4 Days Tour of Lijiang & Dali

In the morning, you are recommended to visit the Jade Spring Park (Black Dragon Pool) just to the north of the Lijiang Old Town. The park was originally a Dragon King Temple, surrounded by many springs, which later merged into a pool and became the water source of the Lijiang Old Town. The park is famous for its beautiful scenery and the best view of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain from afar. Morning and evening have the best light for viewing and photographing the snow mountain. Standing opposite the five-arch bridge to shooting the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and its reflection in the pool, you will get the most classic scenery photos of Lijiang.

► How to Get There: Walk north along the Yuhe River (Jade River) from the Big Waterwheel of the Lijiang Old Town. It takes about 15 minutes to reach the west gate of the park.
► Recommended Touring Route (walk clockwise around the lake): West Gate (Entry) – Yiwen Pavilion – Peony Garden – Lijiang Museum (Dongba Culture Museum) – Wufeng Tower – Dragon King Temple – Ancient Stage – Deyue Tower – Wanshou Pavilion – Jietuolin Tower – Suocui Bridge – South Gate (Exit)
► Opening Hours: 7:00 – 19:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 hours
► Ticket Price: Free with the receipt of Lijiang Old Town Maintenance Fee

After the visit, walk 15 minutes south back, and spend this rest of today in the Lijiang Old Town. The Lion Mountain towering in the west of the town is worth visiting. You can climb up to the Wangu Tower on top of the mountain to enjoy a panoramic view of the whole town.

► Opening Hours: 8:30 – 18:30
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 to 2 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 35

At lunch time, you can dine in a fancy restaurant or try some local snacks. In the afternoon, walk to the Mu’s Residence in the center of the old town for a visit. Once the mansion of the Tusi leader of the local Naxi people, the Mu’s Residence boasts terrific architectures and historical relics. 

► Top Attractions: Zhongyi Archway, Wanjuan Tower, Sanqing Palace, Yuyin Tower, Assembly Hall
► Opening Hours: 8:30 – 17:30
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 to 3 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 40

At last, have supper and enjoy the colorful nightlife at Sifang Street in the old town.

Ps: If you have one more day in Lijiang, it is recommended to join our Guided Day Tour to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain to get up close to the snow mountain, and visit the amazing Glacier Park and the Blue Moon Valley.

Today’s destination is Dali. Get up early in the morning to take a high speed train to Dali.

●  How to get to Lijiang Railway Station: Take a taxi from the Lijiang Old Town to the railway station in 20 minutes at a cost of about CNY 25. The bus lines 4, 18, tourist line 104 or 105 can also take you to the railway station in 40 minutes at a cost of CNY 2.



► Departure: 7:30 from Lijiang Railway Station
► Arrival: 9:03 at Dali Railway Station
► Duration: 1 hour 33 minutes
► Fare: CNY 52 for a second class seat; CNY 83 for a first class seat

In the afternoon, head for the Three Pagodas in the Chongsheng Temple, which was once an imperial temple with a history of more than 1,800 years.

► How to Get There: From the East Gate of Dali Ancient City, you can take a taxi to the Chongsheng Temple in 10 minutes at a cost of about CNY 10. The bus line C10 can also take you there in 30 minutes, costing CNY 2.
► Opening Hours: May to October: 7:10 – 19:00; November to the next April: 8:00 – 17:30
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 to 2 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 75 for entry; CNY 110 for combo ticket including the admission fee and the round-trip sightseeing car.

After the visit, exit the temple from its south gate, and then walk 10 minutes south to the Three Pagodas Reflection Park for a simple photo tour. There is a lake offering a special standpoint for taking a perfect picture of the clear reflection scene of the Three Pagodas. The best time is from 16:00 to 17:00.

► Opening Hours: 8:00 – 17:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: half an hour
► Ticket Price: Included in the combo ticket of the Three Pagodas in Chongsheng Temple

When it gets dark, head back to the Dali Ancient City and get into the local nightlife. Find a local restaurant on the busy Renmin Road for dinner, and then enjoy a night of fun at a fancy bar if you like.

Today, hire a car or join a jeep tour with driver to tour the Erhai Lake of Dali.

► Opening Hours: All day long
► Recommended Time for a Visit: half to one day
► Ticket Price: Free for the lake; some scenic spots around the lake charge separately.

The clockwise route around the lake is recommended. Starting from the ancient city in the morning, it takes about half an hour to reach the Xizhou Town, which features the exquisite residences of the local Bai people, busy market, and delicious local snacks. Continue to drive north, you will pass by the Haishe Ecological Park and the Butterfly Spring. You can visit them or not according to your interest.

In the afternoon, the highlight of the day comes – Shuanglang Town on the northeast shore of the Erhai Lake. Here you can enjoy the beautiful lake view, the offshore Nanzhao Folk Island, and overlook the Cangshan Mountain. Shuanglang is an ideal place to see the sunset. If time permits, you can stayovernight here in a lakeview hotel and feel the romantic leisure of this thousand-year-old fishing village. If you do not live here, then drive south along the East Huanhai Road, and visit the Wase Town and Little Putuo Island on the way back to the Dali Ancient City.

On the last day, you should not miss the Cangshan Mountain, which boasts an ever-changing cloud landscape and the spectacular snowy peaks. There are two ways to go up the mountain – cableway and hiking. It is suggested to take the big cableway to appreciate the clouds and fog in the mountain. With the gradual rise of the cable car, you can overlook the whole Ancient City of Dali and Erhai Lake. In May or June, you can see a mountain of azaleas at the Ximatan Glacial Lake, the end of the cableway. Here you can hike north and tour along the Cloudy Tourist Road.

How to Get There:
1. A taxi from the Dali Ancient City to the foot of the Cangshan Mountain takes 8 minutes and costs about CNY 10. Bus line 4 or C10 can also take you there in 20 minutes at a cost of CNY 2. Here you can take the shuttle bus or walk to the cableway station.
2. If you would like to hike all the way, get out from the south gate of the ancient city, walk west along the Yita Road, and you’ll reach the entrance of hiking trails of the mountain in half an hour.
3. Tourists can also hire a horse to go from the ancient city to the Cangshan Mountain for a price of about CNY 100.

► Top Attractions: Gantong Cableway, Linglong Chessboard, Qingbi Stream, Cangshan Grand Canyon, Qilongnv Pools, Ximatan Lake, Lvyu Stream, Dragon Eye Cave, Phoenix Eye Cave, Zhonghe Temple, Tianlong Babu Film and TV City, Peach Stream Waterfall
► Opening Hours: 8:30 – 15:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: half to one day
► Ticket Price: CNY 35 for admission; CNY 130 for one-way ticket of Gantong Cableway; CNY 110 for one-way ticket of Zhonghe Cableway

It is advised to bring some takeaway food or snacks for lunch. When you return to the Dali Ancient City in the afternoon, you can have a good dinner to replenish energy. You can stay overnight in Dali or take the high speed train back to Lijiang or Kunming depending on your follow-up plan.