Tengchong Volcano Hot Sea · The Energy of the Earth's Core!

Tengchong 3 Days 2 Nights High Cost-Performance Travel Guide
📍Between Volcano Hot Sea, Ginkgo Trees, and the Border Town Deep in Memory
💰Total Budget: About 1380–1500 RMB (per person)
📅Best Season: November–March (clear weather, golden ginkgo)
🎯Theme: Hot Spring Healing｜Borderland Culture｜Natural Wonders｜Slow Life Rhythm

> ✅ No mandatory spending throughout the trip, 90% of attractions can be visited for free or at low cost during off-peak times
> ✅ Suitable for couples, families, and solo travelers
> ✅ Accessible from Kunming/Baoshan with convenient transportation

Itinerary Overview

| Day | Theme | Core Experience | Accommodation Area |
|------|------|----------|----------|
1 | First Encounter with Tengchong · The Breath of Volcano Hot Sea | Volcano Park, Hot Sea Scenic Area (free foot soaking) | Heshun Ancient Town Boutique Guesthouse |
2 | Deep into the Border Town · Remembering the Warmth of a City | Heshun Library, National Martyrs' Cemetery, Western Yunnan Anti-Japanese War Memorial | Heshun Ancient Town |
3 | Ginkgo Dream · Farewell to This Gentle City | Ginkgo Village (seasonal), Return Trip | —— |

Daily Detailed Itinerary + Expense Breakdown (per person)

1: Volcano Hot Sea · The Energy of the Earth's Core
-Morning: Kunming → Tengchong (plane is the fastest)
- Kunming Changshui Airport → Tengchong Tuofeng Airport
- ✈️Special fares often available for ¥380–450 round trip (book 7–10 days in advance)
- This guide suggests transferring via Baoshan Airport to save money (see alternative below)

> ✅ Money-saving option: Kunming → Baoshan high-speed train ¥145 → Taxi from Baoshan Bus Station to Tengchong ¥100
> 💰Total transport: ¥245 (recommended! Suitable for budget travelers)

- Noon: Check in at Heshun Ancient Town guesthouse
- Recommended: Heshun Yizhan or Alley in Bloom
- White walls and blue tiles, window views of fields, full of artistic vibe
- 💰About 180 RMB/night × 2 nights = 360 RMB

- Lunch: Snacks in the ancient town
- Recommended: Aunt Cun’s Bean Flour Balls｜Sour and Spicy Appetizer
- 💰About 25 RMB

- Afternoon: Mazhan Volcano Group National Park (ticket ¥40)
- Climb Dàkōng Mountain to see the full volcano crater
- Experience the contrast between the "scar of the earth" and peaceful countryside

- Evening: Hot Sea Scenic Area (ticket ¥50)
- Worth visiting even without soaking in the hot springs!
- See the Big Boiling Pot, Toad Mouth, Pearl Spring, with a strong sulfur smell
- 💡**Free perk**: Outside the scenic area, the "Zaotang River" has natural hot spring sections where locals often soak their feet (free!)

- Dinner: Farmhouse cuisine in the ancient town
- Recommended: Lao Xie’s Dishes｜Da Jiu Jia (fried rice cakes) + Clay Pot Chicken
- 💰About 45 RMB

> ✅1 Total cost: Transport 245 + Accommodation 180 + Food 70 + Tickets 90 = 585 RMB

2: Border Town Memories · The Warmth of a City

- Early morning: Heshun Ancient Town morning mist walk (free)
- Get up at 6:30, photograph empty stone paths, laundry pavilions, rice field reflections
- Quiet and poetic

- Morning: Heshun Library + Folk House Museum (combined ticket ¥55)
- China’s most beautiful rural library, over 100 years old
- Learn about overseas Chinese culture and stories of returned overseas Chinese from Southeast Asia

- Noon: Lunch in the ancient town
- Recommended: Yin’s Kitchen｜Pine Flower Cake + Stewed Bamboo Shoots with Cured Pork Ribs
- 💰About 40 RMB

- Afternoon: National Martyrs' Cemetery + Western Yunnan Anti-Japanese War Memorial (free, reservation required)
- Solemn and moving
- Each step engraved with the names of expeditionary soldiers
- 💡Recommended to bring children for a deeper lesson than textbooks

- Evening: Wild Duck Lake bird watching (free)
- Wetland ecology, egrets flying, perfect for quiet sitting and daydreaming

- Dinner: Small restaurant near hot springs
- Try the "Hot Spring Boiled Egg" (¥2 each)
- 💰About 35 RMB

> ✅2 Total cost: Accommodation 180 + Food 75 + Tickets 55 = 310 RMB

3: Ginkgo Dream · A Golden Farewell

- Early morning (optional): Gudong Town Ginkgo Village (best from November to mid-December)
- About 40 minutes by car from the ancient town, taxi round trip ¥120
- Ticket ¥40 (peak season), golden fallen leaves cover rooftops and alleys
- Photo opportunities like a fairy tale world

- If not ginkgo season → alternative options:
- Dieshui River Waterfall (free)｜A natural waterfall in the city
- Bazimen Anti-Japanese War Site｜Feel the lingering history

- Return trip arrangements
- Heshun → Tengchong city taxi ¥50
- Tengchong → Baoshan Bus Station bus ¥60 (about 2 hours)
- Baoshan → Kunming high-speed train ¥145
- 💰Total transport: ¥255

> ✅3 Total cost: Transport 255 + Food 30 (breakfast rice noodles) = 285 RMB

💰Total Budget Summary (per person)

| Item | Expense Details | Amount (RMB) |
|------|----------|------------|
| Round-trip Transport | Kunming↔Baoshan high-speed train ¥145×2 + local taxi/bus ¥355 | 645 |
| Accommodation | 180 × 2 nights | 360 |
| Food | Average 50 RMB/day × 3 days | 150 |
| Attraction Tickets | Volcano 40 + Hot Sea 50 + Heshun combo 55 + Ginkgo Village 40 (optional) | 185 |
| Emergency Fund | Snacks, water, incidental expenses | 160 |
| Total | —— | About 1400 RMB |

✅ Surplus 100 RMB, which can be used to buy a Tengchong oil-paper umbrella or a jar of honey to take home!

🎒Blogger’s Private Tips

- 📸Recommended photo spots: Heshun morning mist, old houses in Ginkgo Village, Hot Sea Big Boiling Pot, stone steps at National Martyrs' Cemetery
- 🍽Must-try foods: Da Jiu Jia, Clay Pot, Ersi (rice noodles), Pine Flower Cake, Hot Spring Eggs
- Dressing advice: Wear comfortable shoes (stone paths in ancient town), big temperature difference between morning and night, bring a jacket
- 🚫Avoid pitfalls: Don’t easily trust “low-price package tours” in scenic areas, hot spring bathing in Hot Sea charges extra (optional)

🌼Conclusion:
“Tengchong is a city you need to walk with your feet and listen with your heart.”
It’s not noisy, but it has the fierceness of volcanoes, the softness of hot springs, the warmth of ginkgo, and the weight of history.
Three days and two nights are just enough for you to—
Soak your feet once in the Hot Sea,
Be silent for three minutes at the National Martyrs' Cemetery,
Say at dusk in Heshun: “I want to stay?”

Follow me to explore the real Yunnan, not just the scenery but the soul.
· Colorful Yunnan Travel Blogger
A person who records the warmth of the border town through the lens