The White Cloud Express (南方列车·白云号) ran its first Xinjiang departure on 7 September 2026, and the 2027 programme is already on sale with a fuller calendar than its debut season. There are now two distinct programmes: the 18-day north and south Xinjiang circuit that made the train’s name, running May to September, and an 11-day Yunnan line running from September into December. Fourteen departures in total, two cabin types, and one autumn Xinjiang date that will go first. This page lists all of it in one place.
Verdict first
If you want Xinjiang, the decision is between six spring and summer departures at RMB 98,880 and a single autumn departure on 14 September at RMB 108,880 for the entry cabin. The autumn date costs more because it is the only one that catches the golden birch and poplar season in both the north and the south, and there is exactly one of them. If you want something shorter and warmer, the Yunnan line at RMB 49,880 is less than half the price and runs late into the year.
The two cabins
Both programmes use the same two cabin types, and the gap between them is the single biggest lever on price.
| Yunqi Kuanjing (宽境) | Yunqi Yayun (雅韵) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Deluxe twin suite | Quality twin |
| Size | approx. 14 m2 | 10 m2 |
| Berths on the train | 12 only | 80 |
| Bathroom | En-suite, smart fittings | En-suite |
| Also has | Convertible king bed, minibar, sofa, wardrobe | Minibar, walnut and Xiang-embroidered soft furnishings |
The twelve deluxe berths are the scarce thing on this train. Everything else about the journey, the dining, the excursions, the on-board programme, is identical whichever cabin you book, so the premium buys space and quiet rather than access.
Xinjiang: all seven 2027 departures
The flagship programme is 18 days, Guangzhou to Guangzhou, covering both halves of Xinjiang. Six departures run under the Tianshan Brocade (天山锦书) programme from May to August; one runs under the Golden Wind Scroll (金风画卷) autumn programme in September.
| Departure | Programme | Yunqi Yayun | Yunqi Kuanjing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18 May 2027 | Tianshan Brocade | RMB 98,880 | RMB 118,880 |
| 6 June 2027 | Tianshan Brocade | RMB 98,880 | RMB 118,880 |
| 26 June 2027 | Tianshan Brocade | RMB 98,880 | RMB 118,880 |
| 16 July 2027 | Tianshan Brocade | RMB 98,880 | RMB 118,880 |
| 5 August 2027 | Tianshan Brocade | RMB 98,880 | RMB 118,880 |
| 24 August 2027 | Tianshan Brocade | RMB 98,880 | RMB 118,880 |
| 14 September 2027 | Golden Wind Scroll | RMB 108,880 | RMB 128,880 |
The September departure carries a RMB 10,000 premium in both cabin types and there is only one of them. Xinjiang’s autumn window is short, the birch at Kanas and the poplar in the south turn within a few weeks of each other, and a single departure is all the calendar allows. If that is the trip you want, it is the date to secure first.
Yunnan: seven departures, September to December
Less discussed and considerably cheaper, the 11-day Yunnan programme is the train’s second string and the better fit if eighteen days is too long or if you prefer autumn and early winter travel.
| Departure | Yunqi Yayun | Yunqi Kuanjing |
|---|---|---|
| 19 September 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
| 18 October 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
| 30 October 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
| 12 November 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
| 24 November 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
| 6 December 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
| 18 December 2027 | RMB 49,880 | RMB 59,880 |
What is included
Fares are all-inclusive and quoted per person on a shared-cabin basis. Both programmes cover the rail travel from and back to Guangzhou, all accommodation including two nights at a premium hotel at the assembly point, all sight entrance fees and internal transfers, a small-group ground operation of roughly 16 to 22 people, a staff photographer, and medical cover on board. Airport and station transfers are included.
Not covered: personal spending, optional activities, and anything arising from force majeure. Deposits secure the berth with the balance due around 30 days before departure; the published cancellation terms are tiered, and one traveller may be substituted free of charge up to a few days before departure. Confirm the current policy in writing before you pay, and read our what is included page for the questions worth asking of any operator.
Where you can board
The train’s home is Guangzhou Baiyun station, and both programmes start and end there. For the Xinjiang line you can also join or leave at Chongqing or Lanzhou, which matters more than it sounds: it lets travellers who would rather not ride the full Guangzhou to Xinjiang leg join the train closer to the scenery, and it is the reason this train has a following beyond Guangdong. Chongqing and Lanzhou are both well connected by air.
How it compares
At RMB 98,880 for the entry cabin, the White Cloud sits above the Chengdu and Jinxiu Tianfu and below the Silk Road Express and the incoming Jinxiu Dongfang. What you get for that position is the longest single itinerary on the network at 18 days, a departure city in the deep south that no other luxury train serves, and an on-board programme built around Lingnan design rather than the panda or Silk Road themes its rivals use. If you are flying into Guangzhou or Hong Kong and would rather not connect to Chengdu or Urumqi first, that alone can decide it.
Tell us your month and your boarding city and we will put the White Cloud against the rest of the fleet for the same window, including which cabins still have availability.