Kunming Dali Lijiang Guilin 7-Day Tour
Embark on a 7-day journey through Yunnan and Guilin’s iconic landscapes. Start in Kunming with free time to explore historic streets, then journey to Lijiang for Jade Dragon Snow Mountain’s glaciers and Blue Moon Valley’s turquoise lakes. In Dali, ride Cangshan Mountain’s cable car, wander Erhai Lake’s shores, and craft tie-dye textiles. High-speed rail speeds you to Guilin, where karst peaks rise above the Li River. Cruise past fishing villages, bike Yangshuo’s rice terraces, and hike Moon Mountain for sunset vistas. Explore Guilin’s Reed Flute Cave’s stalactites and Elephant Trunk Hill’s iconic silhouette. This trip blends adrenaline (hiking, bamboo rafting) with cultural immersion (Naxi, Bai, and Zhuang traditions) and China’s most dramatic scenery—ideal for photographers and adventure seekers.
Book this Tour
Kunming-Dali-Lijiang-Guilin
Included with every escorted tour
Day 1: Kunming Arrival
Arrive in Kunming and transfer to the hotel – free activity
4+stars Hotel
After arriving at Kunming Changshui International Airport, your guide will pick you up and transfer you to a 4-star hotel in the city.
Recommended Activity: Jinbi Archway, Wenming Street Historical Block, Kunming Old Street. You can also contact Intoexplore travel consultants for more suggestions.
Day 2: Kunming – Lijiang
Kunming to Lijiang – Jade Dragon Snow Mountain – Spruce Plateau – Blue Moon Valley
4+ star hotels
Breakfast/Lunch
In the morning, take a high-speed train to Lijiang. Arriving Lijiang, go to Ganhaizi (3100 m), a good spot for snow mountain photos. Then take the big cable car to Glacier Park (4500–4600 m). Along the way, you can see the change from pine forest → fir forest → grassland → glacier. This is the main area of the snow mountain. It includes ancient and modern glaciers. It’s the lowest-latitude oceanic glacier in China, and the closest glacier to the equator in the world. On a clear day, you can see the full view of Ganhaizi.
In the afternoon, go to Blue Moon Valley (2800 m). The valley has 4 lakes connected together. Each lake has a different color because of the minerals and light. You can take photos of the blue water, white rocks, and snowy mountain background. The reflection in winter is especially beautiful.
Other options: If you worry about the high altitude of Glacier Park, you can choose a small cable car to Spruce Plateau (3500 m), a round grassland surrounded by trees. It has wildflowers in summer and snow in winter. You can also take a middle cable car to Yak Meadow (3700 m), a great place to see the full view of all 13 peaks and experience traditional Tibetan culture. Ask Intoexplore’s advisor for help choosing the best route.
Tips: Even in summer, the temperature on the mountain is 5–10°C lower than Lijiang city. Bring a jacket. In rainy or winter seasons, the path may be slippery. Walk carefully and don’t cross the fences.
Day 3: Lijing - Dali
Cangshan Park – Three Pagodas – Erhai Lake – Dali Old Town / Tie-dye Experience
4+ star hotels
Breakfast/Lunch
Take the high-speed train to Dali (about 2–3 hours).
Visit Cangshan Park, part of Dali’s “Wind, Flower, Snow, Moon” attractions (Cangshan Snow). It features alpine lakes, forests, and glacier remains – ideal for hiking, sightseeing, or cultural discovery. There are three tour routes:
Route A: Take the Ximatan cable car to the mountain top (altitude 3,900m) to see glacier lakes and blooming rhododendrons (best in May–June). This is the only route reaching the summit and offers views of Dali Old Town and Mount Malong.
Route B: Take the Gantong cable car for a light hike. It offers a quiet trail with sea views and canyon exploration – low effort, high reward.
Route C: Take the Zhonghe cable car (open-chair type, no glass). Enjoy 360° views of Cangshan’s pine forest and breeze from Erhai Lake. It leads directly to Zhonghe Temple, which has a panoramic viewpoint.
Not sure which route to choose? Ask an Intoexplore consultant to recommend one based on your preferences.
Continue to Erhai Lake, a scenic and cultural destination known for Bai culture, wetlands, and photo spots.
Next, visit the Three Pagodas of Chongsheng Temple, a landmark of Dali dating back to the Nanzhao Kingdom (9th century). The temple complex faces Erhai Lake with Cangshan as the backdrop. It’s also said to be the inspiration for the “Tianlong Temple” in the martial arts novel Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils.
In the evening, stroll through Dali Old Town. The town comes alive at night with music bars, night markets, stargazing, and traditional Bai dance.
You can:
Climb the city wall for a bird’s-eye view
Learn tie-dye and make your own clothes
Explore the night market for local snacks
Day 4: Dali - Guilin
Dali to Guiyang – transfer to the hotel
4+ star hotels
Breakfast/Lunch
Take the high-speed train to Guiyang (about 5 hours). After arrival, transfer to the hotel and take a short rest.
Day 5: Guilin
Reed Flute Cave – Elephant Trunk Hill – the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas – Jingjiang Prince’s Mansion (Duxiu Peak)
4+ star hotels
Breakfast/Lunch
Early in the morning,You will then go to the next amazing attraction, the Reed Flute Cave. This is a majestic underground palace with breathtaking stalactites, stalagmites, stalagmite shields and stone waterfalls of all shapes and sizes.
Then you will visit Elephant Trunk Hill, the symbol of Guilin’s landscape. This huge rocky mountain resembles a lifelike elephant drinking from the river. Within the embrace of the Elephant Trunk Hill, you will also find many historical relics such as exquisite stone carvings and serene Buddhist temples.
Next, we will come to the Sun and Moon Twin Pagodas, which set three Guinness World Records: as the world’s tallest copper tower, the tallest copper building, and the tallest tower under water.
We will start from the Sun Tower and take the elevator straight to the top of the towers, overlooking the lakes and mountains of Guilin; after that, we will go to the Moon Tower through the tunnel under the lake to admire the unique charm of its glazed body.
Afterwards, we will take you into the Jingjiang King’s Mansion, which is known as the “Small Forbidden City in the South”. This is one of the best-preserved Ming Dynasty royal residences in China.
Next, you can climb Duxiu Peak, the head of Guilin’s mountains and the king of all mountains, where the earliest poem “Guilin’s landscape is superior to the rest of the world” was carved on Duxiu Peak.
Day 6: Guilin
Mopan Mountain Pier – Li River – Yulong River – Moon Mountain
4+ star hotels
Breakfast/Lunch
After breakfast, you will explore the beautiful scenery of Guilin.
Starting from Mopan Mountain Pier, we will cruise down the Li River, which was named one of the world’s 15 most beautiful rivers to visit by CNN, has become the only river in China to make the list with its unique charm. The duration of this tour will depend on the water level but is expected to be about 180 minutes.
As the boat slowly moves forward, you will enjoy the beauty of the Li River, each view is like a beautiful painting.
You will continue to explore the Yulong River. You can choose to ride a bicycle through the countryside, or take a bamboo raft on the river.
(Note: According to the Yulong River Tourism Regulations. Children less than 1 meter tall and seniors over 70 years old will not be able to experience bamboo rafting, please be aware of this.)
Afterwards, you can view the Moon Mountain from a distance. This amazing mountain is famous for its unique shape. When viewed from different angles, you can see the Moon Cave presenting different views such as a full moon, half moon and eyebrow moon
Day 7: Guilin Departure
Guilin Departure
Breakfast
After breakfast, transfer to the airport depending on your flight time. This ends your Guilin journey full of natural beauty.
