Short answer
Kunming has six metro lines covering roughly 165 km and 103 stations, reaching almost everything a visitor wants: the airport, both railway stations, the flower market, the Western Hills, Green Lake and the Dianchi shore. Fares start at ¥2 for the first 4 km and rise in ¥1 steps; the network maximum is quoted between ¥7 and ¥9.
Buses fill the gaps the metro leaves and cost very little, but routes and signage are mostly in Chinese. Taxis are metered, with a flagfall of around ¥8 for the first 3 km. DiDi is the ride-hailing app most visitors end up using, because you type the destination instead of saying it.
Payment is the part to sort out before you arrive. Alipay or WeChat Pay, verified with your passport and linked to a foreign card, handles the metro, most buses, taxis and DiDi. Otherwise buy a single-journey ticket at a machine.
The metro network, line by line
Lines are numbered rather than named, and the ones that matter to visitors are easy to remember once you know what each one connects.
| Line | Runs between | Why you would use it |
|---|---|---|
| Line 1 and Line 2 (interconnected) | Northern Bus Station through the centre to Kunming South Railway Station, out via Chenggong | Kunming Railway Station for Lijiang and Dali trains, Dounan Flower Market, University Town, Kunming South for long-distance high-speed arrivals |
| Line 3 | Western Hills Park to East Coach Station, east to west across the centre | Western Hills and the Dianchi cable car at the west end, East Bus Station for Stone Forest coaches at the east end, and the city centre in between |
| Line 4 | North-west to the south-east of the city | Fills in the western and southern districts and links to Line 1 for Chenggong |
| Line 5 | From the Expo Garden area through the centre toward the Dianchi side | The sightseeing line: World Horti-Expo Garden, Yuantong Mountain, Green Lake, Wuyi Road and the lakefront |
| Line 6 | Changshui Airport to East Bus Station | The airport link, ¥5 to ¥6, roughly 20 to 30 minutes |
Line 3 is the one to know first: it runs east to west across the city, connecting Western Hills Park and East Coach Station, so it works as both a sightseeing route and a transfer spine. Line 5 reaches most of the city's main attractions.
Interchanges are signposted in Chinese and English. Line 1 and Line 2 run as one continuous service through the centre, so a train marked Line 1 may still carry you to a Line 2 station. Read the destination on the front of the train.
Fares and tickets
Fares are distance-based, adjusted on 15 April 2025, the first change since the network opened in 2012. The structure is unchanged; the distance steps moved.
| Item | Figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Starting fare | ¥2 for 0-4 km | Includes the first 4 km |
| Beyond 4 km | Rises in ¥1 steps as distance increases | Steps get longer the further you travel, so long rides cost proportionally less |
| Network maximum | Quoted between ¥7 and ¥9 | Sources disagree after the 2025 change. One states a ¥9 maximum covering 53 km. |
| Airport to city | ¥5-6 on Line 6 | See the airport transfer guide |
| Operating hours | Roughly 06:20 to 22:00-23:30 | Varies by line and terminus. Line 3 is quoted as 06:20-22:20 from Western Hills and 06:20-22:45 from East Coach Station. |
Three ways to pay at the gate:
- Single-journey ticket. Bilingual machines in every station accept cash and phone payment. Tap the token on the reader to enter, drop it in the slot to exit. Simplest option for a short stay.
- Transport QR code in Alipay or WeChat Pay. Both apps have a transit code that works on the metro and on many city buses. Test it once at a quiet station before relying on it in a rush.
- A stored-value transit card. From station service counters. Worth it only if you are staying weeks rather than days.
City buses
Buses cover what the metro does not, at low cost. Signs are mostly in Chinese and stop spacing is short.
- Fares are low and flat on most routes, varying by whether the bus is air-conditioned. Have small change or a working transit QR code ready.
- Use a Chinese maps app. Amap and Baidu Maps show real-time bus positions and route numbers, far more reliable than a printed map. English modes vary in quality.
- Bus 919 series links the airport with the city for ¥13; 919K runs to Kunming South Railway Station.
- Long-distance coaches use separate stations: East Bus Station for the Stone Forest, South Bus Station for Chengjiang and Fuxian Lake, North and West for other directions.
For day trips by coach, build in slack: services sell out on holidays, and return times are worth confirming in the morning.
Taxi and DiDi
Kunming taxis are metered. DiDi, the dominant Chinese ride-hailing app, is usually easier for a visitor because the destination is typed rather than spoken.
| Item | Typical figure | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Flagfall | Around ¥8 for the first 3 km | Multiple sources agree. One older source lists ¥7 for small taxis. |
| Per km | Around ¥1.8 | Consistent across sources; some add a fuel surcharge |
| Night rate | Higher flagfall, quoted ¥9 to ¥9.60 | Sources disagree on the per-km night rate, quoting ¥1.8 and ¥2.70 |
| Airport to centre | Roughly ¥80-120 | DiDi is comparable but can surge in peak hours |
| Short hop in the centre | Roughly ¥10-20 | Often not worth it against the metro |
Toll roads are added on airport and out-of-town runs, which is standard rather than a trick. Check the meter starts at the flagfall, and ask for the receipt if you want to check a total later.
Paying for transport with a foreign card
Alipay and WeChat Pay are the backbone of the system, and both accept foreign Visa and Mastercard once you complete passport verification in the app. That verification is the step that trips people up, and it is easier at home than at a station gate.
- Install and verify before you flyAdd your card, complete the identity check, make one small test payment. Some cards fail verification for reasons that take days to resolve.
- Enable the transport codeBoth apps have a transit feature that generates a QR code for metro and bus gates. Find it and test it at a station before you depend on it.
- Carry a small cash backupBusinesses must accept cash by law, but small vendors may struggle to give change. ¥100 to ¥200 in notes covers emergencies.
- Keep a physical card as a fallbackHotels and larger restaurants take foreign cards. Metro gates and buses do not.
The full walkthrough, including what to do when a card will not verify, is in paying in China.
Bikes, scooters and walking
Shared bikes are everywhere in the centre and unlock through Alipay. They suit the flat streets around Green Lake and the Dianchi waterfront, and are a bad idea in traffic if you are not used to Chinese roads. Central Kunming is walkable between Green Lake, Yuantong and Nanping Road.
Frequently asked questions
How much does the Kunming metro cost?
¥2 for the first 4 km, then ¥1 steps as distance increases. The network maximum is quoted between ¥7 and ¥9 after the April 2025 fare adjustment. The airport run on Line 6 is ¥5 to ¥6.
Can I use a foreign credit card at the metro gate?
No. Gates take single-journey tickets or a phone QR code. Use Alipay or WeChat Pay with your foreign card linked and verified inside the app, or buy a ticket from the bilingual machine with cash or phone payment.
Which metro line goes to Kunming Railway Station?
Line 1 and Line 2, run as a connected service through the centre, call at Kunming Railway Station, where most Lijiang and Dali trains leave from. Kunming South, the high-speed hub, is on the same line further south in Chenggong.
Which line goes to the Western Hills and Dianchi Lake?
Line 3, from Western Hills Park at the western terminus. From there a cable car runs up toward Dragon Gate or across the water to the Dianchi shore near Haigeng Dam.
Is the metro open early enough for an early flight?
The first trains run from around 06:20. For a departure before roughly 08:00, the metro is tight and a taxi or an airport bus is safer. The last train from the airport side is quoted around 22:55.
Are taxis in Kunming safe and metered?
Yes, they are metered, with a flagfall around ¥8 for the first 3 km and about ¥1.8 per km afterwards, plus a higher night rate. Toll roads on airport runs are added. Use DiDi if you would rather not explain an address in Chinese.
Do buses take the same QR code as the metro?
Many do. The Alipay and WeChat Pay transport codes are widely accepted on Kunming buses as well as the metro, but coverage is not universal and fares vary by route. Keep small change as a backup.
How do I get to the Stone Forest or Fuxian Lake?
Long-distance coaches, not the metro. East Bus Station, on Line 3, has coaches to the Stone Forest; South Bus Station serves Chengjiang and Fuxian Lake. The 3-day itinerary covers routes and timings.
Related reading
Line coverage, fares and hours here were cross-checked across independent sources including metro operator announcements. Where sources disagree, on the network maximum fare and night taxi rates, the range is shown rather than averaged. Kunming has extended lines more than once since 2020, so confirm details on the official Kunming Rail Transit channel or in a live maps app. Current as of September 2026.