How I Traveled Cheap to Kunming, China for $412 [Travel Cheap]
In this post, I discuss how I was able to travel cheap to Kunming, China for a little over $400 for flight, accommodation, and transportation.
Kunming is a rapidly developing city in the Southwestern area of China. I was there for a business meeting with some manufacturers we’ve worked with for over 10 years. 10 years ago, we had visited Kunming and I can say it’s transformed from almost a 3rd-world looking city with vast majority of rural small town to a bustling high rise packed city.
Traveling to China is by no means cheap, but here is how I was able to travel to Kunming for cheap.
I always start with the big 3 expenses in traveling. To travel for cheap, you’ll need to save on Flights, Accommodation, and Transportation. The better deal you’re able to find for all 3, the more money you’ll be able to save.
Flights –
There are a number of China airlines that are usually cheaper flying to China than the international airlines. Sichuan, China Eastern, Air China, or any airline with the word “China” in it. after doing an initial search on flights.google.com, I was able to snag a cheap deal with Sichuan Airlines.
If you’re booking from the States, I’d suggest looking at your points inventory to save on long-haul flights.
The above itinerary were for two people. So $745 split by two is about $373.
Accommodation:
Hotels and accommodation in China is generally pretty cheap. We were able to stay at the most renown and oldest hotel in Kunming. It happened to be named Hotel Kun Ming.
At less than $40/night after all taxes & fees for a 4 star hotel, that’s a steal! Now note that the $40 price was at the extended building which had older and smaller rooms.
But the rooms were clean and the room was great for a short stay.
It did not include breakfast but the buffet breakfast was less than $10/person.
Transportation:
The nice thing about business trips is the manufacturer will almost always send a driver to pick you up and take you to where you need to be.
It’s just how it is in most places in China. Companies are extremely hospitable and it’s almost wrong for them not to make your stay as pleasant as possible.
I’ve had owners of manufacturers come out to meet me personally for dinner and even leisure after. So it certainly doesn’t hurt if you’re traveling to China for business. If you’re on your own, cabs and public transportation in Kunming is cheap and convenient.
It just requires a bit of research on sites like WikiTravel or TripAdvisor. If you need further guidance, feel free to contact me.
Things to Do:
Honestly, we didn’t have a lot of leisure time while in Kunming but the City is beautiful and there are lots of parks, lake, and night life things to do.
I’d suggest doing a quick TripAdvisor search for “things to do”.
Below are a few photos from our trip to Kunming.
A lot of tourists and visitors come to Kunming!
What are some of your tips for traveling cheap to Kunming?
