Lijiang Old Town in Yunnan, China is best known as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Many travelers are drawn here by photos of its charming cobblestone streets, traditional Naxi architecture, and mountain views. But when we planned our trip to Lijiang last April, the question I spent the most time thinking about wasn’t what to see, but rather how to create a realistic Lijiang 3 day itinerary for families with kids.
Since we were traveling with our 3-year-old daughter, we knew we couldn’t pack our days with nonstop sightseeing. Instead, we decided to embrace a slower pace, balancing leisurely walks through the ancient towns with plenty of time to relax and enjoy Lijiang’s beautiful natural scenery.
Looking back, it turned out to be one of our favorite family trips in China. If you’re searching for a Lijiang 3 day itinerary that works well for families with young children, I hope our experience and suggestions below help you plan a memorable visit.
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Day 1: Arrive in Lijiang and Explore Lijiang Old Town
How to get to Lijiang
We arrived in Lijiang after taking a comfortable 4-hour high-speed train from Kunming. If you’re planning your own trip, the two easiest ways to get here are:
- Take the train to Lijiang Railway Station, which is about 8–10 km from Lijiang Old Town.
- Fly into Lijiang Sanyi International Airport, which is about 26–30 km from the old town.
Since we were traveling with our 3-year-old daughter, we arranged a hotel transfer in advance. After a few days of moving around Yunnan, having a driver waiting for us at the station felt like a luxury.
Choosing where to stay in Lijiang is actually more important than I expected. Different areas offer very different experiences, and your hotel location can make a big difference when you’re traveling with young children. You can check out my other blog post on Where to stay in Lijiang to choose a suitable accommodation here.
The hotel we stayed in is called Yueshang Mountain Viewing Courtyard (It’s actually a homestay). After checking in, we settled into the hotel’s courtyard and enjoyed some complimentary tea and rose cakes. As the sun started setting, we excitedly headed out for our first walk around Lijiang Old Town.
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Exploring Lijiang Old Town at Night
Lijiang Old Town (aka Dayan Old Town) feels especially lively after sunset. The lantern-lit streets, flowing canals, and traditional architecture create a beautiful atmosphere for a casual evening stroll. Since this was our first evening in town, we didn’t have any specific plans. We simply wandered around, explored the small alleys, and enjoyed the atmosphere.
The busiest area of the old town is the Market Square (Sifang Street), where traditional Naxi dance performances take place every evening. Visitors and locals join hands to dance together, creating a festive atmosphere that is fun to watch and participate in. My daughter enjoyed the music and dancing, although the crowd was so large that my husband ended up carrying her on his shoulders so she could see what was happening. If you’re traveling with young children, expect crowds and keep a close eye on them in this area.
Around the Market Square, you’ll also find quite a few bars and nightclubs with loud music and stage performances. They certainly add to the energy of Lijiang at night, but they weren’t really our scene with a three-year-old in tow.
Restaurants around the Market Square tend to be more crowded and slightly more expensive. We found better dining options by walking uphill toward Lion Rock or exploring streets further south of the square. The atmosphere felt more relaxed, and finding a table was much easier.
One thing I didn’t expect was how much time we would spend browsing the shops. Lijiang Old Town is packed with stores selling tea, flower cakes, snacks, handicrafts, souvenirs, and local products. Even if you’re not planning to buy anything, it’s fun to pop into different shops and see what catches your eye. There are also shops where you can make your own stone bracelets.
In fact, you could easily spend an entire evening just wandering through the old town and exploring its shops. That’s exactly what we did on our first night in Lijiang.
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Day 2: Yunti’an Coffee and Baisha Ancient Town
After spending our first day exploring Lijiang Old Town, we decided to venture a little further out on Day 2 of our Lijiang 3 day itinerary.
Yunti’an Coffee
Our first stop was Yunti’an Coffee, located about a 20-minute Didi ride from Dayan Old Town.
There is no entrance fee to visit. Instead, each group is expected to order food and drinks. Prices are definitely on the higher side compared to regular cafés in Lijiang, but we thought the experience was well worth it.
The menu includes a wide selection of coffee, specialty drinks, cakes, and brunch items. Even if you’re not a coffee drinker, you’ll find plenty of options to choose from.
What makes Yunti’an Coffee special is its setting. The café sits in the middle of a large meadow with stunning views of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in the distance. Around the property, you’ll find beautifully designed photo spots that make the most of the mountain backdrop.
If you’re interested, the café also offers professional photoshoot packages and traditional costume rentals.
For our family, though, the highlight wasn’t the photos. My daughter happily spent her time running around the open meadow while my husband found a comfortable seat and simply enjoyed the mountain views. As for me, I alternated between sipping coffee and taking far too many photos.
We ended up spending the entire morning there without feeling bored. What a great start to the second day of our Lijiang 3 day itinerary.
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Baisha Ancient Town
From Yunti’an Coffee, we took a Didi for about 10 minutes to reach Baisha Ancient Town.
Many visitors don’t realize that there are actually 3 major ancient towns in Lijiang:
- Dayan Old Town (the famous UNESCO-listed old town that most people simply call Lijiang Old Town)
- Baisha Ancient Town
- Shuhe Ancient Town
Of the three, Baisha is the oldest and was once the political and cultural center of the Naxi people.
Personally, Baisha ended up being my favorite among our Lijiang 3 day itinerary. While it is smaller than Dayan Old Town, it also feels less commercialized and less crowded. Walking through its streets, we saw many more local Naxi residents selling handmade jewelry, crafts, and traditional snacks.
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Discover Naxi Embroidery
One of the highlights of our visit was stopping by an Embroidery center run by a Naxi artisan. Her work was incredibly intricate and beautiful. Unfortunately, we didn’t take any photos of her work (only of the center), but I would highly recommend visiting these artisan workshops if you come to Baisha. They offer a glimpse into local culture that souvenir shops simply can’t provide.
Naxi embroidery is one of the most important traditional art forms of the Naxi people and has been passed down for over 1,200 years. Many of the designs are inspired by Naxi culture, local legends, and the beautiful natural scenery around Lijiang. What immediately caught my attention was the use of vibrant colors and the almost three-dimensional appearance of some pieces.
Traditionally, Naxi embroidery was used to decorate clothing, dresses, and household textiles, but today you’ll also find it featured in decorative handicrafts and artwork. Seeing these intricate pieces up close gave me a deeper appreciation for the craftsmanship and cultural heritage of the Naxi people.
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What to eat at Baisha Ancient Town
For dinner, we stopped at a Food Court near the center of town where numerous street food vendors were gathered together. The setup was convenient because we could order small dishes from different stalls and try a variety of foods. To be honest, though, while everything looked appealing, none of the dishes stood out as particularly memorable. Prices were also comparable to what we had paid at restaurants elsewhere in Lijiang, so I wouldn’t go out of my way for the food court experience.
As evening approached, we continued strolling through the town’s narrow streets and browsing the shops. My daughter’s favorite stop was a small shop where visitors could choose different jade and marble beads to create their own bracelets. She spent a surprisingly long time deciding which stones she liked best.
Meanwhile, I found myself repeatedly distracted by the jewelry stores. Baisha has many beautiful silver jewelry shops, and I loved browsing the unique designs inspired by Naxi culture.
After a relaxed evening exploring the town, we took a Didi back to our homestay and called it a night, ready for another day of exploring Lijiang.
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Day 3: Black Dragon Pool and Shuhe Ancient Town
For the final part of our Lijiang 3 day itinerary, we decided to keep things relaxed and visit two places that are easy to combine in one day: Black Dragon Pool and Shuhe Ancient Town.
Black Dragon Pool
We started the morning at Black Dragon Pool, which is located just outside the North Gate of Dayan Old Town.
From our homestay on Lion Rock, it was about a 900-meter walk through the old town to reach the park. Surprisingly, the walk itself ended up being one of my favorite parts of the morning. A narrow water channel runs alongside the road, lined with lush green trees on both sides. Compared to the busy streets of the old town, the atmosphere felt peaceful and refreshing.
When we arrived at Black Dragon Pool, it was raining lightly. While we didn’t get the famous clear reflection of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain that many visitors come for, the scenery was still beautiful in its own way. The mist and rain gave the park a calm, almost dreamy feeling.
We spent some time walking around the ponds and gardens before climbing the steps to visit one of the temples inside the park. The climb wasn’t too difficult, although we definitely had to take a few breaks with our three-year-old.
Overall, I found Black Dragon Pool to be a lovely escape from the crowds of Lijiang Old Town. If you’ve already spent a couple of days exploring the ancient towns, this park offers a nice change of scenery for your Lijiang 3 day itinerary.
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Shuhe Ancient Town
For the rest of the day, we headed to Shuhe Ancient Town, the last of the three major ancient towns in Lijiang.
Of the three, Shuhe was definitely the least crowded during our visit. The streets felt more spacious, and the pace was noticeably slower than in Dayan Old Town.
That said, because we had already spent time exploring both Dayan and Baisha, Shuhe didn’t feel dramatically different to us. Personally, I would say about 60% of the experience felt similar—stone-paved streets, traditional architecture, souvenir shops, cafés, and restaurants.
If you’re short on time, I would prioritize Dayan and Baisha first. However, if you enjoy wandering through old towns without a strict itinerary, Shuhe is still a pleasant place to spend a few hours. The quieter atmosphere may even appeal more to some families than the busier Dayan Old Town.
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Other Beautiful Places to Visit in Lijiang
Although we felt that this Lijiang 3 day itinerary was enough for families with kids to explore this city at a relaxed pace, there were still several places we would have loved to visit if we had stayed longer.
Shangri-La
Shangri-La is only about one hour away from Lijiang by high-speed train, making it surprisingly accessible as a day trip.
Many travelers choose to spend one or two nights there to explore Tibetan culture, monasteries, and mountain scenery. If we return to this part of Yunnan in the future, Shangri-La will definitely be high on our list.
Jade Dragon Snow Mountain and Tiger Leaping Gorge
These are two of the most famous attractions near Lijiang. Many travelers combine them as part of a guided tour, which is probably the easiest option since transportation between the different sites can be complicated to arrange independently.
However, the main reason we skipped them on this trip was our daughter’s age. Jade Dragon Snow Mountain reaches a high altitude, and we personally felt more comfortable waiting until she is older before taking her there.
Tinghua Valley
Tinghua Valley looks absolutely beautiful and is probably the place I regret missing the most. The valley is known for its seasonal flower displays, with different flowers blooming throughout the year against the backdrop of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. From the photos I’ve seen, it looks like a dream location for both families and photography lovers. Hopefully we’ll get to visit it on our next trip to Lijiang with an updated Lijiang 3 day itinerary.
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The Best Lijiang 3 Day Itinerary for Families with Kids
If you’re traveling with young children, I genuinely think this is the best Lijiang 3 day itinerary because it doesn’t try to cram too much into a short trip. Instead, it allows you to experience the different sides of Lijiang at a relaxed pace. There is enough variety to keep both adults and kids interested, while still leaving plenty of time to slow down and enjoy the journey.
For our family, this balance was exactly what made the trip so memorable. We never felt rushed, yet we still got to experience the history, culture, food, and natural beauty that make Lijiang such a special destination.
Have you visited Lijiang with kids, or are you planning a trip soon? I’d love to hear about your experience or answer any questions in the comments below. And if you found this Lijiang 3 day itinerary helpful, please share it with friends or family who might be planning a trip to Yunnan as well!
If you’re visiting China for the first time, check out my blog post on 14+ Essential Tips for Visiting China in 2026 to better prepare for your trip.
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