Getting to Stone Forest (Shilin) — China 5A Travel Guide

Shilin sits 78 km southeast of Kunming in Shilin Yi Autonomous County — twenty minutes by high-speed rail or about an hour by expressway.

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Visitor route map of Stone Forest (Shilin) — The classic loop — Stone Forest Lake and the red 'Shilin' inscription, deep into the Greater Forest's Sword Peak Pond and Wangfeng Pavilion, past the shape-watching stones and out to Ashima in the Lesser Forest.

By High-Speed Train

Kunming South to Shilin West in ~20 minutes, then a shuttle bus (about 40 min) or taxi to the visitor centre — the fastest, most reliable run.

By Intercity Bus

Direct coaches from Kunming's East bus station to the scenic area in about 1.5 hours, running frequently through the day.

By Car

The G78 expressway covers Kunming to the park in about an hour; navigate to the Shilin visitor centre, where parking is easy and cheap.

From Changshui Airport

Allow ~1.5 hours by road from Kunming's airport, or take the metro to Kunming South and the 20-minute train.

By Tour

Kunming day tours bundle Shilin — often with Jiuxiang caves — and suit travelers who'd rather not handle rail connections.

Getting Around

Inside the park the electric cart links the visitor centre, the gates and the far sections; the Greater and Lesser Forests themselves are best explored on foot.

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