8 Days Best Sichuan & Guizhou Tour with Ethnic Villages & Fanjingshan

Day 1 Chengdu Arrival

Pick-up in Chengdu & Hotel Check-in

Welcome to Chengdu, the hometown of the Giant Panda. Your local guide will meet you at the airport/train station and then escort you to your hotel in a private vehicle. The rest of today is yours to relax in the panda city on your own.

Arrival Ideas: Chengdu is only about 2~3 hours flying from the majority of big cities in China, such as Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shanghai, etc. You can also get to Chengdu by high speed trains from Xian (4hrs), Chongqing (1hrs), Guilin (6hrs), Kunming (6hrs), etc.

• Our tour guide picked up guests at Chengdu East Railway Station

Day 2 Chengdu (B, L)

Chengdu Panda Base - Wenshu Temple - Renmin Park - Jinli Old Street

This morning you will make a memorable visit to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. This facility is not only the most important panda scientific research center in the world, but also the home for more than 100 Giant Pandas. You will walk at leisure through the bamboo-framed paths and closely observe giant pandas of different ages eating bamboos, playing with each other, tumbling, and climbing trees. Be sure to not miss the chance to watch female pandas nursing their cubs in the nursery rooms! There is also a very informative Panda Museum where you can learn more scientific facts about Giant Pandas. Next, you will be taken to a hidden spiritual Buddhist temple in hustling downtown Chengdu, Wenshu Temple, where you will marvel at the exquisite Buddhist architecture, soak in the reverent atmosphere, and wander on the temple’s peaceful paths.

Chengdu is famous throughout China for its relaxing and leisurely pace and lifestyle, which will be demonstrated by a visit to the City’s Renmin Park. Sit down, order a pot of Chinese tea, have a casual chat with your friends and watch locals indulging themselves in different kinds of folk entertainment - napping, playing mahjong, disco dancing, and giving neck massages! Next will be an impressive visit to the famous Jinli Old Street. Time will steal away as you quietly walk on the lively streets full of delicious local snacks, delicate artifacts, interesting folk shows, and other activities.

Recommended Optional Evening Activities: 1) enjoy a delicious dinner of Sichuan cuisine (or hotpot) at a local restaurant; 2) watch a wonderful performance of Sichuan Opera which includes folk opera, face changing, fire spitting, rolling lights, and other delightful entertainment (usually performs during 20:00~21:30).

• Our dear clients was experiencing Chengdu local living style in the People's Park
• Lovely Pandas in Chengdu Panda Base - Photographed by Our Guest Chona

Day 3 Chengdu - Mount Emei (B, L)

Take eco-bus up to Leidongping, visit Golden Summit

In the morning, you will be picked up at your hotel, then set out for the driving around 2 hours to Mount Emei. As one of the few World Heritage Sites of both cultural and natural heritages, Mount Emei is an enchanted combination of lush forest and cultural relics. It is one of the Four Great Buddhist Mountains in China, also the home to 5000 kinds of plants (more than the total plants of Europe) and over 2300 kinds of wild animals.

You will first take your private car to the tourist center, then shift on to an Eco-Bus which will take you up to the mountain top area in 1.5~2 hours. Once you reaching at Leidongping (2400m), keep on walking about 30mins along stone steps to the cable car station, along which you will have chance to see the wild monkeys. Take a cable car (about 5mins) up to the Golden Summit (3077m) which is the biggest highlight of Mount Emei, featuring a 48 meters high golden Buddha statue, bronze temples and far-reaching views. On some days, you may have luck to enjoy its magnificent wonder of Cloud Sea. Sight see around 1.5 hours on the Golden Summit area, then descend by cable car to Leidoping and take Eco-Bus again back to the tourist center. Stay overnight at the foot of Mount Emei. 

Read this if you are a hiking lover:

Above itinerary is classic visit route which is suitable for different ages of tourists. If you want more hiking experience during your trip, please contact your travel consultant to tailor-make the hiking routes according to your time and physical condition. There are routes of 2 hours (Qingyin Pavilion to Wannian Temple), 4 hours (Qingyin Pavilion to Wannian Temple + Leidongping to Golden Summit), one day (Wannian Temple to Leidongping) and 2 days (Qingyin Pavilion to Golden Summit).

• Golden Summit of Mount Emei
• Stunning scenery of Cloud Sea on Golden Summit

Day 4 Mount Emei - Leshan (B, L)

Baoguo Temple - Leshan Giant Buddha

In this morning after breakfast, cherish the peaceful moments to enjoy the fresh air. You’ll visit Baoguo Temple, the biggest temple of Mount Emei at the mountain foot. It has several serene gardens with rare plants, a library of sutras and a huge porcelain Buddha. Another famous historical relic in the temple is the 25-ton bronze Bell, reputedly as the second largest bell in China. While traveling deeper into the temple, you will enjoy different views of Mount Emei.

Later, drive about 40 minutes to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Leshan Giant Buddha which is the largest and tallest stone-carved statue of Buddha in the world. It was carved during AD713~803 on a mountain rock cliff by the river, with its head reaching to the mountain top and its feet standing next to the river. The total height is 71m; while the head is 14.7m high and 10m wide, ear is 7meters high, 28 meters between knees and insteps. Its insteps can hold over a hundred people. You may be wondering why such a giant Buddha was built? It is said to have been built to calm the turbulent waters that plagued passing boats and killed many people each year in ancient time. On the right cliff of the Giant Buddha, there is a plank road built along with the Giant Buddha. From the top to foot, the plank road has nine turns, thus it’s called Nine Bends Plank Road. The widest part of the road is 1.45m and the narrowest part is only 0.6m, and there are 217 stone steps in total. You will walk down to the feet of the Giant Buddha for a closer view. Please note you may have to queue up to enter the stone stairway if you visit the Giant Buddha during the busy hours. After the tour, stay overnight in Leshan City.

Recommended Optional Activities: 1) take a 30 minutes’ sightseeing boat to enjoy a wonderful panoramic view of the Giant Buddha on the river. 

• Leshan Giant Buddha in summer
• Baoguo Temple at the foot of Mount Emei

Day 5 High Speed Train to Kaili from Leshan - Kaili (B, L)

Xijiang Miao Village

In this morning, be escorted to Leshan Railway Station for a high speed train to Kaili (about 3.5 hours’ train riding). Upon arrival at Kaili South Railway Station, the local guide and driver will meet you at the arrival hall.

The rest time for today is for you to explore Xijiang Miao Village, the largest Miao village in China and even in the world. Xijiang is composed of 10 villages, spreading over 50 square kilometers, with about 1,000 families and 6,000 people living here. The village is called a “living museum”, presenting you Miao ethnic culture vividly. There are lots of streets and alleys winding around the village, and quiet clear rivers and Wind and Rain Bridges to cross over. You can try the local Guizhou snacks, browse the many shops or just enjoy a leisurely roam in the village and surrounding scenic areas and learn more about local Miao culture. When night falls, take a sightseeing bus to the viewing platform to catch a panoramic night view of the beautiful Xijiang. The lights of different houses twinkling in the dark make the night bewitching.

After visiting, drive to your hotel. Enjoy a good sleep!

• Panoramic View of Xijiang Miao Village
• Xijiang Miao Village Performance

Day 6 Kaili - Fanjingshan (B, L)

Langde Upper Miao Village - Matang Gejia Village

After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel. Today, you’ll be transferred about 28 km for a visit to Langde Upper Miao Village which is reputed as “the Hometown of Chinese Folk Song and Dance Art”. It is with less crowds, peaceful natural atmosphere, friendly villagers and rich cultural heritage. Upon arrival at the village, you will be warmly treated with a traditional welcome ceremony by the beautiful ladies and girls dressed in traditional Miao costumes (long skirt). They will set twelve tables with “block-the-way” wine and you can taste the wine to feel their hospitality. Once the toasts are completed, you will continue to experience the singing and dancing performance at the Lusheng Ground. The men will play Lusheng and the ladies will dance. If you like, you can participate in the dance to enjoy more fun. 

Later, you’ll be transferred to Matang Gejia Village, a primitive Miao village with over 400 Gejia people who are called the 57^th ethnic group in China unofficially. According to the legend, Gejia people are the direct descendants of Hou Yi, a legendary hero who was said to shoot the nine scorching suns in order to save his people. Matang Village is famous for exotic attires, colorful festivals and countryside feelings. The women and girls here are specialized in batik that you can fully appreciate the uniqueness of the Gejia batik patterns and embroidery as well as the excellent craftsmanship of the villagers. If you are interested, you can learn how to make batik with wax from a local master and create your own batik work (optional experience with extra payment).

After the visiting, you’ll be transferred to Fanjingshan in Tongren City (about 230 kilometers for 3 hours’ driving). Have a good rest tonight.

Fanjingshan National Nature Preserve was listed as the UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 2018 with the peculiar conspicuous mountains formation in sea of karst retained from the remote era 65-2 million years ago and praised as the No.5 Buddhist Mountain in China for being the place of enlightenment of Buddha Maitreya.

• Matang Gejia Village
• Upper Langde Miao Village Performance
• Upper Langde Miao Village
• Wudong Miao Village

Day 7 Fanjingshan - Tongren (B)

Fanjingshan Sightseeing Bus - Cable Car - Mushroom Stone - Old Golden Summit - Red Clouds Golden Summit - Chengen Temple - Transfer back to Tongren

Good morning! After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you at your hotel. Then, you will be driven not far to the entrance of Fanjingshan to discover this world well-known fantastic holy mountain along the popular south route for about 6 hours.

Fanjingshan National Nature Preserve was listed as the UNESCO World Natural Heritage in 2018 with the peculiar conspicuous mountains formation in sea of karst retained from the remote era 65-2 million years ago and praised as the No.5 Buddhist Mountain in China for being the place of enlightenment of Buddha Maitreya.

Enter the mountain and take a sightseeing bus for about 20 minutes to Yu’ao Station and continue to take the cable car there to catch a bird’s eye view of the dense emerald forest of Mount Fanjing during another 20 minutes in the air. Now, start your hiking from the Forest Hiking Road with 45 minutes up to witness the famous Mushroom Stone. It is the landmark of Fanjingshan and draws people’s follow by its unbelievable image of the bigger top quadrate putting off center on the smaller quadrate bottom, which forms like a mushroom vividly and seems easy to fall. However, for one million years, it just stands so still there after centuries of rain, snow, wind and sunburn. Remember to take a standard photo of tourists with it!

Then, continue to hike for about 30 minutes to the Old Golden Summit and walk up to its peak. With an elevation of 2,494 meters, it is the best observation deck to appreciate the panorama of Fanjingshan with layers of forest of strange shaped stones, rolling verdant mountain range, and vegetation forest in light and dark green. Also, from the summit, you will see the iconic Red Clouds Golden Summit clearly from a distance.

Then, walk down gradually to admire the natural scenery along the way to visit the sacred Buddhist attractions including Wanming Cave, Buddha Worshipping Stage, Monk Pagoda, Pudu Square, etc. You will not miss the Cheng En Temple that was built first from the Ming Dynasty and one of the four royal temples at Fanjingshan. Walk in the major temple with solemn scarlet walls and dark tiles, worship among the about 10 halls, and imagine the rising and falling and recovery of Fanjingshan’s Buddhist status in the past hundreds of years.

Here, take your challenge to hike along the narrow, steep and rough steps with iron chain up to Red Clouds Golden Summit that shows particularly often on Fanjingshan photographs. This thumb-like peak is a world rare miracle erecting about 100 meters high from the flatter mountain bed millions of years ago and is separated with two peaks and a gorge by natural wearing and with a bridge linked between. After reaching the top, visit the appealing Temple of Buddha, the bridge and Maitreya Temple in sequence to feel walking from present to the future in Buddhist belief. While witnessing the hard-to-believe difficulty of building houses on such a steep crest, stand on the peak to command the panoramic view of Fanjingshan and enjoy the feeling of being in the “space in the sky”. (Note: You can choose to go up or not considering your physical condition at that time. Just tell your needs to the guide.)

After the physical consuming hiking, walk by Jingxin Pool and go to see Wanbao Rock. You will truly believe Fanjingshan was in fact a part of ocean in the remote 1.4 million years ago by the strong proof of the cobbles, shells, paleontological fossils, and so on left within the shale rock there.

After the amazing sightseeing hiking exploration, take the cable car and sightseeing bus down to exit Fanjingshan Scenic Area. You will be driven to Jiangkou County for accommodation. Have a good sleep!

• Bizarre Fanjingshan Mushroom Stone Taken by Jessica's Group from Malaysia in November 2019
• Red Clouds Golden Summit Taken by Jessica's Group from Malaysia in November 2019
• Scarlet Halls of Fanjingshan Cheng En Temple
• Fanjingshan Temple Built on the Crest
• Snow Scenery of Wanbao Rock

Day 8 Tongren Departure (B)

Flight / Train off Tongren

Today, after breakfast, our local guide and driver will meet you at your hotel and then escort you to the airport / train station for your flight / train for your next destination or home! Service Ends!

Departure Ideas: For your convenient leaving from Tongren, you can take a flight to Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, Guilin, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chongqing, Kunming, Xiamen, etc. or take a bullet train to Zhangjiajie (5hrs), Changsha (2hrs), Guiyang (1-1.5hrs), Shanghai (8hrs), Beijing (9.5hrs), Chongqing (3.5hrs), Guangzhou (5hrs), Wuhan (4hrs), Kunming (4hrs), Zhengzhou (6hrs), Xiamen (9-9.5hrs), Fuzhou (7-7.5hrs), etc. to enjoy more highlights in China or catch your international flight to other country or your home.

• Tongren Fenghuang Airport