9 Day Zhangjiajie + Fenghuang Ancient Town + Guilin Tour

After breakfast at the hotel, the day's sightseeing begins with a visit to China’s first designated national park, Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. It is here you will find why its selection was a worthy choice. The incredible vertical pillars – some 3,000 of them – reach high into the sky (the tallest is over a kilometer). However, it’s not just the pillars that will impress.

On arrival, a shuttle bus will take you to the Bailong Elevator, the highest and fastest glass elevator in the world built into a cliff face, for ascension to Yuanjiajie Scenic Area. From here you can appreciate the stunning views of the ‘garden in heaven’ as you become immersed in the picturesque landscape of ancient trees, mossy stones and peculiar rocks. You’ll understand exactly why this location inspired the ‘floating’ mountains in Avatar.

Board another shuttle bus to the precipitous Tianzi Mountain for a panoramic view of the unusually shaped granite peaks and valleys. Many restaurants and snack stalls are available from which to arrange your own lunch. You’ll then descend from the mountain by cable car, enjoying more of the view, to catch a shuttle bus to the captivating Ten-mile Natural Gallery. From a small train, marvel at the misty karst landscape, thick woods and grotesque rocks, dotted with villages and farms as your journey takes you along the valley floor. At the end of the day you will be returned to the hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: Please note that due to the popularity of the national park, to save time and avoid long queues, your guide may alter sequence for visiting the attractions.

Note: You may enjoy the outdoor music and dancing evening show, Tianmen Fox Fairy, which showcases the breathbreaking scenery of Tianmen Mountain and over 500 performers. Please let us know if you need assistance with booking tickets.

Prepare yourself for another day of remarkable scenery. After breakfast, you will head to the Baofeng Lake, and enjoy a boat ride on the emerald-colored lake between the mountains. It’s the perfect way to savor the beautiful landscapes reflected in the water and the stunning views of waterfalls from the peaks. Disembark from the boat and drive the 30 minutes to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon, a landform ‘museum’ combining mountains, valleys, streams, cliffs and forests, where you can take in the vista from the transparent Glass Bridge hanging between canyon cliffs, 300 meters above the valley floor. Descend to the bottom of the canyon through the One Line Sky, a narrow, steep path surrounded by cliffs until vision of the sky becomes merely a line. Follow the flow of the river walking to Shenquan Lake where there may be an opportunity to take a boat to appreciate the magical scenery above from the water below. At the completion of sightseeing, you’ll be returned to the hotel where you can relax and reflect on your day’s adventure.

Meals included: Breakfast

Check out from Wulingyuan hotel after breakfast and start the day’s tour by traveling to Yellow Dragon Cave (Huanglong Dragon Cave). Here you’ll discover a complex labyrinth of caves spanning 15 kilometres that is filled with limestones, streams, pools and stalactites. A boat ride on the river through the caves allows you to enjoy this experience from a unique perspective.

Leave the caves and step out into the open as you continue the adventure by scaling the precipitous Tianmen Mountain. Prepare yourself a breathtaking view by taking the world’s longest cable car to the mountain top and then walking the glass Sky Walk, towering an incredible 1,430 meters above the ground. You can ride the escalator built through the mountain that brings you to Tianmen Cave, a naturally formed hole in the mountain. It’s the perfect spot for capturing the stunning natural landscape and the 999 steps leading to the foot of the cave. You’ll then take an escalator down the mountain where you’ll board the shuttle bus winds downhill – through 99 bends in the road – to the parking lot. Catch your breath on the return journey to Zhangjiajie city, where you’ll be checked into your hotel.

Meals included: Breakfast

Check out from the Zhangjiajie hotel and commence today’s touring with a drive to Fenghuang Ancient Town, located about 3.5 hours away by car.

An ancient town in Hunan Province, Fenghuang has a reputation for having preserved the traditional ethnic customs and culture of the local minority people, as well the traditional buildings, which like the town date back 1,300 years.

Your visit here commences at the former residence of Shen Congwen, one of the greatest modern Chinese writers. You will be able to climb up the Tower of East Gate, drop by the Yang Ancestral Memorial, the Ancient Town Museum and many other interesting sites. Fenghuang Old Town, home to the Miao minority people, is renowned for the lines of traditional stilt houses tightly packed along the river. Feel free to roam around the town to appreciate the elegance of the Miao style architecture, or take a boat ride down the Tuojiang River to become immersed in the serene riverside scenery. Rambling along the ancient lanes you can observe the intricate details of the folk houses and gain an insight to the primitive simplicity of local life or take the opportunity to pick up handmade items in local shops. Enjoy the night views and your own leisure time in the evening.

Meals included: Breakfast

Leave the time-honored simplicity of Fenghuang Ancient Town after check out and relax on the one hour drive to Tongren Airport where you’ll board the plane to Guilin. A warm welcome awaits you in Guilin when your guide greets you at the airport baggage claim area. Sit back and enjoy the drive to your hotel located in the heart of Guilin, a city with a reputation for being one home to one of China’s most iconic natural landscapes. As a genuine local, your guide will share a brief history of the city, including key points of interest along the way. After check in, take time to enjoy the rest of the day, wandering around in the precinct close to the hotel or relaxing in the hotel itself.

Meals included: Breakfast

Enjoy the hotel breakfast and then join your guide for the first destination of the day, the Reed Flute Cave. Visited by locals for centuries, you’ll walk in their footsteps as you traverse the pathway through the unusual stalactite formations which have formed over 180 million years. Considered a “Palace of Natural Arts”, locals have sought to highlight the many grotesque and curious shapes formed by the stalactites with artistic lighting.

From here you’ll have the chance to absorb the local country and culture as you drive to the Longji Rice Terraces in Longsheng for a genuine rural escape. Famous, beautiful, and timelessly practical, the rice terraces will astonish you, with the magnitude of such large scale rice paddies enough to inspire wonder and appreciation for the ingenuity of the growers. Built to make the best use of scarce arable and water resources in this mountainous area, the rice paddies have served generations of locals. Climbing up the rice terraces takes you into a breathtakingly beautiful view of the paddies and surrounds. Another significant highlight of the area is the minority culture of the Zhuang and Yao ethnic groups, who work the rice terraces. You’ll have the opportunity to learn about the distinct colourful clothing, architecture, customs and festivities of each minority group before returning to your hotel for the evening.

Meals included: Breakfast

Check out from your hotel this morning and prepare yourself for a relaxing half day river cruise that departs from Mopanshan Pier. The Li River has inspired poets, philosphers, scholars, and peasants with its remarkable karst landscape. Meader past these unique limestone formations that conjure up images of China from a bygone era. There will be ample opportunities for photos as you cruise to Yangshuo.

On arrival in Yangshuo, you’ll appreciate the slower pace and country feel of this small rural town. Enjoy a free night, perhaps taking advantage of the opportunity to wander through West Street, reputedly the oldest in Yangshuo. Here you can dine with the locals, and if you’re game enough, sample the local favourite, beer fish!

Meals included: Breakfast and lunch

Note: Although lunch is included in the Li River cruise ticket, your local guide can help you arrange an alternative before boarding the boat.

Following breakfast and check out from your hotel, you’ll be transferred to the train station/airport in Guilin for travel to your next destination.

Meals included: Breakfast

Note: If you would like to continuing making beautiful travel memories in China, please let us know. Our expert travel consultants can assist with travel bookings and arrangements, including the purchase of train tickets and other tours. We offer custom, private and small group tours, with opt in and out flexibility. And we take care of every detail, so there’s no need to worry about a thing.