Itinerary Guangxi & Yunnan June2017

Hi guys, I would love to get your feedback on my itinerary. First time in China, I have 30 days, leaving in a few days (27/05). I'm planning to travel by public transport, stay in hostel/guesthouses and do the following:

Guangxi
Day 1-2: Yangshuo (Where can you find the best viewpoint/short walks in the area?)
Day 3-4-5: Longsheng (Ping'An , Dazhai )
Day 6-7: around Liping (Zhao Xing Xiang, Pingzhai)
Day 8: Transfer to Yunnan
Transfer to Kunming or Dali - What is the best/fastest way from Liping? Back to Guilin or continue to Kaili or Guiyang? Bus, train?

Yunnan
Day 9: Kunming
Day 10-11-12: Dali (Old town, DongLiangHua , Weishan , maybe Lushi ). Yunnanyi is meant to be great
Day 13-14: Shaxi
Day 15-16: Lijiang (Shuhe, Jade Dragon Snow Mountain)
Day 17: Tiger Leaping Gorge (hike)
Day 18: Shangri-La (Songzanlin Monastery, Xiao Weixi )
Day 19: Deqin
Day 20: Xidang (Hot pools, Fei Lai Si)
Day 21-22: Yubeng (Sacred Waterfall, maybe back to Xidang by following the river)
Day 23: Transfer back to Dali/Tengchong
Day 24-25: Around Tengchong
Day 26-27-28: back to Kunming and day trip to Stone Forest, Baxin, YuanYang, Duoyishu Village)
Day 29: Fly out of Kunming

What do you think? To slow, too much? Anything missing? I don't think I can realistically fit in a trip to Xishuangbanna.

Also, any idea where THIS picture has been taken??

Thank you very much
Julien

At a guess, that's Xingping. Don't let tourist photos judge where you go in China...

You're trying to fit in way too many "official attractions", which are needlessly expensive, overly touristy, and often completely uninteresting. Visit the places, by all means, but don't go along to so many touristy Disneylands.

I would spend much less time in the Guilin region and a lot more in the mountains of Yunnan. Also allow for a flexible itinerary and focus on what you really want to do and not so much on sights - your itinerary will frustrate and exhaust you.

That being said - I've been to the mountains a couple of weeks ago and it has been rainy. Rain means your transport can be delayed as landslides are frequent.bring rain gear if you want to hike and be ready to.adjust to the weather timewise.

The best thing about the Guilin region is Guilin itself. There's a delicious roast goose restaurant. I also liked the hike between Dazhai and Ping'an though everything else including Dazhai and Ping'an is a tad depressing. Imagine viewing platforms with speakers blaring constant music and propaganda.

So I would concentrate more on Yunnan. Though we don't know your ports of entry. If you enter via Hong Kong consider staying in Guangzhou - great food, history, culture. A nice city overall. Much better food than Hong Kong if you're not among those wealthy enough to afford haute cuisine in Hong Kong.

In Yunnan, Dali is a nice city. I also liked Yuangyang despite it being turned into a theme park. Forget the stone forest etc. Lijiang and Shangri-la are good for transport but tourist traps. But take your time to adjust to the altitude, so you'll have to stay in Shangri-la at least for a night on the way to Deqin.if time permits, you can add Yading to your itinerary, which is a long bus ride from Shangrila.

Alternatively, start in Chengdu and make your way over the mountains to Yunnan and fly out from Kunming as you probably have your flight already. 30 days should be a nice time to enjoy the region and be flexible enough. Warm clothing and see rain protection is required for this, though.

The monastery in Zhongdian is a big disappointment now. You can't go independently ( possible on first visit but several years later we were stopped by gun wielding guards on the road leading up to the monastery) and get taken with Chinese tourists up by bus. After paying, if course.

Thanks guys for your responses. Thanks Tsatsatsa for all the details. I'll probably follow your advice and spend more time in the mountains if the weather allows.

What's the best way to get to Dali/Lijiang from the Guilin area? If I don't start from Chengdu. (Yes, I'll arrive in Hong Kong)

I don't think there are high-speed trains out to Yunnan yet, but I could be wrong... The old school way would be a (long) train ride from Guilin to Kunming, and then a bus (or train) from Kunming to Dali or Lijiang.

I don't think there are high-speed trains out to Yunnan yet, but I could be wrong... The old school way would be a (long) train ride from Guilin to Kunming, and then a bus (or train) from Kunming to Dali or Lijiang.

There are high speeds. 5-6 hours or so between Guilin and Kunming. 2-3 hours from Guiyang.

They are also building a faster train from Kunming to Dali, Lijiang and Shangri-la, though not a high-speed and it will take a while. But will considerably speed up the connection

Note that the trains from Guilin to Kunming now arrive at the new south train station, which is pretty far outside the city. Doesn't really matter, but keep it in mind when planning transfers to other points in Yunnan. Allow enough time. Seems to take about 8 hours.

https://www.travelchinaguide.com/china-trains/display.aspx?tp=9&fs=Guilin&ts=Kunming&depDate=06%2F18%2F2017

https://english.ctrip.com/trains/schedule/guilin-to-kunming/

I stand corrected. They haven't already started building the Kunming-Singapore link they're planning, have they???

Also, any idea where THIS picture has been taken??

Very happy my blog can help you to visit Yangshuo. This picture is mine. It's taken near Putao village, 40 km North of Yangshuo. Now this hill (Wu zhi shan 五指山 )is equipped for tourists.

The fast and nice place to see is a bridge on Yulong river named Gongnong bridge 工农桥 (5 km fron city center).

I will be there in October. I think from Guilin to Lijiang I shall take a plane because only 1:40 and cheaper than train.

I stand corrected. They haven't already started building the Kunming-Singapore link they're planning, have they???

I wouldn't say Kunming - Singapore since the trains in Thailand are so slow and the rail infrastructure is not on par. I didn't see any plans for upgrading, too there.

But yes, they have started the Kunming - Vientiane line. I think it goes to some small town south of Kunming for the moment but it could be finished in 2 or 3 years. Certainly the part from Kunming to Jinghong

I did see what they were doing between Shangri-la and Lijiang and it wasn't very impressive. They are building a lot of very expensive bridges, overflies and tunnels, sometimws where you can't really see the sense of the tunnel or bridge.

For example, there is a tunnel and bridge construction at the start of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. It's immense, but I don't get it. The river valley is right next to it (it's literally 5 km from Qiaotou), why don't they build it in the valley instead of making two very long tunnels and a bridge? I suspect that some officials profit from soaring costs.. but then again I'm not an engineer.

But it will take some time before this is finished.

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That itinerary looks like it was written by a travel agent.

For example, there is a tunnel and bridge construction at the start of the Tiger Leaping Gorge. It's immense, but I don't get it. The river valley is right next to it (it's literally 5 km from Qiaotou), why don't they build it in the valley instead of making two very long tunnels and a bridge? I suspect that some officials profit from soaring costs.. but then again I'm not an engineer.

Poor soil conditions in the valley. They need to get the infrastructure supports down into stable rock, not mush and not that shale that likes to landslide down when it gets water under it.

Back to OP's itinerary: I also agree that it is too much Guilin region/Guangxi and not enough Yunnan. I would cut the entire Guilin region time to 4 days maximum in the Yangshuo-Xingping area, minimal Guilin (I dislike this city due to nasty natives) and forego the Longji Rice Terraces. There's no need to do two terrace areas and Yuanyang in Yunnan is superior. So, add to the Yuanyang Terraces loop so you have a couple of days there + a day in the Jianshui area. Yubeng probably needs another day at least to get the hiking accomplished. Even though the Songzanlin Monastery in Shangri-La has curtailed open access and increased pricing, I still think it is worthwhile to see as one of the premier monasteries outside of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Particularly in Yunnan, you will need to stay flexible based on weather conditions you may encounter, given this time of year.

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