The Stone Forest was truly impressive — unique landscapes and easy paths made the visit very enjoyable. Special thanks to Kaylee for the great coordination and smooth arrangements.
1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour





At a glance
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Price from
- $290 / person
- Location
- Kunming, China
- Rating
- 5.0 / 5 · 14 reviews
- Languages
- CMN, EN
- Group
- Private
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before
- Hotel pickup
- Available
- Confirmation
- Instant
- Ticket
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operator
- Wonders Of Yunnan Travel
Description
The beautiful scenery of the Stone Forest Scenic Area was listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2007. This attraction enjoys great reputation, both within China and abroad. The Yunnan Stone Forest Park, some 90km east of Kunming, is a very popular tourist hot spot. Due to the gigantic size of the park it is nevertheless still possible to find less visited and remote areas, especially in the sunny winter months. Find your own way through the maze of enormous stone pillars!Afterwards visit Jiuxiang Scenic Region which is located in Jiuxiang Yi and Hui Autonomous Township of Yiliang County, a 45 minutes’ drive from the Stone Forest. It is famous for its karst caves (about 100 in total, of which over 60 are explored), mountains, rivers, deep valleys as well as minority customs and cultures. This tour includes quite a few stairs. For safety and comfort, it may not be suitable for young children or travelers of advanced age.
Schedule & prices
- Runs
- Every day
- Start times
- 9:00 AM
- Next available
- Thu, Oct 8
- Adult (ages 9–70)
- $290
Prices are per person when two book together; a solo traveller pays $460.
Larger groups pay less per person.
From the operator’s live schedule on Viator, checked Oct 7.
Tour Options
Itinerary
1.5 hours in car to one of Yunnan greatest wonders, the Stone Forest in Shilin County. Weather and time have sculpted a massive karst labyrinth that feels like you are walking through a forest, with ancient stone trees looking down on you. Every rock formation you pass has its own touching story or thrilling legend, passed on by the natives who have lived in this area for ages. The natives belong to the Sani minority, a branch of the Yi ethnic minority, which you can still find inside the park, jamming together singing folk songs or making embroidery.
Later, we’ll see another piece of art made by nature, the Jiuxiang Caves, part of the largest cave group system in China, with rivers, gorges, waterfalls, forests, natural stone bridges, and anything you image you would find in a fairyland. Enter the caves through narrow green canyon and see the entrance of the caves hidden inside the forests from above as you fly over it in the cable car.The driver brings you back to Kunming downtown afterwards (about 1.5 hours) and drops you off again at your hotel.
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We will pick you up from your hotel within the second ring road of Kunming. Your tour guide will hold a flag printed “Wonders Of Yunnan”. Tour ends at the visitors’ hotel.
Traveller Ratings
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
How it compares in Kunming
- No. 2 by number of reviews among 181 tours in Kunming
- Starting price $290 is 39% above the typical $209 for tours of similar length in Kunming
Excurgo comparison of 181 Viator tours, recalculated daily.
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
- IMPORTANT NOTE: to register your tour legally with the local authorities, we need your passport information as mentioned below. We will contact you by message via TripAdvisor. Until we received your reply with your passport information, we will NOT start arranging your tour. We are not responsible if we cannot arrange a tour guide, private transportation or hotel due to the customer’s own late reply or lack thereof (for example during national holidays or high season). Thank you for your understanding.
- At time of booking full name as mentioned in passport, passport number, birthday, expiry date, gender and country are required for all participants.
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
- The daily working time for driver and tour guide during this tour is maximum 10 hours per day. Overtime working hours will be charged extra.
- Please only bring one small and handy day pack / hand luggage per person. Larger suitcases or backpacks cannot be taken on this day trip.
- This tour includes quite a few stairs. For safety and comfort, it may not be suitable for young children or travelers of advanced age.
- Full payment will be collected in advance, including all admission fees, fuel, and equipment rental.
Cancellation
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Frequently asked questions
How long does 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour take?
1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour lasts about 8 hours. The itinerary has 2 stops.
How much does 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour cost?
Prices start at $290 per person for this Kunming experience, booked through Viator with the price shown before checkout. That is the per-person price when two book together; a solo traveller pays $460. There is 1 booking option, so the final price depends on the option you choose.
What days does 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour run?
According to the operator’s current schedule, it runs every day, starting at 9:00 AM.
Can I cancel 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour for free?
Yes. Cancel at least 1 day before the start for a full refund. Later cancellations are non-refundable.
Is hotel pickup included?
Yes, pickup is offered. We will pick you up from your hotel within the second ring road of Kunming. Your tour guide will hold a flag printed “Wonders Of Yunnan”. Tour ends at the visitors’ hotel. Pickup points include Kunming International Hotel, Yunman Hotel Kunming Donghua.
What languages is 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour offered in?
The experience is available in CMN, EN.
Is this a private or a group tour?
It is a private experience: only your party takes part. Up to 10 travellers can book together.
Is the tour suitable for children?
Specialized infant seats are available Children must be accompanied by an adult This tour includes quite a few stairs. For safety and comfort, it may not be suitable for young children or travelers of advanced age.
Will my booking be confirmed immediately?
Yes, bookings are confirmed instantly.
Is 1 Day Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave Tour worth it?
Travellers rate it 5.0 out of 5 across 14 reviews on Viator and Tripadvisor; it is run by Wonders Of Yunnan Travel.
Reviews(14)
Reviews collected by Viator and Tripadvisor
Amazing trip. Fantastic views of Stone Forest and Jiuxiang Cave. Guide Victor is kind and informative. The lunch was delicious. The driver drove safe and carefully.
Thank you so much for choosing the wonders of Yunnan's services! I'm Nami, your tour consultant. I'm delighted to hear that this trip has created wonderful memories for you. It brings me immense joy to know that you enjoyed your experience. I sincerely hope you'll have the opportunity to visit China again in the future. Whenever you need any advice or assistance, please feel free to reach out to me. You can contact us via email at info@wondersofyunnan.com. Looking forward to hearing from you again!
Katherine was very patient and professional throughout the booking process. She ensured that we were kept updated about our bookings and always replied promptly. She also provided good suggestions on where to go/what to do, and suitable train timings. Our trip ran smoothly thanks to her! Our group was also very appreciative of Hua and Victor for being excellent guides who worked with Wonders of Yunnan. Both were very dedicated and placed a lot of effort in ensuring our safety and that we had an enjoyable trip. All three drivers engaged by Wonders of Yunnan were also fantastic!
Dear Valerie, Thank you so much for choosing the wonders of Yunnan's services! I'm Katherine, your tour consultant. I'm delighted to hear that this trip has created wonderful memories for you. It brings me immense joy to know that you enjoyed your experience. I sincerely hope you'll have the opportunity to visit China again in the future. Whenever you need any advice or assistance, please feel free to reach out to me. You can contact us via email at info@wondersofyunnan.com. Looking forward to hearing from you again!
We went on a one day tour from Kunming to see the stone forest and the caves, incredible sights to see. I can highly recommend it. I contacted Katherine a couple of weeks before to ask if she could organise a driver for us for the day. We started on email first and switched to we chat. She was super helpful and so professional. Always very quick to respond and very accomodating. Thumbs up!! I can highly recommend her if you would like to book anything in Yunnan. Everything was detailed beforehand. Pick up from hotel etc. You can plan individually. We had a driver called Hao. He was very very friendly and helpful telling us exactly how to get the tickets. You can decide how long you want to stay at each place. Probably better to allow quite a bit of time for the stone forest as the area is huge.
Dear Joh, Thank you so much for choosing the wonders of Yunnan's services! I'm Katherine, your tour consultant. I'm delighted to hear that this trip has created wonderful memories for you. It brings me immense joy to know that you enjoyed your experience. I sincerely hope you'll have the opportunity to visit China again in the future. Whenever you need any advice or assistance, please feel free to reach out to me. You can contact me via email at info@wondersofyunnan.com. Looking forward to hearing from you again!
Wonders of Yunnan was truly amazing! Throughout the entire journey, my guide was very professional and talkative, and even shared the story of Ashima during the visit to the Stone Forest. The car was also very comfortable, making it a highly enjoyable travel experience.
It was a great one day tour that Katherine organised for us The driver did an excellent job and Daisy the tour guide was exceptional in her knowledge of the areas travelled to as well as the history of these places as well Daisy even helped us get to a restaurant and helped find a place to change money as well even after the tour was finished Thanks Daisy for a great day from Siggy Rachel and Hillary
Thank you so much for choosing the wonders of Yunnan's services! I'm Katherine, your tour consultant. I'm delighted to hear that this trip has created wonderful memories for you. It brings me immense joy to know that you enjoyed your experience. I sincerely hope you'll have the opportunity to visit China again in the future. Whenever you need any advice or assistance, please feel free to reach out to me. You can contact me via WhatsApp at +86 18487238731, on WeChat at 17606992234, or via email at info@wondersofyunnan.com. Looking forward to hearing from you again!
The natural wonders were incredible but our guide was really supportive of our enjoyment, taking us through quite areas where we could appreciate the stones without the noise and hub bub of the mass of photographers. Authentic place for lunch serving plentiful amounts of tasty local food. Was a great day out
Thanks to Katherine and her chef, who took the time to chat with us for an hour at the agency, we had a great time in Yunnan. We are a couple used to traveling independently in Southeast Asia. This is the first time we use a travel agency, contacted before our Check-out by email, following the positive reviews read on TripAdvisor. There, Katherine helped us plan our stay, she bought us the train tickets, and organized a day with their Guide, John, at Stone Forest and Yiliang Jiuxiang Caves. His help and advice were super valuable. The day spent with John was very rewarding. Perfectly English-speaking, and with a good command of French as well, he told us the story and anecdotes related to these two absolutely exceptional sites: despite the high tourist traffic (August is really the high season in Yunnan!), we were blown away by the beauty of these two natural sites perfectly equipped for tourism. And John knows the paths to avoid the crowds and enjoy the tour even better! Thank you again and congratulations to Wonders of Yunnan, and to Katherine in particular, for the hospitality, professionalism and availability that helped us travel to a country where everything is not always easy for non-Chinese speakers!
Grâce à Katherine et à sa chef, qui ont pris le temps de discuter avec nous pendant une heure à l’agence, nous avons passé un super séjour dans le Yunnan. Nous sommes un couple qui a l’habitude de voyager en autonomie en Asie du Sud Est. C’est la première fois que nous faisons appel à une agence de voyage, contactée avant notre départ par mail, suite aux commentaires positifs lus sur TripAdvisor. Sur place, Katherine nous a aidés à programmer notre séjour, elle nous a acheté les billets de train, et a organisé une journée avec leur guide, John, à la Stone Forest et aux grottes de Yiliang Jiuxiang. Son aide et ses conseils ont été super précieux. La journée passée avec John a été très enrichissante. Parfaitement anglophone, et avec une bonne maitrise du français également, il nous a raconté l’histoire et des anecdotes liées à ces deux sites absolument exceptionnels : malgré la forte fréquentation touristique (le mois d’août est vraiment la haute saison dans le Yunnan !), on a été époustouflé par la beauté de ces deux sites naturels parfaitement aménagés pour le tourisme. Et John connaît les chemins pour éviter la foule et profiter encore mieux de la visite ! Encore merci et bravo à Wonders of Yunnan, et à Katherine en particulier, pour l’accueil, le professionnalisme et la disponibilité qui nous ont aidés à voyager dans un pays où tout n’est pas toujours simple pour les non sinophones !
The stone forest is truly beautiful and the caves are very colorful and amazing. My guide was nice and spoke good English. Overall, it was a great day and I can certainly recommend this trip to anyone!
Amazing experience at the stone forest and the caves! Vivian was an excellent tour guide with perfect English. She had great knowledge about the sites and the area and was also willing to share her personal experiences and culture which made the trip extra special! Thank you Vivian :)
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