Overview

China travel map - Wonders of South China

With unique shaped mountains and peaks, green waters, unique culture and architectures, South China always enjoy great popularity among travelers home and abroad. This 19 days South China trip covers the most important destinations in southern land, from Hong Kong, Guilin, Lijiang, Kunming, Chengdu, Zhangjiajie to Guangzhou. Take in dramatic views of karst landscape, ancient towns, Avatar floating mountains... and get close to giant pandas. 

Duration: 19 days & 18 nights

Destinations: Hong Kong - Guilin - Yangshuo - Kunming - Lijiang - Chengdu - Zhangjiajie - Guangzhou

Starting Point: Hong Kong

Ending Point: Guangzhou

Customize Your Tour:
☑  Travel Dates  ☑ Your Interests  ☑ Your Travel Style

Day
Landing at Hong Kong airport, you will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. 

4 highlights of today: go to the Victoria Peak, which combines shopping, restaurants, and entertainment and features the oldest mode transport, the 112-year old Peak Tram and Hong Kong 's most unusual building and icon, The Peak Tower. Then enjoy time at the Repulse Bay, a relaxing sandy beach with a strong characteristic of local culture. After shopping at Stanley Market, visit the Aberdeen Fishing Village, where people can have a glimpse of boat-dwellers at Aberdeen Bay. Later, free time at leisure.

Meal: B, L

Victoria Peak

Your own arrangement to the West Kowloon Railway Station and catch your bullet train to Guilin. Be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

  Kind Reminder  

  • There is only one direct bullet train available daily departing at around 12:00 p.m and takes about 3.5 hours

  Suggestion for Evening Activity  

  • A leisure walk around Two Rivers and Four Lakes - the renowned downtown water system of Guilin. You can see the famous Elephant Trunk Hill, Sun and Moon Twin Pagoda, the Ancient South Gate, and enjoy the amazing night views.

Meal: B

After breakfast you will be transferred to Longji where you can see the spectacular Rice Terraces. The terraces look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the mountains. This ingenious construction makes best use of the scarce arable land and water resources in the mountainous area. Explore the old Zhuang Village where you can get close to Zhuang people's life and their culture. Drive back to Guilin.

  You May Want to Know  

  • You can enjoy different sceneries in different months, however, from Mid-April to early October is the best time to visit Longji.

Meal: B, L

South China trip with Reed Flute Cave

In the morning, take the 4-hour Li River cruise. The smooth water exquisitely mirrors a fairy-tale landscape of limestone peaks erected sharply from the ground. Finally disembark at the beautiful small town Yangshuo, 65 kilometers to the southeast of Guilin, which is an internationally acclaimed tourist destination. Then be free at leisure on the West Street.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Impression Liusanjie Show – An open-air live show beside Li River of Yangshuo, it introduces the beautiful scenery of Li River, the colorful culture of the ethnic groups in Guangxi and the brave imagination of the excellent artists in China. 

Meal: B, L


Have a cycling tour to the countryside for about 2hrs, then optional tour of bamboo rafting on Yulong River for about 1.5hrs. The river winds its way in a picturesque valley sided by stunning limestone hills. Sitting on a bamboo rafting (twin sharing), you can lie down on the chair smelling the fragrance of rice, watching the gentle water buffalo strolling on the bank. 

  Kind Reminder  

  • According to the regulations of Yulong River Tourism, children less than 1 meter high and elders over 70 years old are not allowed to take the bamboo rafting.

Meal: B, L

South China vacation to Yangshuo

Transfer to Guilin and visit Reed Flute Cave, a fantastic stalactites and stalagmites formation which known as "Natural Art Gallery". If time permits, climb up Fubo Hill at the bank of Li River to get a bird view of the city. Transfer to airport/rail station in time for flight/train to Kunming.

Meal: B, L

After breakfast, go to the Stone Forest, the most famous tourist attraction in Kunming and a typical formation of Karst topography. Then pay a visit to the Western Hill and Dragon Gate (with one-way cableway), a beautiful forest park located by Dian Lake which features cliff-side grottoes cut out of the sheer stonewalls.

Meal: B, L

South China tour to Kunming Stone Forest

Pick up at the hotel and transfer to the airport / train station. Be met in Lijiangand transferred to hotel check in. Then visit Lijiang Old Town. Originally called Dayan, Lijiang is a very well preserved old town built by Naxi people with unique cultural background. It was listed as the World Cultural Heritage Sites in 1997.

Meal: B, L

After breakfast, you will be picked up and drove about 2hrs to the start point (altitude: 1790m) of the hiking. The first half to the Naxi's House (a restaurant) is about 2hrs, where you will have lunch for a rest. The 2nd part in the afternoon is about 3.5hrs. During the walk, you will see the stunning views of Tiger Leaping Gorge, a canyon on the upper reach of the Yangtze River, which offers a pleasant walk through spectacular scenery. The most difficult section is called 28 Zigzags which lead you to the highest point at altitude of 2650m. You will stay overnight in a guest house.

Meal: B, L, D

Hiking Tiger Leaping Gorge

Continue the trekking after breakfast. Most of the road is descend and is much easier. At noon time you will reach the destination, Tina's House, for lunch. Transfer to Lijiang after that.

Meal: B, L

After the visit to Joseph Rock's Former Residence at Yuhu Village, go to Shuhe Old Town, the earliest settlement of Naxi people in Lijiang when their ancestors first moved to this region. Compared with Lijiang, the town is less touristy and polished with more original characters. Then proceed to Black Dragon Pool Park to enjoy the stunning view of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain in a distance. Later, pay a visit to Dongba Museum which has more than 10,000 Dongba cultural relics and various other historical relics and offers the "Dongba Culture Exhibition". Transfer to the airport and fly to Chengdu. Be met and checked in the hotel.

Meal: B, L

South China tour to Lijiang

Transfer to visit Leshan Giant Buddha, the largest stone-carved Buddha sculpture in the world. The Giant Buddha is about 71 meters high and 24 meters wide. Then drive back to Chengdu, visit the Renmin Park (People’s Park), a good place to experience local people’s life and entertainment. Drink tea in the quaint teahouses in the Park, you will see local people enjoy chatting, reading book, playing chess or Mahjong, and various traditional entertainments in the tea houses.

OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES

  • Sichuan Opera - Sichuan Opera is another quintessence of Chinese art besides Peking Opera. You can see the famous face-changing show in some Sichuan Opera performance.

Meal: B, L

Leshan Giant Buddha

Drive to visit Panda Breeding Center to see the lovely creatures. This huge institution replicates the natural habitat of the giant panda and is dedicated to preserving and increasing their population so they will not be extinct. Then pay a visit to Jinsha Site Museum, which was regarded as the most significant archaeological discovery in the 21st century in China. Later, have a stroll of Jinli Old Street for an authentic experience of traditional Chengdu. Enjoy the tasty Chengdu delicacies and have fun in the teahouses, bars, pubs, boutique shops…Transfer to the airport and fly to Zhangjiajie by an evening flight. Be met and transferred to your hotel.

Meal: B, L, D

South China tour with panda

Drive to the Tianmenshan National Forest Park. Take the world's longest cable car up to the summit of the mountain. Tour the Biyeyaotai Scenic Area, walk along the plank road built along a cliff and enjoy a breathtaking view of clouds, virgin thicket and unique peaks. Have a bird's eye view of the "Road to the Sky" - The road was built spiral along the high mountains and has 99 bends; walk up along the "steps to the heaven" and then go through a huge hole - "the gate of heaven". Then proceed to Wulingyuan town and check into hotel.

Meal: B, L

After breakfast, ascend the Yuanjiajie Scenic Area by the elevator. On the summit platform, you will see the Southern Sky Column - the prototype of the "Hallelujah Mountains" in Avatar. In January 2010, it had been renamed "Hallelujah Mountain Avatar" by the local government in honor of the movie. Proceed to the Platform of Forgetfulness to enjoy the nearby peak views and then walk across a supernatural work - the No.1 Bridge under Heave. Climb up the ‘King of Peaks’ - Tianzi Mountain. From the unique peaks in clusters here you will rediscover the mysterious setting of Avatar. Go on sightseeing along the dreamlike fairyland -- Ten-miles Gallery.

Meal: B, L

South China tour to Zhangjiajie

In the morning, explore in the fantastic underground cave-Yellow Dragon Cave. Hike through a grand valley (Baizhang Xia) and reach the sleepy Baofeng Lake. Then proceed to the Golden Whip Stream, this charming valley is most likely to bring you into the Pandora's wonderland of the movie. Then transfer to the airport to head for Guangzhou. Be met and transferred to your hotel.

Meal: B, L

Visit Yue Xiu Park to see the Five Rams Statue, which is the symbol of the city. Then go to Chen Family Temple, the largest, and best preserved ancient architecture existing in Guangdong province. Later, visit Xiguan Old Houses and Qingping Market to see local people's life. Finally stop at Beijing Road for free shopping.

Meal: B, L


Free time at leisure. Transfer to the airport and fly to your next destination. End of your 19 days South China tour. 

Meal: B

End of service.

What's included

  • 1-on-1 Travel Consultant

    Your China based expert listens to your wishes carefully, provides professional advice, ensures unlimited itinerary revisions before done and 24/7 helpline service while traveling.

  • Private Local Guide and Driver

    Your guides are friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and your drivers are professional, polite and patient. They are very flexible to accommodate your personal needs and happy to show you the local attractions, history, culture, foods and real life. 
    Private transfers from hotel to attractions, airport or train station are also included.

  • Accommodation to Suite Your Preference

    In each place, we hand pick hotels ranging from luxury 5 star, superior 4 star to comfortable 3 star. Luxury or cozy boutique hotels and budget guesthouses are also among your choices. You could decide where to stay to meet your taste and budget.

  • Gourmet Meals

    Most of the hotels we select offer both Western and Chinese buffet breakfast. Lunch and dinner included are arranged in selected restaurants to taste authentic Chinese cuisine and local specialties. Thus you may also have a unique food tour.
    Meals specified in itinerary as B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner.

  • Attractions and Activities Listed on the Itinerary

    Our China tour packages have included the (first/main) entry to all attractions and the expenses of activities on the itinerary (except the optional activities).

  • Internal Transportation

    Based on your needs, we could make bookings of internal transportation, including domestic flights, inter-city trains, long-distance bus, etc.

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