Dali Tours — Refreshing Views and Authentic Bai Culture

• The Best Times to Visit Dali
  Generally speaking, Dali is a destination for visiting all year round.
  The Cangshan mountains and Erhai Lake are especially beautiful in spring and summer when flowers are in full bloom. In autumn, the yellow rice fields, the red fir trees, and the blue of Erhai Lake form a romantic oil painting. In winter, the warm sunshine is the reason that many people flee to Dali from colder climes.
• Getting to Dali
  Dali is connected with China's main cities — Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chongqing, Kunming... — by direct flights. The bullet trains are also recommended if you travel from Kunming to Dali. From Lijiang, it is best to get to Dali by car (and vice versa).
• How Long to Stay
  Dali is between Kunming and Lijiang. If it is one of a few destinations on your Yunnan tour, normally we suggest 3 days to enjoy its highlights. If you would like to focus on the Dali area for a short break or an in-depth exploration, 4 or 5 days is perfect.

Dali in May

Located on a high plateau (about 2,000 meters above sea level), Dali has a subtropical highland monsoon climate. The Cangshan mountain massif diverts the flow of warm moist air from the southwest, leaving Dali with lots of sunshine and fresh air.

It has a relatively temperate climate all year round, with no extremes in summer or in winter. The temperature ranges from 18°C (64°F) to 25°C (77°F) in summer and from 4°C (39°F) to 17°C (62°F) in winter on average.

The daily temperature variation tends to be greater than the seasonal variation in temperature, which calls for layered clothing, or jackets and sweaters early in the morning and again during the evening. Most of the rainfall occurs from June to October. Read more

Have a bike ride to see the Cangshan and the Erhai Lake

The Cangshan mountains and Erhai Lake are the top must-explores for a Dali tour. If you prefer some exercise with your sightseeing, you can hike on Cangshan Mountain and bike along Erhai Lake. You will get beautiful views as you explore.

A boat ride on Erhai Lake is not so recommended for those who would like to get away from the tourist crowds. Taking a horse-drawn carriage along the lakeshore of Erhai could be an enjoyable and relaxing option though, ideal for those traveling with young children.

If you are interested in the culture of the Bai ethnic minority, the villages near Dali Ancient City, such as Xizhou and Zhoucheng, are recommended. Zhoucheng is less touristy and you will be impressed by the Bai architecture, traditional dress, and tie-dyeing. The rice fields near Xizhou is a charming view. Read more

A hotel with the lake view

Normally, we suggest hotels in Dali Ancient City. They are convenient for you to tour the ancient city and easiest for arranging a tour to the attractions nearby. If you are a traveler who wants a peaceful atmosphere and would like to get close to the local ethnic life, you could choose a hotel in Xizhou.

For those who want to have romantic and quiet atmosphere, staying in a small boutique hotel on the east side of Erhai Lake is a great option. Shuanglang and Wase are two small villages on the east of Erhai, where you can find a lot of hotels with the great mountain and lake views. Wasa is less touristy, but Shuanglang is more convenient for eating out. Both villages need about 1 hour by car from Dali Ancient Town. Read more