Kunming First Visit Classics
Green Lake and the old town, the Stone Forest World Heritage site, and Xishan and Dianchi Lake: three days to cover Kunming's must-sees.
Following the usual guidebook pattern of one day in the city, one day at the Stone Forest and one day at the lakes and hills. On Day 1, walk between Green Lake and Nanping Street. On Day 2, take the bullet train to the Stone Forest and return via Dounan Flower Market in the evening. On Day 3, ride the Longmen cable car on Xishan down to Haigeng Dam, then visit the Yunnan Nationalities Village. The whole trip is based in Nanping Street, with convenient metro access, suited to first-time visitors with limited time.
From November to March, you can see red-billed gulls at Green Lake and Haigeng Dam.
Day by day
Day 1 · Green Lake & Nanping Street old town
Kunming City（Yuantong Temple、Green Lake Park (Cuihu)、Yunnan Military Academy、Jinma & Biji Archways / Nanping Street、Nanqiang Street）
Take Metro Line 6 from the airport and transfer to Line 2 for the city centre, about 1 hour. Then walk between Green Lake and Nanping Street.
Kunming sits at about 1,890 m, so take it easy on day one and protect yourself from the sun.
Stay: Nanping Street, Jinma Biji Archway
Day 2 · Stone Forest day trip & Dounan Flower Market
Kunming City（Stone Forest (Shilin)、Dounan Flower Market）
Take the metro to Kunming South Station, then the bullet train about 20 minutes to Shilin West Station, and a scenic-area bus. Return via the area near Kunming South Station to Dounan.
A visit to the Stone Forest takes most of a half day, so avoid low-priced city day tours. Dounan Flower Market is livelier after dusk.
Stay: Nanping Street, Jinma Biji Archway
Day 3 · Xishan Longmen & Dianchi seagulls
Kunming City（Western Hills & Dragon Gate、Dianchi Lake / Haigeng Dam、Yunnan Nationalities Village）
Take a taxi about 40 minutes to Xishan. Ride down from Longmen on the Dianchi cable car to Haigeng, then take a taxi or metro to the airport, about 1 hour.
The Xishan cable car stops going up earlier in the afternoon, so go up in the morning.
Similar itineraries
- Classic Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La
- Kunming-Laos Railway Round Trip
- Kunming Old Town, Museums & Fuxian Lake
- Kunming Outskirts, Dongchuan Red Earth & Mile
- Kunming Family Zoos & Yunnan Nationalities Village
- Kunming Markets & Old Street Food
- Northeast Yunnan: Dongchuan Red Land & Black-Necked Cranes