There Are Two Kinds of Places: One Called Elsewhere, the Other Called Yunnan

Friends who are preparing to visit Yunnan for the first time, do you also share my same worries about not knowing how to plan the route? Wandering back and forth between joining a tour group and traveling independently? Not knowing how many days are suitable or roughly how much it costs? Always wanting to ask friends who have been there for recommendations on cost-saving and fun itineraries?

My family just returned from Yunnan, having visited Kunming, Dali, and Lijiang. We enjoyed the natural beauty of clear waters and green mountains, and even climbed Yulong Snow Mountain, the highest peak south of the Yangtze River. I must say Yunnan is truly beautiful, and we had an especially great time! We arranged everything through a local Yunnan young man named Aqin, recommended by a friend. He knew the area very well and helped plan the itinerary before we left, introducing Yunnan’s attractions and fun activities in detail. Our hotels, meals, and tickets were all at internal VIP prices arranged by Ahai, offering great deals and value. We had special local dishes and stayed in star-rated hotels—well worth the money!

Here’s the itinerary I followed for your reference: Yunnan is huge with too many fun places, and the distances between attractions are vast. After looking at Yunnan’s tourist map, I realized it’s difficult to visit all of Yunnan in one trip. Since our family only had 10 days, after discussing with Azhen, we finally settled on the route: Kunming → Dali → Lijiang → Lugu Lake → Shangri-La. We left Tengchong and Xishuangbanna for next time. If you have enough time, you can also choose to visit one or two more places.

Day 1: Private airport transfer + check-in hotel + sign formal contract + feed seagulls at Dianchi Lake → stay in Kunming

Day 2: Explore 5A Shilin Scenic Area + taste wild mushroom hotpot with ethnic song and dance dining → stay in Chuxiong

Day 3: Private yacht + Dali Ancient City + open-top jeep tour around Erhai Lake + Luo Quan Peninsula + seaside BBQ → stay in Dali

Day 4: Zhoucheng + Ancient Tea Horse Road + experience Bai tie-dye + Glacier Grand Cableway to Yulong Snow Mountain + watch large-scale song and dance performance "Lijiang Golden Water" + Lijiang Ancient City → stay in Lijiang

Day 5: Shuhe Ancient Town + Lashi Lake → stay in Lijiang

Day 6: Eighteen Bends winding road + panoramic view of Lugu Lake + Lover’s Beach + Walking Marriage Bridge + Grass Sea + Mosuo evening party → stay in Lugu Lake

Day 7: Pig-trough boat ride on the lake + Liwu Bi Island + Liwu Bi Temple + Chieftain’s Tomb → return to Lijiang

Day 8: Pudacuo National Park + Shudu Lake + Chieftain’s home visit with Tibetan song and dance party → stay in Shangri-La

Day 9: Dukezong Ancient City + Guishan Park + turn the world’s largest prayer wheel + Tiger Leaping Gorge → return to Kunming

Day 10: Fly back to warm home

Aqin’s recommendation: Kunming Dali Lijiang 5-day tour: https://vacations.ctrip.com/tour/detail/p24090229.html

The above is the itinerary arranged by the Yunnan travel senior butler for us. The pace was unhurried, including accommodation, transportation, and tickets, costing just over 1,800 RMB per person. Compared to traveling independently, we saved a lot just on accommodation.

Throughout the trip, we stayed in star-rated plus special hotels. I calculated that if we booked on our own, just the room cost would be close to the total cost. My family said they never expected to stay in such good hotels for just over 1,800 RMB.

DAY1 Kunming

Kunming private airport transfer + check-in hotel + sign formal contract + feed seagulls at Dianchi Lake. We flew from home to Kunming. The advantage of booking the itinerary in advance was that as soon as we landed, a special person picked us up and took us to the hotel, saving us the trouble of deciding whether to take a taxi or subway. Since we arrived early in the Spring City, we decided to go to Haigeng Dam in the afternoon to feed seagulls. Thousands of seagulls soared above Dianchi Lake, a spectacular sight.

DAY2 Chuxiong

After a hearty breakfast at the hotel, we headed to the world’s first wonder, Shilin, to look for Ashima. The guide said every stone here has a story, and you need to listen with your heart. With imagination, we walked through Jianfeng Pond, Wangfeng Pavilion, Shuangniao Dushi, Shilin Lake... as if traveling through a castle built of stones. After finishing Shilin, we had a hearty Yi ethnic meal, then returned to Kunming to drink Pu’er tea to relieve fatigue before heading to Chuxiong for a wild mushroom hotpot and experiencing ethnic song and dance dining.

DAY3 Dali

Private yacht + Dali Ancient City + open-top jeep tour around Erhai Lake + Luo Quan Peninsula + seaside BBQ. After having a Chuxiong-style breakfast at the hotel, we headed west to Dali. We chose to take a VIP private yacht to enjoy the scenery of Erhai Lake. The boat moved slowly, and the gentle breeze with the distant dark Cangshan Mountain was wonderful. On the boat, we watched the "Bai Three-Course Tea Song and Dance Performance." The tea, bitter first, sweet second, and aftertaste third, mirrored the experience of life.

We landed on Luo Quan Peninsula, which faces Cangshan and thrusts into the heart of the lake. The guide said it is the largest and most typical peninsula in Erhai Lake. From here, we could take in the full view of the 19 peaks of majestic Cangshan and the hundred-li Erhai Lake. Standing on the island, we snapped photos of Dali Ancient City and the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple. After lunch with Bai ethnic specialties, we arrived at Dali Ancient City, a favorite for literary youth. The streets were paved with stone slabs, flanked by antique Bai residences. Together with Dali’s city towers and the Wuhua Tower in the center, it felt very peaceful and serene. In the afternoon, we became cool girls by riding a fun jeep around Erhai Lake. The convertible drove along the lakeside road, with magnificent sea views outside the window. Leaning casually against the jeep, the photographer with his SLR took a set of cool seaside road photos for us! Along the way, we also took pictures with many internet-famous backdrops like white tables, glass balls, and white frames. That afternoon, our girlish hearts almost burst. As a foodie, I give a thumbs up to today’s seaside BBQ at Taoran Tianshe. By Erhai Lake, with pastoral scenery, eating fragrant grilled meat skewers felt like flying in the free sky.

DAY4 Lijiang

After breakfast, we went to the largest Bai village in Dali, Zhoucheng. The guide introduced it as an important town on the Ancient Tea Horse Road. Located at the foot of Cangshan’s Canglang Peak, it was called Longquan Yi in ancient times and was the imperial garden built by the Dali king. Zhoucheng is also famous for Bai tie-dye, a traditional handicraft. Under the guidance of skilled tie-dye masters, we each made a beloved blue-dyed cloth. After a nice lunch in Dali, we took a bus to the foot of Yulong Snow Mountain, a 5A national scenic area. Taking the Glacier Grand Cableway, we enjoyed the distinct layers of meadows and forests, reaching the summit. The Yulong Thirteen Peaks stretched for dozens of miles, against the blue sky like a silver dragon dancing eternally. Bidding farewell to the sacred mountain of the Naxi people, the guide took us to the Lijiang Small Jiuzhaigou—Blue Moon Valley. The water was dazzling blue, and the valley was crescent-shaped, looking from afar like a blue moon inlaid at the foot of Yulong Snow Mountain. Standing by the lake, white clouds floated above the mountains, and reflections swayed dreamily. In the evening, we watched the large-scale song and dance performance "Lishui Jinsha" (Golden Sand of Lijiang). It presented the unique plateau ethnic culture nurtured by Lijiang’s extraordinary mountains and waters through dance, poetry, and painting, comprehensively showcasing Lijiang’s unique and extensive history through water, mountains, and emotions. After the show, we had a delicious special meal at a Naxi农家乐 (farmhouse). Satisfied, we strolled freely in the World Heritage Lijiang Ancient City to the tune of a light melody. Lijiang Ancient City at night, decorated with brilliant lights, shed the daytime hustle and was filled with a quiet and elegant atmosphere. Flowing water tapped cheerful rhythms as it streamed underfoot, creating an ethereal feeling.

DAY5 Lijiang

Shuhe Ancient Town + Lashi Lake. After breakfast, we arrived at the quaint and beautiful Ancient Tea Horse Town of Shuhe. Old houses, deep alleys, simple folk customs, unique ethnic snacks, and various bars and inns made us feel like travelers just smelling flowers here. After visiting Shuhe, the guide took us to Lashi Lake, the source of the Lijiang culture. We chose to ride horses, listening to wind chimes along the Ancient Tea Horse Road, experiencing a long-lost tranquility. Tired from riding, we went to the Houniao Muyu Leisure Clubhouse to rest. Sitting on artistic sofas, drinking coffee, quietly gazing at the beautiful scenery outside—a rare enjoyment. There were various ethnic decorations and many interesting modern elements. For anyone who loves taking photos, it was simply awesome.

DAY6 Lugu Lake

Eighteen Bends winding road + panoramic view of Lugu Lake + Lover’s Beach + Walking Marriage Bridge + Grass Sea + Mosuo evening party.

After breakfast, we took a bus to Lugu Lake. Along the way, we visited the shooting location of "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles"—the Shiba Wan (Eighteen Bends), capturing the natural wonder. Then we enjoyed the strange, beautiful, and dangerous scenery of the Jinsha River Valley as we headed toward the Kingdom of Women. Climbing to the Lugu Lake observation deck, we had a panoramic view of the entire lake. The azure lake, blue sky, green tree-lined shores, and the beautiful Liwu Bi Island together formed a wonderful picture. Arriving at Lover’s Beach, we couldn’t tell whether the blue before us was sky or lake. Waves crashed on the shore; the water near the shore was yellow, while farther away it was deep and mysterious blue. Beautiful flower petals floated on the water with the wind, creating a sense of mystery and romance. Standing on the Lige observation deck, we looked down at Lige Island, which seemed like a pearl hanging on the surface of Lugu Lake, the whole island like a young girl’s slender arm reaching into the lake. Aqin thoughtfully arranged a Mosuo Walking Marriage Dinner for us, unveiling the mystery of the Mosuo people through ethnic cuisine. After the meal, we took a bus to the Grass Sea. The guide said that walking from one end of the Walking Marriage Bridge to the other would make our love sweet and lasting. Whether true or not, we walked the entire length with sincere hearts. In the evening, we joined the Mosuo Guozhuang Party, where men and women held hands in a circle with a bonfire in the middle. Mosuo women, dressed in ethnic costumes and wrapped in black turbans, sang and danced. In the lively dances, they appeared graceful and radiant.

DAY7 Lijiang

Pig-trough boat ride on the lake + Liwu Bi Island + Liwu Bi Temple + Chieftain’s Tomb.

To see the stunning sunrise over Lugu Lake, we got up at 06:30. With the arrival of the first rays of morning light, the entire lake was covered in a golden veil. The clouds in the sky took on their own colors, and morning mist rose from the lake, turning the area into a misty fairyland. After watching the sunrise and having breakfast, we took a pig-trough boat ride on the lake, landed on Liwu Bi Island, and visited Liwu Bi Island, Liwu Bi Temple, and the Chieftain’s Tomb. We experienced the "Three Wonders of Mosuo": boats on the lake, people on the boats, and the songs of the people.

Aqin’s recommendation: Kunming Dali Lijiang Lugu Lake 8-day tour: https://vacations.ctrip.com/tour/detail/p24243650.html

DAY8 Shangri-La

Pudacuo → Chieftain’s home visit with Tibetan song and dance party.

After breakfast, we took a bus to Shangri-La, enjoying the plateau scenery along the way. Upon arrival, we had a hearty lunch. After the meal, we went to Pudacuo National Park, the first national park in mainland China. It includes natural landscapes such as snow mountains, wetlands, forests, and lakes, rated as a 5A national tourist attraction. Entering it felt like stepping into a pollution-free fairy tale world: clear lakes, blue skies, forests with the sound of water, birdsong and flowers—extraordinarily beautiful. In the evening, the thoughtful Azhen arranged for us to attend a Chieftain’s home visit and Tibetan song and dance party, a traditional Tibetan banquet including yak hotpot, highland barley wine, butter tea, roasted barley flour, cheese, and other Tibetan foods. When the banquet began, Tibetan performers put on singing and dancing shows, creating a lively atmosphere.

DAY9 Lijiang

Dukezong Ancient City + Guishan Park + turn the world’s largest prayer wheel + Tiger Leaping Gorge.

Today we slowed our pace and walked into Dukezong Ancient City, admiring the exquisite architecture and experiencing ethnic culture. Climbing Guishan Park, we turned the world’s largest prayer wheel together with fellow travelers, making the deepest wish in our hearts. After lunch, we headed to the world-class gorge Tiger Leaping Gorge, famous for its danger, beauty, wonder, and grandeur. Entering the gorge, looking up at the cliffs, we could only see a patch of sky. Strange rocks surrounded us, the gorge was deep and long, and the river water, blocked by rocks, leaped like a dragon and roared like a tiger. Our hearts pounded with the steep cliffs above and the torrent below. Looking from the upper section, we felt as if we were on a precipice, under a waterfall. Every section of Tiger Leaping Gorge offered a different feeling—well worth a visit.

Aqin’s recommendation: Kunming Dali Lijiang Shangri-La 8-day tour: https://vacations.ctrip.com/tour/detail/p24243566.html

DAY10 Kunming airport transfer and return to warm home.

Today we flew home, ending the wonderful journey.

See you, Yunnan. I think I will meet you again soon. The above is the travel itinerary for me and my family in Yunnan. I hope it can help you who are planning to visit Yunnan. See you next time!