High-Speed Trains from Kunming to Dali 2026

High-speed train is the most convenient way to get to Dali from Kunming, taking about 2-3 hours. There are many high-speed trains from Kunming to Dali every day from 7:00 to 21:00.

 

There are two main railway stations in Kunming: Kunming Railway Station and Kunming South Railway Station. It’s important to check your departure station carefully before heading out.
 

• Kunming Railway Station is located in the city center, close to popular attractions such as Green Lake Park, Jinma Biji Archway, and Kunming Old Street.
• Kunming South Railway Station is situated in Chenggong District, near Dounan Flower Market, Laoyuhe Wetland Park, and Chenggong University Town.
  
  If you are staying in or exploring the old city area, Kunming Railway Station is usually the more convenient choice. However, if there are no suitable train schedules from the central station, Kunming South Railway Station is also a good option, as it is well connected to the city by metro.
   

1. Booking an original train is easier than booking a passing-by train. You can book a train ticket 15 days in advance at most. It is suggested to book train ticket as early as possible, in case of the availability of hte ticket. There are four ways to book train tickets in China: at the Railway Station, Online booking, Telephone Booking, booking through travel agencies. One can find more about train ticket booking at How to Book China Train Tickets?

2. Generally, the seats on the train in China have tow types including soft seat and hard seat. Also, there are two kinds of sleeper seats on China's trains which are hard sleeper seat and soft sleeper seat. Hard sleeper seats are divided into upper hard sleeper, middle hard sleeper and lower hard sleeper (lower hard sleeper is the best); while soft sleeper seats are divided into upper soft sleeper and lower soft sleeper (lower soft sleeper is better).

 

2. In China, taking a train is a comparative cheaper way to cut down the travel cost. While correspondingly, the comfortable level is lower than by air.
 

Luggage: you need to take the luggages by yourself and keep an eye of them on transporting time, no luggage-checking service on the train

 

Carriage: it may be crowded when in the domestic travel seasons as well as summer holidays.
 

The most crowded seasons in China are Chinese Spring Festival (usually in late Jan or early Feb.), International Labor Day (May 01 to 03) and National Day (Oct 01-07). Spring Festival and the National Day golden week are the most crowded time for travelling. Scenic spots will be full of visitors.

Best Time to Visit Dali:

The best time to visit Dali is right from Mar to Oct, from the early springtime to the mid-autumn period. With a moderate climate, Dali is friendly to tourists who could not quickly adapt the weather in China.  More information about weather and climate in Dali, you can visit Best time to visit Dali.

 

 

Kunming is suitable for travelling throughout the whole year. However, the best time to visit Kunming is from March to October. One can find a lot of Yunnan ethnic celebrations during these times in addition to many fruits and blossoms within this period of time. One can visit Best time to visit Kunming to find out more about weather and climate in Kunming.
 

►More transportation information: Kunming Transportation
► Recommended China to Kunming and Dali:10 Days Yunnan tour to the Lost Horizon (Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Shangri-la-Kunming)