PreeChina · Route Guide
A sample itinerary from Dali that PreeChina can turn into a private tour, with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant.
At a Glance
Price
Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. What a price includes and leaves out.
| Travelers | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day trip | USD 305 | USD 220 | USD 185 | USD 175 | USD 160 | USD 155 | USD 145 | USD 135 |
Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.
Why This Route
Cangshan sits behind every picture of Dali. It is a World Geopark with a pattern of nineteen peaks and eighteen streams, and its fir and rhododendron grow in bands up the slope. The Jade Belt Cloud-Travelling Path crosses the mid-slope on foot.
The Three Pagodas set the best-known image of Dali: the main Qianxun Pagoda, a 16-tier square dense-eave pagoda from the Nanzhao period of the Tang, with two smaller pagodas just behind it and the Cangshan snow line above.
Dali Old Town keeps its Ming prefecture-city layout, with walls and four gates. Since the 1990s it has been a backpacker hub, which gave Foreigners' Street its name. The Dali city guide covers the town itself.
Itinerary
Futu Temple Pagoda (佛图寺塔). A brick pagoda from the Nanzhao period.6 km from central Dali, straight line
Dali Old Town (大理古城). The Ming prefecture-city layout survives, with walls and four gates.11 km from the previous stop, straight line
Cangshan (苍山地质公园). A World Geopark with a pattern of nineteen peaks and eighteen streams.6 km from the previous stop, straight line
Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple (崇圣寺三塔文化旅游区). The main Qianxun Pagoda is a 16-tier square dense-eave pagoda built in the Nanzhao period of the Tang, with two smaller pagodas just behind it.6 km from the previous stop, straight line
Stops follow distance from central Dali. We do not list clock times here: your private itinerary sets the pace, the order and the start time with you.
Route Map
The yellow marker is central Dali. Numbers 1 to 4 follow the route order. The line joins stops in a straight line and does not follow roads.
Stop by Stop
6 km from central Dali, straight line
A brick pagoda from the Nanzhao period.
15 km from central Dali, straight line
The Ming prefecture-city layout survives, with walls and four gates. Since the 1990s the town has been a backpacker hub, which gave Foreigners' Street its name.
16 km from central Dali, straight line
A World Geopark with a pattern of nineteen peaks and eighteen streams. Cangshan fir and rhododendron grow in bands up the slope, and the Jade Belt Cloud-Travelling Path crosses the mid-slope on foot.
17 km from central Dali, straight line
The main Qianxun Pagoda is a 16-tier square dense-eave pagoda built in the Nanzhao period of the Tang, with two smaller pagodas just behind it. The three pagodas with the Cangshan snow line above are the most common image of Dali. A 1978 repair took more than 700 Nanzhao and Dali relics from the top of the main pagoda.
Distances
| # | Stop | Type | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Futu Temple Pagoda | Pagoda | 6 km |
| 2 | Dali Old Town | Old Town | 15 km |
| 3 | Cangshan | Geopark | 16 km |
| 4 | Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple | Three Pagodas | 17 km |
Straight-line distances from the centre of Dali. Road distances are longer.
Independent Travel
Arranging these 4 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.
Custom Tour
This route is a starting point: 1 day and 4 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.
Questions
Cangshan Geopark sits 16 km from central Dali in a straight line. The road distance is longer.
The main Qianxun Pagoda is a 16-tier square dense-eave pagoda from the Nanzhao period of the Tang. Two smaller pagodas stand just behind it.
A path across the mid-slope of Cangshan that walkers can follow on foot.
Dali Old Town became a backpacker hub in the 1990s, and the street took its name from the visitors who gathered there.
Start from the stop order on this page, then tell us your dates, group size and pace through the contact form. We build the route into a private itinerary with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant from arrival to departure.
Yes. PreeChina plans every trip as a private, custom, tailor-made journey. This route is a starting point, and we adjust the stops, the days and the pace.
Anyone who wants a full day at one place. The route moves between 4 stops, so the visit at each is shorter.
Plan More
Explore More
This route is in Yunnan. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.
Related
Tell us when you arrive in Dali, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.
