By plane

Kunming is the transportation center of the Yunnan province. The airport is located in the south-east of Kunming at 7.5 km from the city center. From the airport there are several buses connecting the airport to the city itself.

The airport of Kunming is one of the 5 international airports of China. Everyday there are 11 international airlines flying to 8 major Asian cities, 2 flights to Hong-Kong and Macau and more than 40 flights to major Chinese cities. Also for traveling in Yunnan province itself Kunming is the main starting point for travelers. From Kunming there are direct flights to all of Yunnan’s major cities: Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La and Xishuangbanna region.

By train

Kunming has 4 railway stations, but 1 main station. The main station is Nanyao railway station, which is 4 km from the city-center. From Nanyao there are running trains to all major cities in Yunnan every day.  

The railway ticket office can be found a Kunshi Lu 19 and it is operational from 8 am. till 7.30 pm. It is recommended to book your tickets at least 7 days in advance.

The second one is the “North Railway Station”, which is 3.2 km from the city-center. This station is an important transfer station to travel further to Hanoi or somewhere else in Vietnam. There are 2 trains running to Vietnam every week on Friday and Sunday

It is impossible to get your Vietnam visa in Kunming. Be sure to obtain your Vietnam visa in Guangzhou, Beijing, or another major city in advance, if you are planning a trip to Vietnam.

By bus

The highway transportation system has been improved the last years. From Kunming it is now possible to get to all the main cities in China by bus. Although there are many possibilities to take the bus, it is recommended to take it only at the main bus-stations, because you otherwise might not find any bus with free seats available.

The main bus-station is “Kunming Passenger Transport Bus Station”. The station is located next to the Nanyao Railway Station.  Here you will find just all “normal” buses, which will bring you to most of the sights in the province.