A newlywed couple's honeymoon self-driving trip in western Sichuan and northwest Yunnan

Number of days: 12 days
Time: July
Average cost: 12,000 yuan
With whom: husband and wife
Updated: 2024.01.26

August 2023, Self-driving Honeymoon Tour in Western Sichuan and Western Yunnan

At the end of July and the beginning of August 2023, after the wedding, we couldn't wait to start our honeymoon. We spent 10 days traveling with another couple to Chengdu, Kangding, Daocheng Yading, Shangri-La, Lijiang, Lugu Lake, Dali, and Kunming. Although the pace was a bit tight, it was super enjoyable.

Overview: The whole trip was 12 days and 11 nights. We flew to Chengdu on the first night and left Kunming on the last morning. In fact, it took 10 days. The first day was spent in Chengdu, the 2nd and 3rd days were spent traveling from Chengdu to Daocheng, the 4th day was spent in Daocheng Yading, the 5th day was spent in Shangri-La, the 6th and 7th days were spent in Lijiang, the 8th day was spent in Lugu Lake, the 9th day was spent in Dali, and the 10th day was spent in Kunming. Basically, we spent half a day traveling and half a day sightseeing. Due to time constraints, the pace was fast and the overall trip was quite tight.

Day 0

I flew into Chengdu around 6 PM and took the subway to the Kuanzhai Alley area. I checked into my hotel near the alley around 7 PM. I picked up two bikes and rode around the alley at night, enjoying delicious food everywhere. It was a delightful experience.

Day 1

I had originally planned to visit Dujiangyan, but it was closed to the public due to a major event that day. I had to explore Chengdu on my own, but it felt even more enjoyable than visiting Dujiangyan. I got up around 6 AM and rode my bike to Taikoo Li. I took advantage of the crowds to take photos of the pandas from a distance and even pet their heads from a distance.

In the morning, I visited Du Fu Thatched Cottage, which was filled with cultural immersion. I had another hot pot lunch, then visited the Giant Panda Breeding Research Base in the afternoon. In the evening, I went to Gaiwancha to watch a Sichuan Opera performance. It was a perfect day. Due to special reasons, we did not go to the giant panda breeding base in the morning. When we went there in the afternoon, there were very few pandas, but we did take pictures of the little giant panda cubs.

I booked tickets this morning to see the face-changing performance. The one-and-a-half-hour show featured four or five special performances, including gaiwan tea. It was quite enjoyable. However, you need to book tickets in advance in the morning, as seats are quite tight.

Day 2

I woke up at 6 a.m. again, rode two bikes to People's Park, and had morning tea for 3 yuan by the lake. I experienced a leisurely lifestyle—truly beautiful.

Around 9 a.m., my friends picked up the rental car and began our road trip. We leisurely drove until around 3 p.m., arrived in Kangding, took a look at Kangding Love Song Square, and then headed to Xinduqiao. We were stuck in traffic until after 9 p.m.

After arriving in Kangding, I started experiencing altitude sickness. Fortunately, the hotel we stayed in provided oxygen, which made the symptoms much milder.

I took a photo along the way.

Day 3

It was a very rushed day, driving for over ten hours. We had lunch in Yajiang at noon and restocked our oxygen tanks and jackets. In the afternoon, we drove through Litang and Daocheng, arriving in Shangri-La Town around 9 PM.

Members of the group started to experience altitude sickness along the way, and coupled with the fatigue from driving for so long, we were generally happy when we were enjoying the scenery, but very tormented when we weren't.

Day 4

Visiting Daocheng Yading was truly a hell for the body, a paradise for the eyes. I won't go into detail.

That evening, I took my wife to the Shangri-La Sino-Tibetan Hospital for oxygen therapy. It was my first time witnessing the spectacular sight of people lining up for oxygen therapy.

Day 5

We left a little late this morning, around 10:00 AM, and headed for Diqing along the mountain path. We stopped and walked along the way, arriving at Napahai around 4:00 PM. It started to drizzle after we arrived, so we didn't get to see the beautiful scenery. We stayed in Dukezong Ancient Town that night. The hotel owner is a local. After touring the ancient town, we spent the evening chatting and warming ourselves by the fire in the courtyard. It was a lot of fun.

Day 6

In the morning, we visited Napa Lake again. The view from the observation deck was quite nice and quite interesting. We didn't have time to visit Pudacuo, but we'll definitely go there next time.

We started heading to Lijiang around 11 AM and arrived at Lashi Lake around 2 PM. We had a blast horseback riding and boating. We had dinner at a famous local restaurant that night; the food was delicious.

You can enjoy horseback riding and boating at Lashi Lake, as well as drinking tea and chatting. It was quite interesting.

Our hotel was in Yuhu Village, at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Since our tour group didn't pick us up there, we drove to the area near Lijiang Old Town, which was a bit disappointing. However, the view of the snow-capped mountains from the foot of the mountain was stunning.

Day 7

We met at 7:00 AM to join the group for the trip to Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. When we took the cable car to the summit, the mountain was shrouded in mist, completely obscuring the distant scenery. We'll have to come back next time. The altitude sickness from climbing the snow-capped mountain was relatively mild, and no one had any serious reactions.

In the afternoon, we hiked to Blue Moon Valley for about two hours. The five lakes, each with its own unique style, offered stunning scenery.

The group disbanded around 5:00 PM and drove to Lijiang Old Town. We stayed on Lion Mountain near the Old Town, overlooking the stunning nightscape. We spent the evening strolling and dining in the Old Town, a truly relaxing experience.

There's a small teahouse on Lion Hill, near the ancient city, offering a breathtaking night view.

Day 8

In the morning, I went to the auto repair shop to get my car fixed. After lunch, I drove to Lugu Lake. We arrived around 5 PM. The scenery wasn't as impressive as the previous stops, but it was still quite interesting. Due to time constraints, I didn't get to fully explore the lake.

Day 9

We drove to Dali around 9am and arrived at Dali around 2pm. We drove north along the west bank of Erhai Lake, then rode an electric scooter around the lake. In the evening, we visited Dali Old Town, which I felt was not as good as Lijiang Old Town.

The place we chose to stay was quite remote, on the northwest side of Erhai Lake, about 20 to 30 kilometers away from Dali city. In fact, we should have stayed near Dali Old Town southwest of Erhai Lake or Xizhou Ancient Town northeast of Erhai Lake, which would have been more convenient.

I went to Dali Ancient Town and took a look. The straight streets were not as good as the winding paths in Lijiang Ancient Town, but it had a bit of a small capital city feel, which was still quite nice.

Day 10

In the morning, we circled halfway around the east coast of Erhai Lake, arriving at the Italian Village around 11 a.m., climbed up and played for a while, then drove onto the highway to Kunming. We got off the highway around 4:30 p.m. and headed towards Dianchi Lake.

After taking a look at Dianchi Lake, we returned the car and temporarily left our luggage at the rental company. The four of us took a taxi to Kunming Old Street. After two hours of shopping and eating, we picked up our luggage and headed to the airport. The whole trip was basically over.

A few details to note:

Due to the longitude (Chengdu and Kunming are approximately 102° east longitude, and western Sichuan and western Yunnan have lower longitudes), it is about an hour later than Beijing time. If we leave around 9 am, we can still play around 7 or 8 pm, which will not affect our activities. We can arrange the time later.