In the daytime, you can feast your eyes on Kunming's amazing scenery. At night, immersing yourself into Kunming's vibrant nightlife can also be a feast for the senses.
Kunming's nightlife is fairly lively with busy night markets, soft-rock-style bars, theme clubs, and theaters. Page down to find out the best things to do in Kunming at night or contact our Kunming experts for recommendations based on your interests.
1. Explore Nightlife Venues around the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Memorial Archways
Located in the city center, the Golden Horse and Jade Rooster Memorial Archways are the symbol and pride of Kunming. They are also the epicenter of Kunming's nightlife, a nice place for leisure and entertainment, eating, drinking, and shopping. There, you can find snack shops, cafés, tea houses, souvenir shops, bars, and KTVs (karaoke).
When night falls, nearby Kundu Night Market is crowded with local people and tourists.
2. Attend the Yunnan Impression Show
The fantastic Yunnan ethnic folk-dance performances are one of the most wonderful nightlife activities.
Yunnan Impression Show, also called Dynamic Yunnan, is an impressive song and dance performance featuring Yunnan ethnic minorities. It was choreographed by China's famous dancer, Yang Liping, who was hailed as the "Peacock Princess". The highlight of this show is the peacock dance, which is performed by female dancers inspired by the movements of a peafowl.
The theater is about 30 minutes' drive from downtown Kunming. It would be a great fit with our 3-Day Essence of Kunming Tour for an overall impression of Kunming and its ethnic culture by day before attending the Yunnan Impression Show at night.
Yunnan Impression Show3. Discover China's Flower Culture at Dounan Flower Market
With its spring-like climate, Kunming is home to Dounan Flower Market, praised as the epicenter of China's flower trade.
The market is opened to small-scale retail in the daytime, while in the evening (normally from 8:30pm), it is the time for wholesale. Numerous flower vendors rush to the market to start their business, either for face-to-face trading or auctions. For those who are interested in knowing about the flower auction process in the market, the best time to be there is before 3 o'clock in the morning while the trading is in full swing.
The flower market is about an hours' drive from downtown Kunming and public buses are not running during nighttime. Taking a taxi or our private transfer service is highly recommended.
Trading at Dounan Flower Market4. Taste Various Snacks at Wenhua Street
Adjacent to three colleges and conveniently reached if you are staying downtown, Wenhua Street is lined with restaurants, dessert shops, cafés, clothing stores, and so on. You can taste all kinds of local food from Yunnan and do some shopping there. It is not only a place for students and local people, but also it attracts many foreigners.
Food Street5. Immerse Yourself in the Vibrant Bars and Pubs
After a whole day's sightseeing, you may like to spend some time in a bar or pub where you can relax, see local life, and meet local people.
The bars and pubs at South Asia Feature No. 1 City (南亚风情第一城) are the best choice for immersing yourself in Kunming's vibrant nightlife. Some famous bars and pubs there are Changting Pub, ZOUK Club, and Origin Mix Music Bar.
Our guide and driver could drop you off there after you finish a day's private tour in Kunming. Spend some time there for food hunting first, and then the evening at the bars and pubs is yours. Taxis are available all night, which take 30 minutes to drive to downtown Kunming.
Bars in KunmingExperience Kunming's Nightlife with China Highlights
Our Kunming tours include free time in the evenings to check out the city's colorful nightlife. Check out our popular Kunming tours:
- 3-Day Essence of Kunming Tour
- 6-Day Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang Highlights Tour
- 8-Day Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, and Shangri-La Tour
Ask our knowledgeable guides for suggestions while touring, or check out our tailored tour option to plan your trip the way you want it.