Language and currency
City guide · Yunnan
Kunming
The capital of Yunnan, in southwest China: a mild-climate city with parks around Green Lake, tea markets and a good provincial museum. It is a practical first stop in Yunnan: fly into Kunming, then go on by high-speed train.
Photo: Chuck Eugene on Unsplash
- Region
- Yunnan
- Best time
- Winter is dry and sunny: about 16 °C by day and 4 °C at night in January, so bring a warm layer for evenings.
- How long
- Two days, usually at the start of a six- to nine-day Yunnan trip with Dali.
- Our guides
- 5 articles
Why Kunming
Before you go.
The essentials for a first visit, from our Kunming guides.
Why go
Start gently after a long flight: Kunming is at a mild altitude, so it makes an easy first stop. Walk around Green Lake (Cuihu Park), where locals gather for tea and music.
Spend a morning at the Yunnan Provincial Museum, for bronzes of the ancient Dian culture and the story of the Tea Horse Road trade, then go up the Western Hills above Dianchi Lake in the afternoon.
Eat crossing-bridge noodles (guoqiao mixian), Yunnan's rice-noodle meal that you finish at the table. A bowl of broth arrives with rice noodles and small plates of toppings, and you add them yourself, noodles last. Be careful: the broth comes scalding hot under a layer of oil.
Ask for a half-day at Shilin, the Stone Forest of limestone pillars outside the city. It is part of the South China Karst World Heritage listing.
Getting there
By air or rail: Kunming Changshui International Airport (KMG), the usual way into Yunnan, or the railway station.
On to Dali: the high-speed train from Kunming or Kunming South takes about two to two and a half hours. Confirm times when you book.
To the Yuanyang rice terraces: high-speed train from Kunming South to Jianshui or Mengzi (about 1.5 to 2 hours), then about 2.5 to 3 hours by car.
Where to stay
Near Green Lake. Easy evening walks by the water and the park.
Good to know
Paying: pay by QR code. Set up Alipay with your international card before you go; some older shops may still take cash. Do not count on an English menu.
Weather: winter days are sunny and dry, but nights are cold. Plan outdoor sightseeing in daylight and bring a warm layer for the evening.
Entry: China's 240-hour visa-free transit covers only certain areas. If you rely on it, check the week you book that every place on your Yunnan route is inside the permitted area, using the official immigration notices.
Train tickets: book on 12306, China's official rail site. The English site sells tickets from 5:00 to 1:00 the next day (to 23:30 on Tuesdays); check the site for current hours.
Pairs well with
Dali. A lake-and-mountain town on Erhai Lake, with stone-paved lanes and the Cangshan range behind, about two to two and a half hours by high-speed train.
Lijiang. Naxi old towns in the northwest; an overnight train has linked Kunming and Lijiang (check the current timetable).
Yuanyang. Flooded rice terraces in southeast Yunnan, best from November to April, when the water mirrors the sky.
Routes with Kunming
Private routes that include Kunming
Plan Kunming with us
What we arrange in Kunming
IndependentOn your own with the LocalKey app and 24/7 backup. Add airport pickup, a private car and driver, or a local guide when you want them.Independent →
Private GuidedPrivate guides, driver and car across the trip, with a local host in each city.Private Guided →
More trips by interest: Culture trips · Food trips · Hiking trips · Photography trips
Kiri YangYour specialist for YunnanSend your dates and what you want to see. Kiri Yang and the LocalKey team reply within 24 hours.
China Guide
Our Kunming guides.
Sights
Places, heritage and where to point a camera.
Plan your trip
Travel Kunming your way.
Two ways to travel with LocalKey. Tell us your dates and who is coming, and a specialist replies with a route that fits Kunming in.