The Dragon's backbone / 6 days
Daily schedule
1 In the morning visit the Reed Flute cave, continue to Fubo hill for bird's eye view of Guilin's nature. In the afternoon visit a tea plantation where you can enjoy a Chinese tea ceremony. Overnight in Guilin
2 Drive to Longsheng to admire the Longji Rice Terrace and the Zhuang and Yao minority villages. Overnight in Ping'An
3 Visit the villages around Ping'An and enjoy hiking tour. In the afternoon back to Guilin. Overnight in Guilin
4 Li river cruise to Yangshuo, free afternoon to enjoy the bustling little town. Overnight in Yangshuo
5 Bike tour in the beautiful nature around Yangshuo (3-4 hours). In the evening Liu SanJie show (optional). Overnight in Yangshuo
6 Back to Guilin airport or train station
Itinerary:
Day 1: We start this wonderful tour by visiting the Reed Flue Cave, which contains beautiful stalactites and stalagmites. We then continue to Fubo Hill where you can climb to the top of the hill to enjoy the amazing karst landscape of Guilin. If you feel the climb might be too strenuous, you can have a look at the rock stone carvings and Buddha statues at the foot of the Fubo hill. In the afternoon we will go to a tea plantation, where you get to see a Chinese tea ceremony, and where you will detailed explanation about the processing of tea and the different ways to enjoy a good cup of tea.
Day 2: About 2 1/2 hours drive outside of Guilin we can find the Zhuang minority villages and the famous Dragon Backbone Rice terraces. These rice terraces are built along the slope of the mountain, with an elevation ranging from 885m to 380m. In Longsheng we can find the Zhuang and Yao minority living side by side, even though the Zhuang minority is larger. The spiraling rice terraces are said to look like the backbone of a dragon. We spend the night in the small peacefull village of Ping'An.
Day 3: Today we enjoy the serene peace of Ping'An by going for a leisurely walk and by visiting the villages around Ping'An. In the afternoon we return to Guilin.
Day 4: We take the Li river cruise, one of the most famous boat rides in China. The karst mountains seem to be made out of blue Jade. Really spectacular! On both sides we can see small villages, water buffaloes, and children playing in the water. The boat tour takes about 3 hours, and we can enjoy lunch on the boat. Free afternoon in the charming and bustling town of Yangshuo, a great place for souvenir shopping.
Day 5: We start the day with a guide bicycle tour. Our guide will show you the most lovely places around Yangshuo, the green countryside full of rice fields and sleepy water buffaloes. A really great way to see the country side in a relaxed way. In the evening you van book the Liu SanJie show. This is a spectacular show, directed by famous director Zhang YiMou, who also arranged the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. The show is staged on the Li river, using the karst mountains as the background.
Day 6: transfer back to Guilin train station or airport.
