Stone Forest
Limestone pillars, passages and rock walls outside Kunming.
- Half a day
Our takeWalk among the formations as well as seeing an overview; make the landscape the purpose of the outing.
Kunming 昆明
Yunnan's capital, with mild weather, parks, markets and access to the Stone Forest.
The 6 places most first visits are built on
Green Lake Park
Paths around a lake used by Kunming residents.
- 1–1.5 hours
- No booking
Our takeMake this a gentle arrival walk and pause before a museum or meal.
Yunnan Museum
Archaeology and regional cultures from across Yunnan.
- 2–3 hours
- Book ahead
- Closed Mon
Our takeChoose galleries tied to your onward route so the objects give Dali or Lijiang more context.
Yuantong Temple
Temple courtyards arranged around buildings and water.
- 1–1.5 hours
Our takePair it with a central-city walk and give the courtyards a quiet, unhurried visit.
Western Hills
Wooded slopes and viewpoints above Dianchi Lake.
- Half a day
Our takePick one viewpoint and one cultural stop; check walking needs even if you take a cable car.
Jiuxiang Caves
Large cave chambers offering an underground view of karst.
Our takeChoose it for a contrast to Stone Forest, with transfers and a calm return evening built into the day.
Things to do
Ways to spend your days
In KunmingOnly this city
3 areas, 3 different trips
Green Lake / Wenlin Street
Metro: Huashan West Road 5
Gentle city walks, cafés and park time
- Green Lake walks
- Cafés and university streets
- Older city neighbourhoods
Trade-off: Metro access varies around the lake; busy roads are not always quiet.
Nanping Street / Old Street
Metro: Wuyi Road 3 · 5
Central food, shopping and conventional hotels
- Central shopping
- Food and old streets
- Metro connections
Trade-off: Commercial streets are busy and can be noisy.
Haigeng / Dianchi North Shore
Metro: Yinghai Road 5
Lakeside walks and resort-style stays
- Lakeside views
- Open-air walks
- Resort hotel choices
Trade-off: Farther from central city evenings; not every lake hotel is close to the metro.
Our takeOne check before you book: Check the station walk and the exact Dianchi shore; 'Kunming South' station is a separate hub.
Landing in Kunming, and moving around
Metro Line 6 starts on B2 and runs to Tangzixiang, a downtown interchange: plan about 30–40 minutes to that station. Change to Line 2 for Dongfeng Square; allow additional transfer and walking time. The usual last departure from Airport Center towards Tangzixiang is 23:00. Landing close to that time? Allow for baggage and immigration, then take a taxi or a prearranged road transfer.
Both stations run trains; our Kunming–Dali leg uses Kunming station. Read the station on the ticket — they are far apart.
Metro Line 1/2 through-service towards North Coach Station reaches central Dongfeng Square; the fare is ¥7. Plan roughly 45–60 minutes on the metro and 60–90 minutes including the walk to a central hotel. A taxi/DiDi to the central Nanping Street / Jinma Biji area is a planning estimate of 35–55 minutes and ¥70–120, depending on traffic and the quote.
- Select 昆明地铁乘车码 for the metro and 昆明云公交卡 for city buses in Alipay; they are separately named codes.
- A 昆明智慧通普通卡 can be added through Alipay, 智慧通行 or Apple Wallet on iPhone for NFC rides on Kunming buses and metro.
Our takeOne move after you land: keep your hotel's address in Chinese to show the driver. Make an address card →
Kunming practical card →Best: Mar–May · Oct–Nov
Spring flowers and drier shoulder-season days suit city walks; evenings can still be cool.
Jan16°3°9% wet
Feb18°5°8% wet
Mar21°8°13% wet
Apr24°11°16% wet
May25°14°35% wet
Jun25°17°57% wet
Jul24°17°64% wet
Aug24°17°61% wet
Sep23°15°45% wet
Oct20°12°35% wet
Nov18°7°14% wet
Dec15°4°9% wet
Typical daytime high, night low and share of wet days (1991–2020 averages, not a forecast). Golden Week (1–7 Oct 2026): expect crowds; check the official dates for other years.
Coming up in Kunming
No published sessions in the next weeks. Ask what fits your dates.
Kunming questions travellers ask
Plan your Kunming days with us.
Ask anything about your trip, keep what you like in your Trip, and we’ll keep an eye on it until you’re home.