A wooden boat drifting through lotus on Erhai Lake beneath tall white clouds

Signature journeys, one Dali.

Personal itineraries designed by a host who lives in Dali — built around good pacing, avoiding the crowds and real local experience, never a rushed box-ticking run. All four can be tailored by days, budget, interests, group size and travel dates — and any one-day festival or experience tour can be slotted in.

Four private 3-day tours · or a customized trip

A small wooden boat on Erhai Lake beneath towering white clouds
Tour 1 · 3 days / 2 nights

Classic Erhai Loop

Old-town landmarks, Xizhou and both shores of Erhai in one smooth loop, ending with a Shuanglang sunset. The safest choice for a first visit.

First-timers · moderate pace
The illuminated gate tower of Dali Old Town at night
Tour 2 · 3 days / 2 nights

Bai Culture Deep-Dive

From the museum to Bai courtyard houses, three-course tea, tie-dye and Bai cooking — layer by layer, with lunar festivals added when they fall.

Culture lovers · slower pace
Aerial dawn view from the Cangshan Mountains over golden fields above a sea of cloud
Tour 3 · 3 days / 2 nights

Photography & Hidden Gems

Nuodeng's thousand-year salt-well village, Cangshan's sea of clouds with lunch at Jizhao'an, and sunrise over Erhai at Longkan Dock.

Photographers · early starts
A flower swing in a lakeside garden at sunset over Erhai Lake
Tour 4 · 3 days / 2 nights

Slow Living & Family

Low effort and lots of free time: Erhai beach play, an easy cable-car Cangshan walk, a farm café, local markets and flower-bike cycling.

Families · low intensity
A weathered lone tree over the deep blue water of Erhai Lake
Customized · Your design

Customized Tour

Mix the routes, add a day in Shaxi or Weishan, or time your trip to Sanyue Jie, the Torch Festival or the fishing-lantern season. Tell us your days, budget, interests, group size and dates — we'll build it around you.

Any length · your pace

One-day tours · add to any journey

Festival & experience days

Six one-day tours built around Dali's festivals and living traditions. Slot any of them into a signature tour or a customized trip. Festival dates follow the lunar calendar, so we confirm them for your year.

A jockey racing a horse at the Sanyue Jie festival in DaliLunar 3/15–21 · usually April

Sanyue Jie · Third Month Street Festival

Western Yunnan's biggest thousand-year fair — horse racing, Dian opera, flower-lantern shows and a vast ethnic market.

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A giant burning torch above a crowd on the night of the Torch Festival in DaliLunar 6/25 · late Jul–Aug

Torch Festival

Ten-metre torches, showers of resin sparks and song and dance after dark, with a Bai eight-bowl long-table feast.

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Bai performers in festival costume dancing during RaosanlingLunar 4/23–25 · late May–Jun

Raosanling · Bai Spring Carnival

Follow costumed villagers as they sing and dance between three temples along Cangshan and Erhai.

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Fishing lanterns glowing across Erhai Lake at nightOfficial dates · often autumn

Erhai Fishing-Lantern Season

The east shore by day, then thousands of real fishing lanterns spreading across the lake at blue hour.

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A market stall piled high with wild mushrooms and fresh produceYear-round · fixed market days

Village Market Day

Go to market with the locals — produce, mountain goods, crafts and Bai snacks, matched to your travel dates.

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Freshly foraged wild mushrooms from the forests around DaliMid-Jun – Sep

Wild Mushroom Foraging

Search the pine forest with a local guide, then sit down to a farmhouse feast of wild mushrooms.

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See every one-day tour in detail

Booking & service

How every journey works

Included in every tour

  • Hotel pick-up & drop-off — every tour starts at your hotel and ends at your hotel, the airport or anywhere in Dali city, so each tour day is a full day.
  • All transport for the whole tour.
  • Hotel nights as listed — “3 days / 2 nights” means 3 full touring days and 2 hotel nights.
  • Basic travel insurance — very basic cover only (see below).

Not included · add-ons

  • Meal plan — meals aren't in the default price, but you can add our meal plan: every meal on tour at a hand-picked list of clean, tidy restaurants and local favourites.
  • Airport pick-up & extra nights — airport pick-up is not included. Arriving a day early? Add one hotel night plus the transfer from the airport to your hotel. Staying one more night to catch the next day's flight? Add the extra night plus the airport transfer.
  • Your own travel insurance — we strongly recommend buying fuller cover elsewhere.
  • One-day tours — add any festival or experience day to your route.

Good to know

  • Every route is fully customisable — days, budget, interests, group size and travel dates.
  • Prices change through the year. Try to avoid Chinese national holidays (Spring Festival, 1–5 May, 1–7 October): they're the most expensive dates and the most crowded travel of the year.
  • Solo travellers may need a little extra budget.
  • Festival dates follow the lunar calendar and change every year; the fishing lanterns depend on official announcements — book early to lock them in.
  • We usually reply to enquiries within 2 days.

Safety

  • Torch Festival: wear thick long sleeves, watch out for resin sparks and keep a safe distance from the big torches.
  • Mushroom foraging (in season): always go with a local guide, cook everything thoroughly, and never pick or eat anything you can't identify.
  • High altitude & lakeside: bring sun protection and warm layers — it's windy up high, so go at your own pace.
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