The first thing to know about Dali is that the "Dali" you arrive at from Kunming is probably not the one you intend to visit!! There are two "Dalis"; Dali City, officially known as Xiaguan is where most buses pull in. The Dali known as a backpackers paradise with cheap beer, music and guesthouses is another 12km away from Xiaguan. Locals like to call that area "the ancient town" or Dali Gucheng. Most visitors arrive in Xiaguan first and then continue on to the real Dali. Xiaguan is also the place most organized tours stay for the night before or after a day tour to Dali.

XIAGUAN
By Air: Xiaguan is 380km northwest of Kunming. There is a daily flight from Kunming to Xiaguan and there are also some other limited regional flights. But one thing to note is that the flights to and from Xiaguan may change according to seasons, and during peak seasons there may be more Kunming-Xiaguan flights.

Xiaguan airport is 15km east of the city center. For most travel services, look in Xiaguan. Unfortunately, there are no public buses running to the airport, since the airport is not frequently used. Although sometimes the airport has a shuttle bus running between the city and the airport, the bus does not run on a regular basis. The best way to get away from the airport to the city is by taking a taxi. This costs around RMB35 and takes 30 minutes.

Ticketing: On the main road of Xiaguan,Jianshe Lu, most of the hotels and travel agents have ticketing services.

Air Schedule:

Flight	Availability	Flying Time	Fare
Kunming -- Dali	1234567	0.5 Hour	340
Dali -- Xishangbanna	1234567	1 Hour	520