3 Days 2 Nights Trip to Mile, Yunnan

💰 Precise Budget List (Approximately 950 RMB per person)

- Transportation: Kunming → Mile high-speed train 34 RMB + return 34 RMB, shared electric scooter + city bus about 20 RMB per day, total 108 RMB.
- Accommodation: Budget guesthouse or hotel with basic hot springs, 180 RMB/night × 2 nights = 360 RMB (choosing a location in the city center is more convenient, within walking distance to the night market).
- Meals: About 100 RMB per day, including breakfast, main meals, and snacks, total 300 RMB for 3 days.
- Tickets: Dongfeng Yun (free admission) + Jinping Mountain 30 RMB + Taiping Lake Forest Park 60 RMB + Keyi Town 40 RMB, total 130 RMB.
- Miscellaneous: Fruits, drinking water, etc., about 52 RMB.

📸 3 Days 2 Nights Itinerary: Art, Hot Springs, and Local Life All in One

Day 1: First Encounter with Red Brick Art and Starry Hot Springs

- Morning: After arriving in Mile by high-speed train, drop off luggage at a city guesthouse, rent a shared electric scooter (3 RMB/hour) and head straight to Dongfeng Yun Scenic Area. Free admission, focus on photographing the kaleidoscopic red brick buildings; the soft morning light and white long dress paired with lavender fields make for perfect photos.
- Noon: Eat an 8 RMB bowl of braised chicken rice noodles at the scenic area entrance, with pickled radish and spicy fermented chili; the broth is so fresh you’ll want to lick the bowl.
- Afternoon: Ride to Lake Spring Ecological Park, stroll along the lakeside path to see black swans, and wait for a romantic sunset at the coconut grove boardwalk. No ticket required here, but it feels like a “Little Hainan.”
- Evening: Soak for free at Honghe Valley Wild Hot Springs; bring your own towel to soak under the stars. Before bed, visit Honghe Water Town Night Market, where you can get roasted potatoes for 3 RMB, papaya juice for 2 RMB, and eat until you’re full for 20 RMB.

Day 2: A Nature Trip for Blessings and Fresh Air

- Morning: Climb Jinping Mountain, ascend 1,999 steps to worship the 19.99-meter-tall Mile Buddha; be sure to try the pumpkin porridge at the mountaintop vegetarian restaurant. Students get ticket discounts, and entering after 4 PM is more cost-effective.
- Noon: Eat lamb soup hotpot at a farmhouse restaurant at the foot of the mountain; for 30 RMB per person, enjoy creamy white broth with free refills.
- Afternoon: Visit Taiping Lake Forest Park, take Moroccan-style photos in the cactus kingdom of the karst park, and stroll through flower fields to breathe fresh air. Students can enjoy half-price tickets with valid ID.
- Evening: Try local barbecue stalls, order grilled fermented tofu and grape beef skewers, paired with freshly squeezed grape juice for 5 RMB a cup; 40 RMB per person satisfies cravings.

Day 3: Market Life and Cultural Finale

- Morning: Get up early to visit the Focheng Shangdu vegetable market, where thumb-sized grapes cost 5 RMB per jin, and Sunshine Rose grapes 3-5 RMB per jin, achieving fruit freedom. Then have a 15 RMB bowl of Shen Weiguo’s braised chicken rice noodles, with chicken broth simmered for 6 hours and unlimited noodle refills.
- Afternoon: Explore Keyi Town, watch the free Axi Moon Dance performance, learn to dance with Yi ethnic sisters, and walk the Tiger Roar Ridge skywalk to enjoy mountain forest scenery. Bamboo garden brown sugar and rose flower cakes at the scenic area entrance make great souvenirs and are half the price of those in the city.
- Evening: Pack up and take the high-speed train back, ending a fulfilling trip.

🍜 Must-Try Food List (Best Value for Money)

1. Braised Chicken Rice Noodles: Shen Weiguo Braised Chicken Shop or M Ma’s Old Braised Chicken Shop, 6-15 RMB per bowl, rich braised flavor, adding fermented chili is the soul.
2. Lamb Soup Hotpot: Ni Ji or Bamboo Garden Lamb Restaurant, small pot 25 RMB with 20 kinds of dipping sauces, warming and affordable.
3. Red Wine Steak: Dongfeng Yun Niudoluo Restaurant, 88 RMB per serving with red wine, full of rustic romance.
4. Night Market Snacks: Roasted potatoes, papaya juice, cold rolled noodles, 15 RMB per person sweeps street food cravings.

💡 Blogger’s Insider Tips to Avoid Pitfalls

1. Sun and Mosquito Protection: Strong UV on the plateau, SPF50+ sunscreen is a must; bring mosquito repellent spray during the rainy season.
2. Hot Spring Identification: Real hot springs feel smooth and have a faint sulfur smell; recommended Meihuazhai Hot Spring, 30 RMB unlimited time with great value.
3. Transportation Tips: Shared electric scooters 3 RMB/hour, more flexible for traveling between attractions; buses are free after 8 PM.
4. Spending Tips: Most grape juices in scenic areas are artificially flavored; fresh-squeezed juice at the market for 5 RMB per cup is more reliable; buy red wine directly from Yunnan wineries, which can be shipped home.

The beauty of Mile is not in expensive tickets but in the satisfaction of an 8 RMB bowl of noodles, starlit hot springs, and the lively market atmosphere. With a 1,000 RMB budget, you can turn your days into poetry—this is what travel should be like~