Most of Kunming's best attractions lie beyond the edges of the city, so our 1-day itinerary takes us beyond the outskirts to the northeast in the morning and to the southwest in the afternoon.

Start the day with a trip to the Golden Temple. This Taoist retreat isn't really made of gold, it's bronze, but it's spectacular for all that, and hidden away in a lovely mountain setting. The trip out to the complex takes a while and involves a bit of a climb, but the leafy environs and Kunming's legendary balmy weather make it all worth it. Explore the temple complex for a while, then hop the cable car that takes you on to the Expo Garden, which is a permanent garden monument to the 1999 Horticultural Expo which was held in Kunming. The city is a paradise of flowers and plants, and they're shown to their best effect in this fine garden. As lunchtime approaches, head back to town via the Golden Temple.

After lunch, your destination is Yunnan Museum of Minorities, to the southwest of the city. It has an interesting collection of displays on the lifestyle and culture of the many minorities of Yunnan province (one of China's most ethnically diverse regions). When you've seen all the museum has to offer, head on to nearby Daguan Park. It sits on the northestern edge of Dianchi Lake, and affords lovely water views, especially in the late afternoon. Linger in the park as the sun dips lower, then had back to town and spend an hour or two in one of Kunming's Teahouses before the main event of the evening – dinner.

Yunnan province shares international frontiers with Burma, Laos and Vietnam, and internal borders with Tibet, Sichuan, Guizhou and Guangxi. With this host of cultural influences, it's small wonder that Yunnan food is dizzyingly diverse and generally delicious. There are plenty of places that serve excellent local cuisine: two you could choose from are Lao Fangzi and Fuzhao Lou Restaurant.

Finally, round out the evening with a drink: either try your luck in the Kundu market area, where there are a lot of different bars, or settle down somewhere quiet, like Chapter One.