Dali Trip Overview
We will start in Dali Ancient Town and then take an adventurous tour around Erhai Lake by car. Along the way, we will pass the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, eat Xizhou Baba in a charming old town and visit the birthplace of Bai ethnic culture. Go on a one-day journey with us and see sunny wetlands, majestic mountains, serene temples, peaceful islands, old towns, traditional fishermen and lots and lots of birds.
• Erhai lake: go around the second biggest fresh water lake in Yunnan
• Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple: more than 1000 years old and the symbol of Dali.
• Xizhou: Bai-style traditional architecture along the old tea-horse road.
• Wase: one of the birthplaces of Bai culture, on the east side of Erhai lake.
• Haidong: beautiful scenery and wetlands around Erhai lake.
Additional Info
Duration: 1 day
Starts: Dali, China
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Cultural Tours
Explore Dali Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Dali, Yunnan, China
We will start in Dali Ancient Town and then take an adventurous tour around Erhai Lake by car. Along the way, we will pass the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, eat Xizhou Baba in a charming old town and visit the birthplace of Bai ethnic culture. Go on a one-day journey with us and see sunny wetlands, majestic mountains, serene temples, peaceful islands, old towns, traditional fishermen and lots and lots of birds.
• Erhai lake: go around the second biggest fresh water lake in Yunnan
• Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple: more than 1000 years old and the symbol of Dali.
• Xizhou: Bai-style traditional architecture along the old tea-horse road.
• Wase: one of the birthplaces of Bai culture, on the east side of Erhai lake.
• Haidong: beautiful scenery and wetlands around Erhai lake.
In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel in Dali Ancient Town and taken to the meeting point. Then we will begin our tour around Erhai lake. Erhai literally translated means “Ear sea”, because it’s shaped like an ear. Erhai is also called “the Mother Lake”, because Dali city and Bai ethnic culture evolved around the lake.
The first stop on the way is Xizhou old town, where you can see Bai-style traditional architecture. Wander through the town and visit exquisitely well preserved old Bai-style traditional courtyards and feel in a different world as you explore the Bai minority’s distinctive culture. Xizhou is a small town with a long history, dating back thousands years, when it was an ancient economic hub along the tea-horse road. In Xizhou you definitely have to try a popular local snack, called Xizhou Baba, a delicious crispy sweet or savory baked pancake. The second stop is Haishe park, where you can relax from the bustling town and enjoy the tranquil lake scenery.
Around noon we will arrive in Wase, a small town where you have an amazing panoramic view of Dali Ancient Town from afar. This town is the religious and cultural center of east Erhai.
After lunch, we will continue to Haidong where you can see wetlands and Jinsuo island. Jinsuo Island used to be a summer retreat for the King of Dali Kingdom, but now it has become a small fishing village. Afterwards we will slowly return back to Dali Ancient Town.
