Southwest China
An ancient city between a lake and a 4,000-metre mountain range, with a working local culture rather than a reconstructed one. Dali has been quietly discovered by travellers who did not want the crowds.
The case for going
The Bai quarter with the 1,000-year-old temple complex behind it.
The long lake east of the city — cycling the north shore road is the classic day.
The mountain wall behind the town, with the Xichan cable car and the old path.
The quieter side of the lake, with the best sunset views.
The Bai textile tradition, worked by hand in the villages.
Small-scale Yunnan coffee, and the road up to the range.
Practical
Highland, mild. Cool and clear in winter, wet in the summer monsoon.
Dali airport (DLU) is 30 minutes from the old town. High-speed rail from Kunming takes about 2 hours, from Lijiang about 1 hour 20 minutes.
Airport. Dali Fengyi Airport (DLU)
Rail. Dali station is a short taxi from the old town.
In pictures
Questions travellers ask
Three days: the old town and the three pagodas, a full day along Erhai Lake's western shore, and the Cangshan foothill villages. Two works on a tighter Yunnan loop.
The old town for the lanes and the night market, or a lakeside village east of Erhai for the sunrise over the water. Both are on the road between Kunming and Lijiang.
Fly into Dali (DLU) or take the high-speed rail from Kunming — under two hours. Dali sits midway on the Kunming–Lijiang–Shangri-La line that most Yunnan routes follow.
Yes — it is the most liveable of the Yunnan old towns, and Erhai at sunrise is worth the early start. Skip only if Yunnan has to fit in five days.
Routes through here
Southwest China
9days
The full Yunnan traverse, done in the right direction: fly into Kunming, climb slowly through the Erhai lakeside and the Naxi old town, and finish on the Tibetan plateau at Shangri-La. Nine days, three cultures, one altitude curve that actually works.
From US$2,450per person
Southwest China
4days
The most photogenic short route in China, and the one that works hardest for it. Four days is enough if you are willing to start early every morning — the karst landscape is at its best in the first two hours of daylight and in the mist after rain.
From US$1,050per person
Combine it with
Where to eat
Where to stay
EDITION · Luxury
EDITION’s Dali outpost on the Erhai side of the Cangshan range: villas and suites rather than towers, with outdoor pools and the brand’s restaurant-and-bar energy.
From US$1,230 per night
Valid to 2026-11-30
