DALI · DAY TRIPS
Day trips from Dali
Dali occupies a fertile valley between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake. The surrounding Yunnan landscape offers cycling routes around the lake, Bai ethnic villages, and connections north to Lijiang and west toward the Myanmar border.
Destinations within reach
Erhai Lake Circuit
洱海环湖
- How to get there
- Bicycle or electric scooter hire from Dali old town; circuit is approximately 130km
- What to see
- Bai fishing villages; Shuanglang photographer's village; Xizhou ancient town; lakeside wetland bird areas.
- Why go
- The full circuit is one of the classic cycling routes in Yunnan; a partial route to Xizhou and back is feasible in a half-day.
Cangshan Mountain
苍山
- How to get there
- Cable car (several access points); or trails starting from the Zhonghe or Gangtong cable car bases
- What to see
- 19 peaks above 4,000m; Zhonghe Temple; alpine meadows with rhododendrons in spring; snow on the high ridges most of the year.
- Why go
- The mountain is one of Dali's two visual anchors; the cable car to mid-mountain is accessible without equipment.
Lijiang
丽江
- How to get there
- Long-distance coach from Dali Coach Station; or private car/taxi
- What to see
- Naxi old town; Jade Dragon Snow Mountain; Tiger Leaping Gorge accessible from Lijiang.
- Why go
- Dali and Lijiang are the classic Yunnan pair; the mountain road between them is scenic.
Shaxi Ancient Town
沙溪古镇
- How to get there
- Chartered car or occasional direct bus from Dali; taxi to Jianchuan then local transport
- What to see
- UNESCO-saved Silk Road trading post town; intact Bai market square with stage and well; surrounding village farmland unchanged in appearance.
- Why go
- One of the most authentic and well-preserved market towns in Yunnan; the quietest of the Yunnan old towns on the tourist circuit.
Jianchuan Stone Sculpture Caves
剑川石窟
- How to get there
- Chartered car; or bus to Jianchuan county town then taxi
- What to see
- Tang and Song dynasty Buddhist rock carvings in the style of the Yunnan Nanzhao Kingdom; 17 grottos with 139 carved figures.
- Why go
- One of Yunnan's most significant ancient art sites; far fewer visitors than comparable grottos in Shanxi or Gansu.
Nuodeng Ancient Salt Village
诺邓古村
- How to get there
- Chartered car; bus to Yunlong county then local transport
- What to see
- Living Bai salt-production village with Ming and Qing dynasty courtyard houses intact on a hillside; known for air-cured Yunlong ham.
- Why go
- An exceptionally preserved ancient village virtually unknown outside China; the salt-production terraces and winding paths are picturesque.
Weishan Ancient Town
巍山古城
- How to get there
- Bus from Dali South Bus Station or chartered car
- What to see
- Well-preserved Yuan and Ming dynasty market town; Nanzhao Kingdom cultural sites; Daoist Weibao Mountain with 23 temple complexes.
- Why go
- Quieter and more atmospheric than Dali old town; the Daoist mountain above the town is one of Yunnan's most concentrated religious landscapes.
Verified May 2026