An ethnic tour in China, immerses travelers in the rich cultural tapestry of the region’s minority groups, set against a backdrop of dramatic karst landscapes and winding rivers. Begin in Guilin, where you can visit the Longji Rice Terraces, home to the Zhuang and Yao peoples, whose vibrant traditions shine through in intricate embroidery, lively folk dances, and communal long-table feasts featuring bamboo rice. In Yangshuo, cycle through lush countryside to villages like those of the Dong minority, where ancient wooden drum towers and wind-and-rain bridges reveal centuries-old craftsmanship. Engage with locals during a homestay, learning about their festivals, like the Zhuang’s Singing Festival, or try your hand at traditional crafts. This journey blends cultural discovery with the serene beauty of southern China’s landscapes, creating an unforgettable experience.
This 9-day Guilin, Yangshuo, Longsheng, Zhaoxing, Guiyang, Kaili Guangxi Guizhou tour covers Li river cruise, Longji Rice Terraces Zhuang & Yao villages, Dong villages, Miao Villages, Huangguoshu Falls, Zhenyuan Ancient Town and more…in Guizhou province.
Highlights
- Guilin
- Yangshuo
- Longsheng
- Tang'an Village
- Zhaoxing Village
- Huangguoshu Waterfall
Upon arrival in Guilin, local guide will meet you at Liangjian international airport and escort you to hotel at downtown of Guilin. Free leisure on Zhengyang pedestrian street or an evening walk around Rongshan Lakes for a night view at the rest of day.
After breakfast at the hotel, our guide and driver will transfer you to the Zhujiang pier to board the ship for Li River cruise (4 hours) from Guilin to Yangshuo. It is one of the great waterways to admire the picturesque scenery along the river sides. Upon arrival at Yangshuo, you will have a stroll along the famous West Street. This is a vibrant place alive with cafes, pubs, restaurants and where many westerners gather.
Tips: Today we kindly suggest you have a larger breakfast at the hotel this morning as the lunch provided on the cruise is less than adequate. The cruise arrives at terminal
Yangshuo at around 13:30 to 14:30 according to the different water flows. There are many cafes available in Yangshuo.
Optional activites for late afternoon:
1. Attend a Chinese cooking course in a cooking school
2. Learn Taichi for 1-2 hours.
3. Li River Beer Fish is recommended for dinner.
4. Night show options: Commorants Fishing or Impression Liu Sanjie
A cruise along the Li River from Guilin to Yangshuo is an unforgettable experience for stunning scenery. In Yangshuao, there’s something interesting such as lumbering water buffaloes pulling carts or cooling off in the river, fishermen gliding along on their narrow bamboo rafts, and if you’re very lucky you might see one of the famous fishing cormorants.
Impressions of Liusanjie performance. The Performance, directed by Zhang Yimou, China’s premiere movie director and director of the Beijing Olympics’ Opening Ceremony, is made up of hundreds of people and is performed on the Li River with the mountains as the backdrop. It is an unforgettable experience.
There are three options for morning enjoyment: Enjoy a countryside biking, a bamboo rafting on the Yulong River and a helicopter tour over Yangshuo.
An afternoon drive (about 2.5 hours) from Yanghuo to Longji Rice Terraces. And then you will enjoy the dusk/sunset view of rice terraces around Zhuang and Yao minority villages. The terraces look like ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of some hills. The villages feature traditional wooden architecture where no nails are used in construction. The different ethnic minority customs and dress are especially interesting. Stayovernight at Ping’an Zhuang Village.
Get up early to take a morning walk around Ping’an Zhuang Village for a sunrise view of Longji Terraced Rice Fields. After breakfast, you will visit to Huangluo Yao Village to meet long-hair wowen and watch the ethnic performance.
Drive back Guilin to visit Elephant Trunk Hill, the symbol located on the west bank of the Li River. Then visit Reed Flute Cave. The cave is one of the largest known examples of what each tropical karst cone conceals within it.
A morning high speed train (1 hour) from Guilin to Congjiang Guizhou. Upon arrival in Congjiang Station, you will be transfered to visit Tang’an Village. The village has 160 households of 800 Dong people in Tang’an. Encircled by rice fields, green trees and hills, the village is situated at a mountain slope. No records have been registered for its history. Tang’an is gifted for the village gate, a drum-tower, ancient graveyards, wells. Water-powered rollers, a granary, ancient stone paths and scattered houses projecting over water, thus creating a harmony and perfection of nature and humanities of the Dong.
Visit Zhaoxing Village, is the biggest Dong village with over 1,000 Dong households in China. It has a history of nearly 2000 years. The village is divided into five natural sections. Each section has a clan and each clan has a drum-tower, a Wind-Rain-Bridge and a stage. The five wooden drum-towers in different postures, five Wind-Rain-Bridges bridges and five stages have absorbed the essence of the Dong architectural art. Then take a late afternoon bullet train to Guiyang.
After breakfast, you will start a full day Guiyang tour to visit Jiaxiu Tower, Qianling Park, Huaxi Scenic Resort & Zhenshan Village, Qingyan Ancient Town. Stay overnight in Guiyang.
After breakfast, you will proceed to Anshun to visit Huangguoshu Waterfall, 243-foot waterfall set in lush, green national park & backed by caves, part of a group of 18 falls.
Back to Guiyang for overnight. Then drive back to Guiyang for overnight.
After a 40-minute morning bullet train, you will arriva in Kaili city and be transfered to visit Langde Miao village. This village is inhabited by Long-Skirt Miao, a subgroup of Miao ethnic minority group. It has legendary tint and a strong national culture, located at the foot of a hill and beside a stream. Houses supported by wooden pillars with a suspension roof and twisted corridors are built on the mountain slope. Most wooden buildings were built from 1616-1911.
Then procedd to visit Xijiang Miao village, a village in Eastern Guizhou, known as the largest one in China. It bears the title “thousand household village” and has a little over a thousand residential dwellings, which amounts to a population of over 5000, of which 99.5% are Miao. The village offers a spectacular view that the dark wooden houses are laid out compactly over two adjacent spurs, at the base of which a river flows and is surrounded by rice fields and forested hills.
It is often quoted by researchers as a living fossil for the study of the Miao people’s history and traditional culture. It is host to a number of festivals, particularly around the Chinese new year, where Miao from surrounding villages gather.
After breakfast you will continue to your Kaili tour to visit Zhenyuan Ancient Town, Qinglong Cave Ancient Architecture Group, Wuyang River and more.
After breakfast, you will take a morning bullet from Kaili to Guiyang for your flight or train to next destination.
Includes
- Transportation & Private Transfers:
- Transportation cost covers all the domestic airfare of economy class with airport tax, train tickets between the cities as the itinerary specified.
- Transfer between airports, railway station, hotels and scenic spots for sightseeing around the cities that are specified by the itinerary with private air conditioned vehicle with driver and English-speaking guide. Separate arrivals and departures will incur extra charges.
- Entrance Fees:
- All entrance fees to the scenic spots listed in the itinerary. The final arrangement will be determined by private tour guides depends on the real-time local circumstances whether are beyond the control of Access China Travel. We will adhere to the original itinerary as accurately as possible.
- Normal Meals:
- All normal meals as the itinerary specified: B = breakfast, L = Lunch, D = dinner in local restaurant. Breakfasts are served in hotel, breakfasts have Chinese or Western style for your option; Lunches are served in carefully selected quality local Chinese restaurants with best service, your lunches will be ordered by your guide catering to your preferences within normal standard. Dinners as the itinerary specified will be also served in local Chinese restaurants. The meal quotation is normalized. If you have any special request about meals, like vegetarian, famous rare dishes, Indian food or more, please inform us in advance. For the unspecified dinners, you will have dinner on your own. Feel free to ask your local guide for suggestions or recommendation.
- Private Sightseeing Escort:
- Normal sightseeing activities as the itinerary listed will be escorted with English-speaking guide. The English-speaking guide and driver in each city are with you throughout the entire itinerary around that city. They do not fly with you from one city to another.
- Hotel Accommodation:
- Hotel service criterion: two adults share on one standard twin/double-bed room; solo traveler who want to occupy one twin/double-bed room assigned is required for extra single supplement rate. A single room is available on prior request at an additional cost; if a recommended hotel unavailable, it will be replaced by one of the same class. All hotels as the itinerary listed serve daily western or Chinese breakfast. All rooms are air-conditioned with private facilities unless specified.
- Tour Arrangements:
- The tour cost includes the planning, handling, booking, operation and communication charges.
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
Excludes
- International airfare or train tickets for entry or exit China, unless that is noted or required otherwise.
- Visa Fees, passport application or renewal fee.
- Excess Baggage Charges.
- Personal Expenses:
- Expenses of a purely personal nature such as excess luggage fees, laundry, drinks, fax, telephone call, optional activities (shows) and meals, beverages...
- Meals:
- Any meal are not specified in the itinerary with "B", "L" or "D".
- Any extra cost caused by the changes of natural disasters, fires, weather, government and local authority orders, politics, strikes, war, riots, quarantine, custom regulations; as well as tourist law violation, accident damages or injury incurred out of Access China Travel control.
- Gratuities:
- Tips to guides, escort, drivers bellman, etc.
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