Most of the hostels and travel agents can organise bus tickets anywhere in Yunnan. They can also arrange flights farther afield.
Many travelers from Kunming continue on from Dali to Lijiang. Consider taking the smaller bus through the mountains toward Jianchuan can be picked up at the main bus station in Xiaguan - "New" Dali City. Get off the bus at the fork in the road in the village of Diannan about 8km south of Jianchuan. Get into a minibus and visit the Old Southern Silk Road town of Shaxi. The town has been well preserved and still holds much of its traditional character. The valley around it is littered with Qing and Ming Dynasty homes, bridges, theatres and temples. It is also the main jumping off point to visit the beautiful grottos at Shibaoshan. After your visit to Shaxi it is easy to continue your journey. A minibus from Shaxi or Shibaoshan can take you to the main bus station in Jianchuan. From there it is easy to get a bus on to Lijiang.
There is also a sleeper service to Shangrila, coming from Xiaguan, and passing Dali at 20:30h ¥120. However, it fills up quickly and can only be booked at a few agencies in Foreigners road as of Oct 2009
