Natural site · YUNNAN
Erhai Lake
洱海 · Ěrhǎi
About
250 km² freshwater lake east of Dali Old Town. 130 km cycling loop; Bai-minority lakeside villages on the eastern shore.
Erhai is the second-largest lake in Yunnan, a 41 km long freshwater body shaped like a human ear. Bai-minority villages line the shore — particularly the eastern side, where Xizhou, Zhoucheng and Shuanglang have substantial restored Bai courtyard architecture. The 130 km lakeside cycling loop is well-developed; full-loop in 1–2 days, partial loops accessible from Dali Old Town in a few hours.
How to get there
Bicycle, e-bike, or driver from Dali Old Town.
When to visit
March–May for clear skies.
Other attractions in Dali
Itineraries featuring this site
- First-timer China — 14 days with Yunnan loop
14d · Two weeks covering the Beijing–Xi'an–Shanghai circuit plus a Yunnan extension through Kunming, Dali and Lijiang — the combination that most first-time visitors leave wishing they had done.
- Yunnan deep loop — Kunming to Tengchong, 14 days
14d · Fourteen days through the full breadth of Yunnan: Kunming, Dali, Lijiang, Shangri-La, the Yuanyang terraces, Jianshui and the geothermal fields of Tengchong — the province's different climates, altitudes and minorities in one loop.
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