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Kunming TSTravel Stories
A pavilion with green-tiled upturned eaves on Green Lake in Kunming, with willows and white gulls flying low over the water

Kunming Travel Stories

Spring all year, at the edge of the plateau

Kunming and Yunnan, told one lake, one day trip and one bowl of noodles at a time.

Start in the Spring City
Approximate monthly average temperature in Kunming, °C
  1. 9Jan
  2. 11Feb
  3. 14Mar
  4. 17Apr
  5. 20May
  6. 20Jun
  7. 20Jul
  8. 20Aug
  9. 18Sep
  10. 16Oct
  11. 12Nov
  12. 9Dec

A first letter from Kunming

Why travellers stay longer than they planned

Kunming sits almost two kilometres up on the Yunnan–Guizhou Plateau, which is why it is called the Spring City: summers rarely get hot and winters are mostly sunny and mild. The capital of Yunnan province is a big, modern city, but it is also the doorway to limestone forests, red farmland, lakes, tea country and some of China's most varied food.

These pages are travel stories and practical notes for independent visitors: what to see in the city, which day trips are worth the early start, and what to order once you sit down. They are written for reading and planning, not for selling anything.

Kunming TS

Out of the city

Three days that start with an early bus

Plan them with the Day Trips guide

Onward by rail

Kunming is where the fast trains fan out

High-speed lines link Kunming with the rest of Yunnan and beyond. Typical fastest journey times, which vary by service:

  1. KunmingStart
  2. Daliabout 2 hours
  3. Lijiangabout 3 hours
  4. Xishuangbannaabout 3 hours, south on the China–Laos line
  5. Vientiane, Laosabout 10 hours, cross-border train

At the table

Yunnan on a plate

Yunnan cooking borrows from the mountains, the borderlands and more than twenty officially recognised ethnic groups. Four things to try in your first week:

Read the Yunnan Food guide
  • A large bowl of rice noodles in broth surrounded by small dishes of sliced meat, quail eggs and chives

    Crossing-the-bridge noodles

    A very hot broth, then the raw slices, vegetables and rice noodles go in at the table.

  • A dark clay dish of stir-fried wild mushrooms with green and red peppers

    Wild mushrooms

    The summer rainy season brings dozens of kinds to the markets. Eat them only at busy restaurants that cook them through.

  • Round flaky pastries filled with rose petals on a bamboo tray

    Flower cakes

    Flaky pastries filled with sweetened edible rose petals, sold warm from bakeries all over the city.

  • A compressed cake of dark tea beside a small clay teapot and a cup of red-brown tea

    Pu'er tea

    Pressed into cakes and aged, from the tea mountains in the south of the province.

When to go

Four seasons in a city that barely has them

Spring

February to May

Dry, bright and blossoming. Cherry and camellia trees flower in the parks.

Rainy summer

June to September

Green hills, short heavy showers and the wild-mushroom markets.

Autumn

October and November

Clear skies after the rains. A good time for the red farmland of Dongchuan.

Winter

December and January

Sunny days and cold nights. Gulls from the far north crowd Green Lake and Dianchi.

Before you go

Practical questions

General answers. Check the official rules for your passport and dates before you book.

Do I need a visa for Kunming?

It depends on your passport. China has widened visa-free entry for many nationalities in recent years and runs a visa-free transit scheme that includes Kunming's airport. Rules change often, so check with a Chinese embassy or the official immigration website before travelling.

Will the altitude bother me?

Kunming is about 1,890 metres above sea level. Most visitors feel little more than shortness of breath on stairs for a day or two. The sun is strong, so pack sunscreen even in winter.

How do I pay for things?

Mobile payment is everywhere. Alipay and WeChat Pay both let visitors link many foreign bank cards. Carry some cash as a back-up for small stalls and rural areas.

How do I get around the city?

Kunming has a metro network that reaches the airport, the main railway stations and the centre, plus taxis and ride-hailing apps.

Is the Stone Forest worth a whole day?

Yes, if you go early. The main area is busy by late morning, and the quieter northern sections reward a slower walk.

An old lane of carved wooden houses at dusk, lit by red lanterns, with a tea shop doorway and wet stone paving

Stay for one more pot of tea

Then pick a day trip, or simply walk the lanes until the lanterns come on.

Choose a day trip