Yunnan 4 Days 3 Nights High Cost-Performance Guide: Explore Kunming and Dali for 9800 RMB per Person

Yunnan 4 Days 3 Nights High Cost-Performance Guide｜Explore Kunming + Dali for 9800 RMB per Person, Stay by Erhai Lake, Visit Ancient Towns, Eat Wild Mushrooms, All the Hidden Gems Revealed! You think Yunnan = group tours + photo ops + shopping traps? Wrong! This land kissed by wind and sunshine hides Erhai Lake reflecting snowy mountains, the lingering charm of the ancient Tea Horse Road, and juicy wild mushroom hotpot that bursts with flavor! Four days and three nights, within **9800 RMB per person** (including airfare), we’ll help you ditch the “internet celebrity filters,” stay in designer homestays by Erhai Lake, bike around the lake chasing sunsets, hike Cangshan Mountain watching clouds rise, feast on the “three-day chicken-caterpillar mushroom universe,” and experience the slow life of Yunnan made for young people! 📅 Itinerary Overview: 📍 Cities: Kunming + Dali (the essence of two cities) 🗓 Duration: 4 days 3 nights 💰 Total Budget: **9800 RMB per person** (cheaper for two travelers) ✈️ Transport: High-speed train/flight (recommended fly to Kunming, return from Dali) 🏨 Accommodation: 1 night in Kunming + 2 nights in Dali lakeside homestays, about 3000 RMB 🚄 Local transport + car rental: about 600 RMB 🍜 Food + experiences: 2800 RMB 🌿 Day 1: First Encounter in Kunming｜Dianchi Lake Red-billed Gulls + Dounan Flower Market + Old Street Dinner ✈️ Arrival: Kunming Changshui Airport → Metro Line 6 to downtown (about 25 RMB) 🏨 Stay: Boutique hotel or artsy homestay near Cuihu Park (recommended “Kunming Hidden Retreat”), about 600 RMB/night 📍 Schedule: - Afternoon: Check in at 【Dianchi Haigeng Dam】(free) — in winter, thousands of red-billed gulls circle, feeding them is super healing! - Evening: Head straight to Asia’s largest flower market 【Dounan Flower Market】 — 💐 10 RMB for a bunch of roses, 30 RMB for a bouquet of hydrangeas, like walking into a sea of flowers! (Even cheaper after 7 PM clearance) - Dinner: Eat authentic Yunnan flavors at 【Yuanxi Road】 or 【Wenhua Alley】: 🍜 Must-try: small pot rice noodles, steam pot chicken, cold pea noodles, rose jam scrambled eggs --- 🚴‍♀️ Day 2: Arrive in Dali｜Erhai Lake Cycling + Caicun Pier + Instagram-famous S Curve + Sunset Café 🚄 Transport: Kunming Station → Dali Station (2-hour high-speed train, ticket ¥145) 🏨 Stay: Lakeside homestay near Longkan Pier, Erhai Lake (recommended “Yunye Sunrise” or “Haidi Life”), about 1200 RMB/night 📍 Schedule: - Afternoon: Rent an electric bike/bicycle (about 60 RMB/day) to start 【Erhai Lake light hiking and cycling】: 📍 First stop: 【Caicun Pier】 for lake reflections 📍 Second stop: 【S Curve Ecological Corridor】(free) — perfect photo spot, wear a white dress for instant shots 📍 Third stop: 【Panxi Village】 F Bay Café, order a latte, wait for the sunset to melt gold over Erhai Lake - Dinner: 【Shuanglang Ancient Town】 or 【North Gate Market】 night market: 🍲 Eat wild mushroom hotpot or Bai ethnic sour and spicy fish, paired with a plum wine, just the right buzz ⛰️ Day 3: Cangshan Secret Realm｜Gantong Cableway + Qingbixi Hiking + Jizhao Nunnery Vegetarian Meal 📍 Schedule: - Morning: Take the 【Gantong Cableway】 up Cangshan Mountain (one way ¥35, half price for students) 🚠 Walk to 【Qingbixi】, listen to mountain springs, watch mist swirl in the primeval forest - Noon: Head to 【Jizhao Nunnery】 — China’s most beautiful nunnery, a succulent paradise! 🍱 Enjoy a ¥20 vegetarian lunch (reservation required), peaceful and delicious - Afternoon: Return to the ancient town, visit 【Renmin Road Handmade Market】, 【Jiang Gong Memorial Cultural Park】 - Evening: Have a drink at 【Foreigner Street】, or watch the starry Milky Way from the homestay terrace 🛍️ Day 4: Slow Wake in the Ancient Town + Return｜Tie-dye Experience + Souvenir Shopping + Fly Home 📍 Schedule: - Morning: Experience 【Bai Ethnic Tie-dye】 (about 80 RMB/person), make your own handkerchief or scarf, a unique souvenir to take home - Noon: Have the last meal of 【Rushan Cheese Rolls】 + 【Erkuai Rice Cake】 + 【Rose Yogurt】, pack the taste of Dali into your stomach - Souvenir shopping: ✅ Preserved plums, Nuodeng ham (vacuum-packed and easy to carry) ✅ Dali Jiama paper crafts, handmade silver jewelry ✅ Homemade mushroom oil, matsutake mushroom sauce (¥50/bottle, great gift) ✈️ Return: Fly from Dali Airport (or take the train back to Kunming for connecting flights) 💰 Budget Breakdown (per person): - Round-trip airfare: 3500 RMB (book early, slightly more expensive on holidays) - High-speed train ticket: 145 RMB - Accommodation: 3 nights total 3000 RMB - Food + tickets + experiences: 2800 RMB - Car rental + transport + miscellaneous: 355 RMB ✅ Total: about 9800 RMB 📌 Blogger’s Private Tips: 1️⃣ Some sections of the Erhai ecological corridor ban electric bikes, recommend combining walking and photo stops 2️⃣ Wild mushrooms must be cooked thoroughly! Safety first, deliciousness second 3️⃣ Dali has very strong UV rays, sunscreen + hat + sunglasses are essential 4️⃣ Choose natural plant dyes for tie-dye, eco-friendly and colorfast Yunnan, is not just a trip, but— a breeze brushing past your ear, a cloud resting on your shoulder, a bowl of steaming mushroom soup, rising with dreams of freedom and passion. Come, in these four days, let the light of Erhai, the mist of Cangshan, the nights of the ancient town, tell you— what it means to “slow down, that’s living.” 🌿🚴🌅