Short answer
Take the high-speed train. It covers roughly 500 km in about 3 to 3.5 hours, costs a fraction of the flight, drops you at Lijiang Railway Station about 8 to 10 km from the Old Town, and does not involve a trip to an airport 25 km outside Kunming. For most travellers it wins on every measure except pure speed.
Fly only if you are connecting straight off an international arrival, if the trains are sold out over a holiday, or if your onward plan is time-critical. Air time is about 55 minutes to 1 hour 20, but with airport transfers at both ends the door-to-door figure is closer to three to four hours, and the fare is two to four times the train.
The long-distance bus is the option people talk about and rarely take. Journey times quoted for it range from about 3 hours to 8 hours depending on the source and the route, which tells you how little it is used by independent travellers. Treat it as a backup for when the railway is full, not a first choice.
The comparison
Door-to-door is the number that matters, and it is the number most guides leave out. The figures below assume you are starting in central Kunming and finishing in Lijiang Old Town.
| Mode | Onboard time | Door to door | Typical fare | The catch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High-speed train | About 3h to 3h 30m | Roughly 4h 30m | Roughly ¥166-220 second class | Peak dates sell out. Two Kunming stations. |
| Overnight sleeper train | About 9h 30m | Roughly 10h | Roughly ¥123-217 | Only one service a day. Misses the scenery. |
| Flight | 55 min to 1h 20 | Roughly 3h to 4h | Roughly ¥300-800 | Airport at each end. Weather delays in the wet season. |
| Long-distance bus | 3h to 8h depending on source | Roughly 4h to 9h | Roughly ¥80-252 | Few direct services. Road comfort is poor. |
¥252. Another lists frequent buses from Kunming taking three hours for ¥80-100, and one claims there are no high-speed trains on the route at all. That last claim is wrong: the bullet-train service has run since January 2019. The lesson is to check the bus on the day you want it, at the station, rather than trusting a figure here.
The train, in detail
This is the option that made the route easy. Before the line was upgraded, the same journey ate most of a day.
Which Kunming station
Kunming has two stations serving Lijiang and they are a long way apart. Most departures leave from Kunming Railway Station (昆明站), which is in the city centre on the metro. A handful, roughly four a day, leave from Kunming South (昆明南站) in the southern suburbs, and those tickets cost slightly more, around ¥199 for second class against ¥166 at the lower end.
Kunming South is the right choice if you have just arrived on a long-distance high-speed train, because those terminate there. Otherwise, if your hotel is downtown, book from Kunming Railway Station.
Which Lijiang station
There is only one, Lijiang Railway Station (丽江站), about 8 to 10 km south of the Old Town. A taxi takes roughly 25 to 40 minutes and costs about ¥25-50. Local buses take roughly 35 to 50 minutes for ¥1-2 but stop at different gates. Cars cannot reach every address inside the Old Town, so ask your guesthouse which gate to aim for.
Classes and fares
| Class | Approximate fare | Worth it? |
|---|---|---|
| Second class | ¥166-220 | Yes. 3+2 seating, power at every row, fine for four hours. |
| First class | ¥265-351 | Not really. More legroom, same view. |
| Business class | ¥496-596 | No. Airline-style seats at three times the price. |
Fares are set by China Railway. Third-party sites charge a service fee on top rather than finding you a cheaper ticket. Book at 12306.cn/en or in the 12306 app with your passport. The full walkthrough is in buying train tickets as a foreigner, and the line-specific detail is in the Kunming–Lijiang train guide.
The flight, in detail
Flights run from Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG) to Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG), roughly five to ten departures a day. Air time is usually quoted at 55 minutes to 1 hour 20.
The numbers that decide it are the transfers. Changshui sits about 25 km from central Kunming, and Metro Line 6 takes roughly 30 minutes for ¥5-7. Lijiang Sanyi is roughly 28 km from the Old Town, reached by airport shuttle to a city drop-off point and then a taxi. Add check-in, security and baggage, and a 55-minute flight becomes a three to four hour day.
Full-fare economy tickets run roughly ¥500-800, though booking well ahead can cut that substantially. Airlines discount aggressively on this route. Compare against a ¥166-220 train ticket before deciding the extra hour or two of your day is worth it.
One more thing: Lijiang Sanyi sits at around 2,200 m. Arriving by air does not give your body the gradual climb that the train does, so if you are continuing straight to Shangri-La, the train is the better choice on health grounds alone.
The bus, in detail
Long-distance coaches connect Kunming and Lijiang, and there are also services from Shuhe and from both gates of the Old Town heading back. Reported boarding points include Lijiang Coach Station, Shuhe Ancient Town Coach Station and the north and south gates of the Old Town, with fares quoted anywhere from ¥135 to ¥252.
The reason independent travellers rarely use it is the trade-off: you spend longer than the train, on a road, for a fare that is not always cheaper. The case for it is narrow. It works when every train on your date is gone, when you want to stop somewhere the railway does not serve, or when you are moving between Dali and Lijiang rather than Kunming and Lijiang, where buses are genuinely competitive.
Buy at the coach station on the day. Booking platforms are unreliable for this corridor and the schedules change with the season.
Which one to pick
- Normal trip, flexible dates: train. Book a morning departure and you have the whole afternoon in the Old Town.
- Landing at Changshui in the afternoon: train, from Kunming Railway Station. Allow three hours between landing and departure.
- Connecting off a long-distance high-speed train: check whether your onward Lijiang train leaves from Kunming South, where you already are.
- Golden Week or Lunar New Year: book the train the moment the date opens. If it is gone, fly.
- Tight schedule, money less of an issue: fly. You save maybe an hour, not a day.
- Continuing to Shangri-La: train, every time. The gradual altitude gain is the point.
Frequently asked questions
How long is the Kunming to Lijiang train?
About 3 to 3.5 hours on the fastest C-class services. Most run between 3 hours 45 minutes and 4 hours 30 minutes depending on stops, and a few slower departures take up to five hours. There is also a single overnight sleeper taking about nine and a half hours.
Is it better to fly or take the train?
Train, for almost everyone. Door to door the train takes about four and a half hours against three to four for the flight, but it costs roughly a third as much, leaves from the city centre and arrives close to the Old Town. Fly only if the trains are sold out or you are connecting off an international flight.
How much does a second-class train ticket cost?
Roughly ¥166-220. Departures from Kunming Railway Station sit at the lower end, and trains from Kunming South are around ¥199. First class is roughly ¥265-351 and business class roughly ¥496-596. These are set by China Railway and do not vary by booking site.
Which Kunming station do Lijiang trains leave from?
Most leave from Kunming Railway Station in the city centre. Around four a day leave from Kunming South in the southern suburbs. Check the station name on your booking, because the transfer between them is not quick.
How do I get from Lijiang station to the Old Town?
It is 8 to 10 km. A taxi or DiDi takes 25 to 40 minutes for about ¥25-50 and is the sensible choice with luggage. Local buses take 35 to 50 minutes for ¥1-2 but serve different gates of the town, so check the destination sign.
Is there a bus from Kunming to Lijiang?
Yes, but services are limited and reports of journey times range from three to eight hours, with fares from about ¥80 to ¥252. It is a fallback for when the railway is full rather than a first choice. Check at the coach station on the day.
When should I book the train?
As soon as your dates are fixed if you are travelling on a weekend or in a holiday period. This route is popular with domestic tourists and sells out around Lunar New Year, May Day and National Day Golden Week. Outside those windows, a few days ahead is usually enough.
Can I do Kunming to Lijiang as a day trip?
Not comfortably. Four and a half hours each way plus the last mile into town leaves you very little time. Lijiang deserves at least two nights, and three if you want a full day at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Related reading
Journey times, station assignments and fare ranges were compiled from several independent route guides and cross-checked against each other; where sources disagree, the spread is shown rather than averaged. The claim that no high-speed trains serve this route appears in one source and contradicts the rest. Train numbers, schedules and fares are set by China Railway and change, confirm your specific journey on 12306. Current as of September 2026.