Erhai Lake 洱海
A large alpine lake ringed by Bai villages, wetlands and mountain views.
The ecological corridor is best explored by rented e-bike or bicycle, not by car.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to book Erhai Lake in advance?
The lake, 大理古城, 喜洲, 双廊 and most of the 129 km lakeside road need no booking, but several sites require free advance real-name reservation in summer peak: 洱海生态廊道 — 30,000 free slots/day, morning (08:00–12:00) and afternoon (12:00–18:00) sessions, book 1–7 days ahead via the '游云南' mini-program or '大理文旅'/'大理旅游集团' WeChat account; 海舌生态公园 — 200 slots/day, tickets for the next day released at 18:00 on the '爱在海舌·蜜月半岛' mini-program (max 4 people per booking); 理想邦 — 3,000/day, 5 CNY service fee, book 1–2 (up to 3) days ahead; 洱海游船 — real-name tickets, released 09:00 daily, book 3–5 days (some say 1 week) ahead on '游云南' APP, morning sailings sell out in ~10 minutes; 太阳宫 needs booking too. No walk-up tickets during summer peak. Passport booking for foreigners is not mentioned.
What are the opening hours of Erhai Lake?
Open 24 hours year-round
How much is a ticket to Erhai Lake?
Entry is free. The lake itself is free (no gate ticket) — '洱海本身免费开放、不需要门票'. Paid extras nearby, separately charged: Erhai cruise ~140 CNY/person (other pages: 120–180 or 80–120), 理想邦 5 CNY service fee, 崇圣寺三塔 75 CNY, 南诏风情岛 50 CNY, 苍山 40 CNY; S-bend/eco-corridor electric shuttle 30 CNY one-way / 50 CNY return, bike rental 30 CNY/hour or 80 CNY/day, e-bike 80 CNY/hour or 200 CNY/day, camping tent set 150 CNY/half day; 1.2 m children free on shuttle, over-65s free on shuttle; 海舌公园 and the open lakeside sections are free.
How long do I need at Erhai Lake?
Plan about 3 hours.
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