2-Day Kunming City Tour: Flower Market & Ancient Temples

A 1,200-year-old temple sits beside a modern city that still trades flowers the way it did centuries ago.

A 2-day private tour of Kunming with a professional guide in English or Chinese, covering the city's flower markets, lakeside parks, temples and historical sites. Day one takes you through Dounan Flower Market (Asia's largest, moving 5.5 million RMB in flowers daily), then to Guandu Ancient Town and Haigeng Park on Dianchi Lake. Day two explores Yuantong Temple, Green Lake Park, the Yunnan Military Academy, and ends in the old streets and markets where locals still gather.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Kunming City Tour

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Dounan Flower Market
• Explore Guandu Ancient Town
• Visit Haigeng Park
• See Western Hill scenic spots
• Return to hotel

Day 2: Kunming City Tour

• Visit Zhuanxin Wet Market
• Tour Yuantong Temple
• Walk in Green Lake Park
• Explore Yunnan Military Academy
• Stroll Kunming Old Street
• Visit Jingxing Bird and Flower Market
• Walk Nanping Business Street

The experience

You start from your hotel and head straight to Dounan Flower Market, where over 300 flower species and millions of blooms move through the wholesale stalls each day. The scale is concrete: major airlines and companies across China, Japan, South Korea and Southeast Asia source flowers here. Walking through the market with your guide, you see the infrastructure of a living trade, not a tourist display. The market has shaped Kunming's economy for decades and still does.

The first day moves through Guandu Ancient Town, a former fishing village turned cultural landmark on the northeast shore of Dianchi Lake, then to Haigeng Park where you can walk the waterfront and see the Western Hills: known locally as "Sleeping Beauty Hill" for the silhouette they form against the water. Your guide explains the geography and history as you move. The point is to avoid the crowds by timing your visits during quieter hours. That evening, you return to your hotel.

Day two takes a different shape. You visit Yuantong Temple, built over 1,200 years ago and one of Yunnan's most important Buddhist sites, then walk through Green Lake Park and Cuihu Park in the city center: both places where locals spend their mornings and afternoons. You'll see the Yunnan Military Academy, where leaders like Zhu De trained before the school closed in 1935, and end the afternoon in Kunming's old streets, the Jingxing Bird and Flower Market, and Nanping Pedestrian Street. The old houses here date back nearly 900 years and blend Central Plains architecture with Bai and Yi ethnic styles. In the evening you wander these streets on foot, measuring the city's layers: history, culture, and the daily rhythms of people who live there.

What’s included

• Entrance fees to all attractions.
• air-conditioned vehicle throughout both days.
• professional private guide speaking English or Chinese.
• hotel pickup and return.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 09:00

Book up to8h before

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Senior (61 to 80 years) · Youth (13 to 17 years) · Child (3 to 12 years): free · Infant (1 to 2 years): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.You can choose from 10 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 7 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by China Private Tour Guide

Is this one for you?Hotel pickup means you don't need to arrange transport to the starting point, and the private guide adjusts the pace and timing to avoid crowds: useful if you're arriving in Kunming without a car or want to move at your own rhythm rather than follow a fixed group schedule.

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (13 to 17 years); Child (3 to 12 years): free; Infant (1 to 2 years): free.

What is Dounan Flower Market actually like to walk through?

Dounan Flower Market is a working wholesale hub, not a tourist garden. Over 300 flower species and millions of blooms pass through daily, with a turnover reaching 5.5 million RMB. You see the scale of the trade (major airlines and companies across China and Southeast Asia source flowers here), and walk among the stalls where the business happens.

What makes Yuantong Temple different from other temples in China?

Yuantong Temple has over 1,200 years of history and is one of Yunnan Province's most important Buddhist sites. It was built in the late eighth century and retains a unique architectural style mixing Yuan and Ming Dynasty elements, with restorations from the Qing Dynasty onward that preserved rather than erased that mixed heritage.

Will I see where actual Kunming people spend their time, or only tourist sites?

The second day includes the Jingxing Bird and Flower Market, a popular local market with around 700 stores where residents shop for flowers, birds, antiques and handicrafts, and Nanping Pedestrian Street, which blends historical architecture with modern commerce. You walk the old streets in the evening when locals are out, giving you a sense of daily life in the city.

What is included in the tour price?

Entrance fees to all sites and an air-conditioned vehicle for transport are included. Hotel pickup is included. Meals are not included, so you'll arrange your own lunch and dinner.