3-Day Dali Erhai & Xizhou Pre-Wedding Tour

Begin your Dali stay with a short introduction to the old town's whitewashed walls, tiled gateways and small shopping lanes. If you arrive early, pause for a seated tea break and browse a manageable section of the streets rather than attempting a full sightseeing circuit. Dinner can introduce local rice noodles or Bai-style dishes according to your preferences. The evening is also useful for discussing tomorrow's lake and village compositions with your coordinator.

Arrive at Dali airport or railway station and settle into the hotel chosen in your proposal. Leave the afternoon open for a prearranged style consultation and fitting if you have commissioned photography services. Review sample work from the actual photographer, agree on a short shot list, and check clothing sizes, footwear, changing arrangements and meeting times. A soft, flowing outfit may suit the lake, while a second look can complement Xizhou's courtyards and lanes. Keep the evening gentle: take a short walk through Dali Old Town, choose dinner at your own pace and get an early night. If arrival is late, arrange fittings before travel or add a night; the itinerary should not assume that a complete styling consultation can happen after every evening flight.

Overnight: Dali.

Travel and walking: Local arrival transfer; allow roughly 45–90 minutes depending on your hotel, then a short optional walk.

Build the day around two complementary looks: open water and mountain lines beside Erhai, followed by the white walls and tiled eaves of Xizhou. Your guide can introduce Bai courtyard design while you move between a few carefully chosen lanes. Pause over a sit-down lunch and, if it suits your tastes, try a freshly baked Xizhou baba snack. A short established field-edge path provides an additional rural setting without turning the day into a full lake circuit.

Begin with the preparation window agreed with your styling team, then travel to a compact selection of approved lakeshore locations. Choose a manageable stretch of Erhai's western side rather than promising a complete lake circuit. Allow time to walk from permitted vehicle stops, adjust hair in the wind and change outfits in a suitable private space. After a meal and rest, continue to Xizhou for architectural textures, quiet lanes where available and optional photographs in a courtyard that has given permission. Agricultural fields are working land; colours vary with the crop cycle and entry requires consent. Your team can reverse the sequence for light, weather or crowd conditions. Strong wind or rain may require an approved sheltered venue, a shorter outdoor window or a separately agreed reschedule.

Overnight: Dali.

Travel and walking: Local road transfers and short walks; Xizhou outings from an old-town base commonly involve about 1.5–2 hours of total driving, with additional time for the chosen lakeshore stops.

A later departure leaves time to revisit a favourite lane or browse a small morning market close to your hotel. Look for seasonal produce and everyday food stalls, with your guide helping you select a simple breakfast or snack if requested. Keep any final lakeside pause close to the transfer route. Couples wanting more village time can add a separate Zhoucheng tie-dye day, rather than squeezing a workshop and a flight into the same morning.

Enjoy an unhurried breakfast before your onward journey. With a later departure, leave space for a café stop or a gentle old-town walk. An image-selection appointment can be arranged only if the photographer's workflow and your contract provide for one; final retouching is not assumed to be ready during the trip. A brief replacement session may be possible when weather disrupted the previous day, but it depends on crew availability, location permissions and the transfer deadline. For stronger weather flexibility, add another Dali night instead of relying on departure morning. Confirm your airport or station transfer against the actual ticket and hotel location. Keep enough packing time for garments and any personal accessories you brought for the shoot.

Overnight: Departure.

Travel and walking: Local airport or railway transfer, plus the carrier's check-in margin; sightseeing depends on the actual ticket.