Yunnan guide
Two hours from Kunming by high-speed rail, Dali is the easiest big trip in Yunnan and one of the most rewarding, with a lake, a mountain range and a 600-year-old town.
Ride the Erhai lakeside road. The lake is C-shaped and about 42 km long, and the road around it is the single best experience in Dali: flat, scenic, and lined with villages, fields and small temples. A bicycle covers 30 to 40 km comfortably; an electric bike covers the whole loop. Do it in a morning and stop often.
Walk the old town. Dali Old Town sits below Cangshan with the old city wall still standing. The lanes are narrow, the houses are Bai in style with painted walls and deep eaves, and the market at the south gate is where the food is.
Climb or ride Cangshan. The mountain range rises 4000 m straight up behind the town, with 19 peaks and 18 streams. The cableway takes you to about 4000 m for a walk along the ridge with the lake on one side and the range on the other.
The Three Pagodas (Three Towers) are Dali's best-known site, a 45 m brick pagoda complex from the 9th century in front of the old town. The reflection pond in front of them was the classic image of Dali, and early morning is the time to get it.
Xizhou, 18 km north, is a Bai village of whitewashed courtyard houses and tie-dye workshops, and it is the quietest place to stay if you want Dali without the old town crowds. Shuanglang, on the eastern shore, has the best sunrise over the lake and a long, quiet beach.
The high-speed train from Kunming Railway Station to Dali takes about 2 hours and runs frequently. Note that there are two Dali stations: Dali station is closest to the old town, while Dali West is several kilometres away on the other side of the lake, so check which one your ticket says and allow for the transfer.
Most travellers stay 2 or 3 nights. One night is enough for the old town and the pagodas, two adds the lake road and Xizhou, and three lets you slow down, which is the point of Dali.