★★★★★
Verified visitor · 2026-10-11
About ninety minutes from Kunming and worth the drive. Do the Major and Minor Stone Forests first — that is the classic circuit and enough for a day.
天下第一奇观，位于石林彝族自治县，从昆明自驾过去大概一个半小时，游玩建议优先打卡大石林和小石林就足够。
No shopping stopsAdmission and lunch includedDaily departure
Stone Forest · Kunming
昆明一日游 · 石林
A 270-million-year-old limestone sea, half a day through the major and minor forests
Stone Forest
01
The honest version
What the day is actually likeThe earliest finish we run — back by 15:30 — because the stone forest needs three hours, not a day. Lunch is included and it is a proper Yunnan table.
Good for
- A half-day that still feels like a trip
- Families with an evening train
Skip it if
Anyone wanting caves too: that is the Jiuxiang route, and it ends at 17:30.
Most people get this wrong
The Major Stone Forest is a walked circuit with stairs through narrow gaps. It is not a viewpoint you drive up to.
02
Where the day starts and ends
All times are departureMeet at the Guomao Centre on Dongfeng East Road; no hotel pick-up on this departure
TimeStopLeg
08:00
Meet at the Guomao CentreBoard 08:00–08:20, depart 08:20. About 90 minutes on the road
Start
15:30
Arrive KunmingDrop-off near the Guomao Centre, a short walk from the metro
Return
Departs08:00
Back in Kunming
15:30
Pick-up Guomao Centre, Dongfeng East Road
03
The day, to the minute
6 stopsLocal time (GMT+8). The guide confirms the meeting time the evening before.
08:00
Meet at the Guomao CentrePick-up
Board 08:00–08:20, depart 08:20. About 90 minutes on the road
10:00
Major Stone ForestSight
Stone Forest Lake, the stone screen, Sword Peak Pool, the “hanging by a thread” crevice, then up Wangfeng Pavilion for the panorama. About 90 minutes
11:30
Minor Stone Forest and AshimaSight
Gentle ground where lawns alternate with pinnacles. The Ashima rock is the emblem here and the centre of the Sani legend
12:30
LunchMeal
A Sani restaurant outside the gate: eight dishes and a soup for ten, including Yiliang roast duck
14:00
Back to KunmingDrive
About 90 minutes
15:30
Arrive KunmingReturn
Drop-off near the Guomao Centre, a short walk from the metro
Times are indicative — in peak season traffic and queues can push the day later.
04
Getting here by train
High-speed railThe tour starts and ends in Kunming. Most travellers arrive at Kunming South Railway Station — the pick-up loop is a short taxi or metro ride from the exits, and the tour returns you in time for an evening train. If you are coming from another city, check the direct high-speed trains and their first and last departures.
05
In and out
Per routeWhat’s included
- Stone Forest admission (¥130)
- Lunch, eight dishes with Yiliang roast duck
- Air-conditioned coach
- Licensed Mandarin-speaking guide
Not included
- Park shuttle ¥25 — the visitor centre is 3 km from the core, so budget for it
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses and gratuities
Heads-up
- The ticket allows repeat entry for three days from purchase, so an overnight lets you go back the next morning. This tour covers the first entry only.
- The ¥25 shuttle is not really optional: the visitor centre is 3 km from the stone forest and walking one way takes 40 minutes.
- Stone steps everywhere and the rock surface is uneven. Wear grippy shoes — heels and sandals make this miserable.
- UV in Yunnan is severe. Entering between 07:30 and 09:00 dodges the tour groups and gives better light.
- Mobile signal fades between the crevices, so stay with the guide. Some narrow passages, such as “hanging by a thread”, are tight — no shame in skipping them.
The flat section of the Major Forest plus the Minor Forest lawns is the easy combination for children and grandparents. The Wangfeng Pavilion steps are steep — take them only if you are comfortable.
06
Quick answers
Prices, hours and what is includedHow much does a day trip from Kunming to Stone Forest cost?
$52 per person on the group tour, or from $256 per vehicle for a private car with driver and guide. The group price includes the driver, guide and admission; the private price is for the whole vehicle, whatever the party size.
How long is the day?
It runs 08:00 to 15:30 — about 7.5 hours from pick-up to drop-off, including the drive. If you are catching a train or flight the same evening, book it for after 17:00.
Where does it start?
Guomao Centre, Dongfeng East Road. Your driver and guide meet you there; the exact spot is confirmed the day before travel.
What is included in the price?
Stone Forest admission (¥130); Lunch, eight dishes with Yiliang roast duck; Air-conditioned coach.
What is not included?
Park shuttle ¥25 — the visitor centre is 3 km from the core, so budget for it; Travel insurance.
How far ahead should I book?
Two days. We do not accept same-day or next-day bookings because the car, guide and admission have to be arranged in advance. Cancellation is free up to 7 days before the tour; inside that it steps to 20% (6–3 days) and 60% (2–1 days), and nothing is refunded on the day itself.
07
What visitors say
18,770 reviews4.7
★★★★★
18,770 reviews for Stone Forest — the headline sight on this route, not this tour specifically
Ratings belong to the sight itself. We do not publish invented reviews for a route nobody has rated yet.
★★★★★
Verified visitor · 2025-12-31
A genuine natural wonder: a sea of limestone pinnacles carved over a quarter of a billion years. The legend of Ashima gives the grey stone a human story.
石林堪称自然奇观，亿万年的时光雕琢出这片石海翻腾的壮阔景象，阿诗玛的传说更为坚硬的岩石增添了动人的色彩。
★★★★★
Verified visitor · 2026-10-10
Years of seeing it in textbooks made the real thing a surprise, the Ashima pillar especially. Take the park shuttle early and be ready for stairs — the Major Stone Forest takes some walking.
终于打卡石林，儿时语文课本里的描述，亲眼见到阿诗玛石柱的那一刻很震撼。一早坐景区的观光车游览大石林，大石林游览还是需要一定的体力。
08
