2 Days Private Luoyang Tour from Beijing

This 2 days Luoyang tour from Beijing is definitely tailor-made for travelers who love grottoes culture or are obsessed with Chinese Kung Fu. In the early morning, you need to get to Beijing West Railway Station by yourself and take a high speed train to Luoyang, a city located in Henan Province, east-central China. We will book the train tickets for you in advance and offer you the thorough instruction to board the train. After about 4 hours’ train journey, you will arrive at Luoyang Longmen Railway Station where your professional guide will be waiting for you.

The first stop is Longmen Grottoes, one of China's Four Greatest Grottoes, representing the masterpieces of Chinese Buddhism art. It was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty (386 – 534 AD). After 500 years' intermittent construction, around 97,000 Buddhist statues were completed. Among them, the carvings along the west side of the river are highlights and visitors can appreciate outstanding workmanship and spectacular statues. The huge statue of Vairocana Buddha is the most famous one, known to many locals as the figure of Empress Wu Zetian of Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD), the only female emperor in Chinese history. Legend goes that the Buddha statue was made in the image of Wu Zetian, as she was widely regarded to have the deportment like a Buddha. Let’s have a look of the Vairocana Buddha; having an enigmatic smile, it is also reputed as the Mona Lisa of the East. What an amazing work!Next, we will move to Luoyang city center to visit the Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits, which is an ancient site of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (770 - 256 BC). The most famous relic here is a royal chariot driven by 6 horses unearthed from Pit 5, which could only be taken by the emperor. After the visit, you will be escorted to a nice hotel for a good rest.

► Dinner Suggestion: 
We recommend you to try noodles at the chain restaurant Lao Luoyang Mian Guan (Shachanglu Road branch), which is so acclaimed that it has become an intangible cultural heritage. It is spacious and boasts many similar-sized branches unlike other noodle shops which are typically small. Besides its signature noodles, it offers a variety of specialty dishes catering to all taste preferences, all priced reasonably. If you're seeking a place to enjoy delicious local flavors in Luoyang, this restaurant is definitely worth a visit. Average cost per person: CNY 50 / USD 6.

After breakfast, your guide will meet you in your hotel lobby at the appointed time. Then we will drive for 2 hours to the Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu. Titled UNESCO's World Cultural & Natural Heritage site in 2010, it is undoubtedly the highlight of this trip. The temple was first built in the Northern Wei Dynasty but damaged and destroyed because of war several times. The present buildings - Hall of Heavenly Kings, Mahavira Hall, Ancestor's Monastery and the Second Ancestor's Monastery - were all rebuilt in the 20th century. Besides touring the typical Chinese Buddhist buildings, you will have a chance to enjoy a fantastic Chinese Kung Fu show there.

Afterwards, your guide will escort you to the airport or railway station for your onward journey.Travel Tips:
● During lunch time, you may experience the vegetarian food in Shaolin Temple at your own expense. Your guide will be glad to help.
● After the Luoyang tour, for an extended trip, you can choose to take a bullet train back to Beijing or to Xi'an, or fly to Shanghai. If you need any help, we are always at your service.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast