Choose one stone forest or a full day in both

For a first trip from Kunming, head to the main Stone Forest (石林风景区). Its Big Stone Forest features towering grey pillars and narrow rock fissures, while the Small Stone Forest opens into meadows, reflection pools and the renowned Ashima formation. Plan for 3 to 5 hours inside the park and set aside a full day when travelling round-trip from Kunming.

Naigu Stone Forest (乃古石林) sits roughly 8 km north of the main scenic area. Its darker, weathered limestone forms sharp towers and defensive battlements above open farmland. Pick Naigu if you prefer quiet trails, fewer tour groups and open walking paths. Visiting both sites on the same day works best if you hire a car and driver to handle the connection between the entrances and the return run to Kunming. If you use public transit, focus on a single park.

Between high-speed train connections, local buses, entry shuttles and ticket checks, transit absorbs significant time. On the day you land at Kunming Airport, choose a single compact loop rather than squeezing two parks into an afternoon.

Tickets: admission and electric carts are separate

Official ticket prices checked on 13 October 2026, in CNY per visitor:

Item Price Details
Main Stone Forest ticket CNY 130 Covers Big and Small Stone Forests, Bushao Mountain, Lizi Yuanqing, Wannian Lingzhi and the geology museum
Main park cart Route A CNY 15 4.5 km route from visitor centre through designated scenic stops
Main park cart Route B CNY 10 2.2 km return connection to Ashima Tourism and Culture City
Existing cart line CNY 25 Approximately 6.7 km; listed separately from the new A and B products
Naigu admission CNY 25 Separate park admission ticket

Main park admission combined with the CNY 25 electric cart pass totals CNY 155. Buying cart Routes A and B individually also amounts to CNY 25. Admission to both scenic zones without carts comes to CNY 155.

Concession tickets for the main park are CNY 65 for visitors aged 7–18, visitors aged 60–69, and full-time students at undergraduate level or below presenting accepted proof. Children aged 6 or under (or up to 1.2 m tall) and visitors aged 70 or over receive free general admission. Sightseeing carts operate under separate concession policies; free general entry does not grant free cart boarding. Present your student document at the counter to check that it meets the published conditions.

The official online channels are the 石林旅游 WeChat or Alipay mini-programs. Foreign passport holders should go to the staffed ticketing windows at the visitor centre (游客中心), the main scenic car park (景区停车场), or Ashima Tourism and Culture City (阿诗玛旅游文化城). Present your original passport at the counter to issue your entry ticket.

Get from Kunming to the right entrance

Train to Shilin West, then local bus

When buying high-speed rail tickets, search specifically for Shilin West (石林西站). Do not confuse it with the older conventional Shilin Station (石林站) or the downtown coach depot. Trains depart from either Kunming Station (昆明站) or Kunming South (昆明南站). Book through Railway 12306 or Trip.com, enter each traveller’s name and document number exactly as shown on their travel document, and check that the ticket has been issued. Save your train number, departure time and exact departure station. Arrive about 60 minutes before departure with the original document used to book; foreign passport holders use the staffed lanes (人工通道) for station entry and boarding.

Outside Shilin West Station, take local bus 99 towards the Stone Forest Coach Terminal (石林风景区客运站). This is a public county bus with standard en-route stops, not a non-stop express shuttle. (Bus 66 heads elsewhere into the county.) From the terminal, cross the parking area to electric cart platform 1 (电动车1号站台) for the free shuttle connection to the ticket and visitor centre, or exit right to walk to the plaza. Keep this transfer shuttle distinct from the paid sightseeing carts running inside the park.

Coach from Kunming East Bus Terminal

From Kunming East Bus Terminal (昆明东部汽车客运站), buy a ticket directly to the Stone Forest Scenic Area Car Park (石林景区停车场). Do not buy a ticket to the county town terminal (石林县城客运站), which leaves you needing another local transfer. This direct coach is convenient if your hotel sits on the eastern side of Kunming. Confirm same-day departure boards and final return coaches directly at the station counter.

Private driver for two parks

A hired car connects the two park entrances and gives you agreed pickup times after each walk. Confirm your pickup spots at both gates and your return point in Kunming.

To fit both parks into one day, spend roughly 3 hours exploring the Big and Small Stone Forest trails in the morning. Meet your driver at the main scenic parking area (石林风景区小型车停车场) for lunch, then take the 10 km drive north along Jiushi'a Highway (九石阿公路) to Naigu's car park (乃古石林风景区停车场), which takes around 20 minutes. Spend 2 to 3 hours walking Naigu's quieter eastern loop before meeting your driver at the same entrance car park for the return trip to Kunming.

If you want local background and trail navigation without organizing each transit leg yourself, booking a private guided tour of both the main park and Naigu offers hotel pickup and an English-speaking guide; select the date and read the included services before booking.

Walk the main park in a clear order

Grey limestone pillars above green trees in the Big Stone Forest
Photo by BrokenSphere

Begin your walk at Stone Forest Lake (石林湖), then step into the main viewpoint plaza (石林胜景) where classic grey limestone spires stand clustered together. Follow directional signs through narrow crevices past Qianjun Yifa (千钧一发) towards Lianhua Peak (莲花峰) and Sword Peak Pool (剑峰池), where vertical limestone bluffs reflect in still water.

Climb the stone stairs to Wangfeng Pavilion (望峰亭) if you want a panoramic vantage point over the forest canopy. This detour involves narrow, uneven rock steps. From there, wind into the Small Stone Forest (小石林), where the landscape levels out into grassy lawns around Jade Bird Pond (玉鸟池) and the Ashima (阿诗玛) rock needle. Ashima takes its name from the traditional Sani Yi cultural narrative poem. When you finish, follow the signposts toward the return cart terminal (返程站).

If you are travelling with young children or prefer to avoid steep steps, focus on the open pathways around Stone Forest Lake and the Small Stone Forest, skipping the Wangfeng Pavilion staircase. This preserves the iconic rock and water scenery without committing to tight clefts.

The internal cart lines follow fixed routes. Route A departs from the visitor centre via the museum and Yingbin Square (迎宾广场), includes a walking section, then continues from Lion Pond (狮子池) out to Lotus Pond (莲花池). Route B runs from the return station (返程站) back to Ashima Culture City. These vehicles cut down approach walking along outer roads, but exploring the rock corridors themselves requires walking on foot. Walkers without cart passes enter via Gate 3, while Gates 1 and 2 serve visitors with cart tickets.

Naigu: a separate half-day landscape

Dark limestone walls and towers reflected in still water at Naigu Stone Forest
Photo by ogwen

Visiting Naigu on its own is smoothest with a prearranged car. Book a round-trip transfer from your Kunming hotel directly to the entrance car park at 乃古石林风景区停车场 (Zhantun section, 占屯段). If you arrive by train at Shilin West (石林西站), book both the inbound and return drives in advance. Plan for 2 to 3 hours on the trails, then meet your driver back at the entrance car park for the ride back to Kunming or the station.

Naigu Stone Forest (also known as Heisongyan, 黑松岩) features weathered, dark-grey karst towers, mushroom formations and fortress-like stone walls. Established footpaths cover over 6 km across the area. Allow 2 to 3 hours for the eastern section, 1 to 2 hours for the western trail, or 3 to 5 hours to cover both wings.

If you have half a day, prioritize the eastern loop rather than rushing through every side trail. For a short 1- to 2-hour circuit, follow paths linking Gulin Yaochi or Baiyun Lake (白云湖), Liangzhu Meeting Point (梁祝相会), Fengshangwang Viewpoint (峰上望) and the Ancient Battlefield (古战场), then loop back toward the lake. Stay on paved trails. Surrounding farmland occasionally features seasonal flower plantings, but trail quality and rock scenery remain the primary reason to visit.

Plan your return trip to Kunming

Identify your departure point before entering the main scenic area. For bus 99 back to Shilin West railway station, return to the Stone Forest Coach Terminal (石林风景区客运站). For coaches to Kunming, check in at the main scenic parking hub according to your ticket instructions. The internal sightseeing cart drop-off is inside the scenic zone, not at the railway station.

Use about 16:00 as your planning target for boarding the return bus. Choose a train at least two hours after the bus departure to allow for stops and station entry. Confirm the day’s return services before starting the walk. If you hired a private driver, set an agreed pickup time at your final gate, especially when finishing late at Naigu.

Jiuxiang Scenic Area (九乡) sits about 36 km away (roughly 45 minutes by car). Treat Jiuxiang as a separate excursion or spread your karst visits over two days rather than trying to fit the main park, Naigu, and underground caves into one afternoon.

Practical tips for your visit

Wear walking shoes with good tread for smooth, slick limestone steps. Carry water, light snacks, sun protection and a waterproof layer. Electric carts handle perimeter roads but do not make inner rock crevices step-free. Schedule a proper lunch break between the main park and Naigu if you tour both.

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