Around Erhai Lake by electric scooter

Understand

Dali has a history as an ancient kingdom, and many historic towns and traditional buildings remain scattered around Erhai Lake. Many visitors just visit Dali Old Town and the mountains next to it, but riding around the lake by motorcycle gives you the mobility to see lots of other areas and the flexibility to explore on your own. The trip is about 150 km in total. It can be done in one day, but this is a little rushed and a lot of riding for one day, and means that you probably won't have time to visit all the stops. If you want to spread it out over two or three days, that's certainly possible—Dali Old Town, Xizhou, Shuanglang, and the city center all have plenty of accommodation options, and there are hostels and guesthouses scattered around the perimeter of the lake. If you are doing it in one day, the Three Pagodas and Zhangjia Garden are obvious stops to skip—they're close to the old town, so it's easy to visit them by themselves instead of as part of this longer loop.

Variations This article describes a clockwise ride around the lake starting and ending in Dali Old Town, but many other variations are possible. Electric scooters are easy to find for rent in Xizhou, Shuanglang, and the city center as well as in the Old Town, so you can start in any of the major settlements on the way. That said, Dali Old Town is particularly easy to get to and particularly large (so worth spending some extra time in), so it's probably the most natural starting point. It's also perfectly possible to do the trip counterclockwise (leaving south from the Old Town and doing the stops in reverse), though in that case some of the detailed directions in this guide would have to be disregarded. Finally, electric scooter isn't your only option. Aside from the obvious possibility of renting a real motorcycle (significantly faster than your average scooter), you could also rent a car, ride a bicycle, or take a tour bus. These all have their disadvantages—a car is unwieldy enough that it makes some of the sites more of a pain to visit, particularly Shuanglang and nearby Nanzhao Island. A bicycle is even more flexible than a scooter, but it's also slow—still, if you're in good shape an

Prepare

A few things you'll want to bring:

A good hat that will protect you from the sun and stay on your head. The roads near the lake can be windy, so get one that fits well and has a string that goes around your neck. Sunscreen – the sun is strong up here at an altitude of about 2,000 meters. Water, though if you don't bring enough you can buy it on the way. Layers – Dali is warm during the day and cool in the morning and evening, so wear an outer layer that you can take off when it warms up. Gloves, to protect your hands from the sun and the wind when riding.

Get in

Dali is one of the main tourist destinations in Yunnan, so it's not hard to get to. You can fly into Dali airport or take the train or bus from a larger hub such as Kunming. For detailed information, see Dali#Get in. Scooter rental places in Dali Old City are a dime a dozen. Prices vary depending on how much battery life you want. A one-day rental of a scooter with a maximum speed of 40 km/h and two fully-charged batteries (plenty of battery to comfortably circle the lake – ignore the tour bus touts who say you'll run out of power and get stranded) cost ¥80 in May 2019. Many scooters can seat two people. It's also possible to rent a full-fledged motorcycle instead of an electric scooter. A motorcycle can go much faster, shortening the amount of time on the road between stops. That said, rumor has it a scooter doesn't require a license while a motorcycle does.

Ride

Old Town The journey starts from 1 Dali Old Town (大理古城). You've presumably spent at least a night here before starting the itinerary and had a chance to experience the old town's charms, so no need to dawdle before starting your ride. Set off early—if you're planning to do the whole itinerary in one day, you should be on the road before 08:00. Once you've rented the bike, head to the northwest of the Old City. Go north on Xijingxian (西景线) for just a few minutes and you'll get to the Three Pagodas. (If you already visited the Three Pagodas when you were exploring the Old Town, you can skip this stop. To do that, head east from the Old Town instead, then when you hit the major road Dalixian (大丽线), turn left to go north and you're on your way.)

Three Pagodas The 2 Three Pagodas (三塔) are a symbol of Dali, and the hillside park around them is full of beautiful Buddhist temples and statues. It costs ¥75 to get in, so if you don't want to pay, or if you're just anxious to get going, you can just admire them from a distance and then keep riding. The Three Pagodas are right next to the old city, so your journey really begins now, after visiting them. When you leave the pagodas, don't continue on Xijingxian but instead head further east to Dalixian (大丽线), a less hectic, more scooter-friendly road. Then turn left to head north.

Villages On this part of the journey you'll pass lots of farms, full of farmers tending their crops, and little villages full of traditional buildings. Take some time to head out into some of the villages to experience village life and admire the architecture. When you're ready, continue on Dalixian to get to Xizhou.

Xizhou

3 Xizhou Old Town (喜洲古镇) is another well-preserved old town, much smaller and less developed than Dali. It's easy to find a parking space for a scooter or motorcycle, then wander around the town for a few minutes. If you neglected to bring a hat, water, or a light jacket, you can buy them here. If you didn't have breakfast before starting out, try bābā (粑粑), a Xizhou specialty, a sort of thick stuffed pancake that you can get sweet or savory. The savory ones all seem to have meat, but the sweet ones are vegetarian. Wh

Go next

Cangshan, the mountain range just to the west of the old city, which you see from the road but don't actually visit on this itinerary. (It's probably not realistic to go up to the mountains by scooter—the roads are too steep.) Shaxi – historic market town north of Dali Lijiang – another historic town and major Yunnan tourist destination Kunming – the provincial capital, not so much of a tourist destination, but it is the province's transportation hub and the starting point for trips to the Stone Forest Continue on the Yunnan tourist trail