nice way to kill a few hours.
🚌Metro to airport ~£1-2
🛏None (departure day)
- →Optional Yunnan Provincial Museum (free)
- →Last-minute market shopping
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£506 | £1,100 |
| Duration | 10 days | 10 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £594 per person (54%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£506
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Best of Yunnan — Self-Launched Solo Adventure cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £506 per person for 10 days in Yunnan, China. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £1,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £506 — a saving of roughly £594 (54%) per person.
How long is the Yunnan, China trip?+
This itinerary runs 10 days, covering 10 day-by-day stops through Yunnan, China.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a adventure, culture, hiking trip through Yunnan, China, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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