Bike Tour from Xi'an and China's Lost Ancient Cultures
Overview
This is a fully supported bike holiday starting from Xi'an (Shaanxi province) to Luoyang (Henan Province). The journey will take you to cross the edge of the Loess Plateau and see the grandeur of mountains and rivers hidden in Central China, where has long been considered as the birth place of Chinese civilization. Besides the top attractions like Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, Mount Hua and Longmen Grottoes, etc, cyclists will also enjoy the fun of riding off the beaten track to observe the authentic lifestyle of local people living by the Chinese mother river - Yellow River.
Duration: 7 days cycling and 1 days hiking.
Destinations: Xi'an- Mt. Hua - Terracotta Warriors - Lunan - Lushi - Sanmenxia - Longmen Grottoes - Luoyang
Travel type: Supported China Bike Tour
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Itinerary Expand All
The guide and driver will meet you at the airport of Xi'an (XIY) or train station, and transfer to the hotel. If you arrive early today, we will have a leisurely ride on the Ancient City Wall of Xi'an in the aftrernoon before the welcome dinner and tour presentations.
Meal: D
If clients arrive in the evening yesterday and have no chance to bike on the old city wall of Xi'an, we can do it today. Being the ancient capital of 13 dynasties, Xi'an has so much to see and experience. As the local government and people pay more attention to the environmental protection. The air quality has been getting better here. The well-built eco-parks enable cyclists to see the real local lives of Xi'an, where hunderds of birds are flying on the sky, various beautiful flowers and trees grow inside.
The cycling route today and what attractions we would like to see will be very flexible based on your wishes and fitness. We can go on a half day bike trip at downtown of Xi'an to see the historical sites, or a leisurely bike ride in an eco park, or challenge the uphill and downhill riding with the help of our support van all the way from Xi'an city to a small town near the Terra-Cotta Warriors, stay o>ere.
Meal: B,L,D
The Chinese tourists usually arrive and visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors from 10:00 a.m. In order to avoid the crowds and enjoy a more peaceful visit inside the museum, it is suggested to get up early in the morning and enter the museum as early as possible. During the 2-3 hours visit, you will learn about the history of Qin Dynasty and the emperor Qin Shihuang - who called himself the first emperor and united the whole nation in history. Then drive around 2 hours to the east and ride the highlight section near the old city and valley. After that, head for a small town at the foot of Mount Hua. Get ready for the toughest two days in the itinerary - the hike of Mount Hua and the cycling to pass through the famous Qinling mountains.
Meal: B,L,D
Being regarded as one of the 5 Great Mountains in China, Mount Hua has a long history of religious significance, especially Daoism. The route up the mountain has been named as one of the most dangerous hikes in the world. Access to the mountain was only deliberately available to the strong-willed in the ancient time. Both the hike today and cycling tomorrow are difficult, so clients will decide to have a full day tough hike, or a half-day (around 5 hours) 'Highlights-Only' walk, then go back to the hotel for more rest and better preparation for tomorrow's ride. Again, Mount Hua is one popular tour attraction in China, entering the park early is suggested as when the Chinese tourist groups arrive, it will be very noisy and busy on the mountain.
Meal: B,L,D
A short drive from hotel to the cycling start point after the breakfast allows us to relax and get prepared for the ride. The 20kms uphill is possibly one of the most beautiful places for cyclists in China! For most of the time, this section is not very steep so we can ride at our own pace and ascend slowly. The road is wide enough and perfectly paved (even for road bikes), it is also open to other vehicles. Most of them come from the other side downhill. We will spend half of the day to finish the climb, it is not an easy job for beginners if you've never faced a climb longer than 20KMs. Fortunately, we can feast our eyes on the stunning scenery on both sides of the road. This is a big reward! The strange-looking rocks, deep valleys, joyous brooks, and unfettered creatures, here is a hidden gem for cyclists in Central China.
Meal: B,L,D
There is nothing more difficult than yesterday for our trip now. An optional early visit to the morning market is not a bad idea if you don't want it miss the chance. Some places in the remote areas are still extremly poor. Still quite a few people live under the poverty line in China. You will see another facet of the country, other than the dazzling cities like Shanghai, Beijing and Xian. It is a completely different and unique experience in China.
The bike trip today is much easier as we mostly descend along the limpid mother river of local people, we will have a chance for swimming the whole day if the weather is warm enough (the weather in central and north China is biking-friendly, even in summer). Possibly some of the short but steep climbs or road constructions bring us some hassles; but it is not a problem as we can get into the van and skip the section. The bike ride today is a fantastic break for our body. We will drive around half hour to hotel after the ride, avoiding busy traffic.
Meal: B,L,D
One of the must-do things in China is the boat cruise of the Yangtze River, which is far more south to the areas we are riding. However, we will have a chance to take a 2-hour boat cruise today in a very clean reservoir. It is calm and tranquil here without the disturbance of the tourists. The scenery is brilliant, we don't need a fancy 4 or 5-star boat but a basic ferry boat that can take us to our destination. You can also choose to ride 2 hours on bike if the boat is not available. The reservoir is located in the valley of the mountains, and the boat takes us to the areas with cave dwellings, which is the traditional residence of locals. Many of them were abandoned nowadays.
After the lunch, we will drive to the area where the local pit houses are located (in Chinese: Dikeng Yaodong). Pit houses are kind of traditional subterranean dwellings to date back over 4,000 years. We bike this afternoon all the way to the well-preserved pit houses. The series of amazing traditional dwellings amount to nearly 10,000 homes in Sanmenxia area. Ride or drive to the hotel in Sanmenxia city.
Meal: B,L,D
To get better understanding of Chinese history and people's lifestyle along the Yellow River, our ride today focus on the mother river of China. Following the side streets and parks, we depart the city and head for the Sanmenxia Dam – a debatable water project over 60 years. It is the first water conservation project over the Yellow River, constructed in late 1950s with the help of the experts from the Soviet Union. Upon completion, it became the pride of the local people, but it also caused lots of environmental and social issues in the upsteam and downstream areas.
Ride down the way to the river bank, you will soon feel the power of mighty Yellow River. The river is roaring around our ears, and the water vapor floats onto our faces. Then cross the Yellow River and ride into the border of Shanxi province. Pedal with a great joy and follow the great mother river where Chinese civilization was born thousands of years ago, we will bike further with gentle ascend to the slope top and then overlook one more time before saying goodbye to the area. A comfortable drive back to our hotel in Sanmenxia for one more night stay here.
Meal: B,L,D
We will not waste our time on the busy roads with constructions between Sanmenxia and Luoyang, that's why we will drive around 2.5 hours directly to Luoyang city, then enjoy the riding along the beautiful rivers, parks, and ancient city gates and walls, finish our ride at Longmen town and enjoy a good rest there or visit the grottoes (around 2-3 hours) before our farewell dinner. Longmen grottoes complex is one of the three notable grottoes in China. In 2000 the site was inscribed upon the UNESCO World Heritage List as "an outstanding manifestation of human artistic creativity" for its perfect art form, and for its encapsulation of the cultural sophistication of Tang China. Finish this bike tour at Longmen with lots of good memories.
Meal: B,L,D
Same as Xi'an, Luoyang was the captical city for 13 dynasties in history, which is one of the cradles of Chinese civilization. It is a place worth visiting for more days, you can book optional one or two day tours with us - like visitng the Songshan Mountain (also one of the 5 Great Mountains) and the Shaolin Temple (one birth place of Chinese Kungfu). And then fly back home or your next travel destination.
Meal: B
What's included
2020 - 2021 Price (based on twin-beds rooms and non-holiday dates)P.S Popular Holidays in China: Qingming (Early April), National Holiday (First Week of Oct.), rooms price in some areas during Chinese school summer vactions will be doubled or tripled. (July & August).
USD 2580 p.p (2-3 people's group), please contact for more prices, if you have more than 3 riders coming.
Single Room Supplement: $230
* 9 nights' accommodation,
* Xi'an airport / train station pick-up to hotel on Day1,
* Support vehicle,
* Local professional English speaking guide(s),
* Bike hire ( MTB/ Hybird Bike - Flat Bar). E-Bike = CNY150 extra / day,
* Helmet, (recommended to bring your own),
* Most meals (see trip notes for details),
* Entrance tickets: 1 scenic spot in Xi'an (e.g Big Wild Goose Pagoda), Terracotta Warrios Museum, Hua Mountain and One Cable car, Dikeng Yaodong Museum (with glass bridge) , Sanmenxia Water Dam and Longmen Grottoes. and other attactions if mentioned in the itinerary and was not stated as 'Optional',
* Snacks and mineral water during cycling days.
*Please note that obtaining your own travel insurance is required in order to participate on this biking tour. It will need to include a minimum coverage of medical expenses with emergency evacuation, personal liability and accident insurance. Our biking leader will need to see a copy of your insurance at the group meeting on the first day. We reserve the right to refuse you if you do not carry such an insurance policy.
(B=simple breakfast available on the street, L= simple lunch available when passing by noodle shop/small restaurants with easy cookings, D=Dinner at nicer restaurant for not expensive dishes ).
