yunnan road trip. my 7 day route.

CarlL

rented a car and drove around yunnan for a week. here's my route.

day 1. arrived in kunming. walked around green lake park. ate crossing bridge noodles.

day 2. drove to dali. 4 hours. stayed in an old town guesthouse. walked around erhai lake.

day 3. drove around erhai lake. stopped at xizhou town. tried the local bread. very good.

day 4. drove to lijiang. 3 hours. old town is touristy but pretty. stayed in shuhe old town instead. quieter.

day 5. visited jade dragon snow mountain. took the cable car up. altitude is high. bring water and take it slow.

day 6. drove to shaxi old town. 2 hours. this was my favorite. small, quiet, no big crowds.

day 7. drove back to kunming. 5 hours. flew home the next day.

driving in yunnan is fine. roads are good. but mountain roads are winding. take your time.

if you don't want to drive, buses and trains work too. just less flexible.

anyone done a similar route? recommendations for next time?