Dali Light Luxury Travel Relaxation Guide

Hello everyone! As a travel blogger deeply in love with the Southwest charm, I have carefully planned a high-quality, light luxury five-day, four-night travel guide for Dali, with a budget controlled within 5000 RMB. It blends natural scenery, Bai culture, hidden gems, and slow life aesthetics, perfect for couples, best friends, families, or solo travelers. It will truly help you "slow down" and understand the romance of Dali. 🌿【Dali · Five Days Four Nights Light Luxury Slow Travel】 > Theme: Cangshan Mountain as an eternal painting without ink, Erhai Lake as an ancient stringless zither > Budget: ¥4980 per person (single) > Best seasons: March-May (spring blossoms) | September-November (crisp autumn) 🗓️ Day 1: Arrive in Dali | First encounter with the romance of wind, flowers, snow, and moon ✈️ Transportation: Flight to [Dali Fengyi Airport] Or high-speed train to [Dali Station] (Kunming → Dali about 2 hours, ¥145) Airport/Train station → Dali Ancient Town: Taxi about ¥50 | Shared ride ¥20 ✅ Transportation cost: ¥200 (round-trip high-speed train + local transport) 🏨 Accommodation: - Stay at [South Gate of Dali Ancient Town · Designer Guesthouse “Shanyueli” or “Jijian·Hua”] Converted Bai courtyard, terrace with views of Cangshan, 5-minute walk to Renmin Road Price: ¥580/night (breakfast included) ✅ Accommodation cost: ¥580 🌆 Afternoon itinerary: Stroll around [Dali Ancient Town]: Walk along Renmin Road, Foreigner Street, Fuxing Road Check in at the “Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon” archway, Wuhua Tower night view Shop for handmade silver jewelry and tie-dye fabrics in small stores 🍵 Dinner: In the ancient town at [Duan Gongzi · Bai Cuisine] Recommended: Sour and spicy fish, Rushan cheese, Nuodeng ham fried rice, plum wine ✅ Meal cost: ¥80 🌙 Overnight in the ancient town, listen to the wind through the courtyard, watch stars fall on the rooftops 🗓️ Day 2: Cycle around Erhai Lake | Encounter the most beautiful coastline 🚴 Transportation: - Rent an electric scooter ¥80/day (ID required, helmet must be worn) Or charter a car for a day tour ¥300/car (more comfortable, can stop at hidden spots) 🌊 Classic Erhai Lake route (clockwise): 1. Longkan Pier🌅 - 6:30-8:00, watch the sunrise over Erhai Lake, stunning photos on the redwood plankwalk 2. Caicun Pier Erhai Lake gently brushing, egrets flying low, perfect for quiet sitting and daydreaming 3. Xizhou Ancient Town Check in at [Corner Tower] Eat [Xizhou Baba] (savory and sweet combo) ¥10 Visit [Yan Family Courtyard] (representative Bai residence, ticket ¥30) 4. Haishi Ecological Park (free) Erhai Lake S-bend, the couple trees guarding for a thousand years, a drone photography hotspot 5. Shuanglang Ancient Town View Nanzhao Style Island from afar Have afternoon tea at [Yang Liping’s Sun Palace Café] (reservation required) Recommended: Jijian·Mountain or Haidi Life, ¥48/cup, unbeatable view 🍜 Lunch: - Shuanglang [Little Fisherman · Erhai Fish Restaurant] eat bow fish, shrimp paste scrambled eggs ¥60 🏨 Overnight in Shuanglang: [Shuanglang Seaside Guesthouse · Above the Clouds] or [Haidi Life] Window view of Erhai Lake, private balcony, ¥680/night (breakfast included) ✅ Accommodation cost: ¥680 🍷 Dinner: Guesthouse custom dinner or Shuanglang small restaurant [Hua Chi Le Na Jiu] ✅ Meal cost: ¥70 🗓️ Day 3: Climb Cangshan Mountain | Touch the sea of clouds and forest 🚠 Transportation: Shuanglang → Ancient Town ¥50 (taxi or shared ride) ⛰️ Cangshan Scenic Area: Ticket + Gantong Cableway (Zhonghe Temple line) ¥120 Suggested route: Cableway up → walk Yudai Cloud Tour Road (7.5 km flat) → pass Qingbi Stream, Zhonghe Temple → descend 🌿 Highlights: - Traverse the primeval forest, listen to the babbling creek - Overlook Erhai Lake like a blue ribbon spread out - After rain, the sea of clouds surges, like a fairyland 🍜 Lunch: - Bring your own simple meal or mountain snack shop simple meal ¥40 🏨 Overnight in Dali Ancient Town (same guesthouse as Day 1) ✅ Accommodation cost: ¥580 🍽️ Dinner: Ancient town [Drunken Glaze · Creative Yunnan Cuisine] Recommended: Rose flower fried chicken, matsutake mushroom stewed chicken, Dali beer ✅ Meal cost: ¥90 🗓️ Day 4: Shaxi Ancient Town | The forgotten Tea Horse Road secret 🚗 Transportation: Dali Ancient Town → Shaxi Ancient Town (about 2.5 hours) Round-trip charter ¥400/car (can share, about ¥200 per person) ✅ Transportation cost: ¥200 🏯 Shaxi Ancient Town (free): The only surviving market on the Tea Horse Road Core attractions: Ancient stage: century-old wood carvings, silently watching Yujin Bridge: morning mist, horse hoof sounds Shideng Street: stone slabs, old oil mill, Pioneer Bookstore ☕ Experience recommendation: Read a poem and drink a hand-brewed coffee at [Pioneer Bookstore · Shaxi Branch] Find a small courtyard to eat farmhouse meal: cured ribs + bitter buckwheat cake ¥50 📷 Photo tips: 6:30-8:00 Yujin Bridge morning mist, 99% chance of great shots 🍽️ Dinner & Accommodation: Stay at Shaxi Banshan · Wuqing or Shijiushanfang boutique guesthouse - Price: ¥560/night (breakfast included) ✅ Accommodation cost: ¥560 ✅ Meal cost: ¥60 🗓️ Day 5: Return | Take away a piece of cloud 🌅 Early morning optional: Morning walk in Shaxi, buy a handmade Rushan cheese souvenir ¥20 🚗 Return: Charter car back to Dali Station/Airport ¥200 (per person) ✅ Transportation cost: ¥200 🛍️ Souvenir recommendations: Tie-dye scarf ¥80 Eryuan plum wine ¥60 Shaxi coffee beans ¥50 ✅ Souvenirs: ¥190 ✅ Total budget breakdown (per person) | Item | Cost | | Round-trip transportation (high-speed train + local) | ¥400 | | Accommodation (4 nights) | ¥2380 | | Attraction tickets + cableway | ¥240 | | Meals (9 dinners, 4 breakfasts) | ¥450 | | Vehicle rental/charter | ¥400 | | Souvenirs + emergency | ¥300 | | Total | ¥4970 ✅ 🌟 Travel blogger’s private tips 1. Sunscreen! Sunscreen! Dali’s UV rays are very strong, SPF50+ is a must 2. Respect local culture: Bai people don’t like random photos, take off shoes when entering homes 3. Avoid holidays: National Day/Spring Festival are crowded, prices double 4. Book in advance: Shuanglang seaside guesthouses and Sun Palace café require 3-7 days advance booking 5. Slow down: Don’t rush attractions, sitting by Erhai Lake daydreaming is the true essence of Dali > 🌄 Travel blogger’s sincere words: > Dali, > is not just a check-in spot, > but a lifestyle attitude. > It teaches you— > The wind need not be chased, flowers will bloom on their own, > Snow mountains silently stand for millennia, > And you just need to sit down, > Drink a cup of tea in the wind, > Listen to Erhai Lake say: > “Walk slowly, life is long.” 🎒 Pack your bags and go to Dali! Let the clouds of Cangshan rest on your shoulders.☁️🏔️🌊