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City in Yunnan, China
Photo: The original uploader was TIY at Chinese Wikipedia., Public domain via Wikimedia Commons
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大理市博物馆
Housed in the former headquarters of Du Wenxiu, the museum includes historical relic exhibitions, traditional courtyard architecture and a stele forest.
普贤寺 Pǔxián Sì
An authentic, non-touristy temple.
洱海湖山庄
There are 17 villages spread along the Western shore of the Erhai Lake between Xiaguan and Xizhou. Take a tour by bike by riding East from Dali Old Town until you reach the lake in Caicun Village and then North beside the lake shore taking local paths and roads. A great opportunity to see village life at its best, meet locals, see the Banyan trees in each village square and admire local architecture. There are 3 Qing Dynasty bridges along the route.
Visit Guanyin Temple and several islands. Go with a group and enjoy a great day out. Boats can be easily arranged as the owners come into town to drum up business and you can see what you are getting from the photobooks they carry. Ferry rides at real stations cost around ¥30. There are signs indicating that fishing boats and paddle boats can't carry tourists, although it is unclear what the definition of tourist is.
蝴蝶泉
A deep blue pool that periodically swarms with countless butterflies, with a legend to go with it: Long ago, a young woman named Wen Gu and a young man named Xia Lang were in love. But the prince took a fancy to Wen Gu and kidnapped her. Xia Lang rescued his beloved, but the soldiers pursued them and, unable to defend themselves, the star-crossed lovers jumped into the deep pond. Early the next morning, out of the pond flew a pair of beautiful butterflies, and then countless butterflies flew to the pond from all over, fluttering and dancing in the air. For many hundreds of years since, the pond has been a gathering point for young men and women to dance, sing, and spend time with the butterflies.
The site also includes a fairly nice hillside park with trees and birds, a small butterfly breeding centre, a Butterfly Museum (蝴蝶管) with hundreds of mounted butterfly specimens, and (the highlight) the "world of butterflies" (蝴蝶世界), a big greenhouse where you can see lots of butterflies flying around. You can pay an extra ¥15 for a ride to the pond on a sort of oversized golf cart, but it's probably not worth it - it's less than a kilometer and a nice walk anyway.
Combine a trip to Erhai Lake with a visit to the Wase Market on the eastern shore of the lake. Wase is a traditional and conservative Bai town with a weekly market aimed at townspeople and nearby farmers. The market offers an interesting look at life in a quiet country town.
Offering one of the best preserved Buddhist structures in China. However, the compounds behind the pagodas were destroyed during the 1920s earthquake and later in the Cultural Revolution and were rebuilt starting in 1986. The Central Pagoda is almost 1200 years old and represents a period when Dali was a Buddhist Kingdom. The Congshen Temple behind the Three Pagodas has been rebuilt and reopened, after deteriorating in the 20th century due to earthquakes, fires and the Cultural Revolution. It is a massive complex that continues far up the mountain, where a climb to the top of the pagodas rewards with a beautiful overlook of Dali Ancient Town and Erhai Lake. Worth a visit for the Tang architecture, numerous golden statues of the Buddha and Guanyin with influences from both India and China, dragon fountains, and two small museum showcases. While you're there, don't miss the eccentrically translated "Shadow Agglomeration Pond" (聚影池), where you can see the reflections of the three pagodas in a very picturesque way. The large rock on a pedestal covered with small holes may be a bit of a puzzle—a hint is that it's called the "Frog Call Stone" (蛙鸣石)
The complex also includes a small but tasty vegetarian buffet, open 11:30 to 13:00, ¥20. The tables have a charming but perhaps slightly self-serving couplet in Classical Chinese: "Thrift is the greatest virtue; luxury is the worst vice."
You can pay extra for a ride up the complex on a sort of oversized golf cart, but it's probably not worth it because the sights are basically all next to each other in a line from the entrance.
Shaping Town offers a lively weekly market with plenty of local color. The market starts early. A great chance to see local farmers out in force and literally watch plenty of horse trading. Not much to buy (unless you are a farmer) but gives you the feeling of life in a small country town.
大理白族自治州博物馆
Worth a visit. It has an extensive collection of exhibits, with half signs are translated into English. The museum grounds are beautiful as well, the exhibits are set around a traditional garden.
喜洲镇
Xizhou has almost 200 national heritage listed private houses dating from the Qing Dynasty. The houses are among the best examples of traditional Qing architecture in China and are exquisitely detailed. Chinese style with local touches. Building craftsmen from Xizhou were famous throughout Southeast Asia and travelled to Vietnam, Myanmar and throughout Southwest China to build and decorate houses. When they made their fortune, they returned to Xizhou to build their own homes. As most of these houses are occupied, you must be on your best behaviour, knock and enter with permission. The best way to see the finest examples are with a local guide as many of the interesting houses are difficult to find. Nonetheless, with a little legwork and good manners you can locate plenty of interesting architecture on your own. The family estate of the Yan clan is preserved as a museum and open to the public, and while an excellent example of the architecture of the very rich is too commercial and compares poorly with more ordinary family homes in the township. Definitely worth a visit for a getaway if you need a break from the more modern Dali Old Town.
Eryuan is a small town next to Cibihu lake. After taking a bus that leaves every hour for ¥13/person from the intersection with 214 National Road near the North Gate market you can get off in Eryuan town or anywhere along the way. If the bus is overloaded the bus driver's assistant will walk past police checkpoints with passengers that didn't have a seat. Cibihu lake is about 3 km downhill from the usual bus stop in Eryuan. Very few motorbikes for hire go to the lake, so if you walk in, expect to walk out.
双廊古村 Shuāngláng Gǔcūn
An old fishing village with many well-preserved buildings, at the northeast shore of Erhai Lake. Lots of restaurants as well as traditional buildings, and access to Yuji Island (玉几岛, accessible by bridge for ¥10) and Nanzhao Island (南诏岛, take the ferry for ¥50).
洱海公园 Ěrhǎi Gōngyuán
A lakeside park in Xiaguan at the southern end of Erhai Lake. It offers views of Erhai and provides access to the nearby Dali Port and sightseeing cruises on the lake.
大理攀岩
20 rock climbing routes have already been bolted (Shuanglang and Binchuan) with potential for hundreds more.
lit. Chicken Foot Mountain
The mountain and its ranges look like a chicken's foot. It's a 2-3 day trip in its own right. The top and slopes are covered in temples, many in a state of disrepair. Some have been restored and have resident monks. This is a difficult hike with the summit at 3200 metres. Be prepared. Or there are horse rides and a cable car that starts halfway up.
米饭和朋友们
Rice & Friends Chinese cooking school offers hands-on Chinese cooking courses, highly rated on tripadvisor. Beautiful open-air setup with mountain views. Authentic and very personal 5-hour cooking experience, including outdoor-market shopping for ingredients, introduction to the theory of Chinese cooking, hands-on preparation of 3 dishes with a recipe booklet to take away and plenty of time for everybody to sit down together and enjoy the meal they cooked themselves.
The guy, that looks like a retired Super Mario with dark sunglasses, reads your palm and gives you an interesting perspective of what happened to you in the past. Won't tell you the future until you explicitly beg for it. Worth the ¥100 he's asking for.
Certainly worth a visit. It is a magical Buddhist haven with giant statues, empty amphitheaters, demon-statues, tea gardens and an artificial beach. One way is to hire a taxi driver form Dali or Xiaguan for the entire day and negotiate a price. The driver can take you to the boat jetty and show you onto the island ferry. You will sail across the lake. Explore the island and come back by boat, where your driver will be waiting to take you to a restaurant for dinner, or temples and bars as you wish. However this is really unnecessary as there is never a shortage of taxi drivers waiting at the ferry and the local bus service is extremely inexpensive and accessible. Buses are lined up and ready to take you back to Dali at an intersection 5 minutes walk down the road leading to the ferry.
下关温泉
This swimming pool is called a hot springs resort because it probably really uses naturally hot water. Other than that it might be a little different from what most people might expect. These days it is a regular, pretty run down swimming pool (one pool on the inside, one on the outside, otherwise identical) with all the spa's (that are still on the price list) being closed. Interestingly there are places to stay in the resort with rooms around ¥280.
李震票务中心
Fluent English speaking with experience in arranging tours around Dali, especially cultural tours like Shaxi day tour and Yi, Bai, Hui minority markets and villages. Air, bus and train ticket booking, hotel and guest house booking.
Spicy cold noodles with chicken strips, very well known locally. There is only one thing to order.
The name literally means Salaam. Delightful eatery serving Dali Muslim food. Pictures are on the walls. Noodles only during breakfast hours while rice dishes are available for the rest of the day. Ask for chicken leg from the back kitchen.
Noodle shop that specialized in Cross-the-Bridge Noodles, a local specialty where a bowl of hot broth is brought to the table, and then the rice noodles and a number of plates with small quantities of other foods is immediately added by the waiter. The menu is all in Chinese, but there are pictures displayed throughout, and ordering should be no problem.
Great place for fresh homemade dumplings. Nine dumplings with sauce just made and freshly steamed only cost ¥3.5.
一然堂
All-you-can-eat vegetarian buffet operated by Buddhists, the choices are usually four different vegetable dishes, soup, rice, and pickled vegetables.
太阳岛; Tàiyángdǎo
A couple of steps away from the main tourist avenues lies this hybrid of Chinese and Japanese culture. This is the place to go for some genuine Japanese food cooked up the Chinese-, Japanese- and English-speaking owner or to relax to some chilled out music. The Japanese crew that manages the place might even throw a Jombei, Didgeridoo, Jews harp party which guests are more than welcome to join in on using any of the plentiful instruments. If the night creeps up on you after to many drinks or smokes then there is also a dormitory for ¥20 a night.
Excellent first floor restaurant. Very good Bai dishes. Nice decor. Cheap and has a narrow balcony great for people watching.
Vegetarian restaurant which serves great food and has a great, laid back atmosphere. The staff are very helpful too and can give you loads of helpful information.
Sichuan food.
Why not try to cook several Chinese dishes? Great time and good food. Several courses available with four dishes in each. Visit the local market to buy all the fresh veggies. Can be booked direct or through several guesthouses in Dali.
红龙井比利时挖福饼; bǐlìshí wāfúbǐng
This small waffle place, which is run by Belgian expat Ruben, offers delicious Belgian waffles, with several toppings available.
Sweet Tooth 甜点屋; Sweet Tooth Tiándiǎnwū
This cafe specializes in pastries and desserts. The cafe is owned and operated by local hard-of-hearing people. Serves delicious and high quality desserts, coffee and milkshakes.
樱花园咖啡; Yīnghuāyuán Kāfēi
Dali's oldest Western cafe. Has a fireplace, great apple pie, pleasant atmosphere and a great rooftop garden. While the menu is a little tired, the breakfast is good, as well as the chocolate cake and the lasagne. Spread over three levels, Cafe de Jack is the largest and most successful of the backpacker cafe/bars in Dali. Very popular with locals and travellers alike. The owners, local brothers Jack and Tim, are often on hand to provide good travel advice.
88号西点店; 88hào Xīdiǎndiàn
This German-style bakery is easy to spot and has a great cake selection visible from the street. Run by a long term German resident, Karine, and is popular with both foreigners and locals.
墨龙咖啡馆 mòlóng kāfēiguǎn
The best coffee, and generous, mouth-watering meals - the wraps (chicken, beef, smoked tofu) are a speciality. A good selection of books to borrow or buy.
大理吉姆和平饭店; Dàlǐ Jímǔhépíng Fàndiàn
Excellent Tibetan goulash, vegetarian or with yak meat. All-you-can-eat banquet for groups of four or more, ¥30 a head. Various other dishes. One of the town's oldest traveller hangouts.
四季客栈; Sìjì Kèzhàn
Great place to meet people and pick up travel tips; the Inn is a major backpacker hangout and people discusses their next expedition over breakfast. Has relocated and no longer provide all-you-can-eat breakfast.
新星比萨房; Xīnxīng Bǐsàfáng
A well-run operation making generous portions of delicious woodfired pizzas, pastas, salads and Chinese dishes at good-value prices. They also have a wide selection of alcoholic beverages. The staff speak English, and there is a travel agent out the back of the three-storey restaurant. Worth a visit.
咖啡
It's the sort of place every neighbourhood would be lucky to have. The staff are friendly, the food thoughtfully composed and prepared. Serves deli style sandwiches and snacks made with high quality ingredients. Has a good selection of imported wine and liquors.
坏猴子; Huàihóuzi
Dali's longest running foreign bar. It is hosted by two well-travelled Englishmen Carl and Scott who entertain guests before the dancing starts later in the evening with a Derek and Clive patter of jokes and one-liners. The Monkey is a magnet to foreign and Chinese travelers (many of whom seem to wander in and never leave), and remains popular with Dali locals. The bar has a pool table, dancing pole, a huge selection of local and imported beers and spirits (and their own pints of various Bad Monkey Beers on tap, made locally at the bar's microbrewery, and regular performances by bands and DJs. Bad Monkey also opens from 09:00 in the morning as a cafe, providing Western breakfasts; Thai, Indian, Chinese and Western cuisine are also available throughout the day.
大理吧; Dàlǐbā
The first flavoured vodka bar in China, owned by Vanessa from Guizhou province. More than 30 flavoured vodkas made by Vanessa and Kiki, beer and cocktails are available too!
太阳岛
A relaxed place owned by A Chun, a friendly woman from Lin Cang. Well worth a visit for a few drinks, well worth a stay in the rooms they have for visitors in the courtyard.
大理攀岩
Boulder bar offers free bouldering, cheap beer, and information on rock climbing around Dali. Also has an organic garden and pool table.
Fēicháng má là tàng
This restaurant/bar makes an evening trip to the south of the lake worth it. They offer extremely kitschy Revolution-era Chinese military and cultural memorabilia decor, as well as one of the most friendly and talkative owners in the area, but the main attraction is the food and booze. Try their various homemade flavoured liquors made from local fruit: the Plum Baijiu is a favourite (梅子酒). The food is unpretentious and delicious local comfort food: recommended are the stir-fried erkuai with peanuts and chives (炒饵块), and dumplings tossed in chili sauce. Vegetarian options are limited, though it's still worth the trip as a strictly drinking place for those coming from the Old Town. This place may be closed and demolished.
On Bo Ai Lu has homemade wine and fruit wines, and needs your help in advising how to blend good wines. Great baked potatoes with tuna fish topping. Owner speaks English and listens to Billie Holiday.
Cangshan Mountainside Cafe
A rustic cafe perched on the slopes of Cangshan Mountain, accessible only by foot via a scenic hiking path. It offers locally sourced coffee and tea with breathtaking, uninterrupted views of Erhai Lake and the Dali Old Town below.
鸟窝
Very comfortable range of rooms from dorm beds, single, double and suite rooms to a private, 3-bedroom courtyard house with kitchen. Free Wi-Fi, 24-hour hot water, chill bar, good pizza and great Greek-style yogurt.
大理乐途国际青年旅舍
A nice, clean hostel with free WiFi at the edge of the old city, less than a 5-minute walk from the 8 bus stop but more like 15 minutes from the main part of the old city. Most guests are Chinese but foreigners are welcome (check-in staff speak English). Bunks and private rooms available.
On the banks of Erhai Lake; there is an enjoyable view of the whole lake from the terrace on the third floor. Located in a Bai village, it is very quiet at night.
This hostel has friendly staff and is clean and pleasant. Courtyard and gardens. There is a large comfortable lounge with two PCs and free internet access, self-catering kitchen, roof terrace with great views and a travel service. The hostel is empty off-season.
清亭国际青年旅
Owned by an experienced hostel staff from Chengdu's mix hostel and her Dutch-American husband. The hostel is inside the ancient city of Dali but far from the noise of the touristic spots. It was opened in 2014. Dorm beds have privacy curtains and extra wide IKEA beds. Cheap beers and large roof top area to smoke and eat BBQ. Suitable for long term stay.
五行客栈, wu xing ke zhan
Facilities include: Staff are fluent in English and Japanese, comfortable rooms, organic food, freshly ground coffee each morning, clean spring water, convenient location (2-min walk to the town), and a beautiful garden area. There are two cute golden retriever dogs. Drinks are also available.
Joker's Guesthouse
This is the Mama Naxi in Dali offering the same services as the one in Lijiang. Clean comfy dorms, double and triple rooms. Quiet, convenient location with friendly, knowledgeable English-speaking staff. Free internet and Wi-Fi. Bike rental. Bus, train and airplane bookings. Discount tickets for local sights. Breakfast and family dinner. There is a nice courtyard to sit and meet other people.
Up in the Cang Mountains behind the Zhonghe Temple at 2600 m altitude, with a spectacular view of the lake and valley. Blissfully peaceful. A short cable car ride away from town. Great food, highly recommended for vegetarians. Booking advised.
The Jade Emu International Guesthouse was built in 2008 and the Jade Roo opened in 2010. The Jade Emu Guesthouse won the Hostelbookers Award for Excellence, 2010 - Top 3 Hostels/Guesthouses in Asia. They are run by Dave (from Australia) and his partner Song (from China). Double, twin/triple share, singles, family suites and dorm rooms available, all are modern, clean and comfortable. Facilities include spacious courtyard and rooftop balcony, Facebook access, pool table, table tennis table, Fussball table, bar/cafe with outdoor home theatre system, free internet (6 PCs including Wi-Fi throughout the buildings), satellite TV, printing/scanning facilities, laundry service and/or free access to a washing machine, electric bike rental, discounted tours. Guests staying for ４ weeks or more are given a 40% discount．
Set up in 2008 and run by Lee's family from Inner Mongolia. It provides quality accommodation for backpackers. Cozy, clean and comfortable. Facilities include local Bai minority courtyard, mosquito-free accommodation, free internet & Wi-Fi, free movie, family dinner 19:00 (book one day ahead), fax/printing/scan, CD/DVD burning, laundry service, bike rental (shimano system), ¥1/min international call and travel agency. English spoken.
Bai style house with six separate apartments each one equipped with living rooms, kitchens and private bathroom. Open sunny courtyard garden. Rooftop entertainment area and chill out room with free movies. Free laundry service, bike rental, comfortable and relaxed atmosphere. Free high speed internet and Wi-Fi. Traveler information and bookings. Staff are fluent in English and Chinese. Discount rates for weekly and monthly stay.
The young English-speaking couple that run Smile Cafe have befriended many a visitors with their laid back attitudes, approachability, and helpfulness. Cheap accommodation with nice rooms, laundry, free internet, hot water, courtyard with sun and table tennis, TV and DVD player.
This may be the best bargain in the area. Free green tea, internet machine, Wi-Fi, 24-hr solar-hybrid hot shower, western-style toilet. Dorms and private rooms available.
Private house to rent with all appliances provided. Discount for socially active tenants (baking cakes, helping in BBQ, painting, etc.) possible.
Very comfortable, clean and well appointed single and double rooms. Relaxed service. Downstairs is the cosy and good cafe & restaurant, Jim's Peace Cafe. They own another more upmarket place called Jim's Tibetan Hotel (see listing below). Owner Jim (a local) is a fluent English speaker and was the first local to start business with foreigners. With his Dutch wife he organizes great daytrips: trekkings, overland to Tibet, etc., can be found on their website. Bookings accepted by e-mail.
This Korean-themed guesthouse is on the Foreign Street very close to the Chinese Construction Bank ATM. The staff is pleasant and well-trained and the manager speaks good English. They have Western toilets. They also provide a quick and free laundry service. Avoid rooms facing the street as they can be quite noisy in the evenings and mornings.
A nice, quiet spot on the East end of Old Town. Its rooftop deck claimsa very nice view of the area. English is spoken here, but the guests are typically Chinese. Affordable and clean.
Nice, inexpensive, quiet option just outside the gates of the old town. The helpful staff speak Korean, Chinese and English and will accommodate most reasonable requests. Rooms on the second floor are pricier than those on the first. Restaurant on the first floor specializes in Korean fare but offers other dishes as well. Rooms are relatively clean.
A guest house and restaurant with a lot of character and atmosphere. Cheap but with mediocre service. Sometimes no air-con. Room types available include singles, doubles, triples, family, and suites. Slow but free internet is provided (wireless or on very slow desktops in the lounge). The restaurant downstairs is good, but a little on the expensive side.
Clean, with friendly English-speaking staff. Doubles with bathtub and electric blankets. The breakfast is good.
Beautiful spacious rooms with colourful handmade furniture. Singles, doubles, 3- and 4-bed rooms and family rooms. Great garden, rooftop bar and terrace. Playground for kids. From ¥280 including breakfast. Same owner as Jim's Guesthouse (see above). Bookings accepted by e-mail.
Dali Garden Bed & Breakfast is not a hotel or guesthouse. In the B&B you are the (local Bai/Dutch) owners' special guest and you can use also private parts of the house, such as the comfortable living room with TV. As you are their guests, service and hospitality have a high priority. The B&B is built in Bai architecture with European influence. The nice decorated guestrooms (doubles on first floor and twins on second floor) have modern Western facilities and an attached spacious bathroom with shower. One double on the third floor has a big terrace and a fantastic view over the village, lake and mountains. The price includes free pickup (with minimum stay of 2 nights) from Dali airport/express bus station, a welcome drink and snack, extensive Western breakfast, Yunnan coffee, tea, free use of bicycles, free Wi-Fi, all the mineral water, soft drinks and Dali beer you need during your stay and travel information.
大理古城兰林阁酒店; Dàlǐgǔchéng Lánlíngé Jiǔdiàn
Spacious rooms with internet access against surcharge. Business center, currency exchange, gift shop, ticket office, massage and sauna available. Chinese restaurant, coffee shop and room service.
In one of Southwest China's most pristine examples of traditional Bai architecture. Developed and managed by an American couple who has been involved in China since 1984, offers 14 upscale double rooms in the completely restored, nationally-protected villa. The centre also has a small museum, two restaurants, a cafe/bar, library, conference rooms, exercise room, and four elegant courtyards full of gardens and outdoor seating.
大理风花雪月大酒店; Dàlǐ Fēnghuāxuěyuè Dàjiǔdiàn
Five-star hotel in Bai architecture style. Very large rooms with free internet. Business center, currency exchange, gift shop, beauty salon, ticket office, karaoke, night club, billiards, table tennis, fitness, tennis, massage and outdoor swimming pool available. Chinese and Western restaurants as well as coffee shop and bar. The hotel comes with everything you can expect from a Chinese five star hotel, but lacks something in taste, service and Western breakfast compared to what you will find in larger cities.
By train
High-speed trains leave from Kunming and Kunming South railway stations to Dali station (in Dali New City) every 30 minutes, and take two hours to reach Dali, running at speeds of up to 200 km/h.
By plane
There are no airport busses. Taxis are waiting but cannot always be trusted to take you to the guesthouse or hotel you want to go to as they get commission at a lot of hotels.
Choose an airport to see hotels, stations, taxi ranks and car rental desks around it.
Dali (Xiaguan) · Regional · DLU
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