Not as pretty as Lijiang, but more easy-going, wider food selection. More

Too many shops selling the same things, and a grid pattern, so not as interesting as it could be, unless you find the market, church, and older buildings. More

We came to Dali after spending a few nights in Lijiang/Shuhe and were rather disappointed. The old city is very small and rather crowded with Mainland tourists/foreign hippies... More

Some really nice buildings but most were selling the same stuff you get in every tourist place in China. The Bai tours guides with their loud speakers were a problem when you tried to sit in a cafe for a meal. More

Dali has become a major destination for Chinese travelers, so the center of the old town is full of souvenir shops and cafes that cater to them, but the town is still quaint, and the wares sold by many of the shops are quite lovely. The old embroidered fabrics and silver jewelry are particularly nice (and a great deal). The... More

It is like some many of the tourist places in China, a whole bunch of shops all selling the same rubbish, over priced cafes and a mass of people all pushing and pushing. some good bars in the bar area at night with live shows and music. go if your there but don't stay to long More

It's a nice city to wander around, albeit a little touristy. There's a nice atmostphere. Get's very crowded, particulaly around public holidays. Lot's of nice cafes and restaurants; good for food that is hard to get in other places in mainland China. More

Well theres both ups and downs to this part Dali. First of all its very, very crowded with chinese tourists and the prices are generally on the very high side. Also a lot of the city looks like its no more than 3 years old. Very pretty architecture - mix of modern and chinese, but its OLD CITY... Not much... More

Along the road you could see the high walls of the Old City. You walk through the front gate just like what you see in the Chinese movies. Inside are all old fashion buildings and stalls selling modern things. Its really worth a look if you're in town. We probably spend 2 hours in there. The most enjoyable part is... More