Dali Ancient City tour with Erhai Lake: Half-day walk and boat

Climb the Wuhua Tower and row across Erhai Lake in one morning

A half-day tour of Dali Ancient City combines three stops: the Chongsheng Temple with its three pagodas, a rowing boat or lakeside walk at Erhai Lake, and the old town itself, where you climb the Wuhua Tower for a panoramic view, stroll Foreigners' Street lined with European-style buildings, and taste roasted milk fan. A live guide in English or Chinese leads the route. You choose between a private guide with local transport, a private vehicle only, or both together.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Erhai Lake2h
2. Dali Old Town4h

Explore Dali Ancient City and Surroundings

• Visit Chongsheng Temple Three Pagodas
• Admire Qianxun Pagoda and Buddha statues
• Visit Longkan Pier at Erhai Lake
• Row boat or stroll ecological corridor
• Climb Wuhua Tower for city view
• Walk Foreigners' Street and Fuxing Road
• Taste Bai ethnic cuisine in ancient city

The experience

The tour runs four to eight hours depending on which option you pick and how long you linger at each stop. You start at the Chongsheng Temple, where three pagodas stand in formation: the main Qianxun Pagoda towering at the center with two smaller ones flanking it like guards. You walk through the main halls to see the Buddha statues inside, then head to Longkan Pier on Erhai Lake. There you select a small boat and row across the water, which the operator describes as a giant mirror polished by nature, or you can stroll the ecological corridor along the pier and find a viewing platform overlooking the Cangshan Mountains and the lake.

The second half returns to Dali Ancient City itself. You pass under the city gate tower and walk the side streets lined with traditional Bai ethnic folk houses, where wood carvings, stone carvings and color paintings cover the walls. At the Wuhua Tower you climb the stairs to see the entire ancient city laid out below: gray-tiled roofs layered one after another, streets and alleys crisscrossing. Foreigners' Street comes next, full of European-style buildings and the smell of coffee. Walk into a restaurant and order roasted milk fan, a local specialty: the milk fan turns golden under charcoal fire, and the softness and crispness collide when you bite into it, paired with sweet dipping sauce. Fuxing Road nearby is lined with small shops selling local goods.

What’s included

• Entry to Chongsheng Temple and the Wuhua Tower.
• a rowing boat or lakeside access at Erhai Lake.
• a meal of roasted milk fan with dipping sauce at a restaurant in Dali Ancient City.
• a live guide in English or Chinese (available with certain options).
• private vehicle transport (available with certain options).

Options for this experience

4 options

Dali Ancient City, Option 4Guide in English or Chinese · 09:00 and 13:30Private guide for 4 hours covering Dali Ancient City only, without transport

Option 2, private vehicle onlyGuide in English or Chinese · 09:00 and 13:308-hour tour of Dali Ancient City, Chongsheng Three Pagoda and Longkan (Erhai Lake) by private vehicle, without a tour guide, pickup is included

Private guide only, Option 1Guide in English or Chinese · 09:00 and 13:308-hour private guide tour of Dali Ancient City, Chongsheng Three Pagoda and Longkan (Erhai Lake), with local transportation

Option 3: Private vehicle and guideGuide in English or Chinese · 09:00 and 13:308-hour private guided tour of Dali Ancient City, Chongsheng Three Pagoda and Longkan (Erhai Lake) by private vehicle, includes pickup

You pick the guide language when booking.

You'll see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates and prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 09:00 and 13:30

AgesUp to age 70

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effort

Operated by Aether Tours

Is this one for you?Choose the private guide option if you want the history and stories behind the Bai architecture and the pagodas. Pick the vehicle-only option if you prefer to move at your own pace and explore the streets without narration. Both options cover the same stops, so the difference is whether you want a guide's knowledge or independence.

Traveler reviews

5.00★★★★★★★★★★

1 verified traveler review

Read all the reviews ›

Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

What is the Wuhua Tower and what do I see from the top?

The Wuhua Tower stands in Dali Ancient City and offers a panoramic view of the entire old town from its stairs. From the top you see the gray-tiled roofs layered one after another and the streets and alleys crisscrossing below.

Can I actually row a boat on Erhai Lake or do I just look at it?

At Longkan Pier you select a small boat and row leisurely across the lake surface yourself, or you can stroll the ecological corridor along the pier and find a viewing platform if you prefer to stay on land.

What food will I eat on this tour?

You taste roasted milk fan, a classic Bai ethnic dish, at a restaurant on Foreigners' Street. The milk fan is cooked under charcoal fire until it turns golden and is served with sweet dipping sauce.

Do I need a guide, or can I do this tour on my own with just a vehicle?

You can book a private guide in English or Chinese to lead the route, a private vehicle only with no guide, or both together. The guide option includes a live guide. The vehicle-only option is self-guided.

What is Foreigners' Street like?

Foreigners' Street in Dali Ancient City is lined with European-style buildings and filled with the aroma of coffee. It is full of exotic flavors and leads to Fuxing Road, where small shops selling local goods are arranged one after another.

How long does this tour take?

The tour runs four to eight hours depending on which option you book and how much time you spend at each stop.