Dai Ethnic Style Full Experience
A seven-day, six-night pure play family itinerary tailored for a family of three covering Kunming—Pu’er—Xishuangbanna, focusing on natural ecology, ethnic minority culture, and tropical style. The pace is relaxed with rich experiences, all at affordable prices, perfect for family travel.
🌿 Itinerary Overview (7 days 6 nights)
Route: Kunming → Pu’er → Xishuangbanna (Jinghong) → Return to Kunming
Transportation: Mainly high-speed trains, comfortable and fast; accommodation choices include budget hotels or characteristic homestays to control costs.
Daily schedule centers on "one main attraction + one cultural experience" to avoid rushing.
📅 Daily Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive in Kunming, first encounter with the Spring City
✈️ Arrive at Kunming Changshui Airport, take Metro Line 6 then transfer to Line 3 to downtown (about 30 RMB/person).
🏨 Stay at chain hotels near Nanping Street or Green Lake (e.g., Hanting, Vienna, about 260 RMB/night).
🚶 Afternoon stroll in Green Lake Park; in winter, watch red-billed gulls, kids can feed them (feed 5 RMB/bag).
🍜 Dinner with famous Crossing-the-Bridge Rice Noodles (recommended "Qiaoxiangyuan," about 30 RMB per person), then visit Nanqiang Street Night Market.
⚠️ Avoid scams: Do not trust "low-price car tours" at the airport, beware of being taken to shopping stops.
Day 2: Kunming → Pu’er, stepping into the Ancient Tea Horse Road
🚄 Morning high-speed train to Pu’er (about 3 hours, second class 210 RMB/person, recommend 8:00 departure).
🏡 Stay in Pu’er city or Yixiang Town tea garden homestay (recommended eco tea estate homestay, about 280 RMB/night).
🍃 Afternoon visit to Nake Li Ancient Tea Horse Road Town:
Walk stone paths and small bridges, learn about ancient horse caravan culture, great for kids to learn while playing.
Experience tea picking and tea frying (family activity about 60 RMB/person).
🍽 Dinner with authentic farmhouse dishes: Wa ethnic chicken rice, sour bamboo shoot fish stew, about 40 RMB per person.
🌙 Overnight in tea mountains with fresh air, perfect for relaxation.
Day 3: In-depth Pu’er Tea Source Experience
🌳 Morning visit to China Pu’er Tea Expo Garden or Gaoshanzhai Ancient Tea Garden:
Learn about large-leaf tea trees, listen to tea farmers explain tea-making processes.
Free tasting of Pu’er raw and ripe tea, no purchase pressure.
🎒 Afternoon visit to Sun River National Forest Park (ticket 60 RMB including electric cart, children free):
See macaques, red pandas, chance to see peacocks spreading tails, kids love it.
Optional "forest mini train" through the rainforest (extra 30 RMB).
⚠️ Avoid scams: Outside the park, sellers offer "century-old tree tea" often exaggerated, do not buy impulsively; buy tea at official tea shops or supermarkets.
Day 4: Pu’er → Xishuangbanna, entering the tropical world
🚄 Morning high-speed train to Xishuangbanna Jinghong City (about 3 hours, second class 210 RMB/person).
🏡 Stay near Gozhuang Xishuangjing (recommended non-core area homestays, quiet and cheap, about 300 RMB/night).
🌇 Evening visit to Starlight Night Market and Mekong Six-Country Water Market:
Dress in Dai ethnic costumes for photos (rental about 30-50 RMB/set), try coconut jelly, Laotian iced coffee, pineapple rice.
Keep valuables safe, crowded area watch for children.
🍹 Recommended Dai snacks: lemongrass grilled chicken, pounded chicken feet, mango sticky rice.
Day 5: Wild Elephant Valley and Dai Culture Exploration
🐘 Morning visit to Wild Elephant Valley (ticket 60 RMB, electric cart 40 RMB mandatory):
Watch elephant shows (eco-friendly, no elephant riding), learn about Asian elephant conservation.
Walk the skywalk, chance to see wild elephant herds from afar (luck needed).
🏘 Afternoon visit to Manzhang Village or Manting Park:
Manzhang Village experience Dai paper making, slow pottery wheel (family project about 50 RMB/person).
Or choose Manting Park + Grand Buddha Temple to feel the beauty of the Dai King’s royal garden (ticket 40 RMB).
⚠️ Avoid scams: "Free guiding" at park entrances often leads to shopping commissions; avoid "primitive forest adventure" wild tours, unsafe.
Day 6: Chinese Academy of Sciences Botanical Garden Tropical Wonders
🚌 Charter or carpool to Chinese Academy of Sciences Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (1 hour from Jinghong, ticket 80 RMB).
🌴 Focus on the west area:
Exotic flowers garden, Victoria lotus pond (kids can stand on lotus leaves), palm forest.
Centuries-old dragon blood trees and sky-reaching trees amaze, a natural science classroom.
🍱 Lunch at garden restaurant (about 40 RMB per person).
🌆 Return in the evening, free to stroll night markets or rest.
💡 Tip: The garden is huge, renting an electric cart (30 RMB/hour) saves energy.
Day 7: Return to Kunming, warm conclusion
🚄 Morning high-speed train back to Kunming (about 3.5 hours, second class 220 RMB/person).
If time allows, visit Dounan Flower Market (Asia’s largest fresh flower market):
10 RMB per bouquet of roses, 30 RMB per bucket of hydrangeas, buy a "Yunnan memory" bouquet for kids.
Or buy vacuum-packed flower cakes as souvenirs (recommended "Pan Xiang Ji," 30% cheaper than scenic spots).
✈️ Head to the airport according to flight schedule, end a pleasant trip.
💰 Overall Budget Reference (family of three)
Item Estimated Cost
-------------- ----------------
Round-trip airfare 2500-4000 RMB (depending on departure)
Train tickets About 1900 RMB
Accommodation (6 nights) 1800 RMB (average 300 RMB/night)
Meals 1500 RMB (50 RMB/person/day)
Tickets + Experiences 1200 RMB (including botanical garden, night market activities)
Transport Miscellaneous 600 RMB (charter, electric cart rental, etc.)
Total About 8500-10,000 RMB
🌺 Cultural Highlights
Pu’er Tea Culture: From picking to brewing, family learning together, savoring time’s accumulation.
Dai Ethnic Style: Clothing, food, architecture, immersive tropical ethnic life experience.
Tropical Rainforest Ecology: Asian elephants, Victoria lotus, strangler figs, opening children’s natural horizons.
✅ Warm Tips:
Yunnan has large temperature differences between day and night, bring a light jacket; Xishuangbanna is hot and humid, beware of mosquitoes and sun.
Respect ethnic minority beliefs, no loud noises or pointing at Buddha statues in temples.
Use mobile payments whenever possible to avoid cash disputes.
This itinerary lets children learn about nature and culture while traveling, bringing sunshine, greenery, and laughter to the whole family—Kunming, Pu’er, Xishuangbanna, a family trip worth cherishing.