How to Plan a Trip to Shanghai and Yunnan

Planning a trip to Shanghai and Yunnan combines the excitement of a modern city with the serene beauty of nature. Here's a simple guide to help you prepare for this unforgettable journey.

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• How Many Days Are Needed
• Itinerary Suggestions
• Transportation Tips
• Best Times
• Costs

How Long to Spend in Shanghai and Yunnan

A trip to Shanghai and Yunnan usually takes about 10–12 days, with 2–3 days in Shanghai and 8–9 days in Yunnan. Such an arrangement ensures that you wouldn't miss essential attractions and the pace of travel is relatively relaxed.

Suggested Time in Shanghai

Shanghai's main attractions could be covered in 2–3 days.

Take 1 day for the Bund and Yu Garden, which are the most famous landmarks in Shanghai.

Spend 1 day visiting the former French Concession and Zhujiajiao Water Town to learn about Shanghai's history and the charm of water towns.

If you have extra time, consider spending another day at Shanghai Disneyland, especially if you are traveling with children, or take a 1-day side trip to nearby Suzhou or Hangzhou.

Suggested Time in Yunnan

For a first visit to Yunnan, the major tourist cities include Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La. It usually takes about 8–9 days to visit these cities. Each takes about 2 days.

Some cities in Yunnan have high altitudes, such as Shangri-La, which might cause altitude sickness. If you are concerned about this, especially when traveling with elderly people or little kids, you could consider skipping it, making the trip take about 6–7 days.

Further reading: How to Plan a Family Trip to Yunnan

10-Day Shanghai and Yunnan Itinerary

Here, we offer an idea for a 10-day classic itinerary in Shanghai and Yunnan.

If you want to make some adjustments or you want to create an itinerary based on your requirements, just contact us.

Days 1–3: Shanghai

• Day 1: Yu Garden and the Bund (with a Huangpu River ferry experience)
• Day 2: The former French Concession and Zhujiajiao Water Town (with a boat ride)
• Day 3: Departure to Kunming

Our suggestions for a tour of the Bund:

Most people visit the Bund to take photos and capture the stunning skyline along the famous Huangpu River. However, we believe the charm of the Bund goes far beyond that.

Each historical building in this area has its own captivating story and the small alleys hold the essence of Shanghai's local life. Additionally, the local snacks are a culinary delight not to be missed.

Walking is the best way to explore these charms (even better is a local guide to take you into the buildings and share the local life with you). If this sounds like an experience you would enjoy, we would be delighted to plan an itinerary for you.

If you only have 1 day in Shanghai:

Yu Garden, the Bund, and the former French Concession could all be visited in 1 day, but this may leave no time for a ferry ride and a visit to a water town (which would be a pity).

To make the most of your day, it's important to arrange transportation in advance. Booking a vehicle for the entire day or a private tour with transfers would save more time for sightseeing. Visiting on a weekday could also help you avoid the crowds and reduce waiting times.

Days 4–10: Yunnan

• Day 4: The Stone Forest
• Day 5: Transfer to Dali: Erhai Lake and Xizhou Village
• Day 6: Transfer to Lijiang: Lijiang Old Town
• Day 7: Visit Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Baisha Village
• Day 8: Transfer to Shangri-La with a trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge
• Day 9: Songzanlin Lamasery and Pudacuo National Park
• Day 10: Departure

Your Yunnan trip begins in Kunming. Start by visiting the Stone Forest, Kunming's most famous attraction, where you could experience the customs of Yunnan's Yi minority and take stunning photos of the impressive limestone formations.

In Dali, focus on sightseeing around Erhai Lake and Xizhou Ancient Town. In the evening, you could explore Dali Old Town and stay overnight there.

While touring Er Lake, you could also enjoy backdrop views of Cang Mountain. If you wish to visit Cang Mountain, you would need to stay an extra day in Dali.

Next, head to Lijiang to explore Lijiang Old Town. If time permits, visit Black Dragon Pool Park, located not far from the ancient town, which offers an excellent point for photographing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.

A visit to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Baisha Village could be done in 1 day. Baisha Village, at the foot of the snow mountain, provides insights into the life and culture of the Naxi people of Lijiang.

On your way from Lijiang to Shangri-La, make a stop to tour Tiger Leaping Gorge. Upon arriving in Shangri-La, take some time to rest at the hotel to acclimate to the high altitude.

The next day, visit the famous Songzanlin Monastery to experience Buddhist culture, then head to Pudacuo National Park to enjoy its stunning scenery of highland lakes, forests, and grasslands.

Transportation Tips

Here are some questions you may be concerned about regarding transportation in Yunnan and Shanghai.

Should You Go to Shanghai or Yunnan First?

If you are flying from Southeast Asian countries, such as Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand, then going to either Shanghai or Yunnan first is okay because direct flights are available to Yunnan's Kunming and Shanghai.

You could choose a flight that fits your budget and departure time.

If you are flying from America or Europe, going to Shanghai first is recommended. This is because Shanghai serves more international flights.

How to Travel Between Shanghai and Yunnan

Flying is the best and fastest way to travel between Shanghai and Yunnan.

From Shanghai to Kunming, a direct flight takes about 4 hours while a bullet train takes about 12 hours.

From Shanghai to Dali, a direct flight takes about 4 hours.

From Shanghai to Lijiang, a direct flight takes about 4 hours.

From Shanghai to Shangri-La, there are no direct flights or bullet trains.

Transportation in Shanghai

It is very convenient to travel around Shanghai. The subway, buses, and taxis could take you to almost all of the attractions, including Yu Garden and the Bund, which is especially easy if you are familiar with making mobile payments, such as via Alipay.

Transportation in Yunnan

Transportation within Yunnan province is also very convenient. Bullet trains between neighboring cities typically take 1–2 hours, such as from Kunming to Dali or from Lijiang to Shangri-La. For cities that are farther apart, direct flights are available.

Most of Yunnan's attractions are natural landscapes located far from city centers, such as Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Tiger Leaping Gorge, and the Meili Snow Mountains. While shuttle buses are available, they could be challenging to navigate for those who do not speak Chinese.

For transportation arrangements within Yunnan's cities, we recommend using a professional travel agency that provides transfer services or, even better, opting for a private tour. This approach is hassle-free, offers greater flexibility in scheduling, and ensures a higher-quality experience.

Best Times to Visit Shanghai and Yunnan

The Rose Garden at the foot of Cangshan

For both cities, if you are looking for dry and sunny weather with comfortable temperatures, consider mid-March to May and September to early November.

If your time is flexible, we suggest avoiding the public holidays during these periods, including the first weeks of April, May, and October.

If it's not possible to accommodate both, here are our suggestions:

Consider prioritizing the weather in Yunnan. Since travel in Yunnan is usually longer and focuses on natural scenery, good weather would improve your experience.

Winter in Yunnan, especially from November to December, is also very suitable for travel as it is mild and sunny. The coldest months of January and February are also good choices for experiencing skiing.

And remember, don't worry too much about choosing the best time. If you can't find the ideal match, other times could still be enjoyable with proper preparation.

For example, during the summer, you might face larger crowds but you could book in advance (this is recommended 2–3 months ahead of your visit) and opt for less crowded yet charming spots, such as the Aurora Museum in Shanghai.

This small but exquisite private museum is filled with exhibits that reflect the owner's deep respect for Chinese culture. Additionally, you could enjoy views of the Bund from the top floor.

Budget for a Trip to Yunnan and Shanghai

The daily cost is 200–230 USD per person based on a private tour for two people including flights between Yunnan and Shanghai, flights/trains within Yunnan/Shanghai, 4- or 5-star hotels, lunches, attractions, guides, and private transport.

It is just a reference price. If you would like a price for a tailored itinerary based on your requirements and interests, just contact us.

Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.

Unforgettable Yunnan We did not know what to expect as this was as our first trip to China - we are into the outdoors so we picked Yunnan as a destination, as it was knownfor its scenic beauty. We had heard about China’s progress in the past 30 years, but that did not prepare us for the amazing infrastructure, the excellence of telecommunications what is essentially a remote part of China- Imagine perfectly paved mountain roads with not a single pothole and 5G signal even in the most unlikely of places - mountain tops, deep gorges etc . The tour destinations and highlights were amazing. Just when we thought we had reached the height of our tour the next day gave us more jaw dropping sights. We have traveled a lot all over the globe, but we must say this trip gave us the biggest bang for the buck in our experience Our tour organizer, China Highlights was great. - ours was a private tour, just the two of us - the car was comfortable and everything ran like clockwork. Every tour guide we had on each part of our tour deserve special mention: May from Kunming, Scarlett from Dali, Eleanor from Lijiang and Anna from Shangri-La displayed passion, knowledge and dedication to their role. They were motivated good natured, humorous, and anticipated our every need. They were always concerned about our comfort and satisfaction. Our Driver Mr. Wang who drove us from Dali to Shangri-La, was safe and steady. Given the wonderful service that we received from these individuals and from China Highlights, we are already planning our next trip to China within the next few months. China, we love you and wish we had discovered you sooner! more Apr 2025, John Chang Kheng Choi

Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la We booked a 9-day tour of Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la with China Highlights in late March with Leeky. We are very well taken care of by our guides: Lulu in Kunming, Scarlett in Dali, Martin in Lijiang, and Betsy in Shangri-la. All our guides are local people, which is a great advantage for their local knowledge. Be it local history, customs, food and shopping tips. This trip started in Kunming which is a mile high city and ascended higher and higher. Those who are not familiar with high altitude will be better off listening carefully to their advices. Special shout out to Scarlett, our guide in Dali who went out of her way to take care of us even after we moved on to another city.. She had very good burgers delivered to our hotel when we did not want to venture out for dinner. Hotels selected by China Highlights are all fine. Breakfasts at the hotels are all good, especially if you like Chinese breakfast. We think veggies and chicken meat are much tastier than back home. Late March could be colder than forecast at times. While we were there, most flower blooms were pinkish. Cherry blossoms are at their peak together with crabapples. At Kunming Botanical Garden, there are more flower varieties to see. It’s off the beaten track however, accessible using the Didi app. It’s not crowded and it is very pleasant to walk there. Allow 2 hours for walking around. more Apr 2025, Chet C

Very good experience in Dali - Thanks to Frank! Dali is a beautiful ancient town. We visited Er Hai 洱海, a huge lake. It was really scenic. Our guide, Frank, got us to walk along the lake. It was beautifully breathtaking. Frank filled us with a lot of interesting information about the place. We also learnt much about the culture of the land - the minority tribes, of which he belonged to one of them - Bai. Like us, Frank was a foodie and his recommendations were excellent, too. We also enjoyed our stay at Shaxi, a quaint ancient town in Dali, despite the fact that it was a little too commercialised. Nonetheless, it has many scenic places. Our trip would not have been that meaningful had not for Frank. Thank you, Frank! I think this private tour by China Highlights is a really enjoyable one. more Apr 2025, NinoNing