2018 Dali + Lijiang 7-Day, 6-Night Independent Travel: A Practical Guide That Only Tells the Truth

Preface: Why I Can Never Go Back to Group Tours

The first time I tasted the sweetness of independent travel, it was like opening Pandora's box—there's no going back. That feeling of controlling your own itinerary, doing whatever you want, made me say a permanent goodbye to tour guides' little flags and whistles.

Yunnan, a place I'd been dreaming about for ages, finally became a reality in October of that year. This trip also included my friend and her mother, so the itinerary had to account for an older person's stamina. I spent an entire week researching routes, scouring travel guides, and making endless adjustments—my eyes were practically burning—until I finally came up with what I thought was the optimal plan. Now, I'm sharing this real experience and all the pitfalls I encountered, holding nothing back.

Part 1: The 7-Day, 6-Night Route—My "Best Solution" and "Biggest Mistake"

Trip Overview

My Hard-Learned Lesson

The biggest mistake: booking round-trip flights to and from Dali.

This meant that after finishing Lijiang, we had to drag ourselves back to Dali just to catch our flight. If you're also planning this route, remember this: Fly into Dali, fly out of Lijiang—it's the most time- and energy-efficient plan. Don't be like me, lured in by cheap round-trip ticket prices.

Part 2: Cost Breakdown—Where Did the Money Go?

The three of us spent about 10,000 RMB total over 7 days and 6 nights. Accommodation took up the biggest chunk—my friend and I agreed on one thing: when traveling, a comfortable place to stay matters more than anything else.

Part 3: Day 1—Arriving in Dali, First Impressions Were Right On

Pre-Departure "Primping" Preparations

Before every trip, I'm always the most excited one. To get good photos, I packed 6 outfits based on each day's itinerary and brought my tripod everywhere. My friend just shook her head at me, calling me a "vain girl." But I didn't care—what's the point of traveling if you don't come back with great pictures?

Accommodation: Wuyun Guesthouse, Best Value for Money

After landing at Dali Airport at 11:45 AM, we immediately contacted the guesthouse we'd booked, "Wuyun." The owner was very thoughtful and had messaged me on Ctrip beforehand to confirm our plans. From the airport to the old town, the bus costs ¥30 per person, but the guesthouse offered to pick us up for just ¥100 for the whole car—an easy choice.

We booked the "Cloud-Viewing Two-Bedroom Suite," which had two bedrooms and a living room, one with a big bed and one with a small bed, for ¥680 per night. To be honest, we stayed at four different places on this trip, and this one had the best value and was the most comfortable. Minimalist style, great breakfast, excellent front desk service, and it looked amazing in photos—no wonder it was so popular right after opening in 2018.

First Meal: Dian Pu Zi, Just Okay

The front desk guy recommended "Dian Pu Zi." The atmosphere was nice, but the food was only so-so. The only thing that impressed me was a vegetable dish called "Water-Born Flower" (a local green vegetable), which was tender and delicious—highly recommended. As for the other dishes... I think this place probably paid for promotion, otherwise why would so many people come here?

Dali Old Town: Way Cheaper Than Lijiang!

Dali Old Town isn't very big—you can walk the main street and see everything. But let me tell you a hard truth: If you see something you like in Dali, buy it right away. Don't wait until you get to Lijiang, because things in Dali are much cheaper!

• Small handmade felt bag: The owner asked for ¥50, I haggled down to ¥20
• Ethnic-style embroidered shoes: ¥50 a pair, each design one-of-a-kind
• Ethnic-style dress: ¥40, grabbed it on a whim, and it looked surprisingly good

Also, buy your flower cakes (鲜花饼) in Dali! Jiahua Flower Cakes is a chain store, and their original rose flavor and other varieties are all delicious. A single pack (6 pieces) costs ¥25, but buying 10 packs gets you 2 free with free shipping—an incredible deal.

Afternoon Tea and Dinner: Pleasant Surprises

When we got tired, we stopped at "One Acre of Land" for afternoon tea. The shop had a unique decor, and the live singer was genuinely good—I recorded several songs.

For dinner, we went to "Ark Fat Guy" next door, the top-rated mushroom hotpot spot. Yunnan's mushroom soup is truly amazing—chicken soup base cooked in a clay pot, with various mushrooms simmered into a rich broth. Chicken was free to refill. The service was so good it felt like Haidilao hotpot chain—almost embarrassing.

Part 4: Day 2—Cangshan Mountain, I Regretted It

Morning Time at the Guesthouse

In October, the sun comes up late in Dali—at 7 AM, it's still barely light. Breakfast at Wuyun starts at 8 AM: rice noodles, soy milk, and eggs—simple but tasty. I ate the whole thing myself. I'm such a pig, but their rice noodles were just too good.

While my friend took her mom for a walk, I set up my tripod and took photos around the guesthouse. The sunlight was streaming into the living room, and sitting in the rocking chair, lazy and relaxed—this is what travel should feel like.

Cangshan Mountain: Not Recommended

Cangshan has three cable cars: Gantong, the Main Cable Car, and the Middle Cable Car. I bought the Gantong cable car package on Taobao for ¥295 for three tickets, which included round-trip transport from the old town, the cable car, and entrance fees.

And now, the truth: Cangshan Mountain is not fun at all.

I hate hiking. My DSLR camera was heavy as hell, and I'd heard it was cold up there so I wore two jackets, which just made me hot and irritable. I took a tourist photo at the viewing platform, pretending to look happy, but I was so tired you could see my double chin. All three of us were miserable and went back down early.

If you're not into hiking, skip Cangshan entirely and save your ticket money.

Lunch: Duan Gongzi, Pretty Good

Duan Gongzi's "Diving Fish" (a spicy fish dish) and sticky rice ribs were tasty, with fresh ingredients—especially the fish, which was tender and flavorful. The waiter was overly enthusiastic, chattering on about recommending a route around Erhai Lake for the next day. It might have been part of his job, but generally, service in Dali is very good—I have to give credit where it's due.

In the afternoon, we went back to the guesthouse for a nap. I woke up at 7 PM. My friend and her mom weren't hungry, so I went out alone for a bowl of cold chicken shred rice noodles. It had a slightly sweet aftertaste, which suited my palate. But Yunnan portion sizes are really small—one bowl wasn't nearly enough to fill me up.

Part 5: Day 3—Driving Around Erhai Lake, the Best Views Came Last

Car Rental Tips

A private driver for the day costs ¥300–400, so we decided to rent a car ourselves. Using the "Shenzhou Car Rental" app, we got a Chevy with a big trunk that fit two 26-inch suitcases, one 20-inch suitcase, and three backpacks. The daily rental was ¥258, gas cost ¥75, and I bought an extra ¥50 scratch insurance.

What Exactly Is Erhai Lake?

Before we left, I could never figure out the relationship between Dali and Erhai Lake. After asking friends and reading guides, I finally understood: Dali is a city, and Erhai Lake is just a freshwater lake next to it. That's it. The main roads around the lake are West Erhai Ring Road and East Erhai Ring Road—drive around them once, and you've seen it all.

Truth Be Told: Which Spots Are Worth Visiting?

Online guides mark a lot of attractions, but I'll be honest: Many places aren't fun at all.

Worth visiting: 1. Xizhou Ancient Town: Pretty good, worth a look 2. East Erhai Ring Road: The most beautiful road around the lake, stunning views

Optional: - Tongue of the Sea Park: Just okay. If you want photos of trees in the water, the scenery along the road is enough - West Erhai Ring Road: Basically a dirt road with various country lanes—way too challenging for driving skills

A Little Incident in Xizhou Ancient Town

Coming out of West Erhai Ring Road, we navigated to Xizhou Ancient Town. After parking, we spent ¥20 on a three-wheeled cart for a tour. Midway through, a small problem occurred—the back wheel fell off! I thought it was hilarious, but my friend and her mom were terrified, calling me recklessly brave. Ha, not everyone gets an experience like that.

We bought Xizhou flatbread (喜洲粑粑), freshly made, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, for ¥15 each (I heard locals pay only ¥5). We set our location to "Xilin Yuan" (a famous courtyard), which looks great in photos. I'm not interested in historical sites, but this place was very photogenic.

East Erhai Ring Road: So Beautiful It Made Me Cry

After leaving Xizhou for Tongue of the Sea Park, it was just okay. But when we reached East Erhai Ring Road, everything was worth it.

Under the sunlight, the lake surface sparkled. The photos needed no editing—the real scene was this beautiful. I was almost moved to tears. I'd wasted so much time earlier, and here I felt rushed and like I hadn't seen enough.

If you only have one day to circle Erhai Lake, make sure you push through to East Erhai Ring Road. That's where the real beauty is.

Part 6: Day 4—Lazing Around at a Lakeview Room, Then Moving to Lijiang

Longkan Pier Lakeview Room

Tonight we stayed at a lakeview room near Longkan Pier, ¥598 per night. It was stunning—you could watch the sunrise and sunset from bed, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows. But the location was really inconvenient—even a taxi to Dali Old Town took 25 minutes.

Originally I'd booked a ¥898 luxury lakefront suite, but the first-floor room wasn't available, so we switched to this standard room. It turned out to be a blessing in disguise—this room type had better value for money, and I highly recommend it.

Highly Recommended: Haiyue Restaurant

For lunch, we ate at "Haiyue Restaurant," which was my top pick for the entire trip. Braised chicken, scrambled eggs with silverfish, stir-fried mushrooms with pork slices, and braised桂花鱼 (sweet-scented osmanthus fish)—every dish was incredibly tasty, clean and hygienic, with amazing service from the owner, and the prices were reasonable too.

Shared Car to Lijiang

We left at 4 PM, sharing a car with another traveler, and arrived at Lijiang Old Town around 6:30 PM. The driver was very friendly. When I asked how much it cost, he said "whatever you think is fair." Throughout these days in Yunnan, I met a lot of kind people.

Lijiang Accommodation: Tinghuatang's "Double Life"

Tinghuatang was ranked number one on Ctrip, so we booked a family suite for ¥680 per night. But when we got there, we discovered there are two Tinghuatang locations in Lijiang Old Town—same name, different places.

The one with garden photos on Ctrip is at Lane 49, but we ended up at Lane 52. Even though Lane 52 had better room conditions, Ctrip's listing was misleading. If you want to take photos, it's only a 2-minute walk to Lane 49.

The Tinghuatang at Lane 52 had great facilities, the front desk guys spoke very softly, and there was a little puppy named "Cheese" that melted my heart.

Part 7: Day 5—Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, Totally Worth It

Essential Items Checklist

• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Sun hat (preferably cotton with a brim)
• Gloves (it's so cold up there you can't hold your camera)

Day Trip Experience

Since we didn't have time for Lugu Lake, we booked a one-day tour to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. We left at 7 AM, with 7 people in the car, and arrived at the scenic area in 40 minutes.

Route: First buy the electric cart ticket (¥50/person—recommended, because Blue Moon Valley is large) → explore Blue Moon Valley → lunch → queue for the cable car up the mountain.

Blue Moon Valley: Unbelievably Beautiful

Blue Moon Valley consists of three lakes, each separated by mountain ridges. The water is crystal clear and blue—Mirror Lake, Blue Moon Lake—each one is unreal. It's also a popular spot for wedding photos, with a romantic love story as its backdrop.

Queue Nightmare: Don't Make the Same Mistake

After finishing Blue Moon Valley at noon, we queued for the bus. It was packed—we waited almost 60 minutes. But later we found out that walking to the lunch spot only took 20 minutes! The driver-cum-guide never told us—I wanted to give him a terrible review.

Lunch was cured pork ribs (腊排骨), which was awful—tasted like spoiled meat. Even I, who's not picky at all, couldn't stomach it. I ate three bowls of plain rice just to fill up.

The Snow Mountain: Everything Was Worth It

We queued for the cable car, and each person got a can of oxygen. As the cable car ascended, the snow mountain came closer and closer. When I finally stood on Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, I felt like everything was worth it.

It was incredibly beautiful—so beautiful words fail me. The weather was perfect with excellent visibility. If the weather had been bad, you wouldn't have seen this view at all. Neither of us young ones had any altitude sickness, though we pretended to be out of breath for a photo.

Part 8: Days 6–7—Lijiang Old Town and the Return Trip

Lijiang Old Town

We spent the morning strolling through Lijiang Old Town and took the train back to Dali in the afternoon. Lijiang Old Town is much bigger than Dali's, but things are also more expensive. That's why I said earlier—if you see something in Dali, buy it, don't wait until Lijiang.

For dinner, I had a ¥28 bowl of rice noodles. The bowl was huge, but the portion wasn't—one bowl was just right for me alone.

Return Trip

On Day 7, we flew back to Zhengzhou from Dali Airport. If I'd booked a flight into Dali and out of Lijiang from the start, we wouldn't have had to make this extra detour.

Part 9: Final Honest Advice—Please Take These Tips

1. Route planning: Fly into Dali, out of Lijiang—don't book round-trip flights like I did
2. Accommodation: In Dali, go with "Wuyun" for best value; by Erhai Lake, try the lakeview rooms at Longkan Pier; in Lijiang, "Tinghuatang" has two locations—make sure you know which one you're booking
3. Dining: "Haiyue Restaurant" was the best meal of the trip—don't miss it; "Ark Fat Guy's" mushroom hotpot is also good
4. Attractions: Cangshan Mountain is optional; for Erhai Lake, definitely drive East Erhai Ring Road; Jade Dragon Snow Mountain is worth it, but consider a day tour to save hassle
5. Shopping: Dali is cheaper than Lijiang—buy what you like when you see it
6. Transportation: Use Shenzhou Car Rental for cars, and don't skip the scratch insurance

Travel is like this—full of surprises and regrets, beautiful memories and pitfalls. But it's these real experiences that make every trip unique. I hope this guide, which only tells the truth, helps you avoid detours in Yunnan and leaves you with more wonderful moments.

After all, the beauty of independent travel is that you never know what you'll find around the next corner.