Short answer
Dali has no metro and no tram. The city runs on buses, DiDi and taxis, and most visitors spend their whole trip on the 15 to 17km stretch between Xiaguan and Dali Old Town. Bus 4 and bus 8 do that run for around ¥2 in 40 to 70 minutes; a taxi or DiDi does it in 30 to 40 minutes for roughly ¥40-60.
Everything else is along the lake. Cai Village sits just north of the Old Town, Xizhou further up the western shore, Shuanglang on the far side of Erhai. Buses and minibuses leave from Dali North Bus Station, and scooter or bicycle hire is how most people see the shoreline.
Plan around two facts: the distances along the lake are bigger than they look on a map, and the last few hundred metres into the Old Town are on foot because cars cannot enter it. Any transport plan that assumes a door-to-door drop-off will fail on that second point.
The places, and how they connect
| Place | What it is | Getting there |
|---|---|---|
| Xiaguan (下关) | The modern city at the lake's southern tip; railway station, long-distance buses, airport side | Buses 4 and 8 to the Old Town; DiDi and taxis throughout |
| Dali Old Town (大理古城) | The walled town under the Cangshan range, where most visitors stay | Pedestrian core; vehicles stop at the gates |
| Cai Village pier (才村码头) | The nearest lakeshore to the Old Town, with a pier and boat services | A short ride north-east of the Old Town; walkable in about 1.5 hours if you want the exercise |
| Xizhou (喜洲) | Bai market town with the old courtyard houses and the famous bakery | Minibuses from Dali North Bus Station, or a hired scooter or car |
| Shuanglang (双廊) | Lakeside village on the east shore, looking back at Cangshan | Buses and minibuses from Dali North Bus Station; a long scooter day or a hired car |
Xiaguan to Dali Old Town
This is the transfer you will make at least twice. Sources put the road distance at 15km, 17.5km and 20km depending on what each one measures, with the local tourist transport centre quoting about 17km from the railway station to the Old Town.
| Option | Fare | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bus 8 | ¥2 | 40 to 70 minutes | Leaves from the railway station plaza to the Old Town east gate and north gate. Reported roughly every 10 to 15 minutes, about 06:30 to 20:30 or 21:00. |
| Bus 4 | ¥2 | 40 to 70 minutes | The other half of the same pair; both run from Xiaguan to the Old Town. Older guides still quote the old ¥1.5 fare. |
| Three Pagodas special line | City bus fare | Around 50 minutes | Reported as about 32 stops from the railway station towards the south gate area. Slow but direct. |
| Tourist direct bus | Reported at ¥5 and also ¥15 | 35 to 45 minutes | Sold at a counter at the station exit. Sources disagree on the fare, so check at the counter. |
| Taxi or DiDi | ¥40-60 | 30 to 40 minutes | DiDi fixes the fare in the app and takes the destination in Chinese. The cleaner option with luggage. |
Taxis, DiDi and what they cannot do
DiDi operates across Dali, has an English interface, and takes a foreign card once your payment is set up. Taxis are metered and easy to find in Xiaguan, at the railway station and around the Old Town gates. Late at night the supply thins out, and a guesthouse receptionist can usually get a car faster than the street can.
Inside the Old Town nothing with an engine goes. Cars, taxis and tourist carts stop at the gates, so every arrival and departure ends with a walk on cobbles. Guesthouses deal with this all day and will meet you at the gate or send a location pin if you ask before you arrive.
Scooters and bicycles
Hiring a scooter or a bicycle is the standard way to see the shoreline. Hire shops sit in the Old Town, in Cai Village, Xizhou and Shuanglang, and the daily rate is set by the shop according to the machine and the battery range promised, so agree both before paying and check the brakes yourself.
- Battery range is the whole question. The Old Town to Xizhou and back is fine on a decent scooter. The full lake circuit is not, on the same battery.
- Traffic. The lakeshore ring road carries cars, tour coaches and farm vehicles. Ride as far right as the surface allows and expect to be overtaken closely.
- Rules. Riding into the pedestrian lanes of the Old Town is not practical; park at a gate and walk in. Carrying a passport copy is a reasonable habit if a roadside check happens.
The Erhai loop and the lake villages
Erhai is the reason transport matters here. The ring road circles the lake and joins the villages, but the distances are real: Cai Village is a short hop from the Old Town, Xizhou is a further run north, and Shuanglang is a half-day trip rather than a detour.
| Destination | Options | Time (approx.) | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cai Village pier (才村码头) | Bicycle, scooter, DiDi; walkable at a push | 10 to 20 minutes by road | Metered, or walk free |
| Xizhou (喜洲) | Minibus from Dali North Bus Station; scooter; hired car | 40 to 60 minutes by road | Bus fare, or a metered ride |
| Shuanglang (双廊) | Bus or minibus from Dali North Bus Station; hired car | 1.5 to 2 hours by road | Bus fare, or a negotiated car |
| Full lake circuit | Hired car with a driver, or a scooter with a swap | A full day | Agree the price before setting off |
Dali North Bus Station is the one to remember for the villages. It sits about halfway between the railway station and the Old Town, at the junction of Heqing Road and Putuo Road, with buses 8 and 9 passing it, and it is where the mid-sized buses leave for Xizhou, Shuanglang, Shaxi and the wider prefecture. Schedules shift with the season and with demand, so confirm what is running on the day rather than relying on a timetable from a blog.
Boats are the other way onto the water, from the Cai Village pier and from Dali Port on the Xiaguan side, usually sold as a package with a bus pickup. Fares and times vary by operator and season, so check the official channel or ask at the pier.
Practical notes
- Set up payment first. Bus fares, DiDi and scooter hire all work by QR code through Alipay or WeChat Pay with a foreign card verified in the app.
- Use a Chinese map app. Amap or Baidu Maps has Dali's bus lines and stop names; Google Maps does not work reliably in mainland China.
- Keep the address in Chinese. Guesthouse name, street and phone number. An English name is not usable by a driver or a bus conductor.
- Altitude and sun. The Old Town sits around 1,900m and the lake shore is bright at that height. Water and a hat are transport equipment here.
- Timetables move with the season. Bus frequency, the tourist lines and the lake boats all change in low season and around public holidays.
Frequently asked questions
Does Dali have a metro or subway?
No. Dali has no metro and no tram, and there is no line under construction that changes this for a visitor. Buses, DiDi, taxis and hired scooters do all the work.
How far is Xiaguan from Dali Old Town?
Sources give 15km, 17.5km and 20km depending on the exact start and end points, with the local tourist transport centre quoting about 17km from the railway station. Bus 4 or 8 takes 40 to 70 minutes for around ¥2; a taxi or DiDi takes 30 to 40 minutes for roughly ¥40-60.
Which bus goes from the railway station to the Old Town?
Bus 8 leaves the station plaza for the Old Town gates for around ¥2, running roughly every 10 to 15 minutes from about 06:30 to 20:30 or 21:00. Bus 4 covers the same corridor from the Xiaguan side. The Three Pagodas special line is a slower alternative.
How do I get to Shuanglang or Xizhou without a car?
Take a minibus from Dali North Bus Station, which sits between the railway station and the Old Town. Buses from there serve Xizhou, Shuanglang, Shaxi and other towns in the prefecture. Schedules change with the season, so confirm the day's departures locally.
Can I ride a scooter around Erhai Lake?
Part of it, yes. The Old Town to Xizhou and back is a comfortable scooter ride on a good battery. The full lake circuit is a long day with traffic and is better done in a hired car with a driver. Agree the rate and the range with the shop before paying.
Can a taxi drop me at my guesthouse in the Old Town?
No. The Old Town core is pedestrian only and vehicles stop at the gates. Ask the guesthouse to meet you or send a location pin, and expect a walk of several minutes over cobbles with your bags.
How do I pay for buses in Dali?
Scan the QR code at the fare box with Alipay or WeChat Pay, or use coins. Drivers do not give change and do not sell tickets, so having payment set up before you arrive saves a lot of fumbling.
Related reading
Bus numbers and the ¥2 fare for buses 4 and 8 follow Dali public transport information published by city bus sources and independent transport guides, which agree on the fare but differ on journey times between 40 and 70 minutes. Distances between Xiaguan and the Old Town are quoted as 15km, 17.5km and 20km; the disagreement is left intact rather than averaged. The location of Dali North Bus Station and the towns served from it follow published bus station information. Scooter and bicycle rates are set by individual shops and are not quoted as figures here. Road journey times outside the bus tables are estimates from distance and normal traffic. Confirm fares, schedules and boat services on the operator's official channel before you travel.