Dali Trip Overview
Eat and explore your way through Yunnan’s Tea & Horse Caravan Road, from Dali to Lijiang, plus a unique overnight stay in Tiger Leaping Gorge. Plentiful local meals, cooking classes, market tours, and hot pots galore – the perfect way to explore Yunnan’s diverse culture is through their equally diverse cuisine.
Highlights Include:
– Visit ancient old-towns and fairytale villages as you discover boutique cafes and the best local cuisine you’ll only find with us.
– All meals are included, plentiful, and include beer! Enjoy cured meats, fried cheese, hotpots, and dozens of plates every day.
– Cycle through Shaxi and the surrounding countryside, stopping at a hidden-away hillside cafe and a unique book store tucked away in an ancient village.
– Spend the night in Tiger Leaping Gorge, in your own private villa, with incredible balcony and poolside views.
– Explore Lijiang’s oldest market before preparing lunch in a private cooking studio with a local Naxi family.
Additional Info
Duration: 8 days
Starts: Dali, China
Trip Category: Outdoor Activities >> Hiking & Camping
Explore Dali Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Dali, Yunnan, China
Eat and explore your way through Yunnan’s Tea & Horse Caravan Road, from Dali to Lijiang, plus a unique overnight stay in Tiger Leaping Gorge. Plentiful local meals, cooking classes, market tours, and hot pots galore – the perfect way to explore Yunnan’s diverse culture is through their equally diverse cuisine.
Highlights Include:
– Visit ancient old-towns and fairytale villages as you discover boutique cafes and the best local cuisine you’ll only find with us.
– All meals are included, plentiful, and include beer! Enjoy cured meats, fried cheese, hotpots, and dozens of plates every day.
– Cycle through Shaxi and the surrounding countryside, stopping at a hidden-away hillside cafe and a unique book store tucked away in an ancient village.
– Spend the night in Tiger Leaping Gorge, in your own private villa, with incredible balcony and poolside views.
– Explore Lijiang’s oldest market before preparing lunch in a private cooking studio with a local Naxi family.
Itinerary
Day 1: Welcome Dinner / Dali Old-Town Food Tour
Stop At: Dali Ancient, Dali 671000 China
We’ll kick things off at dinner with a local walking food tour – Lost Plate style! Try locally-made rice noodles, fried cheese, a few street snacks, a Dai minority feast served on the biggest platter you’ve ever seen, and more!
Duration: 4 hours
Meals included:
• Dinner: Try locally-made rice noodles, fried cheese, street snacks, a Dai minority feast, local craft beer, and more!
Accommodation included: A modern boutique guesthouse near Dali’s old-town with excellent mountain and lake views.
Day 2: Dali Old-Town Market, Rose Farm & Pastry Making, Xizhou Village, and More
Stop At: Dali Ancient, Dali 671000 China
Start the day in an area of Dali that is still popular with locals, grab a popular breakfast, and explore a local market that sprawls throughout many small lanes. Then get some free time to explore Dali old-town before a Bai minority lunch.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Xizhou Town, North Dali Old Town, Dali China
Head to the small village of Xizhou where we’ll check-in to our guesthouse before enjoying freshly-caught fish, local chicken served with chili and rice cakes, plum-fried pork, fried eggs with jasmine flower, and much more for dinner.
Duration: 12 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: Grab a popular breakfast, try some Yunnan coffee, and explore a local market that sprawls throughout many small lanes.
• Lunch: Sip on fresh rose water and make one of the most popular local treats: rose cakes…and you’ll leave with leftovers!
• Dinner: Enjoy freshly-caught fish, local chicken served with rice cakes, plum-fried pork, fried eggs with jasmine, and more.
Accommodation included: 500 year-old courtyard inn in Xizhou village.
Day 3: Xizhou Baba, Erhai Lake, Traditional Tye-Dye, Shaxi Village
Stop At: Xizhou Town, North Dali Old Town, Dali China
Explore Xizhou village’s cobblestone horse-worn streets, wooden buildings, and unique architectural styles before trying Xizhou Baba, a freshly baked bread only found in this village – stuffed with your choice of savory pork or sweet rose paste. You’ll get a first-hand look at how they are prepared and baked in a traditional charcoal oven.
Duration: 3 hours
Stop At: Erhai Lake, No.55 Zhongshan Road, Dali 661000 China
Grab lunch at a lakeside restaurant to enjoy local shrimp, fish, and a plethora of other local dishes.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Shaxi Ancient Town, Middle of Taicang, Taicang 215400 China
Check-in and enjoy some free time in Shaxi village before our dinner at a local family courtyard restaurant. We’ll be starting out with meticulously made pork-stuffed lima beans, cured meats, some local fried cheese, and work our way through a variety of other delights based on what’s best at the local market that day.
Duration: 1 day 12 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast: Try Xizhou Baba, a freshly baked bread only found in this village stuffed with your choice of pork or sweet rose paste.
• Lunch: Grab lunch at a lakeside restaurant to enjoy local shrimp, fish, and a plethora of other local dishes.
• Dinner: Pork-stuffed lima beans, cured meats, some local fried cheese, and work our way through a variety of other local dishes.
Accommodation included: Boutique courtyard guesthouse in Shaxi.
Day 4: Shaxi Village & Countryside Bike Ride
Stop At: Yunnan Shaxi Ancient Town, Southwest of Jianchuan County, Dali China
We’ll spend the entire day in Shaxi with a leisurely morning with time to explore the coffee shops and bakery, a hotpot lunch, a bike ride through the countryside with a stop at a mountainside cafe and book store, and another excellent local dinner.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
• Breakfast: Enjoy a leisurely morning with breakfast at your guesthouse and time to explore the local coffee shops and bakery.
• Lunch: Steam-pot chicken, complete with locally made pickles plus fluffy rice cooked in a giant copper pot with cured pork.
• Dinner: Foraged tree moss fried with eggs, lemongrass pork ribs, fried local cheese, and a lot more.
Accommodation included: Boutique courtyard guesthouse in Shaxi.
Day 5: Tiger Leaping Gorge Views, Hike, Private Villa Accommodations
Stop At: Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia), 100 km NW of Lijiang Hutiaoxia Town, Shangri-La County 674402 China
We’ll head to Tiger Leaping Gorge. Our first stop will be the viewing deck at the mouth of the canyon where the upper waters of the Yangzi river are forced through one of the deepest gorges in the world. It’s truly an awe-inspiring sight to see and experience. Then we’ll head to the middle of the gorge for a (optional) moderately difficult, 3.5 hour round-trip hike down to the river, across suspension bridges, waterfalls, and rock islands in the river, before heading back up to the top on a breathtaking loop-hike. For those not interested, you’ll have time to relax at our guesthouse for the afternoon.
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner: After dinner, locals like to gather for a bonfire, music, and dancing – come and join us!
Accommodation included: Private boutique villas deep within Tiger Leaping Gorge with swimming pool and hot tub.
Day 6: Tiger Leaping Gorge & Shuhe Old Town in Lijiang
Stop At: Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia), 100 km NW of Lijiang Hutiaoxia Town, Shangri-La County 674402 China
Enjoy a leisurely morning with some of the best breakfast views in China.
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Shuhe Ancient Town, 2 Miles North West of Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang 674100 China
We’ll be eating and staying in Shuhe, a less touristy old-town within Lijiang.
Duration: 2 days
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner: Cured pork-rib hot pot cooked in a local broth made of cured pork short ribs placed in the center of the table with BBQ!
Accommodation included: Boutique courtyard guesthouse at Shuhe old-town in Lijiang.
Day 7: Cooking Class & Market Visit, Baisha Village, Shuhe Old-Town Dinner
Stop At: 象山第一家腊排骨, China, Yun Nan Sheng, Li Jiang Shi, Gu Cheng Qu, 象山东路近象山市场 邮政编码: 674100
Start the day exploring Lijiang’s oldest market to shop for our cooking class. Immersion is a great way to learn about what makes Yunnan’s food culture so special. Shop shoulder to shoulder with Naxi locals and their woven-basket backpacks, before preparing lunch in a private cooking studio with a local Naxi family. Everyone will be making 3 dishes that you’ll enjoy for lunch!
Duration: 4 hours
Stop At: Baisha Ancient Town, North of Lijiang County, Yulong County 674100 China
Head to Baisha old-town to explore the quiet cobblestone lanes of the oldest village in Lijiang. It’s a great place to grab a coffee and soak in the architecture and views of the area.
Duration: 2 hours
Stop At: Shuhe Ancient Town, 2 Miles North West of Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang 674100 China
Our final dinner will be a huge selection of local Naxi minority dishes, including roast pork belly with mint, fried eggplant, spicy fish, and a ton more. The perfect way to end the trip!
Duration: 1 day
Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch: Everyone will be making 3 dishes that you’ll enjoy for lunch during our cooking class!
• Dinner: Roast pork belly with mint, fried eggplant, spicy fish, and a ton more.
Accommodation included: Boutique courtyard guesthouse at Shuhe old-town in Lijiang.
Day 8: Departure, Airport Drop-off Included
Stop At: Shuhe Ancient Town, 2 Miles North West of Lijiang Ancient Town, Lijiang 674100 China
Airport drop-off in Lijiang is included all day today.
Duration: 12 hours
Meals included:
• Breakfast
No accommodation included on this day.
