Hostels in Yunnan, China

It's a hostel with a very homely environment. The manager will invite you to drink tea with him, the courtyard is a very chill area to hang out in and even spend all day to the sound of flowing water and surrounded by plants. There is a kitchen available too, and the manager brings water from the well daily for the use of the guests. The dorm was comfortable and the lower beds have curtains but the upper ones don't. The manager sometimes organises events for the guests, such as the time when we went picking mushrooms and visited a local market from where we bought more mushrooms which were cooked for dinner, all at a very good price. The location is excellent, just 1 minute walking to the south gate of the ancient city. I will not hesitate to stay here again when I come back to Jianshui.

Excellent hostel, I really enjoyed my stay! Really nice and helpful staff with English-speakers. The buildings are in the traditional local style but with modern furnishings - stylish and cosy with nice common areas indoor and outdoor. Excellent location in the ancient town at the edge near the South Gate down an alleyway off a main pedestrian road area with lots of shops and restaurants. It took about an hour to get there by bus number 4 from Dali city railway station. It was about a ten minute walk from the bus stop with some cobblestone roads once you get to the ancient town which can be a bit rough with suitcases. The staff gave me suggestion for where to eat locally and sent details via WeChat. The hostel runs activities and does lunch and dinner for 20 yuan which you can sign up for and is a nice way to meet other guests. All the other guests were Chinese so there was a language barrier for me but we still had some nice chats through translator or if they spoke English. The female 8-bed room was nice and spacious with large windows and it was cleaned regularly. Beds were comfortable and you have to make them yourself. There are lockers which your key card opens. The toilet is open with glass sliding doors so you can hear noise, but it was clean and I liked the western style toilet and that the shower a sink and toilet were all separate for convenience. You can hear the music playing from the nearby shops on repeat for most of the day but it didn’t sound too bad and I got used to it. They offer earplugs and toothbrush at the front desk - I’m glad I had earplugs. There is a laundry area which is free to use with washing machines and washing powder and dryers and plenty of space to hang clothes. There’s also a cafe in the main lobby/common area and it’s a good place to do work with power sockets. And there’s free filtered water and a fridge you can use.  I’d definitely come back!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Outstanding Stay at Tiger Leaping Gorge Our family had an amazing stay at Tina's Youth Hostel during our visit to Tiger Leaping Gorge. The location is excellent, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and easy access to the gorge's famous hiking trails. Waking up to such beautiful scenery was one of the highlights of our trip. The staff were incredibly friendly, professional, and helpful throughout our stay. What impressed us the most was that the receptionist spoke excellent English, which made communication very easy for international travelers. She was always patient, cheerful, and willing to assist with any questions we had . She was also exceptionally lovely and caring towards our children. From the moment we arrived, she made our kids feel welcome and comfortable, which meant a lot to us as a family. Her warm personality and genuine kindness created a very pleasant atmosphere during our stay. The room was clean, comfortable, and well-maintained. After a long day of exploring and hiking, it was the perfect place to relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings. The restaurant served delicious food at reasonable prices, and the hostel's transport arrangements were very convenient for continuing our journey to Shangri-La and other destinations. Tina's Youth Hostel offers much more than just accommodation—it provides genuine hospitality and a memorable experience. We highly recommend it to families, hikers, and anyone visiting Tiger Leaping Gorge. A special thank you to the wonderful English-speaking receptionist for her kindness, professionalism, and the way she cared for our children. She truly made our stay unforgettable. We will definitely stay here again when we return to Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Location was great that it was a walk away from the Kunming Railway Station where I needed to be to leave the city. I liked how it was near a lot of food places! The volunteer Evens was an interesting person to talk to when I learned about his background in what he does as an occupation and where he is originally from in China. The owner Winni was a nice person as well and I appreciated and enjoy her and some of the other guests that cooked for us the night that we had a big dinner. Thank you for being part of the chef crew Winni. Everybody who stayed at the place was respectful and considered towards one another in the way that they conducted themselves. Was able to go along with the rules of this hostel because it fit my daily habits. Nobody had any habits that bothered me. Not really into the hostel type of stays, due to lack of privacy. Was just happy to stay at this place since it was pretty much right at the doorstep of the Kunming Railway station where I can catch my train on time where I wouldn't end up getting lost in the city which in turn would end up missing it. The only negative thing that I didn't like was that the bathroom did not have bath towels and just regular hand towels where I would not be able to dry myself very well after showering. Because of this I didn't want to take a shower at this place and the fact that these towels were used repeatedly from other guests, which made me feel uncomfortable wanting to use it. Would come back to this Hostel again if I happen to have to come back to Kunming again where I needed to be near this train station to catch at train there.

Such a lovely place to stay in Kunming. The staff speak English, and the location is perfect, everything is easily accessible, from the lake to Kunming Old Street, Nanping Pedestrian Street, and even a local fresh market nearby. What I really loved is that it’s a mix of both Chinese and international travelers. If you’re traveling solo, you’ll probably make friends here in no time. I was genuinely surprised to see people of all age groups just hanging out and having a great time together. One small thing to note, there’s no elevator. So if you’re carrying heavy luggage, getting to the top floor can be a bit of a task. Smoking in allowed in the common area, a warning is that you will be passive smoking. My favorite part has to be their cafe and restaurant. After a long day, it was so comforting to not worry about finding food outside. They’re open until 11 pm, and the food is genuinely good. Morning coffee was sorted too. I already miss my favorite Oreo drink, both mocha and chocolate milk, please share the recipe😭. We only stayed here on our arrival and departure days, but ended up eating at their cozy restaurant most of the time. They also have some nice vegetarian options. If I ever come back, I would definitely stay here again. I absolutely loved the place, the vibe, and the people. I was also really curious about the story behind the owner after reading the little note in the menu, but couldn’t find more about it. Wishing you good health and happiness.🌷

I had a fantastic trip there! The place is lovely, built all in wood, with plants and cats all around, and a nice rooftop with a view on the mountains. Everything is clean and it's very silent at night. But the best part came from the guests, I felt like in a family. Unlike my previous hostels in Yunnan, most guests could speak English, which helped feeling closer. A lot of people are staying there for weeks because of the great atmosphere. I stayed only two nights but felt sad to leave everyone.

First time staying at a youth hostel in China and overall it was a good experience. Pros: - Location is excellent. Just across road from cuihu. Lots of great coffee shops and bars within walking distance. - Cafeteria in the hostel had good coffee and a decent range of beers. I didn't personally eat there but other guests said the food was good as well - Big public area where you could socialise with other guests - Facilities were reasonable for a hostel at this price. Cons: - There were not a whole lot of activities organised by the hostel - Sound proofing is not the best. You can pretty easily hear things next door, upstairs or even from outside. - The atmosphere is a little hit or miss. I stayed here for 7 nights. The first few days, there were not many people that wanted to socialise but the last two nights, I met some great people and had a great time that I extended my stay by an extra night. I think the main issue with the hostel (and this is not necessarily their fault) is that some Chinese travellers choose to travel cheaply and the hostel offers a great price, so during my stay there were a lot of elderly people or families with young kids, which was not what I was expecting when staying at a youth hostel. These people mainly kept to themselves and I feel dampened the mood at the hostel. Overall, this was a solid hostel, but I would have tempered expectations when staying here if you are expecting a very social youth hostel.

This is a really comfortable and cozy place to stay in Dali, highly recommended! I especially loved the sunny spots. The room was clean and tidy, and I had a very pleasant stay.

Room Clean bed space with curtain for privacy. In the space you get plug sockets, lights and shelves. Room door has a lock. I don't think I saw an air con but it wasn't too hot so not an issue during my stay (i'm sure if you asked they might be able to help). This is not a criticism but a suggestion to make it even better - hooks at the end of the bed to hang stuff would be very useful. Pretty thin mattress as seems common in Chinese hostels, but probably one of the comfier sleeps I've had. forgot to take pictures of the room but it is just standard kind of capsule hostel type set up Bathroom Nice and clean. A few bathrooms each with a shower, squat toilet, sink and hair dryer. As per the online description, there are no toiletries. Around the corner it also appears you may be able to do your washing here but not too sure. Location Very close to the ancient town but also close to the residential area if you want to see that side as well. Make sure you're on the right side of the fence when you walk down haha. Around 40mins from train station by bus, not too bad (its easiest if you get the tourist bus) Host Seems great for Chinese visitors, maybe a little awkward for international visitors due to language barrier, but you get what you make of the situation. Seems to be a BBQ in the evening. They were kind and let me leave my luggage before I checked in and after I checked out (awkward train times)

The environment was very comfortable and relaxing. Beautiful view whwre you can see some of the sea of clouds. They give you disposable coverings for you to put on top of the fresh pillow bedding and mattress for extra hygiene which is a nice touch I haven't seen before. Bathroom is very clean, though there are only two toilets and two showers and two sinks, so do note that for busy season, but it wasn't an issue at all during my stay. They provided breakfast too, fresh milk the boss heated for me when I got up, and red sugar glutinous rice cakes wrapped in banana leaves (babas), and it was fun to get ready for the day with new friends on the balcony overlooking the village. I think the environment is very good for meeting new friends and other solo travelers- I arrived at the hostel randomly at the same time as three other girls, and we explored Manghong togetjer on the boss's recommendations for itinerary and sightseeing. And the next day the boss dropped us off at a tea roasting experience, and just as we were heading to Nuogan another girl from the hostel finished her tea roasting session, so we all went to Nuogan togetjer to play. The boss even helped load my luggage onto the shuttle bus so that it could pick me up at a sightseeing spot further down the mountain!