9 Days Guangzhou, Guilin & Guizhou Nature and Culture Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Guangzhou Tour
   Explore Some of Guangzhou's Top Relics

   After breakfast, your driver and guide will pick you up at your hotel and take you to explore some of Guangzhou's top relics.

   Firstly, we will visit Chen Clan Ancestral Hall, a representative of Lingnan architectural art with a history dating back to the Ming Dynasty. It showcases exquisite craftsmanship and folk culture. Under the guidance of the tour guide, appreciate the intricate and complex wood carvings, stone carvings, brick carvings, and ceramic figurines. There is also a Guangdong Folk Art Museum in the hall, where you have the opportunity to learn about local customs and art forms.

   

   Next, we will go to the Mausoleum of the Nanyue King, which is the tomb of the second king of Nanyue Kingdom in the early Western Han Dynasty, with a history of more than 2000 years. Appreciate the king's jade burial attire and other precious artifacts such as bronze, pottery, iron, gold and silver, ivory, lacquerware, and catch a glimpse of the history of the Nanyue Kingdom.

   

   After lunch, visit Six Banyan Temple, a Buddhist temple dating back to the 6th century. The Flower Pagoda, the most striking building in the temple, is a 17-storey octagonal pagoda.

   Before returning to the hotel, visit Shamian Island, where over 150 European style buildings such as 19th-century consulates and banks are fully preserved. Strolling through the streets shaded by banyan trees, admiring the new Baroque style Catholic church, or buying souvenirs in antique shops and cafes.

   Meal: Lunch

   Accommodation: in Guangzhou

2. Day 2: Guangzhou to Guilin by High-speed Train
   Visit the Landmarks of Guilin City

   In the morning, the driver will take you to the train station. You will take a 2.5-hour high-speed train to Guilin.

   When you arrive in Guilin, a tour guide and driver will pick you up. They will take you to a hotel in the city for check-in. After a short rest, be led to visit Elephant Trunk Hill. This is the city symbol of Guilin. The mountain resembles a giant elephant drinking river water. A natural circular hole called "Water Moon Cave" is formed between the elephant trunk and elephant legs. The reflection of the cave is like a bright moon.

   

   Then drive to Reed Flute Cave, a representative karst cave in Guilin. The cave is 240 meters deep and was formed by the dissolution of limestone by groundwater millions of years ago. It is filled with karst sediments such as stalagmites, stone pillars, and stone flowers, so it is also know an underground palace under colorful lights.

   After the visit, send you back to the hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: in Guilin

   

3. Day 3: Guilin to Yangshuo
   Enjoy a Relaxing Cruise along the Stunning Karst Hills

   After breakfast, you will be taken to a dock. From there, follow your guide to board a 3-star ship and cruise down the beautiful Li River. Along the way is full of the views of karst hills and relaxing countryside.

   Some famous sights include "Carp Hanging on the Wall", a vivid natural carp pattern on the mountain wall. Next, see the famous "Nine-Horse Fresco Hill." Try to spot and count the nine horses on the cliff using your imagination. As the cruise ship glides past Yellow Cloth Shoal, the clear water reflects the green hills – it’s the same scene shown on the 20 RMB note.

   

   After about 4 hours, you’ll arrive in Yangshuo Town. Your driver and guide will transfer you to West Street, the busiest street in town. You can find a mix of Western-style cafes and bars, along with Chinese shops selling local souvenirs. You can try the popular dish, beer fish, or relax with a cup of coffee.

   Option for the evening: Watch Impression Liu Sanjie, an outdoor performance directed by Zhang Yimou. It takes place on the Li River, with the karst mountains as a natural stage. The show includes lights, music, and amazing visual effects.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Yangshuo

   

4. Day 4: Yangshuo to Longji Rice Terraces
   Hike along the Layered Rice Terraces and Watch Local Show

   Say goodbye to Yangshuo and drive for 3 hours to Longji Rice Terraces. This is a large-scale terraced field group, with the highest terraced field reaching an altitude of 1180 meters and the lowest being only 380 meters, with a vertical drop of 800 meters.

   After arriving, we first visit Huangluo Yao Village. Almost all women here have particularly long and shiny hair. You will be arranged to watch a long hair show performed by Yao women wearing traditional costumes.

   

   Next, head to Ping'an Zhuang Village, which boasts picturesque terraced fields. Check into a hotel near the terraced fields. After a brief rest, hike along the cobblestone paths between the terraced fields to reach two viewpoints - Seven Stars with the Moon and Nine Dragons, where you can enjoy stunning panoramic views of the terraced fields. According to different seasons, terraced fields are decorated with various colors, ranging from green in spring and summer to gold in autumn and silver in winter.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Ping’an Village

5. Day 5: Longji Rice Terraces to Guilin
   Catch the Sunrise View over the Terraced Fields

   For early risers, they can enjoy the spectacular sunrise. The sun rises in the misty mountains, shining on the vast terraced fields that are stacked layer by layer. Afterward, return to the hotel to enjoy breakfast.

   You are free to explore the rest of the morning. Strolling through the terraced fields, visiting nearby villages, and catching a glimpse of traditional activities such as singing, dancing, weaving, and farming.

   In the afternoon, drive back to the hotel in Guilin for 2 hours. Explore Guilin at your own pace.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Guilin

   

6. Day 6: Guilin to Zhaoxing by High-speed Train
   Enjoy Dong Ethnic Performances and Symbols

   This morning, take a high-speed train from Guilin to Congjiang, which takes about 2 hours. Congjiang is the nearest station to Zhaoxing. Zhaoxing is one of the largest and best preserved Dong ethnic villages in China. The Dong ethnic group is famous for its wooden structures, including drum towers and wind and rain bridges.

   After arrival, the local tour guide and the driver will pick you up and take you to Zhaoxing Dong Village. Located a 20 minute drive from Congjiang, Zhaoxing Dong Village has five drum towers representing the five ethnic groups of the village. Serving as gathering places, the towers are decorated with colorful carvings. They are also the symbols of Dong Villages. Continuing to visit the Wind and Rain Bridges, they provided shelter and convenience for the villagers. Afterwards, enjoy Dong ethnic song and dance performances.

   

   Next, we will go to Tang’an Dong Village, which is 8 kilometers away from Zhaoxing. It is the only Dong ecological museum jointly established by China and Norway. Appreciate the spectacular terraced fields here, which are completely different from the terraced fields in Longji.

   Note: Depending on your physical condition, you can choose to hike from Zhaoxing Dong Village to Tang'an Dong Village.

   After the visit, check into the hotel in Zhaoxing town.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Zhaoxing

7. Day 7: Zhaoxing to Rongjiang
   Experience a Unique Welcoming Ceremony

   Your journey in Guizhou continues to Rongjiang County. Basha Miao Village is a special village. You will experience a unique welcoming ceremony - welcoming visitors with gunshots. It is the only place in China where civilians are allowed to carry guns. Basha Miao Village is known as the 'last gun tribe'.

   

   Afterwards, we go to Zhanli Dong Village, which was very primitive and full of mystery. This place is renowned for its unique reproductive culture. The village advocates for late marriage and childbirth, and 98% of families only have one son and one daughter. It is said that there is a local herb that can change the gender of a baby. The guide will explain more mysterious stories to you.

   After these visits, head to Rongjiang County where you will spend the night.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Rongjiang

8. Day 8: Rongjian to Kaili
   Learn to Make Paper and Enjoy the Road-blocking Rice Mine

   After breakfast, depart from Rongjiang and drive to Kaili, the capital city of the Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture. Stop at an observation deck and one can appreciate the vast Gaoyao Rice Terrace, which are a testament to the Miao people's cultivation in Danzhai.

   Continue to Shiqiao Miao Village, which is famous for its ancient paper-making techniques dating back over 1000 years. After arriving, visit a local handicraft factory to learn how to use mulberry bark and other plants to dye paper into natural colors and patterns. You can also learn to make flower paper decorated with dried flowers and leaves.

   

   Afterwards, drive to Langde Upper Miao Village, the most typical Miao village in Guizhou. Here, people sing, dance, and drink to their heart's content. You will taste the Road-blocking rice wine - this is their unique way of welcoming. Watch the Lusheng Show, played on instruments made of reed, with local people singing and dancing.

   Optional activities at Lande Miao Village (pay extra): catch fish, pick up vegetables, embroidery. You can gain a deep understanding of the daily life of the Miao ethnic group.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Downtown Hohhot

   

9. Day 9: Kaili to Guiyang, Departure

   Enjoy your leisure time until your driver escorts you to Guiyang airport or train station for departure. Your 9-day Guangzhou Guilin Guizhou tour ends here. Hope you had a wonderful time in Guizhou and look forward to welcoming you again soon.

   Meal: Breakfast

   Accommodation: N/A