Kunming Transportation - Getting There
Air
Kunming Changshui International Airport has been put into operation since June 28th, 2012. It replaced the former Wujiaba International Airport and became China’s 4th national hub airport after the airports of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Presently, there are 17 airlines companies in the airport providing flights to domestic cities and international cities and regions, including Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Lhasa, Shanghai, Sanya, Xi'an, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Bangkok, etc. Passengers can easily get to the city by air.
See Kunming Flights
Train
One is the Kunming Railway Station (Nanyao Station), about four kilometers (about 2.5 miles) from the center of the city, which would take about 10 yuan within 15 minutes by Taxi to. Trains to Dali, Lijiang, Yuxi etc., run every day. The Ticket Booking Office is at No. 19, Kunshi Lu, hours of operation is from 8:00 to 17:30.
Another is Kunming South Railway Station, 17 miles (28 km) from Railway Station, is located at Wujiaying in Chenggong District. This station will operate bullet trains to/from major cities in China, such as Shanghai, Nanning, Hangzhou, Yiwu etc. after it is put into use by the end of 2016.
Major domestic rail lines from Kunming to:
See detailed Kunming Train Schedule
Major international rail lines under construction from Kunming to:
On June 1st, 2007, two groups of inter-city trains started operation between Kunming and Qujing (the second largest city in Yunnan Province) directly. They are fitted with the high-grade EMU (Electric Multiple Unit), which makes the passengers' journey smoother, safer and more comfortable. Each of them has four carriages which can hold 372 people. Of those, 244 are hard seats and 128 are soft seats. The fare for the hard seat is CNY 24. The entire trip takes only 68 minutes.
Second is the North Railway Station, about three kilometers (about 1.9 miles) north of the city center. This station is important for visitors who plan to go to Vietnam for here you can make a trip further to Hanoi (two departures every week on Friday and Sunday).
Important notice: It is impossible to get your Vietnam Visa in this city. Be sure to obtain your Vietnam visa in Guangzhou, Beijing, or other major city in advance if you are planning a trip to Vietnam.
Yunnan Province is vast; train journey requires much more time than air travel. However, if you are not in a hurry, train journey offers beautiful scenery along the way.
You can book tickets at the railway station ticket office, which are open from 8:00 to 17:30.
Long-Distance Bus
While there are many bus stations in the city, for safety we recommend that passengers get board at well-operated stations.
West Bus Station
The West (Xi Bu) Bus Station was built in 2008, which was originally known as the Xi Shan Bus Station. Now, it operates 954 long-distance buses on 44 lines, radiating to Dali, Lijiang, Diqing (Shangri-La), Chuxiong, Baoshan, Dehong, Lincang, Puer and Nujiang.
Time Schedule (only for reference)
To | Departure Time | Duration | Ticket Fare |
---|---|---|---|
Dali | 07:20~23:00 every 5~20 minutes | 4.5 hours | CNY107/CNY138 |
Lijiang | 08:00, 08:50, 09:30, 09:40, 10:30, 10:50, 11:20, 11:50, 12:10, 12:50, 13:00, 13:30, 13:50, 14:40, 21:00 (sleeper-cabin), 22:00 | 7~9 hours | CNY191~CNY229/CNY177 (sleeper-cabin) |
Shangri-La | 08:30, 09:30; 18:30, 19:30, 20:00, 20:30 (sleeper-cabin) | 10~12 hours | CNY216~CNY243/CNY212 (sleeper-cabin) |
Deqin | 19:00 (sleeper-cabin) | 15 hours | CNY267 (sleeper-cabin) |
Transportation: buses of Nos. 80 (from Main Railway Station), 82, 148, 151, 153, C65
South Bus Station
South (Nan) Bus Station was built in 2009, mainly operating buses running on Kunming-Yuxi (Gaocang) Expressway. This expressway belongs to the National Highway No.213 and is the start point of the Kunming-Bangkok International Way. Now, there are scheduled buses to and from Puer, Xishuangbanna, Yuxi, Honghe Prefecture (Jianshui, Shiping, Yuanyang, Lvchun, Honghe) and Laos.
Time Schedule (only for reference)
To | Departure Time | Distance | Ticket Fare |
---|---|---|---|
Jinghong | 08:00~22:00 every 10~20 minutes | 590km | CNY226/CNY259 (sleeper-cabin) |
Puer | 07:40~22:00 every 20~30 minutes | 440km | CNY182/CNY197 (sleeper-cabin) |
Jianshui | 07:30~16:30 every 30 minutes; 16:45 (slpeer-cabin), 17:15, 18:00, 19:10, 20:30 | 220km | CNY83/CNY67 (sleeper-cabin) |
Yuanyang | 10:20; 12:30, 13:30 (sleeper-cabin) | 322km | CNY140/CNY139 (sleeper-cabin) |
Mengla | 10:30; 19:00, 19:30, 18:00 (sleeper-cabin) | 725km | CNY253/CNY312 (sleeper-cabin) |
Mohan | 20:00 | 789 | CNY338 (sleeper-cabin) |
Vientiane (Laos) | 18:00 | 1,421km | CNY587 (sleeper-cabin) |
Luang Prabang (Laos) | 18:30 | 1,100km | CNY398 (sleeper-cabin) |
Transportation: buses of Nos. 149, 165, 178, 154, C4, C5, C6, C7, C12, C13, 186
North Bus Station
The North (Bei) Bus Station operates long-distance buses running to the northeast of Yunnan Province, such as Qujing, Zhaotong, Xundian, Songming, Luquan and Dongchuan.
Location: Longtou Street, Panlong District
Transportation: buses of Nos. 25, 92
East Bus Station
The East (Dong Bu) Bus Station were built to service buses to and from the east and southeast of Yunnan Province along Kunming-Shilin Expressway. Passengers could take buses to Shilin County, Yiliang County, Wenshan Prefecture, Luliang County, Shizong County and Luoping County.
Location: Panlong District
Transportation: bus No. 28
Northwest Bus Station
From Northwest (Xi Bei Bu) Bus Station, passengers could take buses departing to the northwest of Yunnan Province. There are buses running along National Highway No.108 to Dingwu, Yuanmou, Yongren, Huaping, Fuming, Luquan as well as buses to Anning, Yimen and Chuxiong along National Highway No.320.
Location: High-tech Industrial Development Zone
Transportation: bus No. 8
Further Reading:
How to Travel between Kunming and Dali
How to Travel between Kunming and Lijiang
How to Travel between Kunming and Shangri-la