Last bus leaves around 22:00, and Line 4 can save a taxi hop
If your hotel or onward coach is near Line 4’s city terminus, this airport shuttle from T1 is worth a look, especially after 21:00 when metro connections get thin and you’d rather not switch from Line 6 to a taxi with luggage.
Airport Shuttle Bus Line 4 runs from Kunming Changshui International Airport’s T1 ground transportation area into the city along one specific corridor, separate from the main railway station routes covered by other lines 1–3 that people usually mention in forums.
Tickets for Line 4 typically sit in the same price band as other Kunming airport buses, roughly ¥20–25 per person, paid in cash at the shuttle counter near the T1 arrivals exit before you head out to the marked bus bays.
Most airport buses in Kunming run from early morning, about 07:00, through late evening until around 22:00, and Line 4 is generally grouped into that span, so late-night arrivals after 22:30 should not bank on catching this bus into town.
Line 4 uses full-size, underfloor-luggage coaches, and the ride from T1 into the city usually lands in the 40–60 minute range depending on evening traffic on the expressway section out of Changshui.
English information on Airport Shuttle Bus Line 4’s intermediate stops and exact timetable is scarce, with some China trip-planning threads only confirming that it covers “another corridor” beyond the main Kunming Railway Station routes and not listing every stop by name.
Because route maps are often posted only in Chinese at T1, Line 4 really only makes sense if your hotel, hostel, or long-distance bus station is directly on its end of line, within 500–800 meters walking distance, so you avoid a second transfer.
On-board amenities are basic: expect standard coach seating for roughly 40–50 passengers, no toilet, and usually no USB ports, so charge your phone in T1 landside before you buy that ¥20–25 ticket.
Practical tip: before you commit, show your hotel address (in Chinese) at the T1 shuttle ticket counter and ask specifically for “Line 4?” so staff can confirm if this is the right bus or point you to another line instead.