Dali 大理
Old town between Erhai Lake and Cangshan
Good forNature, Culture
Suggested stay2–3 days
Best timeMarch–May and September–November
A Bai-minority area on Erhai Lake below the Cangshan mountains, at about 2,000 m altitude. Visitors come for the walled old town, lake cycling and a slower pace. It sits between Kunming and Lijiang by rail.
Highlights
- Dali Old Town — Ming-era walls and gates
- Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple
- Cycling or e-biking around Erhai Lake
- Cangshan cable cars and the Jade Belt Road walk
- Xizhou village — Bai architecture and Xizhou baba bread
- Shaxi old town, about 2.5 hours away
Food to try
- Rubing (fried goat cheese)
- Xizhou baba (stuffed flatbread)
- Erkuai (rice cakes)
- Sour and spicy fish
Getting there
Dali Airport (DLU) has limited flights; most people take the train. About 2 hours by high-speed train from Kunming; about 1.5–2 hours to Lijiang.
Train times are typical; check current timetables on 12306 or Trip.com.
When to go
Best: March–May and September–November. Avoid or plan for: Rainy season roughly June–August; Golden Week and Chinese New Year crowds.
Good to know
- Altitude is about 2,000 m; take the first day easy.
- Dali Old Town is about 15 km from Dali railway station in Xiaguan; allow 30 minutes by taxi.
Visa notes
- Visa-free entry: citizens of 79 countries can visit China for up to 30 days or more without a visa. Check your passport →
- 240-hour transit: Dali is inside the area you may visit on China's 240-hour visa-free transit (for 57 nationalities, flying on to a third country).