大理
Dali
Dali sits between Erhai Lake and the Cangshan range, and people who came for two days stay for two weeks. Cycle the lake, walk the mountain, do very little.
At a glance
- Stay
- 3–5 days
- Best seasons
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Airports
- Rail or road access
- Region
- Southwest China
Chaimaa Lkhaili · Owned / licensed upload
Places to begin
Make the city tangible.
洱海
Erhai Lake loop
Cycle or scooter the lake road through the villages. A full day, or two easy ones.
崇圣寺三塔
Three Pagodas
Tang dynasty pagodas against the mountain. The classic Dali view.
喜洲古镇
Xizhou village
Bai merchant houses, a morning market, and baba flatbreads from the griddle.
大理古城
Dali Ancient City
Dali Ancient City occupies a gridded settlement between Cangshan and Erhai, shaped by Ming-era rebuilding over the deeper history of the Nanzhao and Dali kingdoms. Gates, surviving courtyards, religious buildings and everyday streets are more informative than the busiest commercial strip. Its value lies in using the town as a base for reading the region's Bai culture and layered political history.
苍山
Cangshan Mountain
Cable car up, then the flat Cloud Traveller's Path along the ridge.
Local snacks
Taste the city, one dish at a time.
These cards describe dishes, not restaurants. Images are added only after their license and attribution are verified.
Milky, lightly tangy and crisp or chewy by preparation
Bai Milk Fan
乳扇
Fresh cow's milk is set with a souring agent, stretched into thin sheets and dried over bamboo frames. The Bai dairy speciality may be grilled or fried and served plain, sweetened or rolled with fillings.
Try a small portion first and confirm the cooking oil and fillings; it is a dairy food rather than a shelf-stable souvenir in every form.
Flaky and rich; sweet or savory
Xizhou Baba
喜洲粑粑
A layered wheat flatbread from Xizhou is baked or griddled with lard or oil and sweet or savory fillings. The crisp outer layers and soft centre make it a practical market snack rather than a generic steamed rice cake.
Eat warm and ask whether lard or meat is used if dietary restrictions matter.
Chewy, rice-fragrant and sauce-driven
Dali Erkuai
大理饵块
Cooked rice is pounded into a dense, flexible sheet or cake, then grilled, stir-fried or sliced into soup. Street versions are often wrapped around savoury sauces, vegetables and optional meat.
Choose fillings explicitly and eat fresh before the rice sheet firms as it cools.
Tangy, savoury, garlicky and optionally spicy
Cold Chicken Rice Noodles
凉鸡米线
Cool rice noodles are tossed with shredded chicken, soy seasoning, vinegar, garlic, chilli and local pickled vegetables for a refreshing but strongly seasoned Dali snack.
Request less chilli if needed and choose a busy vendor that keeps cooked chicken and cold ingredients properly chilled.
City essentials
The practical details, when you need them.
Places and local food come first. Open these notes for context, arrival and neighbourhood advice.
Overview+
GUANGXIHAINANCHONGQINGSICHUANDali
The old town is a Bai walled town with a backpacker layer on top. It is pleasant, but the reason to come is the landscape: the lake to the east, the 4,000-metre ridge to the west, and villages of white-walled Bai houses in between.
Rent a bike or scooter and ride the lake road through Xizhou and Shuanglang. Take the cable car up Cangshan and walk the Cloud Traveller's Path. Eat rushan cheese from a stick.
Yunnan runs on Beijing time but sits far to the west, so sunsets come late. Evenings are long and the light is famous.
Getting there+
**Dali (DLU)** has flights from Kunming and the big cities. Trains from Kunming take about two hours to **Dali** station in the new town (Xiaguan), then a 30-minute bus or taxi to the old town. Lijiang is two hours north by train.
**Rail tip.** Your passport is your ticket. Book on 12306 or [Trip.com](/go/trip?to=trains&from=city-rail), then go straight to the gate. See [Getting around](/guides/getting-around). The Trip.com link earns us a small commission at no cost to you ([how that works](/about#affiliate)).
**Stay online.** Google, WhatsApp and Instagram are blocked on Chinese networks; a travel eSIM that roams gets around it. Install one before you fly — [Saily](/go/saily?from=city-esim) takes US$5 off a first plan with the code **CHINA**. See [Staying online](/guides/staying-online). The code earns us the same amount in Saily credits, at no cost to you ([how that works](/about#affiliate)).
Where to stay+
Old town
大理古城
Walkable, sociable, a little touristy. Fine for a first night.
Guesthouses in every lane. Renmin Road is the café strip; the quieter courtyards are north and west of it.
first visitcafésconvenience
Xizhou
喜洲
A Bai village of merchant mansions among the fields.
Twenty minutes north of the old town. Restored courtyard houses to stay in, a morning market, and the famous baba flatbreads.
architecturequietfood
Shuanglang and the east shore
双廊
Lakeside guesthouses with the mountains across the water.
Boutique inns stacked on the shore. Views are the point; it is a longer trip to anything else.
lake viewssunsets
**Booking.** Compare hotels in Dali on [Trip.com](/go/trip?to=hotels&city=dali&from=city-stay), filtered to its China travel essentials list: English-speaking staff, foreign cards, guest rating 8 or higher. See [Where to stay](/guides/where-to-stay). Booking through this link earns us a small commission at no cost to you ([how that works](/about#affiliate)).