5 Days West Yunnan Tour from Dali to Tengchong

► Route: Dali Ancient City → Tengchong → Dieshuihe Waterfall → Hot Sea → Beihai Wetland Park → Heshun Ancient Town → Volcano Park → Gudong Ginkgo Village

There are direct flights to Dali from Beijing, Shanghai, Xi'an, Chengdu, Kunming and other major cities in China. If you've just visited Yunnan's two most popular destinations, Kunming and Lijiang, there are high-speed rail links to Dali. The high speed train from Kunming to Dali takes 2 to 2.5 hours and costs CNY 155.5 for a second class seat while CNY 247.5 for a first class seat. It takes 1.5 to 2 hours to travel from Lijiang to Dali by high speed train. The ticket price is CNY 68 for second class carriage and CNY 108 for first class carriage. It is recommended to take the earliest flight or train to arrive Dali before 10 o 'clock in the morning, and start this west Yunnan tour directly.

Upon arrival, you are recommended to visit the famous Dali Ancient City. You can walk to explore the antique streets, souvenir stores, bars, and enjoy the slow life of art and fashion. In the evening, it is highly recommended to climb up the Wuhua Tower to appreciate the night piece of the ancient city.

► How to get there: From Dali Railway Station, you can take bus line 8 to Dali East Gate stop, taking 1 hour and costing CNY 3. A taxi takes 35 minutes and costs CNY 50. From Dali North Bus Station, you can take bus line 8 to Dali East Gate stop, taking 45 minutes and costing CNY 3. A taxi takes 20 minutes and costs CNY 30.
► Recommended Touring Route: East Gate (Erhai Gate) → Renmin Road → Foreigners’ Street → Dali Catholic Church → Renmin Road Market → Confucius Temple → Temple of Guan Yu → South Gate Mosque → Honglongjing Bar Street → Wuhua Tower → Fuxing Road → City Gold Temple → Dali Art Factory → South Gate
► Opening Hours: All day long
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 to 5 hours
► Ticket Price: Free

●  If you have an extra day in Dali, a tour of Erhai Lake by a rented jeep or motorcycle is highly recommended.
●  You May Like: Private Dali Day Tour with Guide

On the morning of the second day, take a bus from Dali Xingsheng Bus Station to Tengchong.

► Bus Schedule: 10:00, 13:00, 14:00, 19:30
► Distance: 185 km (211 mi)
► Duration: 6.5 hours
► Fare: CNY 110 to 160

Generally, it will be the late afternoon when you arrive at Tengchong. Find a local hotel to stay overnight and prepare for your next day's hiking. Tengchong is one of the best geothermal resorts in China, and you can relieve yourself from a long bus ride by soaking in a hot spring if you like.

In the morning, you are recommended to explore downtown Tengchong from the Dieshuihe Scenic Area, which features a 46 m (150 ft) high waterfall with splashing water and a stone bridge over it. You can climb up to the viewing tower on the opposite mountain to enjoy the splendid panorama of the waterfall.

► How to get there: Bus lines 3, 9 and 10 can take you there in 25 minutes, costing CNY 1. A taxi from downtown Tengchong to the Dieshuihe Scenic Area takes 7 minutes and costs CNY 8 to 10.
► Opening Hours: 8:00 – 17:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 to 3 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 20

Get back to downtown Tengchong and have lunch, and then visit the Hot Sea Scenic Area in the afternoon. The Tengchong Hot Sea is well known for its geothermal energy. You can see the whole area is shrouded in a steaming mist. There are 64 geothermic active areas and 80 hot spring groups in this park and the highest heat of water here is 96.3 centigrade degree. You can have a bath in a hot spring pool to experience the authentic geothermal water.

► How to get there: Take a Hot Sea Special Bus Line from Tengchong Tourist Bus Station. The bus departs every 10 to 15 minutes and takes 20 minutes for a single trip, with a fare of CNY 3. A taxi takes 15 minutes and costs CNY 30.
► Opening Hours: 9:30 – 23:30 (last entry at 22:00)
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 3 to 4 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 50 for entry and CNY 15 for a round-trip sightseeing car inside the scenic area. Hot spring bath is available for an additional fee.

Return to downtown Tengchong by bus or taxi to stay overnight.

Beihai Wetland Park is recommended for this morning. As the only national wetland reserve in Yunnan Province, Beihai Wetland features the dammed lake scenery formed by the volcanic eruption in ancient time. Surrounded by mountains, the wetland has a peaceful water landscape decorated with floating plants, like a gorgeous flower carpet. Here, you can take a boat trip and try the special grass raft. If you happen to be here in fall or winter, you can see spectacular flocks of migratory birds passing by.

► How to get there: Bus line 13 can take you from Tengchong No. 8 Middle School stop to the wetland, in 1 hour at a cost of CNY 3. A taxi takes 25 minutes and costs CNY 40.
► Opening Hours: 8:30 – 19:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 1 to 3 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 85 for entry and single-way boat tour; CNY 135 for entry, single-way boat tour, and grass rafting.
► Travel Tip: In order not to get your clothes wet, you’d better prepare slippers, shorts and a towel for yourself. Also, you can rent a pair of rain shoes in the park.

In the afternoon, you can visit the Heshun Ancient Town, an important stop on the Ancient Tea-Horse Road and the Southwest Silk Road. Heshun has been a cultural town and a famous hometown of overseas Chinese since ancient times. For more than 600 years, the cultures of central plain, Western countries, Nanzhao, and frontier areas have blended and collided here, forming the unique culture of Heshun. Now, you can see that the buildings here are built around the mountains. Ancestral halls, memorial archways and ancient houses from the Ming and Qing Dynasties (1368 - 1911) are all over the town.

► How to get there: There is no direct bus from Beihai Wetland Park to Heshun Ancient Town. You need to make two transfers and it takes 1.5 hours. It is recommended to take a taxi to get there in 25 minutes, costing CNY 60 to 70.
► Top Attractions: Heshun Library, Yuanlong Pavilion, Former Residence of Ai Siqi, Wenchang Palace, Wanlouzi Folk House Museum, Liu Family Courtyard, Heshun Alley…
► Opening Hours: 7:30 to 22:00 for the town; 8:00 to 17:30 for most indoor exhibitions; 9:00 to 19:00 in summer and 9:00 to 18:30 in winter for the boat and sightseeing car.
► Recommended Time for a Visit: half to one day
► Ticket Price: CNY 55 for entry; CNY 60 for boat tour; CNY 10 for sightseeing car.

Visit Tengchong Volcano Geothermal National Geopark in the morning of the last day. With 97 volcanic mountains and many lava platforms, the park is the best place to explore the volcanic landscape. The volcanic cones, caves, lava stones, and volcanic lakes in the park are large in scale and preserved well.

After entering the park, there is a small museum on the right side, where you can learn about the formation and structure of the volcanos. Walk 10 minutes to the foot of the Dakong Hill, and climb 30 minutes to the top. From here, you can appreciate the panoramic view. You can also take a cable car to go up the hill or take an exciting hot air balloon ride.

► How to get there: Take a Volcano Park Special Bus Line from Tengchong Tourist Bus Station. The bus departs every 30 minutes and takes 50 minutes for a single trip, with a fare of CNY 4. A taxi takes 35 minutes and costs CNY 70.
► Opening Hours: 8:00 – 18:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: 2 to 3 hours
► Ticket Price: CNY 35 for entry; CNY 15 for a round trip of sightseeing car

The Gudong Ginkgo Village is recommended for the afternoon. As a primitive village with more than 3,000 ginkgo trees, it has become a popular tourist and photography spot in Tengchong in late autumn. The best time to see ginkgo is from mid-November to early December. In addition, you can appreciate a variety of folk handicrafts here, including the shadow puppets, paper umbrellas, and Jiangdong Embroidery.

► How to get there: Take a minibus from the Volcano Geopark to Gudong Town. It takes 20 minutes and costs about CNY 10.
► Opening Hours: 8:30 – 19:00
► Recommended Time for a Visit: half to one day
► Ticket Price: CNY 30

After touring the Gudong Ginkgo Village, you can take a minibus to Gudong Town before 18:00, and transfer to a minibus to Ximen Bus Station of Tengchong. The return trip takes one hours and costs about CNY 20.

●  From Tengchong Airport, there are flights to Kunming, Shanghai, Chengdu, Chongqing, etc. You can choose according to your following travel plan.