2 Days Private Luoyang Tour from Beijing

★ Beijing to Luoyang High-speed Train Ticket Included

For your convenience, we’ve booked the high-speed train ticket for your Beijing to Luoyang tour in advance. In the morning, set off on your own to Beijing West Railway Station and pass the security check with your passport to board the train. Rest assured that we’ll offer you the detailed train schedule and thorough boarding instructions beforehand. During the approximately 3 to 4.5 hours of travel at a speed of 350 km/h (217 mph), you don’t need to wear a seat belt, and can move around freely in the carriage and always have access to mobile phone signals except in tunnels. Also, expect to witness the long Yellow River on the way, the mother river of the Chinese nation.

Upon your arrival at Luoyang Longmen Railway Station, your private local guide and driver will pick you up and then accompany you in our comfortable private vehicle directly to Longmen Grottoes, one of China’s Four Greatest Grottoes. 

First built in 493 AD and then intermittently constructed on a large scale for over 400 years, it features more than 100,000 Buddha statues, allowing you to marvel at the peak achievements of Chinese stone carving art and understand the Sinicization process of Buddhist art. Let’s mainly explore the highlights of carvings along the west side of the river. What will most catch your attention is the most famous and colossal Vairocana Buddha statue, which has a full and round face with long and slender eyebrows, and is said to have been carved based on the image of Wu Zetian (624 – 705 AD), the only female emperor in Chinese history. From your guide, you’ll learn that Wu Zetian once used Buddhism to promote her rule, funded the construction of the Vairocana Buddha statue and the excavation of several other caves, which had a decisive influence on the formation of the peak period of the Longmen Grottoes. Besides, it’s surprising to know that the Buddha statue is also reputed as the Mona Lisa of the East, as the upward curve of its lips almost coincides with the enigmatic smile curve of the Mona Lisa. Just search for a photo on your phone and make a comparison!

Next, we’ll move to the city center to visit the Museum of Luoyang Eastern Zhou Royal Horse and Chariot Pits, an ancient site from over 2,500 years ago. Apart from observing the unearthed cultural relics in the exhibition hall, including the bronze vessels and pottery for banquets and sacrifices, the exquisite copper mirrors, and some musical chime bells, we’ll also visit a famous pit that showcases the exclusive chariot fleet of an emperor. The bronze chariot is well-preserved, with the spokes on the wheels clearly countable. Coupled with the remains of 6 horses neatly arranged on each side, it allows you to envision the magnificent scene of the chariot in motion at that time. After the visit, your guide and driver will escort you to the hotel we carefully selected for you.

► Recommended Nighttime Activities (at your own expense): 
The hotel we’ve chosen for you is located right in the Peony Square business district, one of Luoyang’s famous nightlife centers, and if you’re interested, you can go out for fun tonight. Walk for a few minutes, and you’ll reach a trendy area with many live houses, industrial-style or American-style bars, and bustling snack streets. The neon lights, old songs, a cool evening breeze, and inviting scents create the unique atmosphere of this night market.

After breakfast, your guide and driver will meet you in your hotel lobby at the appointed time. Then let’s embark on a 2-hour private car journey to the UNESCO-listed Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Zen Buddhism and the cradle of Chinese Kung Fu. With your guide, pass through the typical Chinese Buddhist buildings, including the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Mahavira Hall, and Ancestor's Monastery, and feel the lingering thousand-year-old Zen spirit. Rubbing the grooves on the ginkgo trees, which are the traces of the monks’ years of arduous training, you can almost hear the echoes of history. Wander through the Pagoda Forest, the largest tomb complex of eminent monks in China, and glimpse into Buddhist stories and myths from the exquisite patterns and reliefs carved on them. Besides that, we won’t let you miss enjoying a fantastic Chinese Kung Fu show. Get ready to be stunned by the grand group practice of boxing and stick, as well as some incredible skills of breaking bricks with bare hands and cutting steel plates with the head. 

► Tip: The Shaolin Temple serves vegetarian food, and if you want to have a taste as your lunch at your own expense, your guide will be glad to help you.

At the end of your 2 days private Luoyang tour from Beijing, your guide and driver will escort you to the airport or railway station for your onward journey. Thank you for travelling with us! If you have extra time, consider extending your trip to other hot cities around Luoyang, such as Xi’an, Pingyao, and Datong. Welcome to contact us anytime for a customizable itinerary.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast