Explore the Beauty, Culture of Kunming, China

† Explanation of BAC Ride Fee – This fee is not included in the Estimated Cost and is non-refundable once submitted. The Ride Fee for US and Canada is $85 and $150 for all other countries, both are per participant.

Ride Description

Ride Description: I just completed this tour and it was truly one of the best  and most interesting cycling experiences I have ever had.  Come see the culture, taste the foods, and explore the diversity of Kunming.  This is the first BAC Directed Tour in China and it will be an adventure of a lifetime.  The trip experiences the sea of canola flowers in Yunnan Province in spring, the ecology of alpine lakes, the characteristic villages of ethnic minorities, the paleontological and fossil geological parks, and the unique cultural landscapes of each city. There are 56 ethnic groups in China and Yunnan has 25 of them.  We will visit a few of them and have a chance to dance together. 

Itinerary:

Day 1 – March 6th, – A shuttle service will meet you at the airport and transport participants to the first night’s hotel (Home Inn Plus:  No. 1, Building C, Aochen Caifu Square, No.32 Qianwei West Road, Xishan District, Kunming, Yunnan, China). You will need to leave on March 5th, 2026 to arrive in China because China is a day ahead of the USA.

Day 2 – March 7th – In the morning, we adjust the bicycles prepaid in advance, explain the itinerary and precautions for the whole ride, and leave time for everyone to get to know each other.  On the first day, we ride 19 miles in a group around the Caohai wetland to familiarize ourselves with the condition of the bicycles and the best riding posture.  Lee, who lives in Kunming, will manage the riding pace of the day at a suitable pace.  Welcome Group dinner that evening.

Day 3 - March 8th- A morning bus ride to Louping and a 13.5 mile ride around canola flower field after lunch and join in on a local celebration and overnighting in Louping.

Day 4 -March 9th- A 29 mile bike ride from Louping to LaZher with a stop in the ethnic group village and a bus ride back to Louping.

Day 5 - March 10th- We start with a bus ride to LuXi and a 17 mile ride to ChenZi Ancient Town and overnight in Shilin.

Day 6 - March 11th- A 42 mile ride from Shilin through a few small towns to overnight in MiLe.

Day 7 - March 12th- We have a 21 mile ride to DongFengYun Park, JingPing Mountain and TaiPing Lake back to MiLe.

Day 8 - March 13th- We start with a bus ride to ShiPing Ancient Town with a 15 mile bike tour around ShiPing.

Day 9 - March 14th- We have 32 mile ride from ShiPing by YiLong Lake and past some train stations to overnight in JianShui.

Day 10 - March 15th- A 15 mile tour around JianShui.

Day 11 - March 16th- We take a bus ride to TongHai and ride 22 miles along QiLu Lake through NaGu Town to overnight in JiangChuan.

Day 12 - March 17th- We have a 46 mile day passing Star Lake Cloud, LuJu Town, FuXian Lake and overnight in ChengJiang.

Day 13 - March 18th- A 41 mile route from ChengJiang  Yang Zong Lake where we stay overnight.

Day 14 - March 20th- A short bus ride to DouNan Wetland.  This is one of the most beautiful rides  41 miles in distance and includes DianChi Lake to KunYang.

Day 15 – March 20th - Our final group dinner after a 30 mile ride to KunMing.

Day 16 March 21st – Early breakfast and a 9:00am group bus ride to the Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG). 

Health and Safety - Participants are expected to come to the tour in good health and ready to ride. Should someone's health become compromised, and the group’s health and safety be placed in jeopardy, a plan will be developed by the ride leader and be communicated to all participants. The expectation is for the group to work together to mitigate any spread of infection or illness to ensure the tour can continue as planned.  

• Drink only bottled water, the hotels provide all the bottled water you need at no cost.

• All of the hotels have normal flush toilets.  However, during the ride, only squat toilets will be available.

Ride Rating - The tour is rated a 3B.  Although the average daily mileage is 28 miles, 4 of the rides exceed the A rating of 35 miles and many of the rides will be in higher elevations, up to 6,500.  There is one day outside the 3B rating with an elevation gain of 3,788.  However, shorter options are available.   There are 12 mandatory ride days and 3 optional ride days.

Navigation RideWithGPS Files - A BAC RideWithGPS Event will be shared with participants 45 days before the start of the tour. If participants would like to use paper cue sheets, they will need to print them themselves. All participants should make sure if they are using a GPS device that it is capable of supporting Chinese maps or download ahead of time if needed.

Weather – Kunming’s elevation is 6,234’.  March is the dry season with less than 1” of rainfall with temperatures ranging from 46°F to 75°F.  A puff jacket is advised and appropriate clothing for cooler temperatures and rain. 

Vehicle Support:

• This Direct Tour does have sag support.  However, foreigners are not allowed to rent vehicles in China.    All riders are expected to ride on all move days, and should be able to handle their own bike repairs, at a minimum how to change their tire.  The leadership team will have communication radios during the ride for safety reasons.  

• There is a dedicated truck for transporting bicycles to remote starts or finishes on many ride days.

• The bus will be used to transport luggage and participants to remote starts and finishes.

Lodging & Meals - There will be 15 nights of accommodation, 15 breakfasts, 14 lunches, and 14 dinners included.  Most hotels are multi storied 4–5-star hotels with one or two being 3 stars.  In regard to lunch and dinner meals, restaurants in China, serve anywhere from 8-14 different dishes of food to each round table on lazy Susans.  Many of the vegetable dishes are cooked with various meats.  Since these meals are prepared for the entire group, it is NOT possible to prepare specialty meals for those who are gluten intolerant, vegetarians, vegans or those who are allergic to peanuts or salt.  However, it is possible to request the restaurants to lower the spice levels for our group. 

• It is beneficial for riders to be able to use chopsticks!  If you can’t use chopsticks, be sure to bring multiple chopstick cheaters (a piece of plastic in which chopsticks are inserted to allow use of the chopsticks).  Bring multiple cheaters because it is improper to use your personal chopsticks to take food from the different dishes! 

Social Hours:  Each evening a group meeting will happen before dinner to discuss the next day’s route.  Unfortunately, none of the hotels have bars. However, at dinner, an effort will be made to have beer and wine available with our meal.

• Single Serving containers of beer and wine are available for purchase at the local convenience stores (7-11) located by the hotels in single serving containers.

Logistics:

• VISA requirements - Participants are advised that there are many stringent VISA requirements for travel to China and are expected to do their own research. Participants can search: "China Visa Agent" for information. The search will also return agents who will expedite the process and eliminate the need to show up at an embassy, of course for an additional fee.

• TRAVEL - You will lose a day traveling west to Kunming.  Therefore, you'll need to leave on March 5, 2026.  The tour arrival date is March 6, 2026 in Kunming and ends in Kunming on March 21, 2026.  Kunming is 16 hours ahead of Pacific Standard time, and 13 hours ahead of Eastern Standard time.  Again, you will lose a day flying west, but you will get it back flying home.  There are no Non-stop flights from the USA to Kunming.  However, your 2nd leg should take you to Kunming.  All participants will be greeted at the arrival gate with a sign stating your name and you’ll be then transported to the hotel.  Since everyone’s arrival time will be different, the welcome dinner is scheduled for day #2.

• Money – China is almost entirely a non-cash society.  Our everyday use of debit and/or credit cards will not work with small vendors.  They also do not USA Apps like Zelle Venmo.  However they use, Alipay and WeChat to pay for everything.  WeChat is also used as a way to communicate with each other similar to WhatsApp.  Everyone will need to be connected to WeChat.  I was able to complete this tour without having to use Chinese currency.

BICYCLES: -Your bicycle should have tires 28mm or larger in size.  Bike boxes will be stored at our starting hotel.  E-bikes and tandems are welcome.

Bike Rentals: - There are two options for obtaining bikes for this tour if you do not bring your own.

1. Bike rentals are available, please reach out to the ride leader to discuss the options and what would work best for the type of bike needed.  The bike rental fee is $160 for non eBike and $450 for eBike.  We encourage riders to rent eBikes if needed.  

2. Some riders may want to purchase a folding E-bike for ~$600, and have thie bike and bbattery shipped back to the US.

Cost & Administration - All expenses are in U.S. Dollars.  The deposit of $1,550 is due at signup, as well as the BAC fee of $150 and the solo supplement if you choose to have your own room.  The 2nd payment of $1,000 is due by 11/15/2025.

Included:  This tour has a 5 person leadership team of which 2 are fluent in English and Chinese. The team consists of a ride leader, 2 co-leaders, and 2 drivers

Not Included: Air travel, trip cancellation insurance, expanded medical insurance, spa services, laundry services, or bike rental are not included in the $2,550 ride fee. 

Singles & Solos Policy - It is recommended that singles who want a roommate try to find their own. However, after receipt of the initial deposit, a single rider without a roommate will be placed on the ride and given until 11/1/2026 to find a roommate. If they are unable to find a roommate, they will have the option to receive a full refund (minus the BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fee) or pay the $600 solo supplement to stay on the ride. If a single person pays the supplement, they may continue to seek a roommate but must plan to participate without a roommate, if necessary. The ride leader will assist by attempting to match singles who apply for the ride.  The solo supplement payment of $600 is due at signup and can be paid by Zelle or check. To pay using Zelle: ● In your bank's website, add Bicycle Adventure Club as a new recipient, with email address treasurer@bicycleadventureclub.org ● Initiate a payment ● In the Message block, enter the name of your ride. If you have questions, contact Nancy Bohnett   nbohnett@bicycleadventureclub.org. Checks should be made out to “BAC” with a notation of the tour name included on the check and mailed to: Bicycle Adventure Club, PO Box 23998, San Diego, CA 92193.  

Cancellation Policy - The BAC ride registration fee and payment processing fees are not refundable unless the entire tour is canceled because the number of participants registered is less than the minimum established for the tour. Refunds of tour payments will depend upon whether a replacement rider signs up, and on costs that can be recouped. The amount refunded will be based on the principle that the tour’s remaining participants will not incur any additional cost because of cancellations. If the canceling participant is replaced, a refund will be made at that time. If the canceling participant can't be replaced, any refund will be determined after the ride and the final expense report has been completed. If a single participant cancels and another roommate cannot be found, in addition to other costs that cannot be recouped, the canceling roommate may also be liable for the solo supplement fee of the roommate remaining on the tour. BAC encourages members to purchase trip cancellation insurance.  

Ride Participant Responsibility - Please remember that BAC Ride leaders are volunteers, and that successful tours depend on participants providing much of their own support. Participants are expected to come to the ride well trained, in good health and ready to accomplish the required daily riding using well-maintained bicycles. All participants should accept responsibility for a safe and enjoyable tour. We encourage you to read the ride description carefully and respond to requests from the Ride leader. While on the ride, support your Ride leader with offers to help with various tasks such as happy hour preparation and cleanup. Please do not interfere with the ride by inviting non-participants onto any portion of the ride or tour. Please keep the Ride leader informed of any special request you might have and respect the Ride leader’s decisions. 

Insurance Statements - Before participating in any BAC tour, you should assess whether your medical and travel insurance coverage is sufficient. BAC maintains insurance that covers expenses related to accidents, medical emergencies such as sudden and unexpected sickness, and repatriation. This coverage applies when touring outside the US and your home country, regardless of your nationality. It will cover you door-to-door for a maximum of 90 days but will expire if you make a side trip not related to the BAC tour for more than 7 days before or after. There is limited coverage for a family member to join a covered person in an emergency. The policy covers the cost of treatment for Covid and other unexpected illnesses but not quarantine. You should ensure that your vaccinations are up to date. Coverage is subject to a $1000 deductible. 

Sign-up - To register for this ride, use the sign-up links just above the Ride Description. After preliminary acceptance, you will be moved to the pending list and receive an email requesting you to go back to the BAC site to digitally accept the terms of the Release of Liability (ROL) and pay the tour deposit and the non-refundable $150. BAC ride registration fee by credit card. As soon as your deposit has been processed, your name(s) will be added to the Participant List. BAC members with questions may contact the Ride Director by phone 775-843-3960.