Overview

China travel map - Guangxi & Guizhou Mountain Tribe Adventure

This 11days China mountain tribe adventure tour to Guangxi and Guizhou is for travelers who are interested in stunning mountains and go off the beaten track. Your eyes will be feasted with idyllic rural life, stunning landscape, unique architecture, colorful markets, exquisite local embroidery, interesting local lifestyles of Dong, Yao, Miao, Shui and other minority people in Guangxi and Guizhou Mountainous areas. And you will visit popular scenic spots like Li River,Reed Flute Cave, Longji Rice Terraces, Chengyang Wind and Rain Bridge, Tang'an Dong Village, Datang “Mini-skirt” Miao Village, Kaili Museum & Zhaoxing.

Duration: 11 days & 10 nights

Destinations: Guilin - Yangshuo - Longsheng - Sanjiang - Zhaoxing - Rongjiang - Kaili

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Day
Arrival in Guilin, you will be picked up at the airport or train station. Transfer to the hotel.

Take a leisurely Li River cruise, disembark at the beautiful small town famous for its Karst landscape--Yangshuo. After you check into the hotel, it is followed by an excursion to the countryside to see the local farmer’s life and beautiful landscape by either bike or golf-car-like vehicle. Overnight at Yangshuo.

Meal: B, L

Li River cruise

In the morning, transfer to take a 1.5-hour bamboo rafting trip down Yulong River and an easy hike to the countryside near old town of Yangshuo. Free afternoon at leisure.

Meal: B, L

Drive back to Guilin in the morning. Visit the famous Reed Flute Cave, also called “Natural Arts Gallery”, which is filled with a large number of stalactites, stalagmites and rock formations in weird and wonderful shapes. Then enjoy a stroll at the central lakes at downtown. After lunch, transfer to Longji which is 1.5hrs away to see the stunning Dragon’s Back Rice Terraces and colorful minority lifestyle. The terraces look like great chains or ribbons as they wind from the foot to the top of the hill. This ingenious construction makes best use of the scare arable land and water resources in the mountainous area. Overnight at the local guesthouse at Dazhai Village.

Meal: B, L, D

Reed Flute Cave

Today, you have enough time for the villages around Dazhai, such as Xiaozhai village, Tiantou Village, Zhuangjie village. Hike up to mountain top along the main viewing points such are Xishan Shaoyue, Dajie Qianceng Titian and Jinfo Ding. It’s an area include real minority villages and magnificent rice terrace view. This area is less visited than Ping’an village, so everything you see is not that touristy and commercial, but the scenery is even more beautiful. You will also meet some locals and have some talking with them. It must be a good chance to know local people’s life.

Meal: B, L, D

This morning, walk down the mountain and continue driving onward to Chengyang. After check in hotel in Chengyang, you will be guided to visit Chengyang Wind & Rain Covered Bridge. The bridge is more than 80 years old, this elegantly-covered bridge is considered by the Dong to be the finest of the 108 such structures in Sanjiang County, and took the local villagers 12 years to build. If we have a panoramic view of this area, it looks out over a lush valley dotted with Dong villages and water wheels.

After crossing the wind and rain bridge, the Dong village is present in front of you. Walk inside the villages, you can admire the typical style wooden architecture, the ancient style bridges and drum towers. Get to know the customs of Dong minority people. For example, in local people’s house, the first floor is for keeping the domestic animals. People only live on second floor or upper. Overnight at Chengyang Guesthouse.

Meal: B, L

Rain and Wind Bridge

This morning, after breakfast at hotel, enjoy a private ride for about 2hrs to Zhaoxing. Zhaoxing is one of the largest Dong villages in China where about 1,200 households and 6000 Dong people inhabit. Zhaoxing is emerging as a destination of profound minority culture and display every aspect of Dong people’s life. Zhaoxing keeps five ancient wooden drum towers, four flower bridges, five theatrical stages and arrays of Diaojiaolou… which are quite remarkable and await for your visit!

After the visit in Zhaoxing, you will be driven up to Tang’an Dong village. Tang'an, a good example of human living harmoniously in an agro-eco system, it has been listed as an eco-museum by the joint efforts of Guizhou provincial government and Dr. John Aage Gjestrum, a leading museologist in Norway. If time permits, and you are willing to, your tour guide will guide you for a trek down to Zhaoxing (2-3hrs).

Meal: B, L

From Zhaoxing, today you will be guided to visit three villages, Basha, Zhanli and Huanggang. Please kindly note, if local fair is available on the day you are there, we will recommend you to visit the local fair and remove one village from the schedule due to the time reason.

Hidden in the dense bamboo forest, Basha is known as “the last gunman tribe under the sun”. The old customs such as wearing musket, having haircut with sickle and worshiping ancient trees are still kept. In Basha, you’ll see strong Miao men with a bun, which is said to be handed down from the ancient age. Basha Miao people worship trees as gods, and never cut trees unless it is really necessary.

Zhanli is a beautiful ethnic Dong village, with a population less than 1,000. The village is known for its surprising low population growth rate. It’s said that every family here has two kids, one boy and one girl. More and more people come to find the answer of the mystery.

Continue the trip, and come to Huanggang Dong Village in Liping County, unknown to the world, with Dong drum towers, Flower Bridge, old customs and traditional costumes (with silver ornaments) remained intact. Enjoy the beautiful music of Kam Grand Choir, a traditional polyphonic choral performance, with a history of over 2500 years. Without any instruments, the music showcases dreamy melody. Transfer back Zhaoxing.

Meal: B, L

Miao and Shui Tribe Village

This morning, leave Zhaoxing for Langde. Along the way, you will firstly stop at Shui Ethnic Village for a visit. Shui people have their own beliefs, dwelling houses, costumes, languages and even characters. As for costumes, they love to embroider the cloth with horse trail.  The buildings and silk embroidery here is especially worth a visit.

Later continue your trip for another village. Deep in the mountains, a group of old and fashionable Miao people have been living here for over 500 years. The girls always dress in mini skirt with a length of 17 to 24cm, whether it is the hot summer or cold winter, hence the name “Mini-skirt” Miao. The upper garment is usually embroidered with beautiful butterfly patterns. The village also features a unique form of granary – built above water for rice storage. The wooden diaojiaolou in the pool (where there is also fish and weeds growing) has the functions of fire prevention, rat prevention and insect prevention, which has been demonstrated for the last 600 years.

Then step into Paika Miao Village, unknown to the world, having been making Lusheng (a reed musical instrument popular among Miao, Dong and Yao people, and crucial to local festivals) for more than 400 years. Here you can visit the Lusheng workshop and listen to beautiful Lusheng music all the time.

Meal: B, L

Today, we set out to visit Matang Gejia Village. This village is inhabited by about 400 residents. Here you can witness Gejia people’s intricate embroidery costumes. According to the Gejia custom, the girls should master the skills of embroidery by the age of 5 or 6. They also make themselves the wedding dress when they are getting married.

Later we move to Shidong Miao Village built along Qingshui River, made of rows of diaojiaolou (stilted building). The village is also named “Zhanxiang”, meaning “trading port”, due to its prosperous commerce in the old times. In a place where there are the traditions and dwellings well preserved, Miao people also keep their own festivals such as Sister Meal Festival, Dragon Boat Festival, Miao New Year Festvial, etc. Check in hotel in Kailin.

Meal: B, L, D

Miao village

This morning, you will be guided to visit the Kaili Museum before leaving Kaili. Kaili Nationality Museum is located in the Miao Nationality village at Shanglangde of Leishan County, at the hinterland of Miao Mountain, 27km to the southeast of Kaili. It is also one of the "100 Distinctive Museums of China". In this special museum, people can get a glimpse of the culture and history of Miao Mountain from all areas, among which the most characteristic are bronze drum dance, Fengyu Bridge, Baoye Bridge, Beauty Cushion, wine songs, culture of ox, culture of fish, Jiqiao Festival and Chixin Festival of Kaili Miao Village. In addition, the museum owns a collection of over ten thousand items of different ethnic groups.

After the tour, transfer Guiyang airport or rail station for your next destination.

Meal: B, L

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 Suit 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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