Things to Do in Yunnan in November
November weather, activities, events & insider tips
November Weather in Yunnan
Is November Right for You?
Advantages
- Absolutely stunning visibility in the mountains - November sits right after the rainy season ends, so you get crystal-clear skies for photographing Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Meili Snow Range. The air quality index typically drops to 30-50 (excellent range), compared to 80-120 in summer months.
- Peak autumn colors across the province - the ginkgo trees in Tengchong turn brilliant gold mid-to-late November, rice terraces in Yuanyang glow amber in morning light, and the forests around Pudacuo National Park shift to deep reds and oranges. This color show lasts roughly 3-4 weeks and November catches it perfectly.
- Comfortable hiking temperatures without summer crowds - daytime temps around 18-22°C (64-72°F) at lower elevations mean you can tackle Tiger Leaping Gorge or the Ancient Tea Horse Road without overheating. Tourist numbers drop by about 40% compared to October Golden Week, so guesthouses and trails feel pleasantly uncrowded.
- Dry season reliability for outdoor plans - with only 2.5 mm (0.1 inches) of rain across the month and those 10 rainy days mostly being brief mountain mist rather than downpours, you can actually plan multi-day treks without constantly checking weather apps. The monsoon is genuinely done by November, unlike the unpredictable September-October transition.
Considerations
- Significant temperature swings require layering strategy - that 11°C (52°F) to 22°C (72°F) range means you'll start the day in a fleece jacket and end it in a t-shirt. At higher elevations like Shangri-La (3,200 m / 10,500 ft), morning temperatures can drop to 0°C (32°F) while afternoons hit 15°C (59°F). Packing becomes a genuine puzzle.
- Some high-altitude areas become inaccessible - mountain passes above 4,000 m (13,120 ft) can get early snow in November, occasionally closing routes to Yubeng Village or the higher reaches of Meili Snow Mountain. This happens maybe 2-3 years out of 10, but it's unpredictable enough that you need backup plans if high-altitude trekking is your main goal.
- Shorter daylight hours limit photography windows - sunset hits around 6:00 PM in November, which sounds reasonable until you realize that means golden hour at the rice terraces ends by 5:30 PM. If you're driving between destinations, you'll find yourself racing against darkness more than you would in summer when daylight stretches until 8:00 PM.
Best Activities in November
Yuanyang Rice Terraces Photography Tours
November is legitimately the second-best month for the terraces after January-February, though for different reasons. The rice has been harvested but the terraces are being flooded for winter, creating these incredible mirror-like surfaces that reflect sunrise colors. You get the geometric patterns of the terraces without the green rice plants obscuring them. The morning mist that forms around 6:30-7:30 AM happens about 70% of November mornings due to that temperature differential between night and day. Most photography-focused visitors have moved on after October, so you'll actually have space at the main viewpoints at Duoyishu and Bada. The light quality in November's dry air is noticeably sharper than summer's haze.
Tiger Leaping Gorge Trekking
This is actually the ideal month for the high trail - that 22°C (72°F) daytime maximum means you won't overheat on the exposed sections, and the 11°C (52°F) nights make sleeping in the guesthouses along the trail comfortable rather than sweltering. The Jinsha River below runs lower and clearer than during monsoon months, so you get better views down into the gorge. The trail itself is dry and stable, unlike the muddy, occasionally landslide-prone conditions of July-August. Most importantly, November sees maybe 30-40 hikers per day on the trail compared to 100-plus in peak season, so the guesthouses at Naxi Family and Halfway House aren't packed.
Tengchong Ginkgo Village Visits
The ginkgo trees in Ginkgo Village (Yinxing Village) near Tengchong turn golden typically between November 10-25, though this shifts by a week or so depending on when the first cold snap hits. When the timing works, you get these 30-40 meter (98-131 ft) tall ancient ginkgo trees creating a golden canopy over traditional Yunnan farmhouses. The peak color lasts maybe 10-12 days before the leaves drop, so this requires some timing flexibility. November also puts you in Tengchong during comfortable weather for exploring the volcanic landscape and hot springs - the 70% humidity actually feels pleasant when you're soaking in outdoor thermal pools.
Lijiang Ancient Town and Baisha Cycling
November weather makes cycling between Lijiang's old town and the surrounding villages actually pleasant - you're not fighting summer heat or winter cold. The route to Baisha Village covers about 8 km (5 miles) through farmland and traditional Naxi villages, mostly flat or gentle grades. The autumn light in November gives you excellent conditions for photographing the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain backdrop, which is visible on clear days (and November gives you clear days about 85% of the time). The bike path infrastructure that opened in 2024 has made this route much safer than the old road-shoulder situation. You'll also catch local farmers harvesting late crops and preparing fields for winter.
Shangri-La Monastery Circuit
The dry November air and lower tourist numbers make this the best time for visiting Songzanlin Monastery and the smaller monasteries around Shangri-La. The morning temperatures around 2-5°C (36-41°F) create this beautiful mist that burns off by 9:00 AM, giving you atmospheric photography conditions. More practically, November avoids both the summer tour bus crowds and the deep winter cold that makes the 3,200 m (10,500 ft) altitude feel brutal. The Tibetan Buddhist calendar has several smaller ceremonies in November that aren't major festivals but give you chances to see monks in daily practice rather than performing for tourists. The prayer flags around the monasteries stand out brilliantly against November's deep blue skies.
Kunming Stone Forest and Dongchuan Red Land Photography
November puts you in the sweet spot for the Red Land terraces near Dongchuan - the soil has been freshly turned and planted with winter wheat, creating these geometric patterns of red earth and green shoots. The low rainfall means you get consistent conditions rather than muddy fields. The Stone Forest near Kunming works well in November because the 22°C (72°F) temperatures make walking the limestone formations comfortable, and the UV index of 8 requires sunscreen but isn't the brutal summer intensity. These two sites combine well into a 2-3 day loop from Kunming. The autumn light gives you longer shadows that emphasize the texture of both the stone pillars and the terraced land.
November Events & Festivals
Lisu Knife Pole Festival (Daobagan Festival)
This happens in some Lisu villages in Nujiang Prefecture during November, though the exact date varies by village and isn't fixed to the Western calendar. The festival involves Lisu men climbing ladders made of sharpened knives - it's genuinely dramatic and not staged for tourists since most Lisu villages see very few foreign visitors. The festival also includes crossbow competitions and traditional dancing. Worth noting that getting to Nujiang Prefecture requires serious travel commitment (8-10 hours from Lijiang) and the festival dates aren't confirmed until a few weeks before, so this works better as a bonus if you're already planning Nujiang exploration rather than a trip centerpiece.
Bai Torch Festival (Smaller Autumn Version)
Some Bai villages around Dali hold smaller torch lighting ceremonies in November, separate from the major Torch Festival in summer. These November events are much more low-key and locally focused - villages light torches in fields to symbolically cleanse the land before winter. Not every village does this and it's not a tourist event, but if you're staying in villages around Xizhou or Shaxi in mid-November, ask your guesthouse owner if any nearby villages are planning ceremonies. It's the kind of thing you stumble into rather than plan around.