Self-guided tour route from Beijing to Yunnan

Detailed guide for self-guided tour of Lijiang

D1 Arrive in Kunming, catch a long-distance bus to Dali (308 kilometers, more than 4 hours, more than 5 hours at night), visit the old town of Dali Night view of the city, stay overnight in Dali Old Town;

Special note: There are buses from Kunming to Dali at almost every long-distance bus station, and the latest bus is at 17:30 in the evening. If you arrive in the evening, you can rent a carriage outside the ancient city to Erhai Lake (maximum 10 yuan), and visit the night market in the ancient city. When you arrive in Dali, you must try Dali's specialties, fish casserole 20 yuan/pot, papaya chicken, and fried snail meat in sauce. Address: Yiheng Hotel, No. 120 Renmin Road, Dali Ancient Town. You can buy bus tickets to Lijiang in advance next to the Jinhua Hotel for 30 yuan/person. The Golden Flower Hotel is right next to Foreigner Street, and the conditions are pretty good. If you stay in a standard room at Jinhua Hotel, the price is 100 yuan/room. I spent 2 nights at a bar called TANG on Foreigner Street. The boss there is from the north and is very generous. It happened to be the boss's wife's birthday when I went there. He invited me to drink local green plum wine (a drink with almost no alcohol, recommended), and we partyed together for almost the whole night. The boss has a friend who is a musician. He plays foreign instruments and has a great personality. He likes to pick up girls. It is very interesting to chat with him.

D2 Visit Dali Ancient City, Cangshan Erhai Lake and other scenic spots. You can hang out at Foreigner Street (Bar Street) in the evening and stay in Dali Old Town;

Special note: You can take the bus to Cangshan Mountain Drive to Gantong Temple and go to Cangshan Mountain from there. The cable car on Shangcang Mountain costs 30 yuan (ends at Zhonghe Temple). It is recommended to go up the mountain on horseback. The price is the same. You can also take photos at any time. The most important thing is that you don’t have to walk a long uphill road to the cableway station (Dali City is not big, and there are many disabled vehicles or Other means of transportation are not expensive); Yudaiyun Road is very long, and you can see a hole at the end, which is not very interesting. You can take a rough look and walk around, but you don’t have to go to the end. It is said that it is not safe to go there normally, so be careful. If you want to take a photo of the Three Pagodas, you can take a photo on the cable car going down the mountain, or go to the Reflection Park in the south, or ride a bike to the fields in the east. It is also good to take photos from Cangshan Mountain. Anyone who buys a ticket to enter the park is a complete fool. Half a day is enough for Cangshan Mountain. After getting off the ropeway, you can take a ride at the foot of Cangshan Mountain and go straight to Erhai Lake. You can take a boat ride on the Erhai Lake (there is a one-day trip to the Erhai Lake, but I think it is of little significance). You can go to the island where the Bai people live (it seems to be called Yinhua Island) where there is authentic three-course tea. The Guanyin Pavilion in Erhai Lake costs 20 yuan per person. It is an antique building, so there is no need to see it. It is a good idea to rent a bicycle in Dali (8 yuan/day in mountainous areas). You can ride to Xizhou (13KM away from the ancient city) to have a look. The buildings in the village are more interesting than the ancient city.

D3: Take the first bus to Lijiang at 7:30 in the morning (distance: 248 kilometers, 3-4 hours). Have lunch in Lijiang, visit the ancient city and white sand murals in the afternoon, enjoy Naxi ancient music in the evening, and stay in Lijiang;

Special note: You can book accommodation in a youth hostel in Lijiang (Tel: 0888-5180124, 5175403), there are not many people in Lijiang during the non-tourist season, so there should be plenty of accommodation. There are many houses to stay in the old city. You can compare them. The prices are very cheap (tens of yuan/person). You can go to Jixian Snack Shop in Baisui Square to taste eight large bowls (must be eaten by 6-8 people. It is a local wedding food. , said to be made from 8 kinds of food), the most famous among Lijiang snacks is "Lijiang Baba", which comes in two varieties: sweet and salty. The authentic one is about 50 meters down the street from Menmenkou. The ones near Sifang Street are mostly wholesale compared to other places. The price is slightly higher and the taste is less. Chickpeas are a legume grown at high altitudes and in very low yields. Jelly made from this kind of beans is a popular snack. The more accurate ones are at the wooden bridge thirty steps down the river from the big stone bridge. There are generally two kinds of hot and cold ones. When hot, they are mushy and have a great flavor. Including a local braised rice cake, it is enough for three to four people (the price is 4 yuan or 5 yuan, depending on the quantity). Ice powder and cold rice noodles (the poetic young people of Peking University call them cold shrimps, both in form and spirit) are a favorite snack among tourists. Those with longer working experience can be found at the entrance of Sifang Street, next to the Coca-Cola machine. Blowing the liver is rare elsewhere. It is made from pig liver that has been blown, pickled and naturally air-dried. It is usually eaten cold. Be sure to ask if it is air-dried, because most of the common ones are fresh. The taste of ham is also okay, but it is difficult to find home-made ham, and as the temperature rises in winter over the years, cured ham is more likely to go bad. Usually it is bought or Yongsheng (a county in Lijiang area) Sanchuan ham (the taste is also very good). The above-mentioned concentrated foods are more distinctive, but the taste is different. . . . . . whee. If you stay at the Naxi Ancient Music Studio, you can listen to ancient music for free. If you want to listen to authentic ancient music, you must first ask if it is hosted by Mr. Xuanke. If not, it is best not to listen. You must go to the riverside bar to drink tea and wine in the evening, otherwise your trip to Lijiang will be in vain.

D4 Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, take the cable car up the mountain (110 yuan/person). After viewing the snow-capped mountains, go to Black and White Water, arrive in Daju that night, and stay overnight in Daju (or return to Lijiang);

Special note: Shuhe can actually be reached by bicycle from Lijiang, and it is not far away. It is said that there are birds in Lashihai, but it depends on the season. If you don’t have enough time, don’t go there. It is best to charter a car for this trip. Because eating in Baishuihe is more expensive (because this is the only one), you can bring your own dry food.

Riding a horse to and from Maoniuping costs 60 yuan per person. If you want to ride a horse when you arrive at Maoniuping, you have to pay separately, which is 40 yuan in peak season and 20 yuan in off-season. If you don't want to ride a horse, you can slowly enjoy the scenery of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and alpine grassland along the wooden bridge. When riding down the mountain, the horseman may tell you to add 10 yuan to take you on another route, where you can enjoy a different scenery. But don’t be fooled, just return the same way. If you want to hike Tiger Leaping, you should stay in Daju, but the accommodation conditions there are not good, so you should be prepared in advance. Those who just want to visit Hutiao can return to Lijiang. If you are traveling here, you can join a one-day tour group in Lijiang. The itinerary is roughly the same, just remember not to buy things randomly.

D5 Go to Tiger Leaping Gorge and visit the First Bend of the Yangtze River

Special note: The best way to visit Tiger Leaping Gorge is on foot. The hike takes 2-3 days. If you only want to visit, you can jump up and down to have a look and then go to visit the first bend of the Yangtze River. If you want to travel around, you can join a one-day tour group in Lijiang for this day's tour route.

D6 starts from Lijiang towards Lugu Lake (200 kilometers, 7-10 hours) and arrives at Lugu Lake in the afternoon.

Special note: There are long-distance buses to Lugu Lake. Remember to inquire about the morning departure time the night before. There are not many buses, so be careful not to miss the time. There is a place on the way where you can take a panoramic view of Lugu Lake (it seems to be called a viewing platform or something). If you want to experience the real Mosu life, it is best not to stay in Luoshui Village. You can find a car locally to go to Lige Peninsula (8 kilometers), which is the real Mosu village. If you can get used to the local accommodation conditions, you can live directly in Mosha people’s homes. If you have higher requirements, you can stay in Luoshui Village. The accommodation conditions there are good and the price is not high (20-30 yuan/person). There are parties at most places where we stay at night. It is recommended not to participate in Luoshui Village. You can go directly to Rige Peninsula for dinner (you should be able to eat well if you pay 10-15 yuan per person) and participate in a real massage party (if you are lucky, you can also see the coming-of-age ceremony). In the evening It is very convenient to let the locals take them back on pig trough boats. If you want to ride a horse, the Lige Peninsula is much cheaper than Luoshui (10 yuan can get you from one side of the island to the other. If you pay 20 yuan, you can ride for half a day).

D7 Visit Molu Village, take a pig trough boat tour on Lugu Lake and the three islands of Lugu Lake (it is best to ride a horse around the lake), and return to Lijiang in the afternoon;

D8 Leisure Relax and experience the quiet life in Lijiang, spend the night in Lijiang or return to Kunming to stay in Kunming (it takes 8 hours from Lijiang to Kunming. There are at least 4 long-distance stations in Lijiang. If a family has no car, they can go to the other 3, take a taxi and ask the driver Just bring it with you, it's very cheap! Don't worry if you don't have a car, just take a taxi to Dali Xincheng Long-distance Bus Station for 200 yuan. There are many buses in Dali, don't worry! Hehe!);

D9 Tour in Kunming, stay in Kunming or return;

Suggestions on time arrangement

It is highly recommended to go if you have time Zhongdian, but Zhongdian is very big and requires a lot of time on the road. It is okay if you rent a car, but it is inconvenient to take a long-distance bus. And if it snows frequently in Zhongdian in winter (after November), the mountain will be easily closed.

Actually, Lijiang is a very attractive place, and you might not want to leave again after staying there. So leave more time for Lijiang, you won’t regret it.

Want to see the real ancient city? Then get up early! In the morning, there is no noise or the strong smell of copper in Lijiang. There is only peace and tranquility. Remember, if you live in Lijiang, you must get up early to see it.

If you have any difficulty arranging accommodation, transportation, return air tickets, etc. in Yunnan, please contact Manager Chen Jiamei of Yunnan International Travel Service (13808794904). If you are traveling by chance, you can collect enough people to charter their car and come down directly from Kunming. This saves money and a lot of time, and avoids a lot of the hassle of renting a car locally. Car rental price: TOYOTA Hiace (11 seats) is about 500 yuan/day.

Suggestions about photography in Lijiang

First of all, you must have a camera, the more advanced the better. Otherwise you will be upset that your camera cannot record the beauty of nature. It doesn’t matter if you use a fool’s machine. There are many things worth recording in Lijiang, and your fool’s machine will also be useful.

Because it is a plateau, the solar radiation is strong. So try to avoid shooting at noon. UV is a must. It is still necessary to bring a polarizer (it allows you to better express the blue sky and white clouds of Lijiang). Many times you may also need a neutral gray gradient filter because the contrast is too great.

Take more film. Last time I went there, there was heavy snow and the mountains were closed. I couldn't go to many places and burned about 10 films, so be sure to bring more, otherwise you will regret it. Friends who like photography should prepare 4-5 volumes per day, and other friends should prepare 2-3 volumes per day!

Remember to bring enough camera batteries. Many places are so remote that there will be no AA batteries for sale next year, let alone special LI batteries. Moreover, if you go to Zhongdian and other places where the cold climate will affect the battery life. If the battery runs out of power at the critical moment, you will die miserably. It is recommended to bring at least 3 sets of spare batteries.

There is a time difference of at least 2 hours between Lijiang and Beijing. The sun sets much later than Beijing time, so you can calculate the best shooting time based on the situation.

Almost all the most beautiful scenery in Lijiang is on the road (there are very good scenery along the road from Kunming to Dali, from Dali to Lijiang, and from Lijiang to Lugu Lake).

So if possible, it is recommended to hike all the places (it’s a bit ruinous! Hee hee!). It’s a good idea to rent a car. If you take a long car ride, you will regret missing the beautiful scenery! If you rent a car, remember to stop at any time. Don't be polite. You'd rather get scolded than go out and film. Otherwise, you'll regret it and even God won't be able to save you!

Yunnan is known as the south of colorful clouds. If you are lucky, you can see many beautiful colorful clouds (real colorful auspicious clouds). The best time to see colorful clouds is after sunrise in the morning and around sunset in the evening.

Don’t take the old route when visiting Lijiang

Jiang has become the most popular Yunnan tour route in China in recent years, and most tourists will choose its well-known attractions. Young backpackers can take the following two little-known routes: the Bai fishing village of West Lake in Eryuan and hiking the Tiger Leaping Gorge in the middle and lower reaches of the Jinsha River.

Eryuan West Lake Bai Fishing Village:

Eryuan West Lake belongs to Dali Prefecture and is about 110 kilometers away from Lijiang City. It takes about 3-3.5 hours to drive from Lijiang to Xionggu 1 hour, about 7 yuan. Transfer to the southbound bus and take about 2 hours along the old 214 National Highway to Yousuo Town, 20 yuan/person. Walk 1 kilometer west from the Agricultural Bank of China intersection in the center of the town and enter Xihu Village. The water surface area of ??West Lake is 3.3 square kilometers, and most of the permanent residents are Bai nationality. West Lake borders Yunnong Peak of Cangshan Mountains to the west, and water flows from the high mountains to the south and flows into the Erhai Lake in Dali.

On the top of Yunnong Peak, there is also a mountain lake with an area of ??about 800 acres. There are only a few scattered households of Bai and Yi residents far apart. There is no access road on the mountain, and transportation is still relying on caravans. Due to the sparse population, the lake water is not polluted. This lake is about 800 meters higher than the West Lake and requires 3-4 hours of walking.

Traveller's Tips:

1. There is an unregistered so-called tourism company at the entrance of West Lake Village, which charges 25 yuan per person. They provide boating and sightseeing. If you just go in to see the water town and don't want to go boating, you don't need to pay this unjust amount of money.

2. There are still a few fishermen in the village who still practice osprey fishing. You can find them only by asking after entering the village.

3. Usually the host will not raise the cost issue. If you eat, sleep and play in the same house, you can pay 60-80 yuan/person/day. Because the Bai people have the custom of toasting and entertaining guests, they bring one or two packs of local high-quality cigarettes to express their gratitude.

4. The tour guide fee to the plateau lake needs to be negotiated separately. It costs about 50-60 yuan per person per day and takes a whole day to go back and forth.

Jinsha River Tiger Leaping Gorge Hiking Tour:

The Tiger Leaping Gorge flows from west to northeast from Tiger Leaping Gorge Town to Daju Ferry. The total length of the water is about 26 kilometers. The west side of the river It is the Haba Snow Mountain (5396 meters) in Shangri-La County, and the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain (5596 meters) in Lijiang is to the east of the river. The river is sandwiched between the two mountains, and the narrowest point of the river is only 30 meters. In addition, the drop is large, and the water falling into the river is The huge rocks block the water from Tiger Leaping Gorge, making it unstoppable.

Generally, the Tiger Leaping Gorge tour arranged by local travel companies is in the Lijiang part. The car drives directly to the riverside parking lot. There is a plank road paved with cement rocks, about 4,500 meters, 15-20 meters away from the river. meters, all in the upper Tiger Leaping section, where tourists can usually feel the rushing river.

Take a minibus bound for Zhongdian from West Lake under the bridge in Hutiao Xiakou Town. It takes about 3 hours and costs 23 yuan. Drink enough water first, then bring 1 liter of water with you before setting off. The first stop is Naxi Yage (Yage means "people" in Naxi language). This section is considered a warm-up exercise. It stretches the muscles and bones and walks with weights for 2.5 to 3 hours. It goes up a gentle slope. Naxi people watch the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. The best inn can completely see the nine peaks of the Jade Dragon Thirteen Peaks. Unfortunately, the top of the snow mountain is often shrouded in clouds and fog. If you want to see it completely, you need to wait for the opportunity.

About 17 kilometers up the road from Naxi Renjia is the most famous HALFWAY G.H. The reason why it is called HALFWAY is because in the early days of the development of this route, it took 8-9 hours to get there from Qiaotou or Daju. It was the only village where you could stay overnight. Travelers named it HALFWAY, and the boss translated it as Midway Inn. The price is 10-15 yuan/person/bed. This section of the trail is the most physically demanding section of the hiking route, and water is more valuable than food here. HALFWAY

G.H There are 46 families in Yongsheng Village, which migrated from Sichuan hundreds of years ago. The altitude is about 2,400 meters. The most unforgettable thing about HALFWAY

G.H is that it has a nearly 30-square-meter platform facing the gorge. At sunset, with a cup of tea, you can listen to the host talk about the guests' journey through the mountains and climb Haba Snow Mountain. Anecdotes, that feeling is incredible.

Hiking Tips

Hiking can undoubtedly improve physical fitness for young people and middle-aged people. However, if you are not prepared for disease prevention during hiking, it may be counterproductive. Mainly pay attention to the following points:

1. Prevent fatigue. The key to prevention lies in: first, walking correctly, secondly, not being impatient, thirdly, being able to walk, taking small paths instead of flat roads, and even if walking on roads, do not walk on the flat center but on the uneven roadside.

2. Prevent foot blisters. If you choose the wrong shoe or have an incorrect gait, and you feel pain or friction in a certain part of your foot while walking, you can stick a piece of medical tape there or a piece of single-sided tape on the corresponding part of the shoe. Under normal circumstances, This will prevent foaming.

3. Protect against cold and heat. When hiking in the north, you should bring some light-weight and cold-proof clothing. If you are walking in the vast northern plains and the wind speed is high, your clothing should be adjusted in time. When hiking in the South, you need to protect yourself from heat and rain in summer.

4. Quench your thirst only in moderation. Before departure, it is best to prepare a pot of tea and add some salt appropriately. Tea can produce fluid and quench thirst, and salt can prevent excessive sweating from causing insufficient salt in the body.

5. Wash your feet with hot water to relieve fatigue.

6. Carry some commonly used cold medicine, heatstroke prevention medicine and trauma medicine with you, and prepare an alcohol box to soak 1 to 2 horsetails.

Must-Bring Supplies

(1) Necessary supplies must be carried with you. Do not expect the hotel to prepare suitable facial cleanser and shampoo. In fact, women who are preparing to travel should prepare a cosmetic bag to store the most commonly used skin care products for ready use.

(2) Trial products (small packages) of cosmetics, shampoos, etc. are ideal companions when traveling, and you may wish to keep them for later use.

(3) Products with two effects in one, such as shampoos that wash and condition hair in one. Or lotion, sunscreen lotion in one, can save half the space and effort.

(4) During the trip, only bring the most basic cosmetics. If a cosmetic bag cannot accommodate it, you may have brought too much. Generally, what you need is: neutral color foundation, blush, eyebrow oil, two lipsticks (one is bolder, the other is softer), and finally a small box of dense powder (cream), and you're done. Enough.