Lijiang Transportation
Getting There
By Air
Lijiang Sanyi Airport (LJG) locates 28km (17.4 miles) away from the downtown, with an elevation of 2242.6m (7357.6 feet). It connects Lijiang with some other big cities in China, such as Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Shenzhen, Guiyang, Kunming and Xishuangbanna in Yunnan. However, it is more convenient for visitors to reach Kunming first, and then go to Lijiang by air, by train or by bus.
How to get to the airport
1. By shuttle bus: The shuttle bus starts from Lantian Hotel, at 06:30, 07:30, 08:30, 10:00, 11:00, 11:50, 12:30, 13:00, 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, 15:40, 16:20, 17:30, 19:00, 19:30, 19:50, 20:20, 21:20 and 22:00. It takes you about 30 minutes to reach the airport with the price of 15RMB per person.
2. By taxi: It takes you about 50RMB from the downtown to the airport.
By Train
Lijiang East Railway Station, 5km away from the Old Town of Lijiang, is the terminal station of Dali-Lijiang Railway. The following information of railway timetable is for your reference.
Kunming-Lijiang: K9618/K9619 (10:38~19:42) via Dali, K9606/K9607 (22:16~06:33)
Lijiang-Kunming: K9620/K9617 (10:38~20:10) via Dali, K9608/K9605 (22:42~07:06)
How to get to the station
1. By public bus: No13, at cost of 1RMB
2. By taxi: at a cost of 15RMB~20RMB
By Long Distance Bus
Located at the interface of Yunnan, Tibet and Sichuan, Lijiang has a convenient transportation system in all directions. It has four coach stations in the city. More details are as followings.
Lijiang Long Distance Bus Station
Location: South Gate, 2km away from the Old Town of Lijiang, No. 8/11 public bus
It is the largest coach station in Lijiang. Most of the buses start from here.
Lijiang Express Coach Station
Location: Shangri-la Road, 2km away from the Old Town of Lijiang
The buses from here can only go to Kunming, Dali and Shangri-la.
Lijiang Yuhe Coach Station
Location: near the Yuhe River, 300 meters away from the ancient town
Provincial Express Coach Staion
Location: Changshui Road, 2km away from the ancient towm
It only serves buses to Dali and Kunming.
Getting Around
Public City Bus
Most of the public buses in Lijiang are self-serving buses with the ticket fare of 1RMB. There are 12 lines running in the new district of the city, except for the Old Town where any vehicles are not allowed to enter. The followings are some details about these bus lines.
No.1: via Department Store, Lijiang Hotel, aviation building, long distance bus station
No.2: via long distance bus station, posts & telecommunication building
No.3: via long distance bus station, Red Sun Square, Black Dragon Pool
No.4: via Department Store, long distance bus station, Dayan Middle School
No.5: via Department Store, Lijiang Long Distance Bus Station, township government
No.6: via posts & telecommunication building, Red Sun Square, Black Dragon Pool, Baisha Road
No.7: via the forks of the Baisha Murals and Yufeng Temple, Ganhanzi, Spruce Meadow
No.8: via Black Dragon Pool, aviation building, long distance bus station, Department Store
No.9: via Red Sun Hotel, aviation building
No.11: via Heritage Park, aviation building, Department Store, long distance bus station, White Dragon Pool
No.13: via Lijiang East Railway Station, Old Town Parking Lot, Black Dragon Pool
No.16: via aviation building
Besides, 3-8 line is also very convenient and popular with a cost of 1RMB. It is a kind of mini van operating by private operators. The main route includes Zhongyi Market (Old Town), Blue Sky Hotel, Xiangshan Market and Shangri-la Road.
Taxi
Although Lijiang is a small city, taxis are still convenient. The followings are the price just for your reference.
| Types | Flag-down Fare (CNY) | Over 3km (CNY)/km |
| Xiali | 6 | 1.6 |
| Santana | 7 | 1.8 |
In the evening, the price is higher. Don’t forget to bargain for a reasonable price with the driver if you go to a further destination. Additionally, the cost of hiring a taxi for the entire day is about 300RMB.
Bicycle
No vehicles are allowed to enter the Old Town, including bicycles. However, you can hire a bike to travel to nearby villages or some scenic spot. Some hotels or hostels rent bikes to visitors with a cost of 15RMB for a day.
