Shaxi valley and old town landscape north of Dali

Photo: Matthieu Lelievre · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0

Itinerary · 5 days

Dali 5 Days: Basin, Villages and Shaxi

Five days completing Dali's basin before adding Shaxi as an honest 131-kilometer northern excursion or overnight.

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  1. 1

    Day 1

    2 stops

    1. Dali Old Town

      Attraction

      Dali Old Town

      Walk the old town before its busiest commercial hours, using the gates, street grid and active religious or residential spaces to distinguish historical fabric from later tourism use.

      Huguo Road, Dali Old Town, Dali

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      Photo: chensiyuan · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

    2. 1.1km

      15 min

    3. Three Pagodas

      Attraction

      Three Pagodas

      Read the surviving pagodas first, then decide how much of the large reconstructed temple axis to add. Verify current admission, last entry and internal-vehicle operation.

      Three Pagodas Park, Dali Town, Dali

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      Photo: Ngguls · Source · CC BY-SA 4.0

  2. 2

    Day 2

    1 stop

  3. 3

    Day 3

    2 stops

    1. Shuanglang Old Town
      Use Shuanglang as the east-shore walking core rather than a drive-through photo stop. Keep the car outside restricted lanes and distinguish public lakefront space from guesthouse terraces.

      East shore of Erhai Lake, Shuanglang Town, Dali

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      Photo: Zhouqiyang · Source · CC0

    2. 16.4km

      28 min

  4. 4

    Day 4

    2 stops

    1. Xizhou Old Town

      Attraction

      Xizhou Old Town

      Begin with Bai courtyard architecture and the lived-in town before adding seasonal fields. Stay on designated paths and do not enter crops or private courtyards for a photograph.

      Qingzhen Road, Xizhou Town, Dali

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      Photo: Mx. Granger · Source · CC0

    2. 6.3km

      14 min

  5. 5

    Day 5

    1 stop

    1. Shaxi Old Town

      Attraction

      Shaxi Old Town

      Treat Shaxi as a 131-kilometer mountain-road excursion or overnight stay, not a nearby Dali lane. Focus on Sideng market square, theatre, temple, bridge and the active valley settlement.

      Shaxi Town, Jianchuan County, Dali Prefecture

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      Photo: Matthieu Lelievre · Source · CC BY-SA 2.0