Journey 01 · Day 02 — Kunming to Dali | The Journey Begins

Day 2 is when the journey truly gets underway. Leaving Kunming behind, we begin our first proper day on the road, riding west across Yunnan towards Dali. Around 420 km separates us from our destination, giving us plenty of time to settle into the motorcycles and find our rhythm for the days ahead. As the city disappears behind us, highways gradually give way to the landscapes of western Yunnan — mountains, valleys, farmland and small towns accompanying us towards Dali. Dali has been an important cultural and trading centre for centuries. Once the heart of the Nanzhao and Dali Kingdoms, it later became an important stop along the Ancient Tea Horse Road, connecting Yunnan with Tibet and beyond. This is also the homeland of the Bai people, whose culture, architecture and traditions remain an important part of Dali today. We finish our first long riding day beside Erhai Lake, with the mountains of Cangshan rising behind Dali. The motorcycles are packed. The first kilometres are behind us. The journey towards Tibet has begun. Journey 01 | Day 02 📍 Kunming → Dali 🏍️ Approx. 420 km 🏔️ Dali altitude: approx. 2,000 m 🌊 Erhai Lake 🏘️ Dali Ancient Town 👥 Bai culture 🐎 Ancient Tea Horse Road Untitled Journeys Explore. Experience. Relive.