Five days is enough to enjoy Dali and Lijiang if you accept that two of the days are mostly spent moving. This plan puts Dali first and Lijiang last, so the altitude rises gently and the last evening is the prettiest one.
If you have booked leave for a long weekend plus a few days and wonder whether Yunnan is too big for that, it is not. It simply needs fewer stops than the brochures show.
Who is this route for?
It suits first-timers and couples who like walking slowly, eating well and taking photos without a timetable. It does not try to include Shangri-La or the Stone Forest, and that is the point.
Route at a glance
- Day 1: Land in Kunming and rest.
- Day 2: Train to Dali, old town walk.
- Day 3: Erhai Lake and Xizhou, a full Dali day.
- Day 4: Move to Lijiang, evening in the Old Town.
- Day 5: Quiet morning in Lijiang, then depart.
Day by day
Day 1: Land in Kunming
Kunming Changshui Airport is about 24.5 km northeast of the city centre[1]. Take a metro, taxi or pre-booked transfer to your hotel, and show your passport at check-in, since hotels copy it for registration[2].
Keep the evening light. Kunming stands at about 1,892 m[3], a gentle first step. A short walk and an early night are enough.
Day 2: Train to Dali
Take a morning high-speed train to Dali, which has a link to Kunming running about one train per hour[4]. Bring your passport for the ticket and the platform gate[5], and arrive early for the bag check[6].
In the afternoon walk Dali Old Town, with its gates and quiet side lanes. Dali City sits at about 1,975 m[7]. Dinner can be slow and local.
Day 3: Erhai Lake and Xizhou
This is your full Dali day. Spend the morning by Erhai Lake, which lies at 1,972 m[8]. Walk or cycle a short stretch of the shore rather than trying to circle the lake.
After lunch visit Xizhou, a Bai village with courtyard houses, then return for a rest. Sun and wind can be strong by the water, so bring a hat and a light jacket.
Day 4: Move to Lijiang
Leave Dali after breakfast and give this leg most of the morning, whether by train or by road. Check at booking which one your quote uses, because they feel different. Our Dali to Lijiang road versus train guide explains how.
Lijiang’s Old Town is at 2,400 m[9]. Check in, rest for an hour, then walk the lanes at dusk. Keep dinner calm and the evening short.
Day 5: Lijiang morning and departure
Spend the morning at Shuhe or Baisha, the quieter villages outside the Old Town. Then leave for the airport or station. Lijiang Sanyi Airport is about 28 km south of the city centre, with flights from Kunming taking about 30 minutes[10].
If your flight home leaves from Kunming, leave Lijiang early or fly out the day before. Do not tie the last afternoon to a tight connection.
How long are the travel legs?
The Kunming to Lijiang high-speed journey takes about 3 to 3.5 hours[11], and Dali sits on the way. Treat Day 2 and Day 4 as half-travel days and plan no big sights on them. A train guide for the whole corridor goes through stations and timing.
Where should you stay?
- Kunming: near the station you will use next morning.
- Dali: inside the Old Town for evening walks, or by the lake for quiet.
- Lijiang: the edge of the Old Town, where a taxi can reach the door.
How can you adapt it?
- Seniors: stay two nights in Dali, skip any steep climbs and keep the Lijiang day short.
- Children: add a night in Lijiang so the day after the transfer stays free.
- Halal meals: ask about the kitchen and look for the green 清真 sign. Hui-run restaurants avoid pork[12].
- Longer stay: add a night in Lijiang, then read our seven-day classic circuit.
What should you book ahead?
Train tickets usually go on sale 15 days before departure[13], so a booking agent handles them for you. Ask for hotel names in Chinese, airport transfers and a clear list of the entrance tickets inside the price. Mind the rainy months: about 80 percent of Lijiang’s rain falls from June to September[14].
What about the budget?
Prices move with season, flights and hotel area, so use the budget planner with today’s quotes. Then run any package through the package comparator before you pay. For more routes like this, browse the itineraries topic page.