Getting Around

With a good public bus system and great Old Town streets for strolling or cycling, getting around town is not a big problem. Cars are not allowed in Old Town but taxis are available in the rest of the city, starting at 6 RMB. Bike rentals are around 15 RMB a day.

Bus

There are three bus stations in Lijiang. The main terminal lies at the southern end of Minzhu Lu with another station near Old Town. The express bus station is on Shangri Dao. Travelers can buy bus tickets at any of the stations but need to check the ticket to see which station the bus leaves from. Buses run regularly to surrounding areas. See list below for price and travel times to selected destinations.

Kunming via Dali: Several buses travel back and forth between Kunming and Lijiang via Dali. The trip totals 10 hours. Sleeper buses cost 120 RMB and express buses 150-180 RMB.

Panzhihua, Sichuan: Bus trip takes eight hours to Panzhihua in Sichuan Province. The tickets cost 40 RMB for regular buses and 60 RMB for sleeper buses.

Shangri-la/Zhongdian: Prices for the five-hour scenic drive range from 27-50 RMB. The bus passes through Qiatou, allowing access to Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Lugu Lake: The drive totals five hours to Lugu Lake, passing by the Yi villages. Tickets cost from 40-60 RMB.

To and from Lijiang

Air Several domestic flights a day from Lijiang Airport, 25 km (15 miles) outside the city, accommodate the city's growing number of travelers. Direct flight destinations include Kunming, Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing and Jinghong.