Pu'er Travel Guide: Simao, Nakeli and the Jingmai Tea Forests
The city of Pu'er, called Simao until 2007, is where most tea travellers arrive in southern Yunnan, but the tea landscape that UNESCO listed in 2023 lies far away. The ancient tea forests of Jingmai Mountain are about 237 km from the central city by road, in Lancang County, so they need their own overnight. The city itself fills a day with tea museums, the Simao Confucian temple and a trip to the old caravan village of Nakeli. Trains from Kunming take from about two and a half hours.
Pu'er the city, Pu'er the tea
The tea got its name from the old trading town of Pu'er, today's Ning'er County, where leaf from the surrounding mountains was pressed and sent north along the caravan routes. The modern prefecture took the name in 2007. In practice that means three different places share the label: the city of Simao where you sleep, the old tea-road country around Ning'er and Nakeli, and the tea mountains scattered across the prefecture, with Jingmai the most famous. Plan around which of those you came for.
Places worth visiting
Tea museums in Simao
The tea exhibitions in Simao explain processing, the difference between raw (sheng) and ripe (shu) tea, and the caravan trade. Spend an hour or two here before you buy anything; it makes later tasting sessions much easier to judge. Opening days and any ticket charge are on the venue's own notice.
Simao Wenmiao
The Confucian temple is a quiet courtyard stop in the city, best on the morning you arrive or the evening before a long drive. It takes under an hour.
Nakeli and the old tea road
Nakeli, in Ning'er County north of Simao, was a stage on the Tea Horse Road where caravans rested and changed horses. A stretch of stone-paved caravan road, a covered bridge and restored courtyard houses make it a pleasant half day, and it pairs well with lunch in a village restaurant. Visit with modest expectations: it is a small, partly rebuilt village, and that is the appeal. Simao's tourism loop road is a scenic drive if you have a car and clear weather.
Jingmai Mountain: the old tea forests
Jingmai's tea trees grow under a canopy of taller forest, cultivated by Blang and Dai communities for centuries, and the villages among them are the reason it became a World Heritage site. Wengji, a Blang village of stilted houses, Nuogan and Mangjing are the names you will see most. The mountain is in Huimin township, Lancang County, about 74 km from Lancang town and 237 km from central Pu'er. Spend at least one night; the light and mist in the forest are best early in the day, and you need hours to walk between villages.
Getting in and where to stay
- From Kunming: trains on the China–Laos line run to Pu'er Station several dozen times a day; the fastest take about 2 hours 22 minutes.
- By air: Pu'er Simao Airport serves the city. For Jingmai, Lancang Jingmai Airport is much closer, about 71 km away, and Xishuangbanna's Gasa airport is about 133 km.
- To Jingmai: a direct coach runs from the bus station at Pu'er high-speed rail station to Jingmai Mountain, and another from Pu'er Wuyi bus station in Simao; tickets are sold through the Jinkongque ticketing mini-program. You can also ride to Huimin town and take the scenic shuttle up the mountain, which stops at Jingmai Dazhai, Nuogan, Wengji, Mangjing and Manghong and takes about 70 minutes one way. Some villages are reachable only by car.
- Where to stay: Simao for the city and Nakeli; a village guesthouse or hotel on Jingmai for the tea forests.
From Jingmai, Xishuangbanna is closer than Simao, so it often makes sense to continue south rather than backtrack. Lincang to the west has its own tea hills around Mengku. Kunming is the hub for onward flights.
When to come to Pu'er
October to April is the dry season and the easiest time for mountain roads, with misty mornings and clear afternoons. Spring picking season, roughly March to May, is when villages are busiest with fresh leaf. The monsoon months from June to September bring heavy rain, slower roads and the occasional landslide closure. Pu'er's altitude keeps it milder than the lowlands; nights on Jingmai can be cool.
Eating in Pu'er
Southern Yunnan cooking is sour, spicy and herbal, with Dai dishes, grilled meats and rice noodles at breakfast. Meals on Jingmai are usually in village guesthouses and are simple, fresh and seasonal. Drink tea everywhere, and taste before you buy: a few honest sessions teach you more than a hard-sell tasting room. Pressed cakes survive travel better than loose leaf; keep them dry and out of hot luggage.
How to arrange the route
Day 1: arrive in Pu'er, tea museum and Wenmiao, early night.
Day 2: morning coach to Jingmai (or Nakeli on the way if driving), afternoon in Wengji or Nuogan, sleep on the mountain.
Day 3: early walk in the tea forest, then continue to Xishuangbanna or return to Pu'er for the train.
With only the city: museum and Wenmiao in the morning, Nakeli for the afternoon.
What to cut if short on time
A Jingmai day trip from Simao is not worth it: roughly 240 km of mountain road each way for a few hours among the trees. If you cannot stay overnight, keep the city and Nakeli and save Jingmai for another trip. Shopping tours are the other easy cut.
Things to confirm before you go
- Coach and shuttle times to Jingmai, and how to buy tickets.
- Guesthouse booking on the mountain, especially in picking season and holidays.
- Road conditions in the rainy season.
- Opening days for museums in Simao.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Jingmai Mountain from Pu'er city?
About 237 km by road from central Pu'er. Lancang Jingmai Airport (about 71 km) and Xishuangbanna (about 133 km) are closer starting points.
Can I visit Jingmai as a day trip?
Not comfortably from Simao. Plan at least one night on the mountain.
Is the tea from Pu'er city?
The tea is named after the old trading town of Pu'er, now Ning'er County. It is grown on mountains across southern Yunnan.
Sources
The facts in this article were checked against the following sources, retrieved September 17, 2026, and rechecked on October 20, 2026.
- Pu'er City https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pu%27er_City
- Pu'er, Wikivoyage https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Pu%27er
- Jingmai Mountain https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jingmai_Mountain
- Pu'er culture and tourism, Jingmai visitor guide (Tencent News, January 2025) https://news.qq.com/rain/a/20250130A0547T00
- Jingmai tea forest scenic area shuttle timetable notice (April 2024) https://view.inews.qq.com/k/20240410A09FZP00
- Kunming to Pu'er train timetable (Trip.com) https://tw.trip.com/trains/china/route/kunming-to-puer/
Tickets and coach fares change; this article does not quote yuan amounts, so check the official notice for your date.
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC licenses; re-use requires attribution.
- puer-tea-museum.jpg from File:普洱茶博物馆-思茅正关.jpg, by 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0
- puer-wenmiao.jpg from File:思茅文庙 - 2024-10-06.jpg, by 瑞丽江的河水, CC BY-SA 4.0
- puer-tea-cake.jpg from File:Glutinous rice fragrant Pu'er (20240123).jpg, by Fumikas Sagisavas, CC0
- puer-road.jpg from File:普洱市思茅区旅游环线 S273 佛莲山隧道 2025-01-25.jpg, by Kcx36, CC BY-SA 4.0