Atlas of China
Kunming to Lijiang 昆明 – 丽江
Door to door, the high-speed train comes out ahead: about 4 hours against about 3½ hours by flight, counting about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time for a flight. Fares run ¥190 against about ¥400. The stations are in or near the city centres, which is what tips it.
| Way | Time | Door to door | Fare | A day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-speed trainKunming 昆明 → Lijiang 丽江 | 3 h 29 minC86, fastest | 4 hours | ¥190standard class | 908:29–17:26 |
| FlightKunming Changshui (KMG) → Lijiang Sanyi (LJG) | 1 hin the air | 3½ hours | about ¥400varies by day | 208:00–22:25 |
By train
9 direct high-speed trains a day run from Kunming to Lijiang, between 08:29 and 17:26. The fastest, C86, takes 3 h 29 min, and a standard-class seat is ¥190. Coming back, 9 trains a day, the fastest 3 h 23 min (C88, 08:08 to 19:26).
By air
2 nonstop flights a day from Kunming Changshui (KMG) to Lijiang Sanyi (LJG), 1 h in the air, 08:00 to 22:25, with China Eastern Airlines. 2 fly back. Door to door, with the airports at each end, count about 3½ hours; fares vary by day and are typically about ¥400.
At the other end
Featured places around Lijiang.
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Lijiang Old Town 丽江古城
Cobbled lanes, rushing canals and Naxi courtyards beneath a snow-capped peak
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Tiger Leaping Gorge 虎跳峡
A classic two-day trail high above one of the world's deepest gorges
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Jade Dragon Snow Mountain 玉龙雪山
A glacier-hung massif on Lijiang's doorstep, with a cable car to over 4,500 metres
Around Kunming: Chengjiang Fossil Site & Fuxian Lake, Green Lake Park, Western Hills & Dragon Gate.
On the map
Open either city on the illustrated map, or put both in a trip and let the planner lay out the days and the legs between them, with the same tables these numbers come from.
Book
About Kunming · About Lijiang · Where Kunming reaches in a day · All routes
Trains are every direct train on 2026-10-28 or 2026-11-11 in the 12306 timetable, with standard-class fares; one weekday, so weekend and holiday services differ, and the fastest train may not run every day. Flights are the airlines' schedules for 2026-10-28, plus routes Wikipedia lists for small airports. Drives are routed on OpenStreetMap roads (extract of 2026-10-21) where the pair was routed, else estimated from the distance. Door-to-door times add about 20 minutes to board a train and 2½ hours of airport time to a flight. How to book is in the guide to trains and 12306; the rail times are open data on the data page.