7 Best Hotels in Lijiang Old Town, Yunnan (2026)

The Lijiang list opens with its most luxurious stay — the InterContinental Lijiang Ancient Town Resort, the only international 5-star resort that sits inside the UNESCO heritage town of Dayan. The thing reviewers love most is the architecture: instead of one tower, the 267 rooms are spread as a Naxi-style village of low traditional buildings across 52,000-plus square metres of landscaped gardens and streams, with decor drawn from Naxi and Dongba culture. It stands on the southern edge of the old town, about a 10-minute walk to Sifang Square and the Mu Palace. There are 4 restaurants and bars, a full-service spa, a gym and a pool. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is roughly 26 km away and Lijiang Sanyi Airport about 28 km. Guest scores sit near 9.6 from over 8,200 reviews, with rates from about $183 a night.

Our number 2 is the highest-rated stay on this list: Zhiyun Mansion Lijiang, a small boutique guesthouse that blends traditional Naxi architecture with rustic European-American touches. It sits on Wenming Lane in Wenming Village, in the heart of the Dayan old town near the Three-Eye Well — about 8 minutes on foot to Sifang Square and the Mu Palace. The draw is the stone courtyard, set with a model wooden waterwheel, camellias and plum trees in pots. Rooms are furnished throughout with handcrafted teak beds and cabinets, and breakfast is served in that courtyard. Each room gets its own private Wi-Fi, and the team runs small cultural sessions — Naxi script writing, a Pu'er tea class. Real guest scores run around 9.8, with rooms from about $37 a night. It steps in for a former number 2 that no longer has a working Trip.com page. Good for couples and travelers who want a genuine Naxi courtyard.

Number 3 is the best-value courtyard stay on the list — Mu Shi Yuan Inn Lijiang. It sits on Chongren Alley off Qiyi Street in Dayan old town, near Sifang Square and roughly midway between the Mu Palace and the south town gate. The building is a genuine Naxi house arranged around a central courtyard, finished inside with warm-toned wood. It's about a 5-8 minute walk to the Mu Palace and a few minutes to Sifang Square, and Wi-Fi is free. Plenty of guests single out the cleanliness and the friendly, low-key service, which is why the real-guest score sits around 9.7. Rooms start near $26 a night — the cheapest pick here. One caveat: this entry replaces a former number 3 whose Trip.com page no longer works, so we slotted in a courtyard inn of the same calibre. Best for travelers who want an old-town courtyard on a budget.

The one thing Lijiang Sunshine Nali Inn sells harder than anything else is its address. It sits on Xinyuan Lane off Guangyi Street in the heart of Dayan old town, about 80 metres from Sifang Square — a genuine 1-minute walk to both the square and the Mu Palace, which makes it the most central pick on this list. It is a courtyard-style place with a tour desk, a shared lounge, a sun terrace and a small Chinese restaurant. Rooms run 18-22 sqm in plain Naxi style with air-con, a flat-screen TV, a kettle, and free tea and coffee, and a handful of third-floor north-facing rooms look straight at Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. There is bike and car rental plus a ticket-booking service. Guests score it around 9.8, and rooms start near $17 a night — a lot of old town for the money.

Our #5 pick is the guesthouse that wins guests over with service — Xilu Xiaoxie Inn Lijiang. The Old Town branch pairs traditional Chinese decor with modern comfort, sitting on Qiyi Street inside Lijiang Old Town, a 4-minute walk from Sifang Square and 6 minutes from the Mu Palace. Reviewers single out the carefully kept landscaped garden and the quiet courtyard. Room types run from 20 sqm queens and 24 sqm twins to 32 sqm family rooms and a two-floor 40 sqm duplex suite, all with bathrobes and smart bathroom fixtures. Plenty of guests praise the English-speaking staff and the Old Town spot, which pushes the real guest score to around 9.8. Rates start near $37 a night, making it a strong fit for couples and families who want a guesthouse with design and easy communication.

Number 6 is the warmest, cheapest pick on the list — Lijiang Rongyi Homestay, a small 18-room garden homestay tucked onto Wenlin Lane in the northern part of the old town. It opened in 2020 and was fully renovated in 2021, so the rooms feel newer than most budget guesthouses here. The draw is the open courtyard garden, which catches good natural light all day, plus a clean private kitchen and a shared tea room. The owners run it like a family home, and plenty of guests say they treat you like one of their own. There's free Wi-Fi, a mini-mart, a tour desk and luggage storage. It's about a 5-minute walk to Jinhong Street and the Yuhe bus station, with Sifang Square roughly 12-15 minutes on foot along the stone canal. The guest score sits around 9.4 from over 2,900 reviews, and rooms start near $16 a night — the lowest price on this list.

We close the list with the calmest stay of the seven — Juxian Boutique Homestay, a 9-room boutique homestay inside Dayan old town. It sits on Bao'wu Lane near the south gate and Lion Hill, about 1.6 km from the centre at Sifang Square — far enough that the foot traffic thins and you can actually rest. The building is two storeys of Naxi architecture under a blue-grey tile roof, with a 200 sqm garden of plum, camellia and bamboo and a second-floor balcony looking over it. Rooms run roughly 25-30 sqm with a seating nook, a flat-screen TV with streaming, and a private glass walk-in shower. There's a shared lounge, free tea, 24-hour reception, parking, luggage storage, and an airport transfer on request. Guests single out the cleanliness and the privacy. Doubles start around $54 a night — our pick for couples and travelers who want quiet near the south gate.