By plane:
Although generally speaking Yunnan Province is in a mountainous region, it still boasts modern air traffic facilities. Kunming, the provincial capital, is the transportation hub of the province, with direct flights to and from major cities, such as Shanghai (2 and a half hours), Beijing (3 hours), Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Zhuhai (all around 1 and a half hours), Chengdu (1 hour), Haikou (2 hours) and Hong Kong (2 hours).

Dali, Xishuangbanna, and Lijiang all have air connections with cities in other provinces. There are also flights available within the province.

For those traveling to or from southeast Asia, there are numerous flights from Bangkok, Rangoon, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to Yunnan.

By train:
Apart from by air, Yunnan is also easily accessible by train. The biggest train terminal here is Kunming. There are trains to and from Chengdu, Guiyang or Nanning and on to various cities throughout the country. There is also an international train for Vietnam.

Within Yunnan, some of the tourist destinations are also linked with railway, for instance, Dali and the Stone forest are both reachable with train.

By road:
Within the province itself, the best way to travel to all destinations is by bus. Yunnan has a well established public transportation system. Some express buses are also available linking the major tourist destinations such as Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La.