Dali in 3 days

Erhai Lake, Bai culture and Cangshan mountain, China's laid back old town. Best time to visit: March to May and September to November. Average daily budget: $40 to $80.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Dali Old Town, The walled heart with marble streets, cafes, bars and hostels, liveliest around Renmin Road and the Foreigner Street stretch.

Morning: Wander Xizhou village and its morning market. The best preserved Bai village, with ornate courtyards, tie dye workshops and baba flatbread fresh off the griddle.

Afternoon: Explore Dali Old Town, The walled heart with marble streets, cafes, bars and hostels, liveliest around Renmin Road and the Foreigner Street stretch.

Evening: Sunset at Caicun pier or the lakeside wetlands. Walk the boardwalks west of town as egrets fly in and Cangshan turns purple over the water.

Eat: Er kuai, pressed rice cakes stir fried or grilled with sweet and spicy sauces

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Caicun and Longkan, Lakeside villages just west of the old town with rice field walks, sunrise piers and quiet boutique guesthouses.

Morning: Cycle or ride the Erhai lake loop. Rent an e-bike or car for the 120 kilometre shoreline, stopping at Xizhou's market, wetlands and the S bend photo bridges.

Afternoon: Explore Caicun and Longkan, Lakeside villages just west of the old town with rice field walks, sunrise piers and quiet boutique guesthouses.

Evening: See the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. Dali's 1,200 year old landmark trio, best photographed from the reflecting pond with Cangshan behind.

Eat: Baba flatbread from Xizhou, plain or with sweet rose sugar filling

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Shuanglang, The yacht marina town on Erhai's east shore, famous for lake view terraces and the Nanzhao folk island.

Morning: Ride a Cangshan cable car and walk the Cloud Traveller's Path. The 18 kilometre stone path traverses the mountain's face at 2,600 metres above the old town, with valley views the whole way.

Afternoon: Explore Shuanglang, The yacht marina town on Erhai's east shore, famous for lake view terraces and the Nanzhao folk island.

Evening: Take a Bai tie dye workshop in Zhoucheng. Learn indigo resist dyeing from local artisans and take home your own scarf or cloth.

Eat: Rushan, fried dairy fan skewers drizzled with rose syrup, a Bai specialty

Hidden gems

Wase village's Sunday market on Erhai's east shore, almost tourist free
The Xizhou Bai architecture museum's hidden courtyards
Nanzhao Orphanage cafe in the hills above the old town, reached by e-bike
Haishe park's wetland boardwalk and lone tree, sunrise gold

Getting around

Dali Airport is 25 minutes from the old town; high speed trains from Kunming take 2 hours and from Lijiang 2 hours. E-bikes (40 to 60 yuan a day) cover the old town and west shore; for the full lake loop hire a car or driver (400 to 600 yuan a day). Local buses are cheap but slow, and taxis are easy to flag in town.

Safety

Dali is relaxed and safe, with a mellow nomad scene. Main notes: strong highland sun at 2,000 metres (wear sunscreen), chilly nights outside summer, and e-bike traffic on the lake road. Guesthouses often can't register foreign passports, so book places that can. Altitude is mild but Cangshan hikes add another 1,000 metres of climb.

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