Top 12 Things to Do in Kunming: from Stone Forest to Dianchi Lake

Written by Catherine | Updated January 03,2025

Known as the “Spring City”, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, not only has a four-season-as-one-spring climate, but also boasts rich natural and cultural landscapes, as well as colorful ethnic customs. Here are 12 best things to do in Kunming during your Yunnan tours.

Stone Forest: Appreciating Unique Karst Landforms

As an iconic attraction in Kunming, Stone Forest is renowned for its unique karst topography. The scenic area is filled with stone peaks, clints, dolines, and underground rivers. The peak forests transform into various shapes, such as sword, tower, mushroom, and irregular column, with great wonders and beauty. Visiting Stone Forest is one of the top things to do in Kunming.

The Stone Forest Scenic Area is centered on the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests, surrounded by Naigu Stone Forest, Dadieshui Waterfall, and Long Lake. There is a famous stone peak called “Ashima” in the Greater and Lesser Stone Forests, which is the best place for tourists to take photos during their Kunming travel.

• Ticket: RMB 175 during peak season and RMB 130 during off-season
• Opening Hours: 07:30-17:30

Recommended Kunming Tours to Stone Forest

• 3 Days Kunming Tour with Stone Forest & Local Essence
• 4 Days Kunming Dongchuan Red Land Tour

Taking a Stroll Around the Dianchi Lake

Dianchi Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Yunnan and is known as the “Pearl of the Plateau”. Most tourists come here to see the beautiful scenery of the vast lake shimmering in the sunlight. Stroll by the lake, or take a cruise. With gentle breeze touching your face, you can fully enjoy the gifts of nature.

In winter, feeding red-billed gulls is one of the fun things to do in Kunming! Especially from November to March, remember to bring some breadcrumbs to feed the red-billed gulls at Haigeng Park by the Dianchi Lake. Their graceful dance will definitely make you unforgettable.

Recommended Tour: 5 Days Kunming Shadian Muslim Tour with Jianshui

Having a Great View on Western Hills

Western Hills is located on the west side of Kunming City, adjacent to Dianchi Lake. Here, the forest is dense, and the environment is fresh and elegant. You can take the cableway directly to the Dragon Gate, overlooking the vast Dianchi Lake and Kunming.

The Dragon Gate on the mountain is ancient and precious, and is a must-visit destination for tourists who love culture during Yunnan travel. Dragon Gate is a stone carving project from Sanqing Pavilion to Datian Pavilion, exquisite and spectacular. There is also Nie Er’s tomb at Western Hills, and you can enjoy Nie Er’s music works in the exhibition hall.

• Dragon GateTicket: RMB 30 during off-season, RMB 40 during peak season
• Dragon GateCableway: RMB 25 (one-way)‌

Green Lake: Enjoying Lotus in Summer and Birds in Winter

Green Lake Park is located in the northern part of Kunming city, and is known as the “beautiful jade in the city”. Visiting Green lake is one of the best free things to do in Kunming city for many tourists.

The lake water here is emerald green, the lotus pond is elegant and beautiful, and willows are planted along the embankment. There are also quaint pavilions, terraces, corridors, curved bridges and other buildings. In summer, you can admire lotus flowers; and in winter, you can feed and photograph thousands of red-billed gulls. The most enjoyable thing for old Kunming people is to take a walk by Green Lake.

Yuantong Temple: The Oldest Buddhist Temple in Kunming

One of the best things to do in Kunming, Yunnan is to visit Yuantong Temple. It is the earliest Guanyin Temple in China, with a history of over 1,200 years.

Yuantong Temple is also the largest temple in Kunming, with a unique “inverted slope temple” design. The temple not only showcases the solemnity of Buddhism, but also incorporates exquisite garden design, with the rare style of “Temple Above Water”.

As a religious holy site that integrates the three major sects of Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism (Lamaism), Yuantong Temple enjoys great reputation in southwestern China and Southeast Asia.

• Ticket: RMB6
• Opening Hours:8:00-17:00

Yunnan Provincial Museum: Discovering History and Heritage

Visiting Yunnan Provincial Museum is one of the worthwhile things to do in Kunming, China. Yunnan is a gathering place of diverse cultures, so the cultural relics of Yunnan Provincial Museum have their own unique characteristics.

The building of Yunnan Provincial Museum has a grand appearance, like a huge stone standing on the ground, exuding a sense of mystery. There are over 230,000 cultural relics collected here, including bronze ware, jade ware, ceramics, ancient coins, ancient calligraphy and painting, and inscriptions. The museum also houses numerous folk crafts of ethnic minorities, as well as over 200 precious marble Buddha statues.

• Opening Hours:9:00-17:00 (closed on Mondays)

Yunnan Ethnic Village: Experiencing 25 Ethnic Minority Customs

Yunnan is the province with the largest number of ethnic minorities in China. These ethnic groups are scattered throughout the vast land of Yunnan, each with unique cultural customs that are rarely seen at ordinary times. But you can spend a day exploring the Yunnan Ethnic Village by the shores of Dianchi Lake in one go.

There are 25 ethnic minority villages built in a 1:1 ratio in Yunnan Ethnic Village, showcasing the architecture, clothing, and customs of each ethnic group. The main attractions include Dai Bamboo Tower, Bai Three Pagodas, and Yi Torch Square. There are also entertainment activities such as ethnic song and dance and elephant performances.

• Ticket: RMB 90 (daytime), RMB 50 (nighttime)
• Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00 (daytime), 17:30-21:30 (nighttime)

Dounan Flower Market: Achieving Freedom of Flowers

Kunming Dounan Flower Market is adjacent to the east bank of Dianchi Lake in Chenggong District, and is the largest fresh cut flower trading market in Asia. Dounan Flower Market is known for its complete variety and lows, and is called the “sea of blooms”. ‌‌

Since its establishment in 1998, Dounan Flower Market has always focused on night trading. Every day, 117 categories and over 1,600 varieties of fresh cut flowers are traded here, supplied to more than 80 cities across China, and exported to 46 countries and regions.

From 7-8 pm in the evening, outside the Dounan Flower Market, you can buy beautiful flowers, fresh and cheap.

Jinma Biji Fang: A Landmark in Kunming

Jinma Biji Fang (Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Memorial Arch) was first built during the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty and is now a landmark in downtown Kunming. Most tourists will visit here during their Kunming tours, take photos with the memorial arches, and go around the night market nearby.

The area between the two memorial arches in Jinma Biji Fang is one of the most prosperous commercial centers in Kunming city. Shopping centers and food restaurants are all over the surrounding streets. Visiting Jinma Biji Fang is one of top things to do in Kunming at night.

Dongchuan Red Land: Shooting the “Color Palette of Nature”

Dongchuan Red Land is located 170 kilometers north of Kunming City. Due to the high content of iron and aluminum in the soil, it forms a dazzling reddish color. On this red land, terraced fields, villages, and mountains interweave into a stunning painting.

Red Land scenic spots are relatively scattered. With Dongchuan Huashitou Village as the center, there are three main viewing routes. Enjoy the morning glow at Damakan on the northwest line, then visit the south line, and in the evening, go to Luoxia Ravine on the northeast line to take photos of sunset. Really best thing to do in Kunming!

• Ticket: RMB 40
• Opening Hours: 07:00-21:30

Jiuxiang Cave: Exploring the Unique Underground World

There is a saying in Yunnan that goes, “Look at the Stone Forest on the ground, and look at the Jiuxiang underground”. Jiuxiang Cave is located 90 kilometers east of Kunming City, and belongs to the karst three-dimensional landscape. The scenic area has over a hundred karst caves, known as the “Cave Museum”, and is one of the filming locations for the movie “Myth”.

To enter the scenic area, the first step is to take the sightseeing elevator with a drop of 53 meters to the Yincui Gorge at the valley bottom. Then you can choose to take a boat by waterway or take the cave trail for sightseeing. The cave is filled with various types of stalactites, paired with colorful lights, giving a feeling of an underground magical world.

• Ticket: RMB 120
• Opening Hours: 08:00-18:00

Tasting Yunnan-Style Delicacies

Tasting local food is one of the best things to do in Kunming, too. You can go to the old-brand store of Jianxin Garden to try the authentic Crossing Bridge Rice Noodles, go to the Fuzhao House to try the nourishing Steam Pot Chicken, or go to Wenlin Street to try grilled pork trotters, roasted pork brains, drinks, etc.

As a special dim sum in Kunming, Flower Cakes are filled with edible roses and carefully baked, leaving an endless aftertaste. Wild Mushroom Hotpot is known as a special cuisine in Yunnan, with pure ecological ingredients and an incredibly delicious taste, deeply loved by countless diners.

Recommended Yunnan Kunming Tours

• 6 Days Yunnan Kunming Dali Lijiang Tour
• 6 days Yunnan Tour to Kunming – Jianshui – Yuanyang
• 3 Days Kunming Tour with Jiuxiang Cave & Stone Forest
• 12 Days Yunnan Golf Tour from Kunming