Kunming
2 nights · Green Lake / Wenlin Street
Keep the arrival stroll close and arrange a distinct out-of-town Stone Forest day.
Kunming · 2 nights
Dali · 2 nights
Lijiang · 2 nightsDali · 1 nightsYunnan with a night in Shaxi
Kunming, Dali’s lake villages, a quiet night in the Tea Horse Road town of Shaxi, then the snow mountain at Lijiang.
Why this itinerary works
Shaxi is the stop most people only pass through; sleeping there gives you its empty lanes in the evening and early morning.
Going on to Lijiang from Shaxi by road skips doubling back to Dali’s station.
Dali’s full day goes to Xizhou’s Bai courtyards and the lake path beside it, rather than a whole-lake loop.
The itinerary
Kunming (昆明) → Dali (大理)
Around two hours aboard.
Planning estimate; choose a dated service before booking.Dali
2 nights · Dali Old Town east side
A useful base between old-town evenings and Erhai’s west shore; allow a separate station transfer.
Dali → Shaxi
Planning estimate; choose a dated service before booking.Dali
1 nights · Inside Shaxi old town, near Sideng Street
Walk out to the square and river at dusk and dawn, when the town is at its quietest.
Shaxi → Lijiang
About 2 hours by road.
Planning estimate; choose a dated service before booking.Lijiang
2 nights · North edge of Dayan Old Town
Walk into the lanes, but keep vehicle access close for bags and the mountain day.
The moments you’ll remember
Dancers and card players around Green Lake on your first afternoon.
Cuihu Park ›A narrow path opens onto a forest of stone.
Stone Forest Scenic Area ›
A Bai courtyard gate, carved and painted, opening onto quiet.
Xizhou Ancient Town ›
Fields on one side, Erhai on the other, Cangshan behind.
Erhai Ecological Corridor ›
Shaxi’s old stage in the late sun, the square nearly empty.
Shaxi Ancient Town ›Lamps gleam beside the water in Lijiang’s stone lanes.
Lijiang Ancient Town ›
Thin cold air, and Jade Dragon close enough to touch.
Pair Glacier Park with Blue Moon Valley ›7 moments · swipe →
Before you go
- Pair Glacier Park with Blue Moon Valley — Official Glacier Park cableway mini-program: sales open at 20:00 China time for the next seven days. The scenic-area entry mini-program sells entry tickets within a seven-day window.
Choose a dated rail or flight service before booking.
Day by day
MorningAfternoonEvening
Kunming · 2 nights
Day 1
A lakeside arrival in Kunming
Check in and take a short Green Lake stroll only if arrival allows.
A lakeside arrival in Kunming
Free
Day 2
A day among the Stone Forest’s towers
An out-of-town visit. Leave the afternoon for the outing and return.
Free
Free
Dali · 2 nights
Day 3
Rail to Dali, old-town evening
Morning and afternoon belong to the train and check-in.
Free
Free
Day 4
Bai courtyards and the lake shore
Start in Xizhou for courtyards and a hot Xizhou baba, then follow a short stretch of the west-shore corridor nearby.
Free
Dali · 1 nights
Day 5
Into the hills to Shaxi
A road transfer takes the morning. Arrive, wander Sideng Street and the river, and stay the night. The quiet evening is the point.
Free
Free
Lijiang · 2 nights
Day 6
A Shaxi morning, then on to Lijiang
Walk the square and the old bridge early, before the day visitors arrive, then about two hours by road to Lijiang.
Free
Free
Day 7
Glacier views and Blue Moon Valley
The mountain takes morning and afternoon. Leave the evening free.
Free
Free
Day 8
Leave from Lijiang
Keep the day for your flight or train.
Leave from Lijiang
Free
Free
Comes with the plan
Before you go
- Pair Glacier Park with Blue Moon Valley — Official Glacier Park cableway mini-program: sales open at 20:00 China time for the next seven days. The scenic-area entry mini-program sells entry tickets within a seven-day window.
Rail or flight legs need a dated service before booking.
On the ground
Buying and boarding trains →Kunming practical card →Dali practical card →Dali practical card →Lijiang practical card →Perks on this itinerary
Browse perks and check eligibility →Your dates, checked
Use the calendar to check holidays and typical weather. Published sessions and opening days depend on your exact dates.
Check dates →Not quite your case? Ask it.
Make it yours
Pick your dates and review how the itinerary fits your trip.