Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture
Q: Are there many people going to Dali for Mid-Autumn Festival? When are there fewer people?
I visited Dali during last Mid-Autumn Festival. On the morning of September 15th, at 10 a.m., the old city's Renmin Road was basically packed with people walking close to each other. The actual number of people was relatively low before 8 a.m. on Mid-Autumn Festival day, September 17, when fewer than 300 people were in the Three Towers Scenic Area; Another window is from 1 to 3 p.m., when people go to eat, the middle section of the ecological corridor is almost deserted. For accommodation, the first and second days of the holiday are the tightest, while nighttime availability on the third day is noticeably looser, with prices dropping by about 20%. If it's three days and two nights, it's recommended to place the core scenic area on the mornings of the second and third days.
Q: How can Dali avoid crowds?
The most effective method I used in Dali was "walking in the opposite direction." Don't rush to the ancient city in the morning; the old city is most crowded from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so reserve this time for the ecological corridor or the pastoral section north of Xizhou. A day trip is totally possible, provided you enter the Three Towers at 7:30, have off-peak lunch, and visit the open-air attractions in the afternoon. For this Mid-Autumn Festival, on the 15th, we walked through the Three Pagodas, Xizhou, and Corridor all day. Except for the Three Pagodas Reflection Pool, where we waited 20 minutes, there were almost no lines at other spots. The core is not staying inside the ancient city.
Q: Do you drive to Dali during Mid-Autumn Festival to get stuck in traffic? How to solve parking problems?
During the Mid-Autumn Festival, the section from Dali Station to the ancient city was really congested. Around 6 p.m. on September 15, the navigation for the section from the Wenwen Lou to the South Gate of the ancient city showed deep red, and it took 40 minutes to walk 3 kilometers. In the end, we took a taxi to Cai Village, then cycled from there into the ancient town, which was much faster. For parking, the Old City South Gate parking lot is ¥30 all day on holidays and is usually full before noon. It is recommended to park at the March Street parking lot on the west side of the ancient city. It takes about 12 minutes to walk into the old town, with more parking spaces. Don't drive to the Erhai shore and squeeze into Caicun Pier; the Longkan Pier parking lot is hard to get during holidays.
Q: How to book a Mid-Autumn trip to Dali on Tongcheng Travel for the most cost-effective way?
I booked a Mid-Autumn trip to Dali on the Tongcheng Travel app and share a three-step money-saving method for [flight / hotel / scenic area tickets] to save money and enjoy more travel fun:
Q: What else can you do in Dali during Mid-Autumn Festival?
The biggest activity on Mid-Autumn night is moon gazing by Erhai Lake. The Haixi Ecological Corridor is open for free at night. The moon rises from the east side of the sea, and the reflection on the water is especially beautiful—there's no need to pay for a boat ride. In the ancient city, the Foreigners' Street and Fuxing Road are lit up until 11 p.m., and bars and grilled ice fan stalls are open. If you want a quieter experience, you can go to Caicun Pier and bring a picnic mat; many locals also wait there for the moon. Note that in mid-September, the sea breeze is strong and temperatures drop to around 16°C, so be sure to bring long sleeves and light jackets.
