2-Days Self-Guided tour from Dali to Lijiang and overnight in Shaxi old town

Your driver will sign your name and meet you at your hotel lobby at 09:00am then transfer to Shaxi Old Town and need 2.5hrs driving, 130KM.

After the 2.5-3hrs driving, we will reach the Shaxi old town and our driver will show you to your hotel to check in first then the rest day is free for you and You can walk around the Shaxi Old Town, Shaxi River, Xinjiao Temple, stage in the quare and some ancient coutyards with local people. Shaxi once played an important role as a bustling trade station on the Tea and Horse Caravan Road, an important branch of the Silk Road. Just over one thousand years ago, this ancient trade route connected Tibet with Eastern China. In exchange for teas from Yunnan, Tibetans traded their famous breed of horse to Song Dynasty officials in eastern China, who were busy defending their territory from invaders from the north. Thus the Tea and Horse Caravan was born. Shaxi became the main trade station along this route. Though today Tibet and China don’t trade along this route, Shaxi still has that border-town feel. Old cobble-stoned alleyways still look like they did a thousand years ago. And different minorities, including the Yi and Bai, still clash every Friday during the Sideng Market when mountain villagers come down from the hills to trade their goods.

In the morning, Your driver will meet you at 9am or any time before 17:00pm then transfer to Lijiang old town and need 2hrs driving, 110KM.

After the 2-2.5hrs driving, you will reach the Lijiang old town then the rest day is free for you and end of our services. The old town of Lijiang is surely one of Yunnan’s most charming ancient cities. Although largely destroyed in 1996 following an earthquake, it quickly rebuilt, thanks in part to its UNESCO World Heritage designation. Lijiang is the center of the Naxi minority, with its very specific culture, including its religion and writing of more than 1,000 pictograms. The culture of Lijiang and its old town is a nice place to relax and hang out for a few days.