Kunming (Yunnan) weather by month
The best time to visit Kunming (Yunnan) is March to May — 90/100 in April, 25°C and 9 rainy days. The best season is spring, March to May (88/100 on average).
The worst month is June at 67/100 — warm, soaked, muggy air. See June →
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit China →
Best season: March to May (88/100 on average) · worst June (67/100)
- Days
- 25°C
- Nights
- 11°C
- Wet days
- 9
- Sun
- 10.5 h
- Humidity
- 55%
- Daylight
- 13 h
Kunming, month by month
Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Kunming is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.
What's on in Kunming through the year
Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.
Crowds in Kunming in April
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Busyschool holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, one of its best months for weather(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Good to know before you go to Kunming
Real experiences from travellers' own write-ups, quoted with a link to the original.
Visas & entry
A guide to visiting the Stone Forest from Kunming recommends the high-speed train from Kunming South Station to Shilin West Station, just 20 minutes, followed by Bus 99 to the scenic area itself, a straightforward 45-60 minute connection costing around ¥10. Their timing advice: spring (March-May) and autumn (September-November) bring the mildest, most comfortable weather for the 4-6 hours needed to properly cover the Major and Lesser Stone Forest sections, while summer rain in July and August makes the limestone paths noticeably more slippery.
Traveller notes on Kunming
What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.
Kunming is called the Spring City because its climate is spring-like year-round, and March is when that is most literally true: cherry and plum blossom still out in early March, near 23°C by day, rain on only four days. Nights are cooler than the label suggests, around 11°C. The forum's March recommendations are seasonal rather than architectural — Green Lake Park for the blossom and the tai chi, Yuantong Hill for the temple and the zoo, the Dounan flower market for the rest. One thing the record carries that the forum does not mention: March is the windiest month of the year here.
Forum posters offer genuinely mixed views on September in Kunming and Yunnan more broadly: some describe it as the tail end of the rainy season, which peaks in August, with heavy rain still a real possibility and skies often cloudy or foggy enough to obscure nearby snow mountains, while others specifically prefer September for escaping the more intense summer heat found in cities like Beijing or Xi'an. Posters consistently describe September as shoulder season - quieter than the July-August school holiday crush, but not as sparse as December. Posters generally recommend packing summer clothing for daytime, with a light coat or sweater for cooler mornings and evenings, and genuinely warmer layers for any side trip into higher-elevation mountain areas. Posters generally rate September as a reasonable, if occasionally rainy and hazy, time to visit Kunming.
Add your own note from Kunming's card on the map.