A 5-day and 5-night travel guide to Yunnan is here – full of practical tips and pitfalls to avoid

Thinking that March is the peak season for tourism, four of us, along with a child, set off for Yunnan! Travel itinerary: ✈️Chengdu-Kunming 🚄Kunming-Dali 🚄Dali-Lijiang ✈️Lijiang-Chengdu. After comparing, we found that flying to Kunming was cheaper (in the off-season, you can book one or two days in advance; we booked a couple of weeks ahead and it was more expensive, resulting in a loss of over two hundred yuan for round-trip tickets). Day 1️⃣: Arrived in Kunming, visited Dian Lake to feed seagulls, and explored the old streets of Kunming. Day 2️⃣-Day 4️⃣: Kunming-Dali. We stayed in Dali for two days, strolled through the ancient town, checked in at the popular Feng Xiaoyuan, and circled Erhai Lake (we rented a business car; route: Internet-famous S Bay-Xizhou Ancient Town-Shuanglang. Personally, I found Xizhou Ancient Town more enjoyable to visit, and remember not to trample on the wheat fields when taking photos – you will be reminded by aunties with loudspeakers!!). Day 5️⃣: Dali-Lijiang. Took some portrait photos and wandered through the ancient town. Finally, went to Zhongyi Market and bought some blueberries for 50 yuan per half kilo, bargained down to 40 yuan per half kilo. They were quite big and sweet, not sure if I overpaid. Travel tips to share: 1️⃣ It's best to wear a hat when feeding seagulls at Dian Lake – both my friend and I were graced with bird droppings. 2️⃣ Upon arriving at Dali station, you can take a direct bus or the No. 4 bus to Dali Ancient Town. 3️⃣ The earrings, shawls, etc., inside the ancient town are pretty much the same – haggle hard, and if that doesn't work, move on. 4️⃣ If you want to circle Erhai Lake in one day, it's best to rent a car. We only visited three places in nine hours. 5️⃣ The weather in Yunnan is very unpredictable, so it's best to bring an umbrella and a thick coat. 6️⃣ For portrait photography, Lijiang is recommended – I feel the results are better than in Dali, and the prices are more reasonable. 7️⃣ The temperature difference between day and night in Yunnan is significant. Dress casually at noon, but a coat is a must in the morning and evening. Be sure to pay attention to sun protection and drink plenty of water!!! It's too dry. The delicacies we tried: 1️⃣ Jingdaiyuan hand-grabbed rice 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 not filling enough 2️⃣ There's a soul-stirring chicken leg stall at the entrance of Dali Ancient Town 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 we ate oysters next door. As someone from Sichuan, even their mild spice was a bit much for me, but it was very delicious. 3️⃣ Shaxian snacks 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 relatively light, suitable for breakfast 4️⃣ Baili Private Kitchen 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 located in Lijiang Ancient Town, opened by someone from Chongqing – highly recommended for those who can handle spicy food!!! 5️⃣ Yunwei Collection 🌟🌟🌟🌟 found a random place online for beef hotpot, the portion was okay, but not tasty – maybe the good reviews are all fake? 6️⃣ A Chongqing noodle shop next to our homestay 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 run by a lady from Chongqing, very tasty 7️⃣ Bamu Xuan 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 recommended by our homestay owner, they have all the signature dishes, we had stir-fried dishes, and the taste was good 8️⃣ Zhaotong Hu's Brothers Babashao 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 located inside the ancient town, very fragrant and delicious Overall, this was a commando-style trip. If you want to just chill, I recommend visiting Shaxi Town. We didn't go because we were short on time. It's between Dali and Lijiang, a bit far, and the driver quoted around 800 yuan for a chartered car. Also, there's no off-season in Yunnan, and the prices are not very cheap, even a bit expensive – it all depends on how you plan. Share over 🔚 Feel free to ask questions, and I hope everyone has a fun trip～