Kunming is the capital and the principal city of Yunnan, the beating heart of the province. It’s an essential stopping point or headquarters while visiting Yunnan. It has endless layers of culture, history, art, architecture and culinary arts to share with visitors.
Kunming is charming and fascinating at any time of year. And its weather is pleasant all year, although during a couple of months of the deep winter it can get quite cold.
Kunming’s mild climate has been compared to spring all year. But most prefer to visit in the warmer half of the year, March through October. That is the time of year when people take to the streets to celebrate the various ethnic summer festivals, and the landscape erupts in a celebration of colorful flowers, blossoms and lush vegetation.
The hottest time is mid June, the peak of the warmest period May through July. The high temperatures then are around 80.2°F (26.8°C), rarely dropping below 63.4°F (17.4°C) at night.
Travel Tips
Kunming’s climate is mild, but it’s always good to carry a sweater and jacket when you travel because you may want them when temperatures drop at night even in warm climates. Kunming is full of marvelous sights to see, so bring a camera. Also, bring a credit card for shopping, wear comfortable walking shoes, bring a hat with a brim to shade you from the sun and bring sunscreen and sunglasses. Even in the city, a GPS device is always handy for making sure you can find your way around.