2025 Summer Solitude and Romance: 4 Fairy-Tale Towns with High-Speed Rail/Direct Flights, Monthly Salary 5k
Tailored solo travel for relaxation in June-July, combining a slow pace, low expenses, and deep experiences, optimized with the latest on-site information to help you avoid crowds and heal your soul. Dali Erhai daydreaming, Kyoto hydrangea rain Zen, Chiang Mai rainforest cafes, Iceland midnight sun… healing alone is just right!” 🌸🌊✈️
1. Dali · Slow Soul Between Cangshan Mountain and Erhai Lake
💡 Solo advantage: Early rainy season in June-July, fewer tourists, inns drop prices (80 RMB/person/night), Erhai shrouded in mist like a fairyland.
🚄 Transportation: High-speed rail direct to Dali Station, ancient town bus/rent electric bike (30 RMB/day)
📝 3 days 2 nights slow travel guide
Day 1: Ancient town’s lively atmosphere and Zen
➤ Jizhao An (20 Element Vegetarian + succulent garden, shelter from rain and tea) → Dali Ancient Town Sheet Factory (cultural bookstore for secondhand books) → Night stroll on Renmin Road (listen to wandering singers)
Day 2: Erhai’s hidden secret spots
➤ Caicun Pier cycling (avoid the popular S Bay) → Zhoucheng tie-dye experience (50 RMB to make your own scarf) → Xizhou rice field café (“Fu Shi Tian Jian” second floor with a view)
Day 3: Free niche healing
➤ Bird Hanging Mountain hike (alpine meadow + wildflower sea, local secret) → Xiaguan Tuo Tea Factory (10 RMB to taste century-old tea charm)
🍜 Budget eating guide
✔ North Gate Market: 3 RMB pea noodles, 5 RMB Yangbi rice rolls
✔ Late-night canteen: Pingdeng Road “Qingyu Huachu” vegetarian noodles 15 RMB
2. Kyoto · Millennium Zen in Hydrangea Rain
💡 Solo advantage: Fewer people in June rainy season, hydrangeas fill the temples, accommodation drops 30% (capsule hotel 150 RMB/night).
🚇 Transportation: Kansai Airport take Haruka Express (discount ticket 160 RMB with passport) → City bus day pass (35 RMB unlimited rides)
📝 4 days 3 nights healing route
Day 1: Listening to rain at ancient temples
➤ Mimurotoji Temple (thousands of hydrangeas like a color palette) → Fushimi Inari Shrine (night visit to torii gates to avoid crowds) → Kamo River cooling platform (100 RMB izakaya watching lights)
Day 2: Artistic invisibility
➤ Rurikoin Temple (moss reflecting on windows, sutra copying) → Kibune Shrine (flowing water soba experience) → Pontocho (100 RMB yakitori + melon soda)
Day 3: Festival and lively atmosphere
➤ Gion Festival limited market (all July, try grilled dango/goldfish scooping) → Nishiki Market (150 RMB to eat everything: tamagoyaki, matcha warabi mochi)
🚶 Zero-cost romance
✔ Exclusive early morning at Kiyomizu Stage at 6 AM
✔ Free bike rental on Philosopher’s Path (deposit required)
3. Chiang Mai · Rainy Season Cafes and Night Market Relaxation
💡 Solo advantage: Rainy season hotel bargains (hostel 40 THB/night), fresh after rain with fewer tourists, perfect for zoning out.
🛵 Transportation: Songthaew 20 THB/ride, rent scooter 150 THB/day (no license needed)
📝 4 days 3 nights healing plan
Day 1: Laid-back ancient city walk
➤ Wat Phra Singh (sit quietly in rain listening to chanting) → Women’s prison massage (200 THB/hour) → Straw weaving street (DIY custom straw bags)
Day 2: Rainforest café day
➤ No.39 Cafe (slide wooden house + blue lagoon pool) → Art village Baan Kang Wat (pottery/printmaking experience) → Sunday night market (30 THB mango sticky rice)
Day 3: Mountain and wild healing
➤ Sticky Waterfall (free climb natural water slide) → Mae Kampong (cloudy mountain village learning to cook Northern Thai curry)
☕ Daydreaming sanctuaries
✔ Chom Café: Alice in Wonderland garden café
✔ Keep in Touch: Antique piano bookstore + cat café
4. Iceland · Solitary Epic Under the Midnight Sun
💡 Solo advantage: June-July midnight sun + low airfare (round trip 5k RMB), stay in hostel dorm beds (200 RMB/night).
🚗 Transportation: Airport bus to Reykjavik (150 RMB), city walking + free cycling
📝 5 days 4 nights ultimate experience
Day 1: Reykjavik adventure
➤ Hallgrímskirkja Church (climb to see colorful rooftops) → Old Harbor (lobster soup + free whale watching tour) → Sun Voyager (sculpture silhouette under midnight sun)
Day 2: Golden Circle light hiking
➤ Þingvellir National Park (Eurasian plate fissure) → Bruarfoss Waterfall (Tiffany blue stream) → Secret hot spring (wild creek foot soak)
Day 3: South Coast glacier secrets
➤ Seljalandsfoss Waterfall (walk behind the curtain) → Black Sand Beach (solo photo in front of basalt columns) → DC-3 plane wreck (4 km hike to save shuttle fee)
💰 Money-saving tips
✔ Bonus supermarket self-catering (salmon 100 RMB/kg)
✔ Free hot springs: Selfoss riverside wild hot spring pools
✅ Universal solo travel tips for all four cities
Accommodation tips:
Stay in hostel dorm beds in Dali/Chiang Mai (40-80 RMB), choose “9h Capsule” with timed billing in Kyoto, book guesthouse with shared kitchen in Iceland.
Transportation savings:
Kyoto bus pass > subway, Chiang Mai songthaew hail anywhere, Iceland airport bus official website early purchase for 40% off.
Safety tips:
Choose bright main roads at night, lock valuables in hostel lockers, download “112 Iceland” emergency app for hiking in Iceland.
Social balance:
Dali “group cycling” for companionship, Chiang Mai “cooking class” light socializing, Kyoto temple “sutra copying experience” to enjoy solitude.
“In Chiang Mai’s rainy season cafes, raindrops roll off banana leaves as you sip through a straw and finish a hand journal; in Kyoto, hydrangeas bow to kiss moss, and in temple bell chimes you write postcards no one receives… these cities never ask about your heart but quietly turn solitude into freedom.”