8 Days Natural Landscape Discovery: Zhangjiajie, Guilin with Panda

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Chengdu Arrival

   Hello, welcome to this 8-day China nature tour with Chengdu panda! Upon arrival at Chengdu, a local private driver will pick you up with a welcome sign “China Xian Tour” and escort you to your hotel. The rest of the day is free for you at leisure.

   Travel inspiration:

   At night, you can go to Chunxi Road by yourself to check in on the popular giant panda sculpture on INS. Don't miss the Tower of Vitality where the water column is illuminated by colorful lights.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Chengdu
2. Day 2: Chengdu Panda Visit
   Observe Adorable Pandas and Experience Chengdu’s Tranquil Temples & Local Lifestyle

   Early in the morning, go to Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding to observe pandas of all ages. In the sun or moon delivery room, you have the opportunity to see pink panda newborns; In the nursery, see lively scenes of panda cubs playing and frolicking. The base simulates the wild living environment of pandas. The panda activity areas are not cages but an ecological habitat with trees, shelters and water pools.

   After lunch, visit the most intact Buddhist temple in Chengdu. Entering Wenshu Temple, you will find that the bustle of the city is instantly separated from the red walls. This ancient temple founded in the Sui Dynasty is the quietest "barrier" in the center of Chengdu city. The air is filled with the scent of incense and old wood and time seems to slow down here. You will see devout believers, leisurely tea drinkers and elderly people resting peacefully in the corridor.

   

   People's Park tea drinking provides the most authentic view of Chengdu's relaxed lifestyle. This is not just a scenic spot, but an open-air 'life theater'. Hundreds of bamboo chairs are laid out under a century old tree, interweaving human voices, bowl lids colliding and the crisp sound of copper bells.

   The pedestrian street of Jinli presents Chengdu culture through its Qing architectural design which offers traditional Sichuan snacks and handcrafts including Sichuan embroidery and shadow puppetry. The tour conclusion will result in your return to the hotel.

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   4-Star Hotel in Chengdu
3. Day 3: Chengdu to Zhangjiajie by High-speed Train
   Admire Dramatic Peaks from Tianmen Mountain Cableway

   After breakfast, take a high-speed train to Zhangjiajie. In around 4 hours, the local driver will greet you at the exit of the station and then send you to the hotel in downtown area.

   In the afternoon, you'll be guided to explore Tianmen Mountain National Park. Ride the cable car to the mountain top. The cableway is the world's longest with 7445 meter length. For one way, it takes about 28 minutes, allowing you to enjoy pretty mountain landscape.

   

   Visit Tianmen Temple which exists as the western Hunan Buddhist center. Keep walking to the Sky Walk, a glass structure clinging to the cliffs. The next destination is the highlight - Tianmen Cave, also called Heaven's Door Cave. Its a natural stone archway with a height of 131.5 meters and a width of 57 meters. You can walk up 999 steps for half an hour to reach its top, from where you can have a panoramic view.

   Descend the mountain via cableway and your driver will transfer you to the hotel in downtown area. Tomorrow, you will witness the Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar with your own eyes in real life! Looking forward to it!

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   4-Star Hotel in Zhangjiajie
4. Day 4: Zhangjiajie Avatar Exploration
   Discover Avatar-Like Sandstone Pillars and Breathtaking Panoramic Mountain Landscapes

   In the morning, the tour guide will take you to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which is composed of more than 3000 quartz sandstone columns, to visit Yuanjiajie. By taking the sightseeing bus, you can reach the highest outdoor elevator - Bailong Elevator from the bottom to the top, which only takes 66 seconds. Next, hike to the filming location of the movie Avatar to see Mount Hallelujah. Along the cliff boardwalk to the "Lost Soul Terrace" and "Number One Bridge in the World", overlook the magnificent panoramic view of the peaks, forests and deep valleys from multiple angles.

   

   The tour guide will bring you to Zhangjiajie National Forest Park, which contains over 3000 quartz sandstone columns, to visit Yuanjiajie. By taking the sightseeing bus, you can reach the base to ride the highest outdoor elevator - Bailong Elevator from the bottom to the top, which only takes 66 seconds. The next destination requires you to hike to the Avatar filming location where you can see Mount Hallelujah. The cliff boardwalk leads to several famous viewing points "Lost Soul Terrace" and "Number One Bridge in the World" which provide multiple angles of the breathtaking mountain and forest and deep valley views.

   In the afternoon, take a sightseeing bus to Tianzishan. The iconic landscape here is the "Imperial Pen Peak", which is intricately crafted like a reversed imperial pen; The "Fairy Scatters Flowers" stone peak is like a fairy holding a flower basket, with a realistic shape. Tianzi Mountain has a high altitude and is an excellent place to enjoy natural wonders such as the sea of clouds, sunrise and winter snow. The "West Sea Peak Forest" is of great scale, like a huge natural landscape rock painting.

   Take a small sightseeing train to explore the beautiful scenery along the way at the Ten Mile Gallery. After the tour, drive you to the hotel in Wulingyuan and rest well.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Zhangjiajie
5. Day 5: Zhangjiajie Glass Birdge Adventure
   Challenge The Glass Bridge and Enjoy Serene Lake Scenery with Ethnic Songs

   In the morning, go to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon to challenge the world's tallest and longest transparent glass bridge. Standing on the bridge, you can overlook the entire canyon. This is undoubtedly a perfect combination of modern engineering and natural wonders. The bridge deck is about 300 meters vertically above the valley bottom,and beneath your feet are deep canyons, rushing streams and lush forests. From a distance, it seems like you are taking a 'soaring stroll'.

   In the afternoon, take a boat tour of Baofeng Lake. The lake water is as clear as a mirror with strange peaks and rocks around it, such as "Peacock Opening its Screen", "Fairy Mirroring", etc., reflecting blue sky and white clouds. The boat sails among them as if in a still ink painting. During the cruise, you may encounter a boy or a girl dressed in ethnic costumes singing primitive mountain songs on the cliffs by the lake. After that, drive you back to your hotel in Zhangjiajie downtown area for check-in.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Zhangjiajie
6. Day 6: Zhangjiajie to Guilin by High-speed Train
   Explore Presidential Palace, Ancient City Wall, Scenic Xuanwu Lake

   After breakfast, drive you to the railway station for a 7-hour high-speed train to Guilin. Upon arrival, the local driver will pick you up and then escort you to your hotel for check-in. In the evening, take a walk along Binjiang Road on your own at the leisure.

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   4-Star Hotel in Guilin
7. Day 7: Guilin to Yangshuo by Cruise
   Cruise The Li River and Explore Yangshuo’s Idyllic Countryside and Culture

   After breakfast, take a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo. Immersive voyage along an 83 kilometer long landscape painting. This is a classic way to appreciate the essence of Guilin's landscape. Hop on a comfortable three-star cruise ship and enjoy the ultimate Chinese karst scenery in about 4 hours. Along the way, you will see the real scene of Nine Horses Painting Mountain and the background pattern of 20 RMB. The scenery of the Li River will change rapidly with weather, light and cloud shadows. You may be able to capture how clouds and mist veil the mountains and how sunlight makes the water surface shimmer with gold.

   

   After arriving in Yangshuo, the driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for a short rest. Next, enjoy a relaxing time exploring the rural scenery. Ride a bicycle along the rice fields and karst mountains and stop in a peaceful village to take photos. Then, leisurely stroll through the busiest area of Yangshuo on West Street, blending Western and Chinese cultures. Whether you want to taste a cup of coffee or local cuisine, you will be satisified here.

   Optional activity in the evening: You can enjoy the performance of "Impression of Liu Sanjie" on the Li River mountain & water stage, which lasts about an hour.

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   4-Star Hotel in Yangshuo
8. Day 8: Yangshuo Back to Guilin, Departure
   Drift along Yulong River and Explore Guilin’s Iconic Karst Landmarks

   After breakfast, enjoy a leisurely morning time and experience bamboo raft drifting along the Yulong River (a large tributary of the Li River). You can see the karst mountains and dense bamboo forests on the riverbank up close. Afterwards, escort you back to the hotel and complete the check-out procedures.

   

   Note: Each bamboo raft can accommodate 2 travelers. If there are 3 people in your group, it means you need 2 bamboo rafts.

   After that, the guide will drive you back to Guilin city and visit Elephant Trunk Hill. If you compare Guilin scenery to a three-dimensional poem, then Elephant Trunk Hill is one of the most imaginative lines. It's a natural visual wonder on the bank of Li River resembling a giant elephant drinking water and has been an emblem of Guilin city for thousands of years. The best perspective is on the opposite bank of Water Moon Cave.

   Entering Reed Flute Cave, you bids farewell to sunlight and enter a magical underground world constructed from stalactites, stalagmites and stone curtains. Under the colorful lights, the attractions named like "Crystal Palace" inspire your imagination. The cave is pretty quiet and deep so you can hear water droplets clearly, which is the sound of the earth still "growing".

   

   After all visits, you will be escorted to the airport or railway station for departure. It only takes 3 hours by high-speed rail from Guilin to Hong Kong. If you plan to travel to Hong Kong, China Xian Tour can extend your journey.

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