Limestone above ground in the morning, an underground river in the afternoon
Limestone above ground in the morning and a river through caves after lunch — the fuller version of the stone forest day, and half of it is underground.
If you dislike enclosed spaces or wet floors, the Jiuxiang caves are not the place to test it.
The two halves are 40 minutes apart by road. Booking only one of them is cheaper and leaves you with a lot of waiting.
Pick-up anywhere inside the Third Ring Road; a 7-seat vehicle at most, so the start time is flexible
Local time (GMT+8). The start time can move by up to an hour, agreed with the driver.
A five-seat car for two or three, a seven-seat MPV for four or five, a nine-seat van for six or seven
About three hours: Sword Peak Pool and Wangfeng Pavilion in the Major Forest, the Ashima rock in the Minor
Sani restaurants outside the gate — black goat hotpot and pan-fried rushan cheese are the local order
About two hours: Yincui Gorge, the Lion Hall, the Terraced Fields, and a boat through the underground river. A steady 18 °C inside
About an hour
Hotel or agreed drop-off
The 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.
A seven-seat group is private and easy for a family, but two sites in one day is a lot for children under six.
$119 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.
It runs 09:00 to 17:30 — about 8.5 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 19:00.
Anywhere inside the Third Ring Road. Your driver and guide meet you there; the exact spot is confirmed the day before travel.
Stone Forest admission (¥130); Jiuxiang admission; Vehicle for the full day, sized to the group.
Lunch; Stone Forest shuttle ¥25.
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.
Honest note: the stone itself is spectacular, but the park management is not. There is a long walk from the car park to the gate and the shuttle queues are slow in high season. Come early and it is fine.
石林本身很壮观，感觉不好是因为景区。从下车地点到检票口要走一段距离，服务细节有待改进。
Pair the Stone Forest with the Jiuxiang caves and you have a full day: limestone above ground in the morning, a river through a cave system after lunch.
石林加九乡是一条完整的一日线：上午看地上的石林，下午进九乡的溶洞和暗河。
The scale is hard to photograph and harder to describe — pinnacles in every direction, paths threading between them, and total silence once you leave the main loop.
石峰姿态各异，嶙峋峥嵘，在光影变幻下气象万千，行走其间如穿梭于一座巨大的化石迷宫。
