I did a 2-week tour in China, in Dec24/Jan25 and I was very pleased with Asia Odyssey. They handled everything very professionally, from the good accommodations to the great tour guides we had. I totally recommend this company for China tours.
This 7 days China Landscape Tour to Guilin, Yangshuo, and Zhangjiajie is very classic and popular among our clients during the past years. It is a China natural wonders tour that includes the most beautiful rivers and mountains of China. Start a trip in the Chinese painting-like natural scenery, stunning Yangshuo countryside, and the magical Avatar Mountains, enjoy a relaxing China holiday with us.
East or west, the Guilin Shanshui/scenery is the best. In Guilin, you will fall in love with its karst landscape, beautiful mountains, winding and clean rivers, and green hills... In Yangshuo, a typical rural Chinese countryside, you can capture the breathtaking scenery, experience bamboo rafting on the Yulong River (Little Li River), cycling in the peaceful Yangshuo countryside... After that transfer to Zhangjiajie by high-speed train from Guilin. In Zhangjiajie, one of the must-see places in China, hiking to discover the Avatar Mountains and its strange-shaped pillars, hidden valleys, seas of clouds, limestone caves, and the world's longest and highest glass bridge. Join us for a beautiful China Nature Tour with Guilin, Yangshuo, and Zhangjiajie, have fun in the amazing natural wonders.
Guilin (2 Days)
Li River Cruise, Elephant Trunk Hill, Reed Flute Cave
Yangshuo (2 Days)
Yangshuo Countryside, West Street, Yangshuo Countryside Cycling, Bamboo Raft along the Yulong River
Zhangjiajie (3 Days)
Wulingyuan, Yuanjiajie, Tianzi Mountain, Ten-mile Gallery, Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon Glass Bridge, Baofeng Lake, Tianmen Mountain
Welcome to Guilin, the most picturesque paradise in China! Upon your arrival at the airport/train station in Guilin, the tour guide and driver will meet and greet you at the exit, and then escort you to the well-selected hotel in downtown Guilin. Your guide will help you check in at your hotel. Taking a walk along Binjiang Road and tasting the rice noodles are recommended activities for your leisure time. You are welcome to ask your tour guide for some useful tips to spend your free time based on your time and interest.
It is said that “The landscape in Guilin is the best under heaven”. Time for you to visit the place and check if it is really worthy of the reputation. After breakfast, you will go to explore the most stunning natural scenery along the Li River, which is famed as one of the “the world’s top 10 watery wonders” by National Geographic. Drive about 1 hour from your hotel to the pier and start a 4.5-hour relaxing sightseeing Li River Cruise trip from Guilin to Yangshuo. Along the 84-kilometer scenic cruise, you will feast your eyes with endless Chinese paintings of winding rivers, numerous green limestone karst peaks, grazing water buffalo, farmers working in the fertile fields, and idyllic villages nestled at the bases of the hills. (Note: Lunch is served on the cruise with simple local Chinese cuisine.)
After arriving in Yangshuo, the driver will pick you up from the dock and drive to your hotel in Yangshuo town for a short rest. You can either try Chinese calligraphy or a Cooking Class (15:00-18:00) in the afternoon in Yangshuo Countryside. Or you can stroll leisurely along West Street, which is the most prosperous area in Yangshuo. Restaurants, bars, and souvenir shops along the street are always full of guests. It is a fusion of western culture and Chinese culture and it is the best place to spend your nightlife here. Whether you want to enjoy a cup of coffee, taste some local food or just throw yourself into the vivid atmosphere... all you can get.
In the evening you can enjoy the musical night show of Impression Sanjie Liu which is directed by Zhangyimou. This light show is actually performed on the Li River in Yangshuo showing the beauty of the folk songs and love story of Sanjie Liu.
Today you will explore Yangshuo Countryside by bike and experience the traditional bamboo boat along the Yulong River (Little Li River). It's a relaxing moment for an impressive exploration of the Yangshuo Countryside with its beautiful rural landscape.You can either hop on a bike (about 13km, 2hours) or rent an electric scooter to explore the postcard-like karst hills and rice paddies and pass by some tranquil villages. Let all the picturesque scenes please your eyes and your souls to the maximum for total relaxation.
In Yangshuo, you should not miss the Bamboo Rafting along the Yulong River. The Yulong River is a small tributary of the larger Li River. It is a unique way to sit on the bamboo boat and appreciate its beautiful natural landscape of Karst hills, clean and bright river, lush bamboo along the riverbank, harmonious villages, and quiet countryside. After enjoy the relaxing moment on Yulong Bamboo Rafting (about 40min), you will go back to hotel for a good rest. (Tips: Each Yulong bamboo boat can take 2 people. If there are 3 people, it means need 2 bamboo boats.)
After breakfast, transfer back to Guilin for further exploration. Start your visit to the Symbol of Guilin - Elephant Trunk Hill. Located on the intersection of Li River and Peach Blossom River, the Elephant Trunk Hill looks like a huge elephant drinking water in the river. And then you will pay a visit to the Reed Flute Cave, which is a classic scenic spot of karst landform. The amazing stalactites and stalagmites in the cave look like animals or plants. When the colorful neon lights are on, you will feel like walking in a crystal palace.
After the tour, you will head to the train station for your bullet train to Zhangjiajie (about 7.5 hours). Welcome to Zhangjiajie, an incredible place where you can see Avatar Hallelujah Mountain in reality! Upon your arrival in Zhangjiajie, the local guide and driver will greet you at the exit of the airport, and then escort you to your hotel in Wulingyuan Area. Enjoy some free time on your own after the hotel check-in.
After breakfast, you will have a whole day to explore Wulingyuan Scenic Area, a spectacular island of nature dominated by more than 3,000 narrow quartz sandstone pillars. First, take a sightseeing bus to Bailong Elevator that within 1.5 minutes you can go from the valley bottom up to the pillar peak. It is the fastest and as well as the tallest outdoor elevator in the world. Next, enjoy the hike into a mysterious Pandora World - Yuanjiajie, where is rightly the shooting location of “Hallelujah Mountains” in reality. Catch the chance to shoot South Sky Pillar, the landmark of Yuanjiajie, about 150 meters high vertically rising high from the deep valley, looking like a giant standing so upright under heaven. Go to the Enchanting Platform for a marvel at the unbelievable scenery with hundreds of various peaks like bamboo shoots towering from the grounds. And then enjoy the lush scenery of Natural Bonsai at Backyard Garden.
Next, take the sightseeing bus to the second tourist site - Tianzi Mountain Nature Reserve which was named after the leader of the local Tujia ethnic group - Xiang Dakun in early Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). It is a fairyland in moive Monkey King. Hike to He Long Park which has a fascinating viewing deck to appreciate the incredible and magnificent scene of peculiar stone peaks. Move to Dianjiang Terrace to overlook the West Sea Stone Forest, rugged rock rising out of a misty canyon. The last stop today is the Ten-mile Galley. You will take a small green train to explore the beautiful scenery where you will feel like get through a Chinese ink painting. After the tour, get back to your hotel for a good rest.
After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon for the breathtaking Grand Canyon Glass Bridge experience. The Grand Canyon Glass Bridge wants to say “hello” to you and makes you yell “my god” to give a deeper impression of Zhangjiajie. Suspended between two peaks, the glass bridge is 430 meters long and 300 meters high, which is the longest and highest glass bridge in the world. Standing on the transparent glass is like floating in the air and you can have superb panoramic view of the entire Grand Canyon.
After your “tremble” on the glass bridge, move to the Baofeng Lake to do a scenic cruise to bring you back to peace. Surrounded by green trees and stone peaks of various shapes, Baofeng Lake is an idyllic place for relaxation. When leisurely cruising on the boat, you can see the reflection of the marvelous peaks and enjoy the folk songs performed by the local minority people.
After breakfast, your guide and driver will pick you up at your hotel lobby. Today, you will make a breathtaking visit to Tianmen Mountain, one of the world’s most beautiful mountains. You won’t miss the chance to experience the world’s longest cable car, walk on the glass skywalk, and pay a visit Heaven’s Door and view Avenue toward Heaven with 99 turns.
First, go to take the 30-minute cable car with 7,455 meters in length which means you’ll travel from the city of Zhangjiajie to the top of Tianmen Mountain. From the cable car you will have a perfect view of Heaven’s Door and a shocking look at the wandering Avenue toward Heaven. Next, move to Tianmen Temple where you can enjoy the typical Qing Dynasty styled Buddhist structure with verdant forest surrounding by.
Now, the challenge time is coming. Hold your breath to experience the scary walks on the cliff path hanging on the mountain. Walk on the Glass Skywalk, which is transparent glass 1430 meters above the bottomless valley, giving you a thrilling feeling like walking in the sky. Also, try the 1.6-kilometer-long Cliff-Hanging Walkway, built along the edges of the mountain’s summits. Amazing, isn’t it? After that, go down by escalator from the peak to Tianmen Cave which is also known as “Heaven’s Door”. Tianmen Cave is a natural arch between two peaks of a height of 131.5 meters, rising above the ground and closing to the sky with a lofty and towering posture. It is the highest hole of its sort in the world. (Note: Tianmen Mountain is the famous spot for Wingsuit Flying, you might have a chance to witness this unbelievable sport there.) After the memorable time, take the cable car down the mountain. And then, you will be transferred to Wulingyuan area and have accommodation here.
After the tour, it is time to say goodbye to your 7-day Guilin Yangshuo Zhangjiajie Tour. You guide will escorts you to the airport/train station for your flight or high speed train to your next destination.
Thank you for choosing Asia Odyssey Travel for your China tour, and we are always here working for you and hope to see you again for your next trip around China/Asia. Safe journey!
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George
Romania
I did a 2-week tour in China, in Dec24/Jan25 and I was very pleased with Asia Odyssey. They handled everything very professionally, from the good accommodations to the great tour guides we had. I totally recommend this company for China tours.
Destination(s): Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Chengdu/Sichuan, Guilin/Yangshuo, YangtzeRiver
Date of Experience: Jan 01, 2025
Tour Customized by: Catherine
You May be Interested in This Tour: Customized Tour
Ilwad
Australia
Tour name: Line B2, 8 days Lhasa-Yamdroktso-Shigaste-Mt.Everest tour.
Key people: Bob (local Tibetan tour guide), Catherine Wang (travel consultant), Mr. Yu. Jian (driver).
This tour was sublime, a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! From the very start, I was met with grace and incredible kindness. The driver assigned to me by the company was Susan and greeted me with a smile on her face, as well as the traditional Tibetan scarf she delicately placed around my neck. She then kindly offered to take some photos of me outside of the airport and offered me some water as we drove to the first accommodation in Lhasa. She then sent me a few locations within the city to explore, for shopping and food and shared her experience of living in the region for over a decade.
The following day we met our tour guide Bob, who to date has been my favourite tour guide. He was nothing short of incredible. Not only did he translate everything from Tibetan to Mandarin and English, making the tour accessible to all of us, but went above and beyond for all of us. Whether it was taking extra photos from awkward angles as the photographer to answering our follow-up questions or even giving us his own recommendations i.e. where to rent the traditional Tibetan clothes or shop for souvenirs. He was incredibly knowledgeable and humble- a true mix of wisdom and personal insight. I found his personal experiences and insight made the tour feel more authentic, especially as he had been doing this since 2009. His great anecdotes and true appreciation of the Tibetan culture, as well as his uplifting attitude and great sense of humour made the trip that much more special. Especially on the days when we were on the road for up to 7 hours, as we began the travel towards Everest Base Camp (EBC).
In terms of the people I met on the tour, it was truly a mixed bag in the best way possible! As I was a 22-year-old solo solo-female traveler you might expect that I would want to be around a similar company. In contrast, I had the best time ever with a wildly different demographic! From middle-aged interracial married couples to retired solo travelers and other solo travelers, my group was made up of people from different neighbouring countries each with their own experiences of travel. As someone who is learning Chinese this was perfect for improving my linguistic skills however most could also speak English so there were no language barriers either.
The people in my group were lovely, kind and interesting characters. Each with open-minds and curiousity about the Tibetan culture. Having people from different walks of life and experiences in my group turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Even with our different backgrounds, we shared laughter, food and stories. I am grateful to have been in the same group as them for those 8 days- it was a true pleasure. Also, the nature of the tour meant that we overlapped with different groups based on both of our itineraries, meaning that we mixed with others for the first few days of the tour. This was a great way to also meet others as some were also staying at the same hotel as us.
The driver Mr. Yu Jian was also incredible. He so kindly brought our luggage in and out of the vehicles and always waited for us patiently in the mornings. Even when we (I) were running late, losing track of the timings and rushing outside with a hastily prepared buffet breakfast to go.
In terms of the tour, my personal highlights were of course seeing EBC and Everest in person, however, the in-betweens were just as remarkable. The 108 zig-zags we had to endure on the way to EBC, the petrol station stops where we’d stretch our legs and interact with the locals (often trying to sell us things) and growing closer and closer to the enchanting Everest. Being able to see the surreal landscape views of Tibet, both in Lhasa and outside, was awe-inducing. As I flew in on 25/03, I was met with the mountainscape being submerged with snow. By the time we made it to EBC, the snow had mostly melted but the rugged mountain view perfectly complemented the seemingly endless holy Yamdrok Lake. It was a nature lover’s paradise through and through, especially with the domesticated and wild animals across the area.
I also thoroughly enjoyed interacting with the locals. They met me with such curiosity, warmth and open-mindedness. I was touched to be perhaps the first black European person they met, and hope that they left our interactions with a new perspective. The first meal I had in Tibet was also sublime (I will put a picture below of the dish and a screenshot of the location I went to, recommended to me by my first driver). There was also a traditional Tibetan musical performance shortly after I had finished my meal, also recommended to me by Susan which began around 8pm!
My favourite monastery we visited was also the Tashi Lhunpo monastery in Shigatse, which we visited on our penultimate day in Tibet. We went on a Sunday which meant that not many tourists, if any, were there. Especially the tour took place during the off-season (End of March/Early April). As such it was an immersive experience being able to calmly walk through the monastery. With a history dating back to 1447, I felt like I connected to this the most, with there being living trees on the site that had been first planted over 400 years ago! Even seeing locals re-paint some of the religious paintings and the monks ready to enter for their evening classes gave a sense of serenity. It was a wonderful way to end the trip. Also, I would like to highlight seeing the Yamdrok Lake’s deep shades of turquoise from many angles (extraordinary), trying yak meat for the first time (different and at times tasty), seeing the Karola glacier (even when the rest of the landscape was snowless), seeing monks’ daily debates at Sera Monastery, of course climbing and seeing Polata Palace (tip: bring a 50 RMB note with you to take the famed picture outside Polata Palace- a fellow tour member loaned me his, thanks Yuki!), as well as Jokhang Temple and the Tibetan incense making where the activity leader wrote us, upon our request, a sign in the Tibetan language with anything i.e. our name or quotes. Seeing the stars on the first day of the new moon in the village just outside of Everest was also phenomenal (tip: walk 5-10 minutes in the opposite direction of heading into town to escape the light pollution for a better view, we only stayed out for 15 minutes just around midnight due to fatigue but if you really commit to it and maybe even venture further out and perhaps later on in the night around the new moon phase you will be stunned out what will find in the starry night sky.. hopefully the milky way!).
I would also like to give a warm mention to the hotel workers in the first hotel we stayed in Lhasa as they were incredibly kind to me. They were curious to know what my story was and where I had travelled as well as catering to my needs in the mornings (i.e. morning coffee etc.). Though they won’t see this, the woman working at the Tibetan clothes’ rental who helped me take pictures on my phone and conversed with me was also very kind! Even the shopkeeper who gave me a freebie after I bought some goods from his store was patient with me as I perused through the shops looking for instant noodles. Overall, I was met with such kindness from the very start of the trip until the very end!
Regarding altitude sickness, if you are worried about the high altitude, I bought Diamox , also known as Acetazolamide, (250mg per tablet) and got a prescription from a pharmacist. I took 1 tablet the day before I flew into Lhasa (during my layover in Kunming, Yunnan) and took another tablet for the next two days, waiting 24 hours between each 250mg dose. I adjusted well to the altitude and only took another one when we were heading to higher altitudes (particularly the mountain pass that is higher than EBC and the day of EBC). In total, I took 4 tablets on 4 days (the day before landing in Lhasa, days 1 and 2 of the tour as well as day 4 of the tour). I stopped taking it after EBC day and was fine throughout the trip. The tour will provide you with one free bottle of oxygen, as well as an emergency tank of oxygen in the shuttle bus. For reference I didn’t finish the bottle of oxygen throughout the trip but bought a spare one from the supermarket down the road from the hotel in Lhasa and the quality was great for only a few more RMB (lasted the entire trip). With a lot of water for hydration and taking it easy, alongside deep breaths, I think this tour is accessible to anyone without any underlying health conditions.
Finally, I would like to thank my tour agent Catherine Wang who has supported me throughout this trip! From when I first sent an email back in December 2024 to inquire about this tour until present she has supported me and provided me with updates throughout this process. Although I sent persistent emails (regarding the Shigatse earthquake and permit process/progress update) she always kept me in the loop. Even during the trip she had sent me an email to ask how it was going. Thank you very much for your patience and hard work, this trip has been the trip of a lifetime!
TLDR: I would 1000% recommend this trip and tour. All the little moments and cherished memories I have made will last a lifetime. Thank you to Bob, Mr. Yu Jian, Catherine, Susan, my tour group members and all the others who have made this trip so special. I am beyond grateful.
Destination(s): Tibet
Date of Experience: Oct 07, 2024
Tour Customized by: Catherine
You May be Interested in This Tour: 8 Days Lhasa Yamdrok Shigatse Group Tour with Everest Base Camp
Siew Chor
Australia
Liz was prompt with her helpful response. We appreciate her help.
Destination(s): Beijing
Date of Experience: Oct 07, 2024
Tour Customized by: Liz
You May be Interested in This Tour: 4 Days Classic Beijing Tour with Forbidden City & Great Wall
Price: request
(Based on a private tour for two people. Price varies depending on program, travel date, number of people.)
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