2-Day Yuanyang Rice Terraces Sunrise & Sunset Photography Tour

The Duoyishu sunrise was unreal. We left Kunming the day before and our guide had us standing at the viewpoint with hot tea before the sky even turned pink. Watching the mist roll off those 1,300-year-old Hani terraces while the light hit the water was the single best morning of our whole China trip.

Two days felt just right. Sunrise at Duoyishu, then a slow lunch in a Hani village, and the Bada sunset in the evening. Because it was just us and a private car the guide kept shifting the plan around the weather, which honestly saved the sunset shots.

As an amateur photographer this was a dream. Laohuzui (Tiger Mouth) viewpoint in the late afternoon gives those layered golden terraces everyone chases. Our driver knew exactly where to park and which terrace edge to shoot from. Could not have found these angles alone.

Beautiful Hani terraces and a knowledgeable guide who explained how the Hani people farm and irrigate them. Only reason for 4 stars is the early sunrise wake-up plus the long drive from Kunming makes for a tiring first day. Worth it though.

Yuanyang in winter when the terraces are flooded is the time to go. The reflections at Bada at sunset were like a mirror. Private tour meant we skipped the tour-bus crowds and got real time at each viewpoint. Guide even carried a spare tripod for me.