12-Day Private China Escape:Gorgeous Mountains,Karst Rivers&Cantonic Charms

• Arrive in Chongqing – Shancheng Alley, Baixiang Street, Yangtze Cable Car & Hongya Cave
  4+ star hotels
  None

Welcome to Chongqing, China’s futuristic “Mountain City” where skyscrapers rise from cliffs and two rivers meet. After your private driver picks you up from the airport/train station and checks you into your 4+ star hotel, your afternoon guide will meet you. Start at Shancheng Alley (Mountain City Alley), a narrow stone stairway lined with old teahouses and street artists. Taste a warm spicy bean curd from a granny’s cart. Then walk to Baixiang Street and see the quirky Baixiang Building, where the 1st and 15th floors both open onto streets. Next, ride the Yangtze River Cable Car soaring over the muddy Yangtze – locals still commute this way. As night falls, head to Hongya Cave – a cliffside complex of traditional stilted houses that looks exactly like the bathhouse from Spirited Away. Golden lights reflect on the river. For dinner, brave a Chongqing hotpot – a bubbling cauldron of red chili oil. Dip thin beef slices, tripe and mushrooms.

• Eighteen Steps, Jiefangbei, Liziba Train Through Building & Ciqikou Ancient Town
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

After breakfast, your guide and driver pick you up. Start by climbing the Eighteen Steps (Shiba Ti) – a restored historic staircase connecting upper and lower city. Try dingding candy (crunchy malt sweet) from a street vendor. Walk to Jiefangbei (People’s Liberation Monument), the bustling heart of Chongqing. Then head to Liziba Station, famous for its light rail train that runs straight through a residential building – watch from the viewing platform as the train disappears into the 19th floor. In the afternoon, visit Ciqikou Ancient Town (Porcelain Village), a thousandyearold riverside town. Stroll stone alleys lined with spice shops and sizzling food stalls. Sample Chen’s Mahua (sesame crisps), sour and spicy noodles and chicken offal skewers. Return to your hotel afterward.

• Bullet Train to Zhangjiajie – Tianmen Mountain: 7.4km Cable Car, Glass Skywalk & Heavenly Cave
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Your driver transfers you to the station for a high-speed train (approx. 45 hours) to Zhangjiajie, the land of Avatar pillars. Upon arrival, your guide meets you and takes you directly to Tianmen Mountain National Park. Board the world’s secondlongest highmountain cable car (7,455 meters) – a thrilling 30minute ride from the city to the mountaintop. Walk the glass skywalk jutting out over a sheer drop (don’t look down unless you dare!). Then take the multistage escalator down to Tianmen Cave (Heaven’s Gate), the world’s highest natural arch carved into the cliff. Climb down the famous 999 steps (or take the escalator back). After sunset, your guide will show you the Tianmen Cave night light show – the arch glows in shifting colors. Return to your hotel.

• Zhangjiajie National Forest Park – Bailong Glass Elevator & Exploring the Real Pandora
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Today your guide and driver take you into Zhangjiajie National Forest Park. Ride the Bailong Elevator (Hundred Dragons Elevator) – a glass lift built onto a vertical cliff. In seconds you shoot up 330 meters, emerging onto a jawdropping view of hundreds of sandstone pillars. Explore Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, including the famous “Hallelujah Mountain” (Southern Sky Column) that inspired Avatar. Walk the narrow bridge between peaks. Then head to Tianzi Mountain (Son of Heaven Mountain), where the “sea of peaks” looks like an army of stone generals. Your guide shares local Tujia legends. For lunch, enjoy Tujia bacon with wild vegetables at a mountaintop eatery. Return to the hotel in the late afternoon.

• Grand Canyon Glass Bridge & Via Ferrata – OR Furong Town’s Night Lights for Families/Seniors
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Morning: drive to Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. First, walk across the world’s highest and longest glass bridge – a transparent path suspended 300 meters above the canyon. If you’re adventurous, try the cliff via ferrata (iron rungs on the vertical rock face – optional, pay on site).

Important: If your group includes children under 12 or seniors over 60, we will adjust the itinerary for safety. Instead of the via ferrata, we will visit Furong Ancient Town (Hibiscus Town), a 2,000yearold Tujia village built on a waterfall. Stroll its old streets, see the waterfall houses, and stay until dusk to watch the most beautiful night lights – the whole town glows golden against the rushing water. Then return to Zhangjiajie city.

(If you choose the via ferrata, no alternative – you will stay at the Grand Canyon for the day.)

• Direct Train from Zhangjiajie to Guilin (One Daily Train) – Relax & Night Stroll to Elephant Hill
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

After breakfast, your driver takes you to Zhangjiajie station. Important note: There is only one direct train per day between Zhangjiajie and Guilin (no flights). The journey takes approximately 68 hours (depending on the train). Arrive in Guilin around 14:30. Your Guilin driver meets you and transfers you to your hotel. The evening is free – we suggest a leisurely walk to Elephant Trunk Hill (entrance is free after certain hours or you can view from the riverside park). The hill looks exactly like an elephant drinking from the Li River. For dinner, wander into a local noodle shop and try Guilin rice noodles (mix with pickled beans, peanuts and chili).

• Longji Terraces & Yao LongHair Village – OR Li River Cruise + Silver Cave (OffSeason)
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Today’s itinerary depends on the season.

Best seasons (March-April planting / SeptemberOctober harvest):
Your guide takes you to Longji Rice Terraces (Dragon’s Backbone) – a stunning staircase of emerald green or golden rice fields carved into the mountains. Then visit Huangluo Yao Village, famous for “China’s Long Hair Village” – Yao women have hair over 1.5 meters long. Watch a short performance and learn their hairwashing traditions.

Other times (MayAugust, November-February):
We replace the terraces (less scenic) with a Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo – enjoy the classic karst landscape that appears on China’s 20yuan banknote. After the cruise, visit Silver Cave (Yinzi Yan), an underground karst wonderland of stalactites and underground rivers.

Your guide will confirm which option runs on your travel dates. Return to Guilin in the evening.

• Bamboo Raft on Yulong River – Scenic Cycling through TenLi Gallery
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Today you experience the gentle beauty of Yangshuo (a short drive from Guilin). First, take a bamboo raft on the Yulong River – a peaceful, nonmotorized raft drifting past water buffalo, willow trees and karst peaks. Your guide will paddle slowly so you can dip your feet in the water. Then, rent a bicycle (or ebike) and ride along the TenLi Gallery (Shili Huaxiang) – a country road lined with limestone hills, rice paddies, and small villages. Stop for a freshly squeezed sugar cane juice or a stuffed rice pancake from a roadside stall. Return to Guilin in the late afternoon.

• Train to Guangzhou (2.5 Hours) – Beijing Road Snacks, Dafo Temple & River Cruise with Canton Tower View
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

After breakfast, your driver takes you to Guilin station for a high-speed train (approx. 2.5 hours) to Guangzhou, the capital of Cantonese culture. Your Guangzhou guide meets you at the station. Start at Beijing Road – the city’s busiest pedestrian street. Beneath your feet, glass panels reveal ancient road layers from Song and Ming dynasties. Here you can choose any snack you like: steamed shrimp dumplings, roast goose, clay pot rice or doublelayer milk custard – your guide will help you find the best stalls. Then visit the peaceful Great Buddha Temple (Dafo Si) hidden among skyscrapers. As night falls, board a Pearl River night cruise. Glide past illuminated landmarks including the Canton Tower (Guangzhou Tower) twisting in rainbow colors. Return to your hotel.

• Yongqing Fang, Cantonese Opera Museum, South Yue King’s Tomb & Chen Clan’s Architectural Masterpiece
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

After breakfast, your guide takes you to Yongqing Fang – a beautifully restored alleyway of Lingnan arcade houses. Optionally, take a short canal boat ride here. Inside, visit the Cantonese Opera Museum and enjoy a live Cantonese opera performance (a UNESCO heritage art form – highpitched singing, elaborate costumes). Then see the Canton Tower from outside (you may pay to go up, optional). Next, explore the South Yue King Museum (Nanyue Wang Mu), the tomb of a 2,000yearold king, with amazing jade and bronze artifacts. Finally, visit Chen Clan Ancestral Hall (Chen Jia Ci) – a stunning example of Lingnan architecture, filled with intricate wood, stone and brick carvings. End the day with a bowl of wonton noodle soup near the hall.

• Free Day – Recommended Markets: Sanyuanli, Gaodi West Street & Mingguan Clothing Market
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Today is yours to explore on your own. Your guide will provide a map and tips. For bargain shopping, visit:

Sanyuanli Market – huge wholesale area for luggage, toys and daily goods.

Gaodi West Street – famous for shoes and leather goods.

Mingguan Clothing Market – cheap fashion and fabrics.

These places offer cheap and practical items – perfect for souvenirs or gifts. Also, use this day to chase any Guangzhou dish you’ve missed: morning tea (yum cha), roasted goose, or congee with fried dough. Your hotel is centrally located for easy access.

• Last Morning in Guangzhou – Private Transfer to Airport
  4+ star hotels
  Breakfast Included

Enjoy a relaxed final morning. Do some lastminute shopping, pack your bags, or simply sip a cup of milk tea at a local café. Your private driver will pick you up at the agreed time and escort you to Guangzhou Baiyun Airport for your departure flight. We look forward to welcoming you again to China. Safe travels!