Kunming
Jiaozi Snow Mountain tickets: price, hours and how to get there
A mountain in Luquan County, north of the city, that tops 4,200 m. People come for snow and ice in winter and azaleas in spring. It suits fit travelers with a car and a full day or more.
- Entry
- US$10 ¥68
- Extras
- Xiapingzi/Daheijing cable car, round trip US$10 (¥70)
Cable car, one way US$5 (¥35) - Opening hours
- 08:00–16:00
- Time needed
- Full day (about 3–4 hours' drive each way from Kunming)
- How to book
- Book in advance online in snow season (daily caps); passport accepted
- Children
- Free under 1.2 m; reduced 1.2–1.4 m
- Seniors
- From Sep 2026: ages 60–65 free gate on non-holiday days; 65+ free gate (shuttle may still be payable)
- Other discounts
- Students, military, people with disabilities: reduced/free gate ticket with ID
68 = gate ticket + compulsory round-trip shuttle bus. With the round-trip cable car the bundle is 138. Big bundle (entry + Xinshan Pass cable car return + Sifangjing shuttle + Xiapingzi cable car return): 118 from March to October 2026, 239 in the 15 Dec–28 Feb snow season. Snow season roughly Dec–Mar; roads may close in heavy snow.
Prices checked October 2026. You pay in yuan at the gate.
How to get there
- By private car from central Kunming, about 3 to 4 hours for about 150 to 160 km, to the new visitor center at Xinshan Pass (新山垭口), the gate where the cable car starts. This is the realistic option for most visitors. The last stretch is narrow mountain road that can ice over in the snow season, so a driver who knows it helps.
- Public transport is slow. Buses leave Kunming for Luquan County and Zhuanlong town (转龙镇), then you need a shared car to the gate, about 4 to 5 hours in total. There is no confirmed regular direct bus to the mountain.
A day there, step by step
Before the walking starts there are three transfers: a cable car up from the gate, a shuttle bus, then a second cable car. Leave Kunming by 06:30 if you want the summit. A later start still works for the shorter loop.
06:00–06:30 Leave Kunming
Eat breakfast early or take it with you, and have your passport and warm layers in the car. Expect to reach Xinshan Pass at about 09:30 to 10:00.
09:30–10:00 Big cable car to Sifangjing
Show your ticket at the visitor center and board the big cable car. It opened in October 2022 and climbs about 5 km in two sections to Sifangjing (四方景), the old visitor center, in about 20 minutes.
10:00–10:45 Shuttle bus and small cable car to Daheijing
A shuttle bus runs from Sifangjing to Xiapingzi (下坪子), at about 3,500 m. From there the small cable car climbs to Daheijing (大黑箐), at about 3,800 m, where the boardwalks begin. Take a few minutes here before you start walking.
10:45–13:30 The short loop: icefalls and Moon Rock
The classic loop of about three hours from Daheijing passes Huaxi (花溪), the Feilai falls (飞来瀑), Moon Rock (月亮岩) and Jingguai Pond (精怪塘), then returns to Daheijing. In January and February the falls freeze into walls of ice. Watch from the platforms and keep off the ice.
12:00 Lunch on the trail
There are no proper restaurants up high. Carry bread, chocolate and a flask of hot water, eat at a rest area, and leave the real meal for when you're back down.
11:00–16:00 Or go for the summit
Fit walkers who reach Daheijing by about 11:00 can carry on past Tianchi (天池), a lake at about 4,150 m that freezes in winter, and over high meadows to the summit, Jiaoding (轿顶), at about 4,223 m. Allow about 3 hours from Daheijing to the top. Turn back by 14:30 wherever you are.
15:30–17:00 Back down the same way
Reverse the transfers: small cable car, shuttle bus, big cable car. Each one can have a line in the snow season. Ask at the ticket office when the last cable car runs that day, since guides give times from 16:30 to 17:30, and be back at Daheijing an hour before it. You'll reach Kunming at about 20:00 or later.
Before you go
- Altitude is the main risk. The summit is about 4,223 m and Daheijing about 3,800 m. Spend a night in Kunming first, walk slowly and go down if you feel unwell. Oxygen cans from a Kunming pharmacy are worth carrying, especially for older travelers and children.
- The big bundle ticket covers entry, the Xinshan Pass cable car return, the Sifangjing shuttle and the Xiapingzi cable car return. It cost ¥118 from March to October 2026, and ¥239 in the last snow season, 15 December to 28 February. Check the price for your date when you book.
- From Daheijing, the boardwalk to Tianchi takes about 1.5 hours, or 2 to 3 hours with breaks. The summit is possible in a day only with an early start, good fitness and clear weather. Otherwise the short loop is plenty.
- Snow is most reliable from December to February, and icefalls peak in January and February. Near the top it often drops below −5°C, so bring a down jacket, gloves and a hat. Boardwalks ice over, so bring or rent crampons. Cars may need chains, and severe weather can stop the cable car.
- Azaleas are at their best from late April to mid-May, moving higher up the mountain as the weather warms.
Who should skip it
Skip it if you have heart or lung disease, uncontrolled high blood pressure or a history of severe altitude sickness.
Going to several of these?
Tell us which sights and when. We’ll tell you what needs booking ahead and what’s worth skipping, and book the tickets that need a Chinese app.