10-Day Natural Wonder Discovery, on UNESCO’s List

This 10-day itinerary is a feast of geographical features, a highlight being one of UNESCO’s 2018 World Heritage Sites.

Beginning with formerly hidden minority groups in Guizhou, southwest China, and moving on to Zhangjiajie, Avatar’s wonderland, this journey includes wonderful, abundant landscape: roaring silver waterfalls, mountainous rural areas, unruffled rivers along canyons, and huge mountain rocks of different shapes.

Day 1Arrival in Guiyang
Welcome to Guiyang! Your private guide will meet you at the airport/train station arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel in a private car.

Day 2Huangguoshu Waterfall and Tianlong Village
breakfast & lunch

If you are a nature lover, your visit to Guizhou would not be complete without an excursion to Huangguoshu Waterfall.

You may have seen other world-renowned waterfalls. Here, however, you can not only see the silver waterfall cascading down the cliff 20-stories in height; but also touch and feel it by walking through the water-curtain cave of Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, muse of the Chinese classic TV series, Journey to the West. On sunny days, rainbows often appear on the spray.

Explore a world of stone by taking a stroll after refreshing yourself in the karst landscape park. Built 600 years ago for military use, the old village retains its original style and pace of life. It is interesting to see stone foundations, stone walls, flagstone roofs, stone watchtowers and even stone dog holes everywhere.

Locals like to dress up and perform their unique folk drama, Ground Opera, as a way of explaining their long and checkered history. Just take a seat and enjoy it.

Day 3Miao Villages and Ancient Handmade Paper
breakfast & lunch

Guizhou is home to dozens of China’s 55 official ethnic minorities. The Miao are a large ancient group with many sub-groups and a myriad of cultures. Today you will explore the charms of the Miao.

Settled deep in the mountains and provided only with limited resources, rural people are good at using whatever is available to make a living: they know, for example, how to make paper from wood pulp. There is a village where people are still today making paper by hand, carrying on the legacy of their ancestors.

Learn how to make a piece of paper from one of the heirs of the technique, step by step. You are encouraged to be as imaginative as possible and make a unique paper craft with your own hands, under the guidance of an experienced natural-paper maker.

Have lunch in a farmer’s house, cooked with fresh ingredients. Then visit a small yet unspoiled village famous for its dustpan-like shape. Stroll along the bluestone path, allowing you to have a closer look at the daily lives of minority people.

Day 4  Batik-Making and Mini-Skirted Miao
breakfast & lunch

The village you are going to visit in the morning is quite a special one.

People there dress differently. Female villagers used to belong to the army, so some of their costumes are still like army-uniform. They are famous for ancient batik craftwork. Villagers hang a pair of dyed cloths on the door instead of antithetical couplets on red paper.

You will have a chance to step into their dye-house and see how to make a fine batik. Participate in the process.

After lunch, visit another special Miao village, which is famous for its females’ gorgeous mini-skirts and its unique creative way to store food, used for centuries.

Day 5  Gorge Cruise and Zhenyuan Ancient Town
breakfast & lunch

Located on the outskirts of Zhenyuan County, Wuyang River is an offbeat retreat with a picturesque view of lovely gorges. Feel the breeze on deck and see exotic peaks changing shape, as the cruise ripples through the dazzling green water.

Then transfer to the ancient town. Straddling both sides of a horseshoe-shaped river, the town has a longer history than many other such towns.

The style of architecture in the main street is like that of many other old towns in China, but when you walk along the four old alleys away from the river, an extremely well-preserved and well-maintained labyrinth of the ancient Ming dynasty (1368-1644) town, lit up with red lanterns by night, it is like stepping into the past.

On the other side of the river, there is a vertical complex of temples, grottoes and caves, dedicated to the three faiths of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism. Climb up and enjoy bird’s-eye views of the cozy town.

Day 6  Fanjing Mountain Hiking
breakfast and lunch

Fanjing Mountain became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2018, and got its name from the term in Chinese meaning “Buddhist Brahma’s Sacred Land”. It is a significant pilgrimage site in China for Buddhist worshippers from all around the world.

The most popular area consists mainly of two peaks: the Old Golden Summit (2,494 meters) with the giant Mushroom Rock, and the Red Golden Summit (2,336 meters), whose peak is cut into two separate peaks connected by a bridge up the lofty gap.

The mountain is home to an array of wildlife. Prepare to be amazed when hiking by the wonder of nature. If you are lucky enough, you may meet some rare animals.

Day 7   Fenghuang Ancient Town
breakfast and lunch

You will be transferred to Fenghuang via a 1.5-hour journey.

It would be a good idea to slow down and stroll around Fenghuang ancient town. Visit some interesting shops and homes, and discover some interesting nooks and crannies. The local minority handicrafts are really delicate and special in this region.

At night, the town becomes more quiet and peaceful. It is wonderful to sit in a bar beside the river and enjoy the marvelous sunset.

Day 8   Zhangjiajie National Forest Park: Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain
breakfast and lunch

It takes about 5 hours to drive from Fenghuang to Zhangjiajie, so it is better to start the day early. Although it’s a long journey, you won’t be bored along the way, as you will visit Red Stone Forest National Geopark, where you will see all kinds of strangely-shaped rocks everywhere.

Zhangjiajie National Forest Park is in the Wulingyuan Scenic Area, and Tianzi Mountain and Yuanjiajie are its most renowned sights.

Take the cable car up Tianzi Mountain and look through the glass walkway to see spiky sandstone peaks beneath your feet.

After a simple lunch on the mountain, visit Yuanjiajie Scenic Area, which was the inspiration for the Hallelujah Mountains in Avatar.

Day 9  Zhangjiajie: Baofeng Lake and Tianmen Mountain
breakfast and lunch

Baofeng Lake is in the middle of this mountainous area. It is relaxing to float across the clear water, observe the hills of various shapes, and enjoy entertainment provided by local minority people, as they sing their traditional songs.

Regarded as the ‘soul’ of Zhangjiajie, Tianmen Mountain is the highest mountain there. The views range from graceful ancient trees and karst hillocks, to long roads carved from the sides of the cliff.

You will enjoy a breathtaking view of the world’s longest cable car, the suspended glass walkway almost a mile (1,430 meters) above the ground, and the ’99 Bends’ mountain road.

Day 10Departure from Zhangjiajie
Your guide will transfer you to Zhangjiajie Hehua Airport and help you to check-in.