Short answer
Three days splits cleanly. Day one in the city: Green Lake, Yuantong Temple, the old streets and a flower market after dark. Day two outside it: the Stone Forest, with Jiuxiang caves if you have the energy, or one done properly rather than both done badly. Day three is a choice: Western Hills and Dianchi, Fuxian Lake, or the long run out to Dongchuan Red Land.
Kunming sits at about 1,890 m on the Yunnan plateau. That is not high enough to cause altitude sickness in most people, but it is high enough that the sun burns faster and you tire a little sooner than you expect. The climate is the reason the city is called the Spring City: mild all year, wet from May to October.
Almost everything here is reachable by metro, city bus or a booked car. The Stone Forest is the one day that needs planning, because the two useful ways out leave from stations on opposite sides of town.
How the three days break down
| Day | Base | Plan | Travel time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Downtown | Green Lake, Yuantong Temple, Kunming Old Street, Dounan Flower Market after dark | All by metro and on foot |
| 2 | Shilin county | Stone Forest, optionally Jiuxiang Caves on the same run | 1.5 h each way by bus, or 20 min by train plus a transfer |
| 3 | Your choice | Western Hills and Dianchi, Fuxian Lake, or Dongchuan Red Land | 40 min to 4 h each way depending on the pick |
Two days is enough for the city alone, and most people heading on to Dali or Lijiang give Kunming two nights as the arrival city. The Yunnan route guide covers the rest.
Day 1: the city core
The centre is compact and walkable. Start at Green Lake, work south-east through the old town, then take the metro out for flowers.
Morning: Green Lake and Yuantong
Green Lake Park (翠湖公园) is a small lake in the middle of the city with pavilions and willows, free to enter. From roughly November to March it fills with red-billed gulls from Siberia.
Yuantong Temple (圆通寺) is a ten-minute walk away and is the largest Buddhist temple in the city, built into a hillside with a pond in the middle. Metro Line 5 covers this area, making it the easiest starting point of the day.
Afternoon: the old streets
Kunming Old Street (昆明老街) and Jingxing Street are the surviving old quarter: low buildings, snack stalls, a bird and flower market, tea shops. Nanping Street nearby is the busier pedestrian shopping spine, and this is where you eat lunch. The Yunnan Provincial Museum holds the province's archaeology and minority-culture collections, and like most Chinese museums closes one weekday, usually Monday.
Evening: Dounan Flower Market
Dounan (斗南) is the flower market that supplies much of China, near Chenggong in the south of the city on metro Line 1. The wholesale auction runs late into the night; go after dark for the trading rather than the retail stalls.
Day 2: the Stone Forest, and Jiuxiang if you want it
The Stone Forest (石林, Shilin) is the reason most visitors leave Kunming at all: a UNESCO-listed karst landscape of limestone blades packed like a forest, about 80 km east of the city. Jiuxiang (九乡) is a cave system in the same county. The local line is that you see stone above ground at Shilin and below ground at Jiuxiang.
Two sensible routes out, from different places.
| Route | From | Time and cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direct coach | East Bus Station (东部客运站), on metro Line 3 | Roughly 1.5 h; sources quote ¥34 and around ¥40 per person | Buses run through the day, commonly from about 07:00. Drops you at the Stone Forest side of Shilin. |
| High-speed train | Kunming South Railway Station (昆明南站), on metro Line 1 | About 20 min; sources quote ¥18 and ¥25 for the train | Arrives at Shilin West, then bus 99 (about ¥10) or a taxi (¥20 to ¥30) to the scenic area gate. |
Sources disagree on both fares, so treat them as a range. The train is faster but leaves you at Shilin West with a transfer; the coach drops you nearer the gate.
What the Stone Forest costs and how to walk it
Admission is real-name, so you book with your passport, quoted at ¥130 for adults with a half-price rate for eligible visitors, covering the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests and Bushao Hill for three days. The sightseeing cart is around ¥25 and close to necessary, since one leg is a 2 km exposed walk.
The classic walk is Greater Stone Forest first, then Lesser, taking three to four hours at an easy pace. Arriving around 08:00 or after 14:30 avoids the tour-group crush.
Adding Jiuxiang Caves
Jiuxiang is a large limestone cave system with a river through it and a lot of stairways. There is no direct bus: the usual route is East Bus Station to Yiliang county (roughly 1 h, around ¥27), then local bus 21 (roughly 50 min, around ¥10). From Shilin West a taxi or carpool runs around ¥100 per car, and tourist buses from near Kunming South Railway Station are quoted at roughly ¥30 to ¥40 return.
Day 3: three directions, pick one
| Option | Getting there | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Western Hills and Dianchi | Metro Line 3 to Western Hills Park, then cable car | The city's own mountain, cliff temples, lake views | Weekend cable car queues |
| Fuxian Lake | Coach from Kunming South Bus Station to Chengjiang, or about 1.5 h by car | Clear water, lake food, the Chengjiang fossil museum | Limited transport around the lake; 80 km shoreline loop |
| Dongchuan Red Land | Road only, far enough east that most people stay overnight | Photography, red and green terraced fields | Long drive, not a half-day |
Western Hills, the easy version
Line 3 runs from Western Hills Park across the city to East Coach Station. From the Western Hills end, take the cable car up toward Dragon Gate (龙门), the grottoes cut into the cliff above the lake, or walk up through the forest. A second cable car crosses to the Dianchi shore near Haigeng Dam, where gulls gather in winter.
Fuxian Lake, the quiet version
Fuxian Lake sits in Chengjiang county, about 52 km from Kunming, and is one of the deepest and clearest large freshwater lakes in the country. Chengjiang is also the site of the Cambrian fossil beds on the UNESCO World Heritage list. A direct coach runs from Kunming South Bus Station, or roughly 90 minutes by car. Moving around the lake without your own transport is the hard part, so pick one shore and stay put.
If you are heading on to Dali and Lijiang, Fuxian Lake works better as a stop on the way than as a day trip. The Kunming to Lijiang train guide covers that leg.
What a day in Kunming costs
| Item | Typical cost | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Metro ride in the city | ¥2 and up, distance-based | Fares were adjusted in April 2025; the network maximum is quoted between ¥7 and ¥9 |
| Crossing-the-bridge rice noodles | ¥25 to ¥60 per person | The Kunming dish. Prices vary hugely by shop. |
| Mid-range dinner | ¥60 to ¥120 per person | Mushroom restaurants run higher in season |
| Stone Forest admission | ¥130, half price for eligible visitors | Real-name ticket, cart extra at about ¥25 |
| Mid-range hotel downtown | ¥250 to ¥500 per night | Prices climb in the summer holiday and around National Day |
| Airport to city by metro | ¥5 to ¥6 | Line 6. See the airport transfer guide. |
Frequently asked questions
Is three days in Kunming too much?
No, if you use the days the way this itinerary does. The city fills a day, and days two and three cover the karst and lakes outside it. For the urban part alone, two days is plenty.
Stone Forest or Jiuxiang, if I can only do one?
The Stone Forest. It is the UNESCO site, the landscape is unlike anything else in China, and the logistics are simpler. Jiuxiang is impressive, but it is a cave with many stairs and public transport adds a transfer at Yiliang.
Can I do the Stone Forest and Jiuxiang in one day?
In principle, and they are about 20 km apart. In practice you need a car or a tour and an early start, and you will move fast through both. One done properly is the better day out.
Do I need to book Stone Forest tickets in advance?
Tickets are real-name, so your passport details go on the booking. During the summer holiday and National Day, book ahead through the scenic area's own channel; off-peak, buying on arrival has generally worked. Confirm on the official channel, since the rules have changed more than once.
Is Kunming's altitude a problem?
At about 1,890 m, most visitors notice nothing beyond getting out of breath on stairs, well below the altitude where sickness is common. If you head on to Shangri-La at around 3,300 m, take the ascent gradually.
What is the best time of year for Kunming?
October to April for dry, mild weather, with the gulls arriving from November. May to October is the rainy season, mostly short afternoon bursts.
Can I pay for everything with my phone?
Mostly. Alipay and WeChat Pay accept foreign cards once you complete passport verification, and they are how almost everyone pays. Keep a little cash for the rare stall that cannot. See paying in China.
How do I get from the airport into the city?
Metro Line 6 runs from Changshui Airport into town for ¥5 to ¥6, 20 to 30 minutes to the East Bus Station interchange. See the airport guide.
Related reading
Routes and fares here were cross-checked across independent travel sources; where they disagree, both figures are shown rather than averaged. Scenic area prices, bus fares and train times change without notice, so confirm them on the operator's own channel. Current as of September 2026.