Kunming to Dali by train in 2026: stations, journey times and fares

Kunming to Dali by train: the short answer

Take a high-speed train (D, C or G series) from either Kunming station (昆明) or Kunming South station (昆明南). Every train in the 12306 result for 14 October 2026 arrived at one station in Dali, printed as Dali(大理). On that date daytime trains took 1h55m to 2h47m, and second-class seats cost ¥105 to ¥123 with a discount label and ¥145 to ¥155.5 without one. On the 12306 results page many of these fares carried a discount label (such as '21% off'), so the full fare for that seat is higher, and fares vary by train and date. Trains, times and fares change by date, so search your own day on the 12306 English site.

You buy with your passport. The one choice that needs care is which Kunming station to leave from, and the next section works through it.

Kunming or Kunming South: which station do I leave from?

Both stations have trains to Dali. The one that matters is the station printed on your ticket. A ticket marked 昆明 (Kunming) is for Kunming station. A ticket marked 昆明南 (Kunming South) is for Kunming South. They are different stations, so check before you head out.

A report from the line's opening in July 2018 describes them like this. Kunming station is also called Nanyao station and sits at No. 1 Beijing Road. Kunming South is in Chenggong new district, at Wujiaying. That is a 2018 description, so it tells you where the stations are, not which trains use which one today. Our Kunming railway stations page covers getting to each.

Here is what the 12306 result for Kunming to Dali on 14 October 2026 showed for each Kunming station. 12306 lists a train once for every Kunming station it stops at, under two different train numbers with the same arrival time, so 42 trains are counted in both rows below. The page shows 99 rows, but they are 57 different trains.

So the two stations mostly share the same trains. Each of the 42 trains in the Kunming South row left Kunming South first and Kunming station 22 to 30 minutes later, under a different train number, and reached Dali at the same minute. D8653 at 06:50 from Kunming South, for example, is the same train as D8652 at 07:13 from Kunming station. That is why daytime trips from Kunming South took 2h18m to 2h47m, against 1h55m to 2h24m from Kunming station: you are on board longer. The other 15 trains left from Kunming station only, and no Dali train left from Kunming South alone. Overnight sleepers are left out of these ranges. This is one date, not a rule, so check both stations for your own day on 12306.

How long is the train from Kunming to Dali?

On 14 October 2026, about two hours at best and a little under three at worst for daytime trains. The shortest was 1h55m (D8652). The longest daytime trip was 2h47m (D8739, from Kunming South); the same train, listed as D8738 from Kunming station, took 2h24m.

You may see older numbers online. When the Kunming-Chuxiong-Dali railway opened on 1 July 2018, the national railway administration said the line was 328 km long, ran passenger trains at 200 km/h, and cut the Kunming to Dali time from the then-fastest 5h21m to about 2 hours. A report on the opening gave 21.5 pairs of EMU trains between Kunming and Dali and a fastest time of 1h52m. Those are opening-day figures, not today's timetable.

How many trains a day go from Kunming to Dali?

The 12306 result for 14 October 2026 came to 57 trains: 39 D, 11 C, 5 G and 2 Y. The page shows 99 rows, because 42 of those trains are listed twice, once from each Kunming station. That is the count for that date only. This page has no train counts for other days.

The timetable has also changed recently. Under the new third-quarter 2026 diagram, which started on 1 July 2026, a Yunnan railway notice (reprinted by the Baoshan government) lists new EMU services including Kunming South to Dali, 12 new trains in the province in all. It says that between 07:00 and 09:00 the Dali to Kunming direction runs 5 daily EMU trains, 2 more than before. After 19:00 the Kunming to Dali direction runs 6 daily EMU trains, 3 more than before. The notice gives no train numbers, times, durations or prices for the new Kunming to Dali trains. It also does not say which Kunming station the extra trains use.

How much is a Kunming to Dali train ticket?

These are the prices 12306 showed for 14 October 2026, in yuan. Where a percentage follows a fare, the page printed that discount label next to it; fares without one had no label.

On that date, D-train second-class fares were higher from Kunming South than from Kunming station: ¥155.5 against ¥145 without a label, and ¥119.5 against ¥109 with a label. On the same train, too, the Kunming South fare was higher: second class cost ¥155.5 on D8739 from Kunming South and ¥145 on D8738 from Kunming station. Some trains also sell VIP or business-class seats at higher prices. Standing tickets were priced the same as second class. Prices can differ on other dates.

Earliest and latest Kunming to Dali trains: is a day trip possible?

On 14 October 2026 the first daytime train was D8739 at 06:00 from Kunming South, arriving 08:47. From Kunming station the same train runs as D8738 at 06:23. The last daytime train was D8742 at 21:24 from Kunming station, arriving 23:26. Kunming South's last departure was D8743 at 21:00, the same train.

The 12306 result for that date also listed two overnight Y-series sleeper trains. One is listed as Y767 at 00:00 from Kunming South and as Y766 at 00:30 from Kunming station, arriving 07:43. The other, Y756, is listed leaving Kunming station at 23:30 and arriving at 07:18 the next day. They take 7h13m to 7h48m, much longer than the high-speed trains.

For a day trip, the outbound side works: you can be in Dali before 09:00 on that date. The return is a separate search. This page does not have a Dali to Kunming timetable, so search Dali to Kunming for your date before you plan the day.

Which station do I arrive at in Dali, and how do I get to the Old Town?

All 57 trains in the 12306 result for 14 October 2026 arrived at the station 12306 prints as Dali(大理). The Dali Prefecture government's bus list calls the station stop 下关（火车站）, Xiaguan (railway station). So you arrive in Xiaguan, not in the Old Town.

That list, dated December 2024, shows three routes from the station to Dali Old Town (大理古城). Bus 4 goes via the Old Town South Gate (大理古城南门) to the Three Pagodas stop (崇圣寺三塔). Bus 8 goes via the Old Town East Gate (大理古城东门) to the Old Town bus depot. A tourist express (旅游快线) also runs from the station via the South Gate to the Three Pagodas. The page gives no fares, first or last bus, frequency, distance or ride time. For what to see once you are there, see our Dali travel guide.

How to buy a Kunming to Dali train ticket with a passport

Foreign passengers can buy real-name tickets with a valid passport. On the 12306 English site, only valid foreign passports are accepted. You can buy at station ticket counters, at automatic machines, on 12306.cn or the 12306 app, and through a few other channels. Both e-tickets and paper tickets are on sale.

The 12306 site sells tickets from 05:00 to 01:00 the next day, and from 05:00 to 23:30 on Tuesday. Keep the passport you bought with: you show it to enter the station, leave it and board.

For the step-by-step, see how to buy 12306 train tickets and 12306 passport verification. If your plans change, 12306 refund and change fees explains the costs.

Getting through the station on time

12306 says to leave enough time for the queues at the ticket window, the security check, ID verification and the ticket gate. Ticket checking stops before departure; the station announcement gives the exact time. If you carry a power bank, read our power bank rules first.

Before you leave, look at the ticket once more. The station printed on it, 昆明 or 昆明南, is the one you go to. For the city itself, see the Kunming travel guide.