Guizhou Natural and Cultural Odyssey

Today you will fly to Guangyang. On arrival, your private guide will be ready to welcome you at the arrival hall, and transfer to your hotel with a private car and driver. Your guide will help you with luggage and hotel check-in, and ensure your arrival is worry-free.

Depart from Guiyang with a scenic 2-hour drive to the Huangguoshu Waterfall scenic area, one of China's most spectacular natural attractions located in Anshun, Guizhou Province.

Explore Tianxing Bridge Scenic Area, a natural wonderland featuring a maze-like landscape of unique karst rock formations, stone forests, caves and streams. Walk through winding pathways among bizarre-shaped rocks, cross stone bridges over crystal-clear waters, and discover hidden waterfalls in this enchanting geological park. The area showcases nature's artistry with its intricate stone formations and lush vegetation.

Visit Doupotang Waterfall, the widest waterfall in the Huangguoshu complex, spanning an impressive 105 meters in width. This broad cascade creates a magnificent curtain of water, especially spectacular during the rainy season. The waterfall gained fame as a filming location for the classic TV series "Journey to the West."

Experience Huangguoshu Waterfall, Asia's largest waterfall and China's most famous cascade. Marvel at the thundering waters plunging 77.8 meters with a width of 101 meters. Walk behind the waterfall through the Water-Curtain Cave for a unique perspective, feel the powerful mist, and capture stunning photographs of this natural wonder.

Discover Tianlong Tunbao Ancient Village, a remarkably preserved Ming Dynasty fortress village dating back over 600 years. This unique settlement was established by military garrisons during the Ming Dynasty and has maintained its distinctive culture, architecture and customs. Explore ancient stone houses, narrow cobblestone streets and traditional fortifications. Watch an authentic Dixi Opera performance, a rare form of traditional masked opera unique to Tunbao culture, featuring elaborate costumes, wooden masks and stories from Chinese classical literature and military history.

Depart with a scenic 3.5-hour drive to Xingyi City in southwestern Guizhou Province, renowned for its spectacular karst landscapes.

Explore Wanfenglin (Ten Thousand Peaks Forest), one of China's most magnificent karst peak forest landscapes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site component. Marvel at thousands of cone-shaped limestone peaks rising dramatically from the valley floor, creating an otherworldly panorama described as "a forest of peaks." The scenic area showcases classic karst topography with verdant mountains, terraced fields, traditional villages nestled among the peaks, and winding rivers. The peaks change appearance with shifting light and weather, creating an ever-changing natural masterpiece. Walk through charming Buyi ethnic minority villages to experience local culture and traditional architecture harmoniously integrated with the dramatic landscape.

Continue with a 40-minute drive to Wanfeng Lake, southwestern China's largest freshwater lake and the country's fifth-largest reservoir. Enjoy a lake cruise (approximately 50 minutes, included) across the pristine turquoise waters. The lake covers an area equivalent to 76 West Lakes of Hangzhou, with a shoreline stretching over 800 kilometers. Cruise among countless karst peaks rising directly from the water, creating a stunning landscape of peaks and reflections. The lake's clear waters, surrounded by forested mountains and limestone formations, offer spectacular photo opportunities and a peaceful natural experience. The cruise provides unique perspectives of the karst landscape from the water.

Depart with a short 25-minute drive to Maling River Canyon (马岭河峡谷), one of China's most spectacular karst canyon landscapes, often called "the most beautiful scar on Earth."

Experience approximately 1.5 hours of canyon hiking through this dramatic geological wonder. Descend into the narrow gorge carved deep into the karst plateau, where sheer cliff walls rise over 200 meters on both sides. Marvel at the unique landscape features including:Tianxian Difeng (Sky Crack Earth Seam) - the narrow canyon formation where the gorge appears as a giant crack in the earth;Cascading waterfalls suspended from the cliff walls, with dozens of waterfalls plunging into the canyon from various heights;Lush vegetation clinging to the canyon walls, creating a green corridor;Ancient rock formations and calcium carbonate deposits.

Walk along well-maintained pathways and bridges that wind through the canyon floor, passing behind waterfalls and offering close-up views of the rushing river below. The misty atmosphere created by the numerous waterfalls adds to the mystical ambiance. Experience the cool microclimate within the canyon, a refreshing contrast to the plateau above.

After the canyon exploration, embark on a 3.5-hour drive to Guiyang.

You will journey through the cultural heartland of Guizhou's ethnic minorities. Drive 3 hours to Shiqiao Miao Village, renowned for its ancient papermaking techniques dating back to the mid-Tang Dynasty, where you can witness artisans crafting traditional handmade paper using methods preserved for over a thousand years. Continue 22 minutes to Qingman Short-skirt Miao Village, famous for its distinctive ethnic costumes and customs. Visit Matang Gejia Village to experience the unique culture of the Gejia people, a sub-group of the Miao ethnic minority known for their intricate embroidery and traditional architecture. After exploring these authentic villages, drive 40 minutes to arrive in Kaili, the cultural hub of southeastern Guizhou's ethnic regions.

Your exploration of Miao culture begins with a one-hour drive to Visit the Datang Short Skirt Miao Village. This unique settlement is famous for the distinctive "Short Skirt" attire worn by local women, a fashion tradition that has persisted for over 500 years. You will also see their ingenious aquatic granaries—wooden structures built over ponds to protect the harvest from fire and rodents, reflecting the architectural wisdom of the highland people.

Next, you will travel to Enjoy the folk performance in Langde Miao Village, one of the most picturesque and well-preserved ethnic villages in Guizhou. You will be greeted with a traditional "Twelve Courses of Blocking-way Wine" ceremony at the village gates. Inside, you can watch the rhythmic Lusheng dance and copper drum performances on the central square, surrounded by ancient weathered stilt houses. After a local lunch, you will head to Hike in Kongbai and experience silver jewellery making. Known as the "Master Village of Silverware," almost every household here is a workshop. You will walk through the tranquil mountain trails and then sit with a master craftsman to learn the delicate techniques of pulling, filigreeing, and engraving that make Guizhou’s silver famous worldwide.

Drive 2 hours from Kaili to Zhenyuan Ancient Town. Explore the 2,300-year-old Zhenyuan Ancient City, which served as a strategic military fortress for 800 years since the Song Dynasty. Known as the gateway to central China, the town remained unconquered throughout history thanks to its natural defenses of mountains and the river. Enjoy a peaceful boat cruise along Wuyang River, where you'll discover traces of ancient military history dating back 1,800 years when strategist Zhuge Liang excavated this waterway for military transport. Visit Qinglong Cave (Black Dragon Cave), a magnificent ancient architectural complex. Learn how Zhenyuan became a vital hub on the Southern Silk Road, where merchants brought goods, religions and diverse cultures from across China, creating a unique blend of commercial prosperity and cultural heritage in this historic riverside town.

You will be transferred from Zhenyuan to Guiyang Airport in a comfortable private vehicle accompanied by a professional tour guide. This covers the 3.5-hour journey, providing a relaxing and convenient travel experience between these two destinations in Guizhou Province.