How to Spend a Few Days in the Old Town of Dali, Yunnan

Beautiful Yunnan province in southwestern China is considered by many as the most diverse region in the country in terms of culture and scenery. If you’re heading to this part of China, you should really include the old town of Dali on your itinerary.

Beautiful and laid-back, Dali in Yunnan province is one of the best places to visit in China. If you’re looking for relaxed vibes, interesting cultural sights to see and a few things to do, then you’ll love Dali.

Wedged between the Canshan mountains on one side and Erhai Lake on the other, Dali has a spectacular setting. Lakeside Dali has a reputation as some sort of backpacker haven, yet we could probably count the foreign tourist we had seen with our fingers. It’s very popular with Chinese tourists though, but not nearly on the same level as Lijiang, Yunnan’s main tourist draw.

How to Get to Dali Old Town

Dali is a popular stopping point between Kunming and Lijiang. Staying in Dali Old Town for at least one night will be well worth your while. The train from Kunming gets you to Dali station. That’s not where you want to be.

Modern Dali is just like most other Chinese cities with little to offer foreign visitors. Old Town Dali is where you want to be.

Bus number 8 (3 RMB) will take you from Dali railway station to the old town in about an hour. Get off at the Feng Hua Xue Yue Hotel bus stop. It’s a short walk from there to the gate into Dali old town.

The nearest international airport is in Kunming, with connections to the rest of China and South East Asia. The most convenient way to reach Dali from Kunming is by fast train. Trains leave Kunming every half hour throughout the day and take about 2 hours to reach Dali. Tickets cost about RMB 150.

To get to Lijiang, catch a bus from the North Bus Terminal in Dali New Town. The journey takes about 3 hours and costs RMB 60. Ask at your hotel or to help you buy the ticket in advance. Lijiang is also the gateway to hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge, China’s most spectacular hike.

There is now also a fast train running between Dali and Lijiang. The trip takes under 2.5 hours and there are usually two trains per day.

>>Book your train tickets to and from Dali<<

Things to Do in Dali Old Town

There isn’t a whole lot to do in Dali other than wandering the streets of the old town inside the city wall. That and eating lots of delicious food. Yunnan is famous for its mushrooms and you’ll see them displayed in all shapes and sizes as you explore the old town. We had a very good wild mushroom hotpot one night.

Four ornate gates, North, East, South and West, lead into the old town and help you find your bearings around town. Inside the walls, you’ll find countless traditional houses turned into bars and restaurants, temples and even a catholic church. 

We stumbled on the catholic church which was built in 1927 by French and Swiss missionaries not knowing that it was indeed a church. From the outside, it looks like an ornate Chinese temple. On the inside, though it’s definitely a European styled church.

See Erhai Lake by E-scooter

One full day is more than enough to see the old town of Dali. On the second day get yourself an electric scooter and head out for a lovely drive along the shore of Erhai lake.

Many places in town have these for rent by the day. We arranged from our guesthouse to have one delivered right to our doorstep. One of these e-scooters will cost you RMB50 per day.

So after a breakfast basket of steamed Hangzhou dumplings and spicy beef noodles (breakfast of champions if you ask me), we jumped on our ridonkeylous Minion scooter and hit the road.

Our trip would take us out of the city to the Three Pagodas and on toward Erhai lake through numerous villages and surrounding farmland.

Three Pagodas of Dali

The Three Pagodas of Dali are one of China’s most iconic sites and are famous for their beauty, size and age. These pagodas are some of the best-preserved Buddhist monuments in China today. Sitting at the foot of the mountains, just 2 km outside the North Gate, the setting of these pagodas is spectacular. Especially so first thing on a crisp winter morning. 

The tallest of the pagodas was built some 1200 years ago during the Tang dynasty. This 16-tiered brick pagoda, flanked by two smaller ones stand 70 meters tall. The surrounding gardens are peaceful and quite spectacular too, and the ponds with the reflections of the pagodas make for great photography.

Entrance fee to the Three Pagodas complex is a steep RMB 120, but we feel that it’s well worth it. This is the only place in Dali where we had to pay an entrance fee.

Lake Erhai, Xizhou & Haishe Park

After spending a few hours at the pagodas jump back on your scooter and follow the main road towards the lake. We didn’t take a set route, and just kind of rode wherever our ridonkeylous freedom machine took us. Along the way, we passed through several picturesque villages, bought fresh strawberries from the farmers, and had tea at one of the many lakeside cafes.

We followed the signs to the village of Xizhou which is a protected village dating from the Qing dynasty. Xizhou is a collection of old traditional houses surrounded by farmland and is very picturesque. 

Just after Xizhou is Haishe Park which is another scenic part of Erhai lake. Entrance is free and there are a few cafes where you can get something to eat and drink. This is where we turned around and headed back to Dali. Haishe Park is about 20 km from Dali, and we thought that we would be back in Dali in about an hour. We were wrong. 

Halfway back to Dali our freedom machine ran out of electricity. We didn’t need to explain our predicament to the friendly farmers who spoke not a word of English. They simply pointed in a direction which we followed and after a not-so-short while we reached a charging station. We sat on empty buckets for about an hour and watched as our little Minion regained its power.  

It’s quite easy to see Dali on your own. However, like elsewhere in China, communication can be difficult at times. We recommend getting a guide and driver if you’re intimidated by the language but still want to experience the best of Dali.

Where to stay in Dali Old Town

Yunhu Inn is where we called home while in Dali. Located just outside the East gate to Dali Old Town, Yunhu is a great place to stay. It’s a short walk from where the bus from the train station drops you, and very close to the entrance to the old town.

The owner speaks no English, but she has a very handy app on her phone that translates as she is speaking. Communication was no problem at all. She helped us to get an E-bike delivered to our door, and helped to book bus tickets to Lijiang.

There is no breakfast, but the little place around the corner does killer steamed dumplings and other stuff for breakfast.

Check prices and availability

Dali is a wonderful place to spend a few days while you are in Yunnan province. Old town Dali is very walkable and you can see most of the old town in a day. You want to stay longer though for the laidback atmosphere, good weather (even in the middle of winter) and good food. 

And that’s what you do in Dali, Yunnan

If you have any questions about your trip to Dali, or Yunnan in general, drop us a message below, and we’ll try our best to help.