Live Your Best Lives
Dali's bar street is compact and a relaxing place. The bar is small, but the layout is very special. Almost every bar has resident singers with different styles. It's great.
Attraction Location: Dali Old Town, Dali City, Yunnan Province, China (中国云南省大理市大理古城)
History: Dali Bar Street (大理酒吧街) began to thrive in the late 1990s, when Dali Old Town became a backpacker hub on the Yunnan tourist circuit. The street developed as a vibrant nightlife center, attracting both Chinese and international visitors. It combines traditional Bai-style architecture with modern entertainment culture.
Architecture: Bars are housed in traditional Bai-style courtyards (白族民居), featuring tiled roofs, carved wooden doors, and decorative walls with blue-and-white motifs. Many bars mix rustic old-town charm with modern neon signs and music equipment.
Cultural Value: This street is not only a place for nightlife but also a melting pot of cultures. It is a gathering point for artists, musicians, travelers, and locals. Visitors experience the laid-back Dali lifestyle and the blend of Bai ethnic minority culture with modern leisure trends.
Other Information: The street is known for live music, ranging from folk and rock to electronic, making it a hotspot for youth and creative communities. It is also a social hub for travelers from across the globe.
Opening Hours: Most bars open from around 5:00 PM until late night (midnight to 2:00 AM).
Ticket Price: Free entrance to the street
Drinks: 30–80 RMB on average (beer, cocktails, wine)
Live music venues: Some bars may charge a small cover fee (20–50 RMB)
Best Photo Spots: Neon-lit streets at night
Traditional Bai-style courtyards with hanging lanterns
Rooftop bars with views of Cangshan Mountain (苍山) and Erhai Lake (洱海)
Time Reference: 2–3 hours in the evening for drinks and music; longer if bar-hopping.
There are many people, no matter when it is crowded, the scenery is very beautiful
The scenery is nice at night, there are a lot of people, many young ladies and young brothers. In fact, the content of each bar is similar.
There are so many bars, all kinds of them, which really opened my eyes as someone who has never been to a bar before. It is not noisy at all, but very relaxing inside.
There are many bars where you can feel the local customs and culture.
The water system that runs through the ancient city brings wealth and fortune.
There are so many people, and the drinks are generally expensive.
The young men and women greeted everyone at the door: "There is no minimum consumption, come in and find love." The singing coming from each house was different, and some of them were really talented, and they felt like they could be on The Voice of China.
You can go there in the evening and listen to the music of folk singers, and relax.
The songs in the bar are better than those in Lijiang Ancient Town. I personally think it is quite suitable to stop and listen.
A place for romantic encounters. If you have time, you can go there. Whether you can meet someone depends on fate.
It feels good, suitable for young people to go! Good experience.
Dali's bar street is compact and a relaxing place. The bar is small, but the layout is very special. Almost every bar has resident singers with different styles. It's great. There are no single tables here, so it won't be strange to go there alone.
Various bars and shops, various styles, songs drifting into your ears
There's no minimum spend, which is very conscientious. You can buy a cup of tea for 20 or 30 yuan and stay all day without any shame. I bought a cup of Godfather for 100 yuan. It's not delicious, but the singers in some bars in Dali are really good!
Most of the bars here are high-energy, with one or two quiet bars occasionally located in the middle. Of course, the night here is more exciting.
Bar Street is actually parallel to East Street, with a small stream in between. Therefore, you can also enter Bar Street by walking north from Sifang Street.
The bar street in the old town is a must-see. If you're traveling with a friend, you might even get a romantic encounter. Popular items include silk scarves, flower cakes, and tamarind cakes. If you want to save money, explore the old town first, as prices at the main entrance are often much higher than those in the inner alleys.
Come here in the evening to drink some tea, a little wine and listen to music, it's very romantic.
The most famous bar in Dali is Bad Monkey, owned by a foreigner, and frequented by foreigners drinking there at night. If you prefer something more lively, try Red Dragon Well Bar Street, where beer is affordable and there are plenty of performances.
It is beautiful, but we had not been there before. We passed by it on the day we left and saw all kinds of bars.
The overall atmosphere is not as good as that of Lijiang Ancient Town, but it has Bai characteristics, so it is still recommended.
It is my personal favorite place in this extremely commercialized ancient city. Wherever there are bars in Dali, there are resident singers. The most unforgettable place for me is the cottage. I went there every day in Dali. It is really an unforgettable memory in my life.
The night is very lively and beautiful. In addition, there are many girls.
It's quite lively at night, with some unique bars. Stay away from there.
It's just like other ancient towns. It's noisy at night. There's nothing special.
The decoration is very unique. It is relatively quiet during the day and very noisy and lively at night.
Flying on the road
Poetry and distance,
It's not a heavy suitcase.
But a round-trip ticket
There are many tourists from other places here, and a few friends gather together in the middle of the night.
A very quiet place during the day, with sparkling water,
It should be very pleasant to go there at night. I went to Dali Ancient Town during the day on the first day, and took a walk around it on the night of my departure. It was indeed lively at night. If I had time, I would like to go to a pub and sit down, although I can't drink.
It should be very pleasant to go there at night. I went to Dali Ancient Town during the day on the first day, and took a walk around it on the night of my departure. It was indeed lively at night. If I had time, I would like to go to a pub and sit down, although I can't drink.
It's quieter than the bars in Lijiang, but there are a lot of bartenders.
Noisy, noisy, noisy. How could such a beautiful place be so discordant? As night falls, I should sit in a small bar, have a glass of fruit wine, quietly listen to folk songs, and let my mind clear.
It's a bit noisy at night. The street is not long and the water flow at the door is pretty nice.
Forgive me for being poor and not going into the bar. I'm a good kid. Hehehe. It was quite lively there. But they said it was super expensive. Be careful of the bar touts.
If you can't drink, don't go there. There seems to be a bar called One Meter Sunshine which is quite famous. I went there 8 years ago. I don't know if it is still there.
Quiet, peaceful, and beautiful, it's worth staying and exploring
There are some bars in Dali, but I didn't go in. I just watched from outside.
It's very noisy, all at high decibels!! If you like noise, you can go there.
I didn't go in, but it looked pretty good from outside.
It's lively and fun. Isn't the purpose of going to Dali to relax?
It's okay to go at night, but there are too many people and it's a bit noisy, so I don't like it.
It's very lively, but the prices are quite high and tacky.
There are a lot of people at night, basically everyone goes there at night
There are many bars there, Tang Dynasty and Monkey are more famous. I went to one called Muzi Xiaoqing. It's not big but it's good for listening to folk songs.
The bar street is very lively, with many people coming and going.
Dali, bar street in the ancient city.
There are a lot of people during the day.
It is even more prosperous at night.
To be honest, I don’t like this kind of noisy place, but it’s also nice to go for a stroll at night. You will see how commercialized Dali has become now.
It's worth a visit, maybe you'll have a romantic encounter. You can still have fun and relax at night.
The bars in Dali are not as lively as those in Lijiang, but they are also less commercial.
...I don't like the bars on Bar Street, they're a bit noisy
The speakers are loud, the performances are exciting, and the wine isn't too expensive.
There aren't many foreigners on Bar Street anymore. I don't know if it was because I went at the wrong time, but it didn't seem very busy and was rather deserted. There are plenty of food stalls along the street, and the street hygiene is OK.
Not bad, don't miss it if you like playing bars, there are many handsome guys, girls, and foreigners, haha
It's still worth a visit, but I personally prefer the bar street in Lijiang Old Town. The bar street in Dali Old Town is roughly the same as the bar street in Lijiang Old Town. I don't know which one copied the other.
Bar street, it's nice to listen to music here
It is very lively at night, and it is indeed a good choice to invite friends to spend a night there.
I prefer Dali's tranquility and freedom to Lijiang. But since it's a scenic area, I still find it a bit pricey. Student-friendly, that's a shame.
The bar street in Dali, Yunnan, seems to be inside the Dali Ancient Town (my impression is a bit vague)
The music is deafening, and it is the most lively place in Dali Ancient Town at night. I like this kind of bar very much. If you are traveling, I really recommend you to go and experience it.
It has its own characteristics and a little bit of romance.
The street is very narrow and the decoration of each store is very unique.
Read other people's stories and dream your own dreams. So tired... gradually
It's a little smaller than Lijiang. Dali Bar Street is not big, but it's exquisite. It's very close to Dali Medical College and you can meet many students.
It was raining when I went there, so there were few people in the bar. I hope I can experience it the same way next time.
Yunnan Bar Street is very lively at night and it is the beginning of young people’s nightlife!
In the ancient town, it is quite lively, with three or five friends singing and drinking
Great atmosphere, Dali is suitable for a slow pace of life, I like Dali very much, it's great
At night, there are touts everywhere at the bar entrance.
It's very lively at night, with a lot of people. You can go shopping.
The bar street has a strong commercial atmosphere and there are so many bars. How can you leave without having a drink?
Yunnan Dali Bar Street. Good place guide group
If you love nightlife, these Dali bars are a must-see. For a sip of wine, a Dali bar is the perfect place to enjoy some romance and make some casual friends. This is a favorite haunt of both the good and the bad, and the owners are all retired souls of the same trade.
The bars in Dali are not as noisy as those in Lijiang, but they are still pretty good.
Sometimes you might want to enjoy a drink while listening to music, so naturally you'll head to a bar. The most popular ones are those around Foreigner Street and Red Dragon Well. If you like the hustle and bustle, you can go in and experience the ghostly howling of wolves. Of course, there are also quiet bars in many alleys, which are also very good.
Dali Bar Street is the heart of the ancient city's nightlife. Under the veil of night, the lights of Foreigner Street flicker, and folk music and electronic music flow through the air. Recommended spots include Bad Monkey for craft beer and live jazz, or Piaoxiang Tavern for a resident singer rendition of Yunnan folk songs. Lanterns sway along the cobblestone pavement, and the resident singer's captivating rendition of "Going to Dali" captivates the heart. While enjoying a beer, admire the international crowds of backpackers toasting and chatting at the alley entrance. The crowds reach their peak after 10 p.m., so avoid the peak tourist groups. Here, you'll find both the artistic world of poetry and wine, and the vibrant energy of electronic music parties. Remember to wear a light jacket—the night breeze over Cangshan Mountain always carries a hint of intoxication.