Kunming walking tour & city guide

The city and its lakes

In the centre, the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster archways stand at the meeting of busy shopping streets, and the restored lanes of Kunming Old Street keep traditional wooden shopfronts. Green Lake Park, a few minutes away, is a web of ponds and bridges where locals dance, sing and play music, and nearby Yuantong Temple is one of the oldest Buddhist temples in the city.

To the south lies Dianchi Lake. From November to March, crowds gather on Haigeng Dam and around Green Lake to feed the gulls that winter here, and the Western Hills rise above the western shore, with the Dragon Gate carved into the cliff high above the water. On the edge of the city, the Dounan Flower Market is one of the largest flower markets in Asia.

A classic walk: Green Lake to the old streets

Start the morning at Green Lake Park and walk its causeways among the dancers and musicians, then continue to Yuantong Temple. From there, wander south into the old lanes and on to the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster archways, stopping for a bowl of rice noodles on the way.

In the afternoon, take the metro or a taxi to Dianchi Lake and walk along Haigeng Dam at sunset, or ride the cable car up the Western Hills to the Dragon Gate for the view over the lake.

Good to know

Kunming is pleasant all year, but November to March brings dry, sunny days and the gulls; the rainy season runs from about June to September. The sun is strong at this altitude, so bring sunscreen even when it feels cool. The metro links the airport, the centre and the train stations, and the Stone Forest, a landscape of limestone pillars, is a popular day trip.