Car hire and driving in Dali
Driving distances to the cities around, the rules that change at the border, and where to compare rental prices.
In China traffic drives on the right. Picking up at DLU means 13 km (8 mi) into the centre before the trip starts. The emergency number is http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648823 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q25648851 / http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q2807090.
Drives from Dali
| Route | Country | Distance | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dali to Xiangcheng | China | 38 km (23 mi) | about 34 min |
| Dali to Baoshan | China | 118 km (73 mi) | about 1 h 48 min |
| Dali to Lushui | China | 138 km (86 mi) | about 2 h 6 min |
| Dali to Lijiang | China | 143 km (89 mi) | about 2 h 11 min |
| Dali to Chuxiong | China | 147 km (91 mi) | about 2 h 15 min |
| Dali to Jianshui | China | 178 km (110 mi) | about 2 h 42 min |
| Dali to Tengyue | China | 183 km (114 mi) | about 2 h 47 min |
| Dali to Panzhihua | China | 187 km (116 mi) | about 2 h 51 min |
| Dali to Longling County | China | 189 km (118 mi) | about 2 h 53 min |
| Dali to Lincang | China | 190 km (118 mi) | about 2 h 54 min |
| Dali to Anning | China | 240 km (149 mi) | about 3 h 40 min |
| Dali to Majie | China | 251 km (156 mi) | about 3 h 50 min |
| Dali to Chongqing | China | 766 km (476 mi) | about 11 h 41 min |
| Dali to Chengdu | China | 680 km (422 mi) | about 10 h 22 min |
| Dali to Guangzhou | China | 1,348 km (838 mi) | about 20 h 34 min |
| Dali to Shenzhen | China | 1,446 km (899 mi) | about 22 h 3 min |
| Dali to Wuhan | China | 1,485 km (923 mi) | about 22 h 39 min |
| Dali to Xi’an | China | 1,278 km (794 mi) | about 19 h 29 min |
| Dali to Dongguan | China | 1,400 km (870 mi) | about 21 h 21 min |
| Dali to Foshan | China | 1,339 km (832 mi) | about 20 h 25 min |
Distances are straight-line; road and rail routes run about 15–25% longer. Times are estimates from distance and typical speeds, not timetables.
Where to compare car hire
We take no bookings for these providers and hold no reservation with them. The provider you choose handles payment, confirmation, changes and refunds. How that works.
Common questions
Which side of the road do they drive on in Dali?
The right, as everywhere in China.
How are the journey times on this page worked out?
From straight-line distance and typical speeds for each mode, so they are estimates for planning, not timetables. Road and rail routes run 15–25% longer than the straight line.
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.