Dali Transportation

Kunming will be your first stop by air or railway to Yunnan Province. Once you are in Kunming, it's very easy to get in Dali conveniently by air, railway and highway. It is only 50 minutes by plane or three to four hours by bus from Kunming. Taxis in Dali are plentiful and cheap. The best way to explore the city is by riding a bike which is quite relaxing and convenient.
 

Get around

Generally, the flag fall is CNY5, and CNY1.4 will be charged for extra each kilometer. If you want to the outside of the city, you’d better fixed price with the driver and it usually costs around CNY25.

Get in

Dali Airport is located in the northeast corner of Xiaguan Town and southeast of  Lake Erhai. It is 13 kilometers from the city proper. At present, flights using this airport connect the city with many destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Tianjin, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyang and Guangzhou. Many flights, such as to Guangzhou and Kunming, are operated daily. A shuttle bus is available. Passengers can also take a taxi which costs around CNY50.

Get in

Most travelers choose to travel to Xiaguan from Kunming by bus. There are three biggest long-distance bus stations of Xiaguan (the "new city"). They are all located on Jianshe Road. When taking express buses from Xiaguan or Lijiang to Dali, some buses will drop you off at the eastern end of Dali along the highway. You will have to get a ride of a passing car to take you into Dali, RMB5 for the ride is reasonable. Express bus tickets out of Dali can be purchased from the Dali Passenger Service Ticket Office on Bao'ai Lu or any travel agency on Huguo Lu. You can also purchase tickets for the Xiaguan long-distance bus station in Dali; buses to Kunming are about 8 hours and cost CNY55.

 

Get round

There are eleven buses altogether in the city proper of Dali. Among them, No.4 and No.8 bus can take you from Xiaguan to Dali Ancient City for about 30min. The transportation is very convenient.

Get in

Guangtong-Dali Railway is connected with Chengdu-Kunming Railway at Guangtong Railway Station. There are daily trains from Kunming to Dali or vice versa. In peak seasons there may be another additional train running. Trains to other major cities including Lijiang, Shangri-La County also exist. The train from Kunming takes over 8 hours and it is much more efficient and convenient to make the journey by bus.

Get around

Bicycle will be the perfect choice for those who want to wander around the ancient City of Dali. Bicycles are available on the Foreigner Street, and generally cost CNY10-30 to rent for a day with CNY200-300 as a deposit.
 

Get in

There are four deluxe pleasure ships, Dayun,Mt. Cangshan, Dujuan, and Haixing, on Erhai Lake. You can embark at Xiaguan Pier and reach many tourist attractions, such as Erhai Park, Mirror Pavilion, Xiaopu Tuo, Jiangwei, and Butterfly Spring.