Stone Forest Private Tour from Kunming: UNESCO Karst Landscape

Stone pillars, a guide's stories, and lunch in a landscape made of rock

A private day tour from Kunming to Stone Forest Geological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site of dramatic karst formations. Your guide picks you up from your hotel, drives you two hours to the park, leads you through named highlights like Sword Blade Pond and Peaks Pavilion while explaining the geology and local legends, and includes a Yi people performance with traditional costume and song. The day ends with lunch and a return transfer to your hotel.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stone Forest private tour from Kunming

• Pick up from Kunming hotel
• Transfer to Stone Forest
• Explore Stone Forest with guide
• Watch Yi people singing and dancing
• Transfer back to Kunming hotel

The experience

Stone Forest is a karst landscape where stone pillars in various shapes rise densely across the park, creating what looks like a gray forest made entirely of rock. Your private guide meets you at your hotel lobby around 9:00 am and drives you there in a comfortable vehicle. The transfer takes about two hours. Once you arrive, your guide interprets the formations as you walk: pointing out animal shapes in the rocks, explaining the geology behind the pillars, and sharing local stories. The route takes you through the park's main sights: Sword Blade Pond, Peaks Pavilion, and Ashima, each one a named formation with its own character.

Near the Stone Forest live the Yi and Naxi peoples. During your visit, you'll watch a performance by Yi people in their traditional costume, with singing and dancing that reflects the region's cultural heritage. This is woven into the day itself, not a separate stop. Lunch is included and happens before your guide escorts you back to your hotel, arriving in the late afternoon.

The tour is private, which means your guide adjusts the pace and focus to what interests you. You're not moving with a group or keeping to a fixed schedule. The entrance ticket and shuttle bus within the park are included, so you walk the main paths without arranging entry or paying separately at the gate.

What’s included

• Entrance ticket to Stone Forest and shuttle bus within the park.
• private tour guide service.
• round-trip transfers in a private car from your Kunming hotel.
• lunch.
• Yi cultural performance with traditional singing and dancing.

Options for this experience

6 options

Stone Forest onlyGuide in English, French or Chinese · 09:00Duration: 8 hours. Lunch included. Pickup is included.

The Stone Forest along with a Local Market visitGuide in English, French or Chinese · 08:30 and 09:00Flower Bird Market: A symbol of real life in Kunming, where you can stroll along the market and enjoy many kinds of flowers and birds. Duration: 10 hours. Lunch included. With the Flower Bird Market: After the Stone Forest, you will head to visit the Flower Bird Market. Pickup is included.

Green Lake Park together with the Stone ForestGuide in English, French or Chinese · 09:00Green Lake Park: Green Lake Park is a beautiful city park in Kunming and is also the first choice for many tourists visiting the city. Duration: 8 hours. Lunch included. Stone Forest & Green Lake Park: After the Stone Forest park, you will head to the central area of Kunming to visit Green Lake Park. Pickup is included.

See 3 more options

Yuantong Temple and the Stone ForestGuide in English, French or Chinese · 08:30 and 09:00Yuantong Temple: One of the famous and ancient Buddhist temples in Kunming, the temple has stood for 1,200 years. Duration: 9 hours. Lunch included. Stone Forest & Yuantong Temple: After the Stone Forest, you will head to visit Yuantong Temple. Pickup is included.

Jiuxiang Cave combined with the Stone ForestGuide in English, French or Chinese · 08:30Jiuxiang Cave: Geologists praise Jiuxiang Cave as the "Museum of Karst Caves," as it is the largest, most numerous and most peculiar. Duration: 10 hours. Lunch included. Stone Forest & Jiuxiang Cave: After the Stone Forest, you will head to visit Jiuxiang Cave. Pickup is included.

Stone Forest plus West Hill ParkGuide in English, French or Chinese · 08:30 and 09:00West Hill Park: From the Western Hill you can overlook Dian Lake, and there are also wonderful temples. Duration: 10 hours. Lunch included. Stone Forest & West Hill Park: After the Stone Forest, you will head to visit West Hill Park. The most amazing part is the Dragon Gate at the top. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

AgesAdult (10 and older) · Child (5 to 9 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, French and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Moderate physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by happychinatours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want to explore the Stone Forest at your own pace with a guide who can linger on the formations and stories that interest you most, without the rhythm of a group schedule. The private format and included transfers mean you control the day's tempo from pickup to return.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, French and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 9 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): free.

What exactly is the Stone Forest and how did it form?

Stone Forest is a UNESCO World Heritage site of karst formations: limestone and other rock dissolved by water over millions of years, leaving behind tall stone pillars that stand close together like trees in a forest. The park's most distinctive features are these pillars in various shapes, some resembling animals or objects, which your guide will point out and name as you walk through.

How long is the drive from Kunming to Stone Forest?

The transfer from your Kunming hotel to the park takes about two hours each way by private car. You're picked up around 9:00 am and returned to your hotel in the late afternoon after the full day at the site.

Can I choose to add another stop to the Stone Forest tour?

Yes. At checkout you can book Stone Forest alone or pair it with one additional site: Yuantong Temple, a local market, West Hill Park, Green Lake Park, or Jiuxiang Cave. Each option is a single booking with one departure time.

Will there be other tourists in the group, or is it just me?

This is a private tour, so your guide is dedicated to you and your party only. No other travelers join your group or share the guide's attention.