| 13 Days South China Minorities Tour (Tour code: SM1301) | |
| Themes:Minorities, nature | |
| Destinations: Chongqing - Fenghuang - Zhenyuan - Leishan - Zhaoxing - Ping'an - Guilin - Yansghuo | |
| please contact us for group price |  |
| Destination | Chongqing |
| Activities | Our group arrives in Chongqing and after clearing customs we begin our sightseeing straight away at Chongqing Zoo to visit China's national animal, the giant panda. Later we continue to Ciqikou Old Street, an old area that used to thrive on trading along the Yangtze River. After Ciqikou we drive to the Yangtze River Museum to learn about the world's third longest river, before we drive to our hotel to check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Pandas in zoo, Ciqikou Old Street, Yangtze River Museum |
| Meals | Lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing - night train |
| Activities | After breakfast we drive to the Dazu Town, home to the fantastic Dazu Buddhist Caves, where thousands of Buddhist images in many sizes was carved into rock formations by pilgrims traveling along the Silk Road centuries ago. In the afternoon we go to the train station to take an evening train to Tongren in Guizhou Province. |
| Attractions | Dazu Buddhist Caves |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | Night train, soft sleeper berths |
| Destination | Tongren - Fenghuang |
| Activities | In the early morning we arrive in Tongren on the border between Guizhou and Hunan Provinces. After breakfast at a local hotel we drive to Fenghuang in Hunan, stopping on the way to visit the Miao Great Wall, a little-known 600 kilometer wall built by the Miao Minority in the 14th century. After arrival in Fenghuang we check in and then take a tour by foot through Fenghuang Ancient Town. |
| Attractions | Miao Great Wall, Fenghuang Ancient Town |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Fenghuang |
| Activities | Today we go on a day tour to Dehang Miao Village north of Fenghuang. Dehang is a small village and the starting point of a two-hour return trek to locally famous Sand Waterfall, which we take at a leisurely pace. This gives us a good opportunety to get out into the Chinese countryside. In the afternoon we go back to Fenghuang and the rest of the day is free to explore this charming town on your own. |
| Attractions | Dehang Village, countryside hike |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Fenghuang - Zhenyuan |
| Activities | Today we return to Guizhou and go to Zhenyuan Town, which we will use as a springboard to get to the minority villages south of here. After arrival we visit the local and atmospheric temple at Green Dragon Cave with great views of town and the Wu River, before we take a walk in Zhenyuan Old Town and visit an ancient alley house. We then check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Green Dragon Cave, Zhenyuan Old Town |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 2-3* hotel |
| Destination | Zhenyuan - Leishan |
| Activities | We leave Zhenyuan and drive to Leishan, a town located between many Miao villages in the east part of the province. Here we visit Langde and Datang Miao Villages, a couple of still very traditional villages where many people don the traditional Miao clothes. Here we can also see the production of the special Lusheng instrument that is traditionally used by the Miao. Later we check in at our hotel in Leishan. |
| Attractions | Langde Village, Datang Village |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 4* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Leishan |
| Activities | Today we go on a day excursion to the nearby Miao village of Xijiang, famous as the 'home of one thousand families'. All inhabitants here are Miao, and the whole village is made up of the characteristic wooden houses they traditionally live in. Late in the day we return to Leishan and rest. |
| Attractions | Xijiang Village |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 4* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Leishan - Zhaoxing |
| Activities | After breakfast it is time to leave Leishan and the Miao homeland and travel south to Zhaoxing, a very charming and tranquil Dong Minority village that is home to five of the famous Dong-style Drum Towers and a few Wind-and-Rain Bridges. After we arrive we take a walk around the small village to see the Dong way of life, and in the evening we also see an intimate performance of Dong song and dance. |
| Attractions | Zhaoxing Village, Dong Minority Show |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Zhaoxing |
| Activities | Today all day is free to explore Zhaoxing and the surrounding countryside on your own. There is a great hike up the mountain behind Zhaoxing that leads you to the even smaller Dong village of Tang'an, a hike that takes approx. two-three hours. We meet again for dinner, likely with many stories to tell about our experiences today. |
| Attractions | Zhaoxing Village |
| Meals | Breakfast and dinner |
| Accommodation | 3* Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Zhaoxing - Ping'an |
| Activities | In the morning we leave Zhaoxing and head for Guangxi Province farther south. Ping'an is famous for the stunning Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, which we have to walk for about 30 minutes to reach from the parking lot. On the way there we stop in a roadside village to see their locally famous Wind-and-Rain Bridge, one of the largest in the region. Once in Ping'an we check in and if we still have the energy for it we take a short hike to the nearby viewpoint to get a great view of the terraces. The rest of the day we can relax in the tranquil village. |
| Attractions | Wind-and-Rain Bridge, Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | Non-graded Priority Hotel |
| Destination | Ping'an - Yangshuo |
| Activities | After breakfast we walk down to the parking lot and begin our journey out of the mountains and down into the lowland to Yangshuo. Yangshuo is a fishing village by the Li River, right in the middle of China's most famous scenery, the impressive limestone formations that have inspired many poems and litterature. Yangshuo is also famous for West Street, a sprawling collection of cafes and souvenir shops lined by classic wooden buildings. After arrival we check in and the rest of the day is free to explore on your own. |
| Attractions | Guangxi's incredible scenery, Yangshuo Town |
| Meals | Breakfast, lunch and dinner |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Yangshuo - Chongqing |
| Activities | In the morning we embark on a bike ride around Yangshuo to get close to the amazing scenery. Later we check out and drive to Guilin, where we visit Reed Flute Cave and Seven Star Park, before we take an evening flight to Chongqing. After arrival we transfer to our hotel, check in and rest. |
| Attractions | Bike ride in the Yangshuo countryside, Reed Flute Cave, Seven Star Park |
| Meals | Breakfast and lunch |
| Accommodation | 4* hotel |
| Destination | Chongqing - home |
| Activities | The morning is free until departure for the airport. Our tour of China's minorities is coming to an end, and after check in and customs formalities we begin the journey home. |
| Attractions | None |
| Meals | Breakfast |
| Accommodation | Not incl. |
| Price information | |
Please contact us for group price.
Luxury upgrade: not available
Luxury Upgrade Policy: A luxury upgrade option is available with many of our tours. In accordance with our quality benchmark, upgrade options are divided into four categories: 1. Available - upgrade possible at all destinations in tour itinerary. 2. Partially available - upgrade not possible at one or more destnations in tour itinerary. 3. Not recommended - available or partially available, but not recommended (see Hotel Policy). 4. Not available - luxury upgrades are not possible on many of our trademark specialty tours to remote or developing regions. These tours are deeply genuine and authentic.
Keeping our guests' comfort in mind, we prefer to stay in a 2* or 3* hotel in or close to the attraction, rather than a 4* or 5* hotel much further away. Genuine China Tours' all-encompassing hotel policy is that we will never pick a hotel only because of its price. All our partner hotels must live up to a strict quality test that includes: 1. Geographical location - the location of our chosen hotel is of great importantce, both in large cities, where traffic congestion can play a vital role in the handling of the tour, and also on tours to remote villages, where the right choice of village or hotel can mean a world of difference to the tour. 2. Quality of hotel - including room size and cleanliness, quality of breakfast, ease of getting in/out and more. 3. Local environment - local environment should include local sights (when possible), be in the vicinity of local markets/night markets (if any) and have access to shops and convenience stores (if any). 4. Design and layout of hotel - we prefer hotels with history and atmosphere, especially if these have relevance with the sight(s) at the destination. 5. Value for money - any hotel must pass requirements 1-3 and 5. If a hotel passes all five requirements it becomes a Priority Hotel. |
|
| Price including |
International tour leader for duration of the tour Local English-speaking guides at all destinations Domestic flights as in itinerary Train travel as in itinerary All ground transportation in bus All entrances, cruises and shows as listed in itinerary Tips for guides and drivers Travel agency responsibility insurance All government taxes |
| Price not including |
Flights to/from China Personal expenses Anything not listed in itinerary |
| Important tour information |
Detailed tour information will be sent upon request. Please note that the more information you can give us about the group(s) you plan, the more accurate can we make the quotation and detailed tour information. We offer a wide range of services at all prices, but all of them bear our quality touch. Please get in touch with one of our expert tour designers with any questions you have - We know. We've been. |
| Genuine China Tours is an officially registered travel agency operating under the laws of the People’s Republic of China. Guests are required to follow rules and regulations set forth by existing laws of the country, including behavior respectful of local customs and manners. Tour designs and quotations may not be used in connection with other travel agencies. Genuine China Tours cannot be held responsible for any inconvenience caused by weather, traffic, government policies or other situations outside GCTs control. |