Lijiang in Northwest Yunnan is one of the best destinations in China. It is 500 km (216 miles) away from
Kunming, the provincial capital. Many travelers choose to get to Kunming first (there are many more air routes connecting with other cities and the world), and then continue their trip to Lijiang and other parts of Yunnan.
There are a lot to explore in Lijiang, from the heritage site of
Lijiang Old Town to the mysterious Naxi Dongba culture and the picturesque landscape of snow mountain, alpine lakes, valleys, gorges, etc. In 1998, Lijiang Old Town was inscribed into the World Heritage List by the World Heritage Commission of the UNESCO. The Commission called it 'an exceptional ancient town set in a dramatic landscape which represents the harmonious fusion of different cultural traditions to produce an urban landscape of outstanding quality’.
That explains why more and more visitors travel to Lijiang in recent years. Lijiang’s transportation then has also developed quickly. With the steadily improvement of the transportation network, Lijiang is no longer that remote or desolate and now accessible by air, highways and railways. Travelers also find it is much easier to go to the nearby attractions of Lijiang and the surrounding destinations like Lugu Lake, Baisha Town and Shuhe Old Town.
How to Get to Lijiang
By Highways
Lijiang is favorably located at the junction of Yunnan, Sichuan and Tibet. The highways in Lijiang extend to all directions. Travelers can do a road trip from Kunming to Lijiang easily and smoothly. The 214 national highway passes Lijiang through south to north, which connects Dali and Lijiang.
Currently, Lijiang has four bus stations: Lijiang Passenger Service Center Bus Station, Lijiang Guluba Bus Station, Lijiang high-fast Bus Station and Lijiang Tourism Bus Station. From the bus stations, passengers can take the regular buses to different scenic areas and old towns. Just be noted that the departure time varies a bit in different seasons.
Kunming – Lijiang bus: Passengers can take the regular buses to Lijiang from Kunming West Bus Terminal. The journey time is 6 hours at least. The fare is CNY 188–250. There are sleeper buses, but the vehicle condition is neither clean and tidy nor very comfortable.
Dali – Lijiang bus: Passengers can take the regular buses to Lijiang from Dali Bus Terminal or Dali Noth Bus Terminal. The journey time is around 3 hours. The fare is around CNY50–80.
By Air
Now, there are direct flights to Lijiang from Beijing, Shanghai, Kunming, Xishuangbanna, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Chongqing, Guiyang, etc. If not direct flight to Lijiang from your city, you can make a transfer in Kunming, or fly to Kunming first for a trip, and then take another fight to Lijiang from Kunming.
Lijaing Sanyi International Airportis 28km (15 miles) from downtown Lijiang. After arrival at the airport, passengers can take the airport shuttle bus to get to city center and the old town of Lijiang. The journey time is about 45 minutes.
Main flights in Lijiang
|
Air Line
|
Flight No.
|
Departure
|
Landing
|
Price
|
Stops
|
|
Beijing - Lijiang
|
MU5712
|
14:15
|
19:15
|
2410
|
Kunming
|
|
Shanghai – Lijiang
|
MU5806
MU5818
|
08:35
13:50
16:05
|
13:30
18:50
20:55
|
2430
|
Kunming
|
|
Guangzhou – Lijiang
|
CZ3487
MU5734
|
08:35
12:35
|
12:40
16:45
|
1790
|
Kunming
|
|
Shenzhen – Lijiang
|
ZH9981
MU5760
|
08:30
17:55
|
11:05
21:55
|
1630
|
Direct fight/ Kunming
|
|
Chengdu – Lijiang
|
CA4451
3U8693
CA4265
|
18:30
19:05
20:00
|
19:40
20:15
21:10
|
880
|
Non
|
|
Chongqing – Lijiang
|
3U8677
CA4433
|
20:45
16:25
|
22:00
19:25
|
1000
|
Direct Flight/ Kunming
|
|
Guiyang – Lijiang
|
CZ3649
|
08:20
|
09:40
|
940
|
Direct Flight
|
|
Kunming to Lijiang has about 20 flights each day. The air journey time is about 40 minutes, and the full air fare is about CNY1390.
|
By Railway
In the past, there are not railways in Lijiang. Passengers could only get to Kunming, Dali and Panzhihua by train first and then take bus to Lijiang. But now, the railway connects Lijiang with other cities and towns in Yunnan. The Dali to Lijiang Railway has been an important part of Yunnan to Tibet Railway.
Kunming – Ljiang train: There are usually seven trains running between the two destinations. The train journey time is around 8 – 10 hours. Most of the travelers prefer to take the overnight train and get a sleeper.
Dali – Lijiang Train: Normally there are eight trains daily, departing from early morning to the late afternoon. The train journey time is around 2 hours.
Lijiang Urban Traffic
City Public Bus
Lijiang’s public buses are minibuses, and the fare is charge by distance. It usually cost 1 Yuan to take the minibus. Here are blow are some city buses to the attractions of Lijiang.
Bus No.1 goes from Civil Aviation Station to Lijiang Ancient Town
Bus No.5 runs in a circle to originate and back at Shuhe Ancient Town.
Bus No.6 stops by Yushui Village, Yufeng Temple, Bisha Town and Shuhe Ancient Town
Bus No.7 goes to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain
Taxi
The number of taxi in Lijiang increases rapidly. The flag-down fare is CNY 6 for Charade Taxi, CNY 7 Yuan for Santana Taxi (CNY 11 at night), with an additional charge of CNY1.8 per kilometer beyond 2km.
Bicycle & Motorcycle
The motorcycle and bicycle rent service is quite popular in Lijiang. Motorcycles and bicycles of different types can be rent from the hostels and the Red Sun Square in Lijiang city center. The price for bike is about CNY 20 for a day.
Tips: you are not allowed to ride a motorcycle or motorcycle in Lijiang Ancient Town.
More information about Lijiang:
Lijiang Travel Guide
Lijiang Tours
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