Short answer
The airport itself is easy. Dali Fengyi Airport (DLU) is a small domestic field, and the shuttle bus meets arriving flights and runs into Xiaguan and on to the Old Town. The reported fares are ¥15 to Xiaguan and ¥25 to Dali Old Town, paid on board or at the counter at the arrivals exit.
The complication is that the airport is not near the Old Town. It sits about 12 to 15km from Xiaguan and roughly 28 to 30km from the Old Town by road, so the transfer is a real leg of the journey rather than a quick hop. Allow 40 minutes to an hour and a half depending on traffic and how many stops the shuttle makes.
For most foreign visitors flying long-haul, the smarter option is not to fly into Dali at all. Fly into Kunming Changshui (KMG) and take the high-speed train to Dali Station, which takes two to two and a half hours and costs around ¥145-155 in second class.
Where DLU actually is
Dali Fengyi Airport (大理凤仪机场) is the former Dali Huangcaoba airport, renamed in 2022. It is a 4C regional airport on a plateau at around 2,155m, sitting about 13km southwest of the Xiaguan city centre and roughly 3km from the shore of Erhai Lake on its southeast side. It handles domestic routes only, so it is usable if you are already inside China, not as an international arrival point.
That matters because "Dali" means two places. Xiaguan is the modern city at the southern tip of the lake, with the railway station. Dali Old Town is the walled town 15 to 17km north-west of it. The airport is on the Xiaguan side, so the Old Town is the longer run.
Options at a glance
| Option | Fare | Time | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport shuttle to Xiaguan | Commonly ¥15 | 20 to 30 minutes | Anywhere in the new city, or a hotel near the railway station |
| Airport shuttle to Dali Old Town | Commonly ¥25 | 40 minutes to 1.5 hours | Most visitors, and luggage-friendly |
| Taxi or DiDi to the Old Town | Sources quote ¥60-70 and also ¥80-120 | 40 to 50 minutes | Late arrivals, groups, heavy luggage |
| Taxi or DiDi to Xiaguan | ¥50-80 | 20 to 30 minutes | Early trains, or a night in the new city |
| Fly to Kunming, then train | Flight plus ¥145-155 by rail | 2 to 2.5 hours by rail after the flight | Long-haul arrivals with no direct DLU flight |
The airport shuttle
The shuttle is the default option and it is genuinely convenient. The airport is tiny, so finding it takes a minute: the bus stand is outside the arrivals exit, to the right of the terminal doors.
The inbound route from the airport is reported as airport, airport road, Dali Railway Station, Meideng Hotel, Cangshan Road, Xingsheng Road, Xingsheng Bridge, Dali Road, then the Old Town. One source says the Old Town drop-off is the East Gate rather than the South Gate, so confirm with the driver which gate you are being left at and how far your guesthouse is from it.
Departure times from the airport follow the flights rather than a fixed clock: the first bus leaves shortly after the first arrival of the day, and the last waits for the last arrival. That makes it reliable for arrivals and much less useful for the return leg.
| Direction | Route | Fare | Reported timings |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airport to Xiaguan | Airport road into the city | ¥15 | After first arrival until after last arrival |
| Airport to Old Town | Via Dali Railway Station and the old town approaches | ¥25 | Same window, as flights land |
| Xiaguan to airport | Cangshan Hotel and city pickups | ¥15 | Reported at 07:30, 08:00 and 15:30 daily |
| Old Town to airport | Fenghua Xueyue Hotel city terminal, then Dali Port, then the airport | ¥25 | Reported fixed departures 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00, 18:00 |
Return tickets are sold online through the airport bus platforms, at the airport departures hall and at the city terminal. This service has been retimed more than once, so treat the table above as a starting point and confirm the day before.
Taxi and DiDi
Taxis stand at the airport and meet arrivals, and DiDi works normally here. DiDi is the safer purchase: the fare is fixed before you get in, the destination is in the app, and there is no conversation about price at the kerb. Check the app for a live quote when your flight lands, since the range quoted by different sources for the Old Town run is wide, from around ¥60 up to ¥120.
Two things catch people out. The Old Town core is closed to cars, so every taxi and DiDi drops at a gate and you walk the last stretch. And English street names mean nothing to drivers, so keep your guesthouse address in Chinese on your phone, plus the phone number so the driver can call for directions.
Or skip DLU and come via Kunming
Dali's airport is domestic, so an international arrival means landing in Kunming or another hub first. The question is then whether the last leg is a short domestic flight into DLU or a train.
| Route | Total time after landing | Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kunming Changshui to Dali by high-speed train | Roughly 2 to 2.5 hours on the rails, plus the transfer into Kunming station and onward to the Old Town | Around ¥145-155 second class | Runs through the day and into the evening. The most predictable option. |
| Kunming to Dali by connecting flight | About 40 minutes in the air | Varies widely | Only wins if you ignore check-in, security and the airport transfer at both ends |
| Direct flight into DLU from inside China | Airport transfer is 40 minutes to 1.5 hours on top | Shuttle ¥25 or taxi | Fine for a domestic leg, and the only case where this page's transfer advice matters most |
Either way, the last leg into the Old Town is the same 15 to 17km transfer. Budget an hour from arrival to a guesthouse door and the trip stops feeling rushed.
Practical notes for arrival
- Have payment working before you land. Bind a foreign card to Alipay or WeChat Pay and finish passport verification at home, because the airport bus and DiDi both expect a QR payment.
- Keep a little cash. Shuttle tickets can be bought at a desk, and small notes solve most failures of a phone that will not connect.
- Get data on arrival. An eSIM that activates on landing gives you maps, DiDi and translation immediately rather than after a hunt for a SIM shop.
- Print or screenshot the Chinese address. Hotel name, street, district, phone number. Drivers will use all four.
Frequently asked questions
How far is Dali Airport from the Old Town?
Roughly 28 to 30km by road, or 40 to 50 minutes by taxi. The airport shuttle takes 40 minutes to an hour and a half depending on stops and traffic. From Xiaguan, the airport is only about 12 to 15km.
Is there an airport bus from Dali Airport to the Old Town?
Yes. The shuttle runs from the arrivals exit to Xiaguan for around ¥15 and on to the Old Town for around ¥25, departing as flights land. Confirm which gate you are dropped at, and that your guesthouse is reachable from there.
How much is a taxi from DLU to Dali Old Town?
Sources disagree, quoting anything from about ¥60 to ¥120. Use DiDi so the price is fixed in the app before you get in, or agree the fare before the doors close. Check the app for a live quote when you land.
Does Dali Airport have international flights?
No. DLU is domestic only, with routes typically including Kunming, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guangzhou, Beijing, Shanghai and Xishuangbanna. International visitors land at Kunming Changshui or another hub and travel on by train or connecting flight.
How do I get from the Old Town to the airport?
The shuttle leaves the Fenghua Xueyue Hotel city terminal on a fixed timetable, reported at 07:00, 08:00, 09:00, 10:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 18:00, stopping at Dali Port before the airport, for around ¥25. The operator allows up to 90 minutes for the run, so leave a wide margin or take a taxi for early flights.
Is the airport near the railway station?
Both are in Xiaguan, which is the useful part. The airport is roughly 12 to 15km from the city centre and the railway station is inside the city, so an airport-to-station transfer is short. Sources quote 16km for the airport-to-station run, and the shuttle passes the station on its way to the Old Town, which makes a fly-then-train plan workable.
What time do I need to leave the Old Town for my flight?
Allow an hour and a half for the transfer, since the shuttle route runs up to 90 minutes with stops and traffic, then two hours for check-in and security at peak times. The airport is small and quick to clear, but the road is the unpredictable part.
Should I fly to Dali or take the train from Kunming?
For most trips, the train. Kunming to Dali takes two to two and a half hours, runs all day, and costs around ¥145-155 in second class, with no check-in. A connecting flight takes about 40 minutes in the air but adds airport time at both ends. Fly into DLU when you are already in China and the connection is domestic.
Related reading
Shuttle routes, fares and reported departure times follow Dali airport bus information published by the operator and reported by Chinese news outlets in 2026, which agree on ¥15 to Xiaguan and ¥25 to the Old Town but describe the return timetable differently. Taxi fares to the Old Town are not agreed between sources and are left as a range rather than averaged. The airport's location, elevation and 2022 renaming follow published airport records. Rail times and second-class fares follow Kunming to Dali timetable information from Chinese rail booking platforms. Prices and times change; confirm them on the operator's official channel before you travel.