Cycling in Yunnan

Yunnan China is a favorite for many cyclists in China. It is located (roughly) near the borders of Myanmar (Burma if you like) and Laos. The province is as big as France in Europe. Contrary to France, people travel in travel in a relative small area in Yunnan. Most of the province is simply too remote for the time people have available. Cyclists do have more time.

Kunming is the capital of Yunnan and for many travelers their first view of Yunnan. At an altitude of almost 2000 meters it is advised to take some rest when arriving by plane. Kunming is most likely your starting and/or finishing point in Yunnan. Here is more about Kunming city. Find also your best hotel in Kunming on this page.

There are principally 6 areas to cycle:

• Lijiang - Dali - Zhongdian and the road to Sichuan
• Xishuangbanna and the road to Laos
• Baoshan
• Tonghai - Jianshui and the road to Vietnam
• Shilin and the road to Guizhou
• Zhaotong and the road to Sichuan

Lijiang - Dali - Zhongdian and the road to Sichuan

Dali and Lijiang is the most visited area of Yunnan and many travelers see not much more then these two cities. Both cities are blessed with a long history and a great cultural background. Some cyclist choose to fly (or take a bus) to Lijiang and cycle back to Kunming, thinking it's all the way down. In fact it is as hard to cycle either way.

Most cyclist take the Dali-Lijiang-Zhongdian route and fly or take a bus the other way. However, if you cycle to Dali and Lijiang, you may consider either following the road north to Zhongidan (now renamed in Shangri-La) and from there to Litang and Chengdu. This is a hard road with climbs to over 4000 meters altitude. Not recommend to do in winter as there are not many place to stay in between Zhongdian and Litang.

Alternatively you can cycle all the way Panzhihua and from there either back to Kunming or go north to Sichuan. The road to Panzhihua is very scenic and in good condition. From Panshihua to Chengdu is a long way on a busy road which is the same for the road to Kunming. A better option is to get on a train or bus from here.

More about Lijang, hotels in Lijiang and the Tiger Leaping Gorge

More about Dali

More about Shangri-La and cycling options in north Yunnan

North Yunnan, close to the Tibetan border

Xishuangbanna and the road to Laos

Xishuangbanna is the second most visited area in Yunnan. It takes about 10 days to cycle on the old National Road to Jing Hong. Some parts of the road are in good condition, other areas are not. However, this should not set you back, it's a great road to cycle, especially now all the main traffic goes through the expressway.

More about the road to Xishuangbanna and all the towns in between.

Baoshan

Baoshan is an area in Yunnan that does not get the attention it deserves. Baoshan town is nice, Tengchong, one of then oldest settlements in South West China is a nice old town close to the Burmese border. There are over 80 steaming fountain hot streams and boiling fountains. Ten of them spout hot water of 90 C and upward.

A street in Tengchong

I would suggest to take a bus to Baoshan and from there cycle a loop to Tengchong, Ruili and back to Baoshan. You can continue to Xishuangbanna through Lincang and direct to Jinghong

More about the road to Baoshan

Tonghai - Jianshui and the road to Vietnam

Cyclist on the way to Vietnam should take the route through Tonghai and Jianshui as this road is scenic and especially Jianshui is certainly worth a visit with a beautiful old Confucius temple and a beautiful bridge just outside the city in the middle of the rice fields.

More about the road to Tonghai Jianshui and the continuing road into Guangxi from Jianshui to Baishe

Shilin (Stone Forest) and the road to Guizhou

The Stone Forest at Shilin is another of the most visited areas in Yunnan. The park is only a tiny piece of a huge area. If you ask me, there's really no need to visit the park. You can stay in Shilin and hike out in any direction and get lost in the enormous fields with natural erected stones.

From Shilin, you can continue on the way to Guizhou.

More about Shilin and the road to Guizhou and more about the southern route in south Guizhou

Zhaotong and the road to Sichuan

North east Yunnan is seldom visited. It makes sense though. There's not a lot that will attract mainstream tourism. I cycled once from Sichuan, Yanjin to Junlian and then to Zhaotong. There are few reasons to travel this road. Near Junlian lies a Bamboo forest which is a good visit. The north east of Yunnan is scenic though not spectacular. Most of the road is well maintained and you will be able to find quite easy accommodation.

More about Zhaotong and the road to Sichuan

Maps

A good map of Yunnan is essential for traveling around. The best maps, as usual are the Chinese produced maps. You can find them in the Xin Hua bookstores. And if you don't want to use the Chinese produced (and in Chinese) maps, check one of our maps. Or check our own made map here.

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