7 Days Dali - Shaxi - Shibaoshan - Nuodeng - Dali
From US$1,474 US$1,316
Fully customized, flexible schedule, private guide & driver · We Guarantee 100% No Shopping Stops!
Over 7 days, 7-Day Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery links Arrival in Dali with Nuodeng to Dali, taking in Dali Old Town and Three Pagodas, Cangshan Mountain, Shibaoshan Grottoes, Nuodeng Village along the way. Meet your private guide, transfer to the hotel and take a gentle first walk through Dali Old Town. Dali’s basin is close to 2,000 metres; the old town and Three Pagodas are easy walking, while the Erhai shore and Xizhou lanes add a longer 4–8 kilometre section by vehicle and on foot. Return from Nuodeng to Dali by private vehicle with breaks on the mountain road. The day’s flavour is local rather than staged: try Shaxi baba, cured ham or a bowl of rice noodles, and notice the carved opera-stage details before the light fades. The route is best suited to curious travelers who want local context alongside the main sights, with the daily emphasis on tea landscapes, village life and small-scale cultural encounters. Opening hours, traffic and local access are checked during the trip, allowing the guide to reorder visits when needed.
Book with Confidence: Free inquiry, only 10% deposit to confirm, full refund for cancellations up to 15 days prior.
Daily itinerary: Arrival in Dali → Dali Old Town and Three Pagodas → Cangshan Mountain → Dali to Shaxi Ancient Town → Shibaoshan Grottoes → Nuodeng Village → Nuodeng to Dali.
Drag to explore, use + / − to zoom, and select a numbered stop for details.
Meet your private guide, transfer to the hotel and take a gentle first walk through Dali Old Town. Dali Old Town & Three Pagodas is the next listed stop in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery, with Shibaoshan Grottoes kept for another stage of the trip. Later in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery, Shibaoshan Grottoes brings a different activity: Explore forest trails, historic Buddhist carvings and viewpoints around Shibaoshan with your private guide.
Explore historic lanes, city gates and the Three Pagodas, with time for a local café or market stop. Cangshan Mountain is the next listed stop in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery, with Shibaoshan Grottoes kept for another stage of the trip. Later in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery, Shibaoshan Grottoes brings a different activity: Explore forest trails, historic Buddhist carvings and viewpoints around Shibaoshan with your private guide.
Ride up Cangshan for forest paths and views across Erhai Lake, choosing a walk suited to weather and fitness. The emphasis on tea culture in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery becomes clearer at the later Dali to Shaxi Ancient Town stop. Dali to Shaxi Ancient Town is a separate later stop on Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery: Follow the Tea Horse Road to quiet Shaxi, visiting Sideng Market Square and village lanes before an overnight stay.
Follow the Tea Horse Road to quiet Shaxi, visiting Sideng Market Square and village lanes before an overnight stay. The emphasis on tea culture in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery becomes clearer at the later Shibaoshan Grottoes stop. Shibaoshan Grottoes is a separate later stop on Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery: Explore forest trails, historic Buddhist carvings and viewpoints around Shibaoshan with your private guide.
Explore forest trails, historic Buddhist carvings and viewpoints around Shibaoshan with your private guide. Shibaoshan Grottoes sits between Dali to Shaxi Ancient Town and Nuodeng Village in the Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery sequence. Later in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery, Nuodeng Village brings a different activity: Travel into western Yunnan to discover stone lanes, salt-well history and traditional courtyard houses in Nuodeng.
Travel into western Yunnan to discover stone lanes, salt-well history and traditional courtyard houses in Nuodeng after Shibaoshan Grottoes; Nuodeng to Dali follows on the next day. For the Day 6 visit to Nuodeng Village, along the way, your guide adds local context and a sense of place so the Dali itinerary feels more meaningful than a simple list of stops. During Nuodeng Village, the guide links the named sights through local history and details visible on the ground. At Nuodeng Village on Day 6, allow time to walk rather than photograph each stop from the vehicle, ask before photographing people or ceremonies, and choose a nearby local meal so the visit remains focused on this part of the route.
Return from Nuodeng to Dali by private vehicle with breaks on the mountain road. Earlier in Dali Tea Horse Road Discovery, Nuodeng Village formed a separate part of the journey before Nuodeng to Dali. Plan an evening train or an additional Dali night rather than an early same-day flight.
Three days suits first-time visitors; five or more days allows Shaxi, Shibaoshan or a relaxed lakeside pace. Final train or flight times should be confirmed before fixing the last day; when timings change, sightseeing is shortened instead of adding an unrealistic transfer.
Prices are per person, based on double occupancy.
Only places used by this itinerary are shown below. The final hotel list follows confirmed transport, season and room availability; upgrades and room preferences can be customized.
The planned route starts around Dali and finishes around Dali. Exact airport, railway-station or hotel transfers are matched to your confirmed arrival and onward tickets.
Yes. The published day order is a workable starting point, not a fixed group schedule. We can change hotel level, walking time, special interests and selected stops while protecting the route logic.
Your local team checks current access before travel. Outdoor sections may move within the itinerary, and mountain or canyon routes can be shortened or replaced when conditions make the original plan unsafe.
Tell us what you would like to experience. A travel specialist will reply within one working day.
Chat with a Vipbest travel specialist about routes, dates, hotels or a tailor-made China trip.
