Welcome to Dali, the first stop of your 4-day private Dali tour, where a relaxed pace of life, affordable living, and stunning landscapes combine to create a utopia for artists and free spirits.

Upon arrival, your guide and the driver will greet you and provide a private car transfer to your hotel. After check-in, your guide will accompany you to visit the Dali Ancient City. Here, beyond streets teeming with charming handicraft shops, you’ll discover a small park with camellias that bloom year-round, and beams and walls adorned with vivid local frescoes depicting scenes of everyday life, such as singing, embroidering, and setting off fireworks. 

Exiting the ancient city through the east gate, we’ll soon reach the shore of Erhai Lake. According to legend, a black Chinese dragon once controlled the water source here, causing a severe drought until a golden dragon defeated it and transformed itself into this vast lake to protect the land forever. Strolling along the waterfront walkway, feel the gentle breeze and watch the softly lapping water. If interested, you can also rent a bike at your own expense and cycle along the lake shore. Finally, your guide and the driver will escort you back to your hotel.

Accommodation: Dali Iridescent Clouds Hotel (4 stars) 

After picking you up from the hotel, your guide and the driver will escort you on a 40-minute drive to Xizhou Ancient Town. Here, let’s visit its cultural landmark, the Yan’s Compound. Once the residence of Xizhou’s wealthiest merchant, it offers a vivid window into the town’s history and the local Bai ethnic culture. Over 950 years ago, Xizhou was a major hub on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road, a trading route linking China to India. The first owner of this mansion built his fortune trading tea along this legendary route. Inside the exhibition halls, you can see stacks of copper coins and silver ingots excavated from the compound’s original storerooms. The estate also preserves its former treasury. You may touch the golden lock on its door, a local tradition believed to attract prosperity and good fortune.

Then, a 1.5-hour drive will convoy you to Shaxi Ancient Town. Follow your guide to venture into the narrow lanes leading to the only surviving ancient market along the historic Tea-Horse Road. The once‑bustling shops and inns have been transformed into cozy cafes and souvenir stores, while the original theater stage, temple, and old guesthouses still stand as quiet witnesses to the past. We’ll visit the Ouyang Courtyard, a “five-star hotel” of its time over a century ago, where you can admire traditional Bai architecture featuring intricate lattice doors and windows, carved beams, and pillars decorated with motifs of flowers, birds, fish, and auspicious symbols. Within the courtyard, a woodcarving workshop offers a glimpse into the artisans’ meticulous craft process. After the visit, your guide will escort you to the reserved hotel for check-in.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Landscape Hotel Shaxi (4 stars)​

Today, we will bid farewell to Shaxi Ancient Town and embark on a scenic 3-hour drive along the winding mountain roads to the Nuodeng Ancient Village, nestled deep in the mountains. When the tiered settlement of yellow‑walled, gray‑tiled houses comes into view, you’ll know you’ve arrived. Far from the crowds, this authentic Bai village retains its original, rustic character. Due to the steep terrain, horses are still essential for transport here; as you enter, you may see them carrying goods, a scene that instantly evokes the days of the Tea-Horse Road.

Despite its secluded location, Nuodeng was quite prosperous in the past. A millennium ago, salt wells were drilled here, making salt the village’s lifeblood. With the opening of the Tea-Horse Road, Nuodeng grew into a prosperous salt‑trading center. In the village, you can still see the relics of the well and learn the crystallization process of salt. Wandering its lanes, you can also see the grand former residences and guildhalls of wealthy merchants. Climbing the stone-paved paths upward, you’ll reach a Taoist temple over 450 years old, which offers a panoramic view of the village cascading down the slope. Inside, a rare antique star chart is preserved, depicting the 28 ancient Chinese constellations through animal symbols - a fascinating parallel to Western zodiac systems. After the visit, your guide will escort you to your hotel.

► Recommended Local Food:
Thanks to plentiful well salt, locals developed a method of preserving pork in salt, which unexpectedly gave rise to Nuodeng ham, a true regional delicacy. The process begins with coating a pig’s hind leg heavily in salt and curing it for about a month. It is then hung in a shaded, well‑ventilated room for at least three years of natural drying and microbial fermentation. Time gifts the meat a ruby-red color while the fat glistens like jade. Each bite releases a well‑balanced savor of salty, rich, and deeply aroma, leaving a lasting impression on the palate.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast
Accommodation: Yulongwan Hotel, Nuodeng (3 stars)​

This is the end of your Dali tour package. Today, your driver and guide will accompany you on a 3‑hour drive back to Dali and assist with your onward travel arrangements, whether by flight or high‑speed train.

If you wish to extend your journey along the historic Tea-Horse Road, whether to destinations like Lijiang, Shangri‑La, Tibet, or even further along the ancient trade route to India or Nepal, we would be delighted to design a customized itinerary for you.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast