1 Day Private Guilin Longsheng Tour to Longji Terraces

Today we will take you on an impressive private Guilin Longsheng tour to Longji Terraces which is famous for some of China’s most spectacular rice terraces scenery and boasting a fascinating mélange of Chinese Zhuang and Yao ethnic cultures. In the morning, please get up early and have a big breakfast. Your private guide will pick you up from your hotel on time and then a professional driver will escort you on a comfy vehicle for about 2 hours to the awe-inspiring Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces, also known as the Longji Terraces.

Entering the Longji Scenic Area, before witnessing the magnificent rice fields, we will first stop by Huangluo Yao Village, where the local women boast the world’s longest hair, recognized by the Guinness World Record. In the whole village, there are more than 70 women with hair lengths of more than 1 meter (3.3 ft.), and the longest one reaches an amazing length of 2.6 meters (8.5 ft.). An old custom passed down in generations here is that a local woman only has her hair cut once in her life, at the age of 18, and never cuts it again. Long hair here is also considered a symbol of prosperity and health. They comb and pile their hair high on top of their heads, believing that the longer the hair and the higher the pile, the wealthier and longer-lived they will be. However, the long-standing custom may gradually disappear as local young girls would not like to do that. After all, keeping such long hair is very inconvenient in daily life. An amazing fact is that their hair is not only long, but also black and thick, and even the 60 or 70 year-old-granny is no exception. How can they keep that? Just follow your guide to explore the secret of the long hair!

In addition to being amazed at the women’s super long hair, you will also have a chance to see their beautiful costumes and appreciate locals’ traditional residences. As the only Yao village among the thirteen villages in Longji Scenic Area, the Huangluo Yao tribe lived here for thousands of years is a branch of the Yao Nationality, called Red Yao, as they prefer red color and their traditional clothing is also featured the vibrant red color.

Getting out of the village, next we will transfer to Ping’an Terraces by shuttle bus, which is the highlight of the Longji Rice Terraces. In fact, Longji Terraces are a splendid agricultural spectacle with a history of more than 650 years, featuring a large area mainly composed of three parts: Jinkeng Terraces, Ping’an Terraces, and Guzhuang Terraces. Generally speaking, Jinkeng Terraces are the largest and remotest one while Guzhuang Terraces are the smallest one whose scenery may be a little less impressive. We especially arrange the most beautiful Ping’an Terraces for you, which are also the earliest one discovered by tourists and photographers. As the most established terrace in the region, it offers two viewing platforms to catch the breathtaking tranquil rice terraces.

Warm Tips: Jinkeng Terraces are the biggest part, but also attract most travelers, so the experience there may not be as great as that of Ping’an. However, if you want to glimpse the largest-scale terraces in Longji, you can also contact us to tailor your itinerary.

Upon arrival at Ping’an Terraces entrance, we will take a sightseeing bus directly to the first viewing platform, the Nine Dragons & Five Tigers Viewing Point. Get off the bus, and you will be rewarded with the most astonishing panoramic view of rice lattice fields carved into the hillside, connected by the winding flagstone trails. Standing at the earliest established viewing point, you cannot only witness the spectacular scene of the terraced hills stretching for as far as your eyes can see, watch local farmers working in the jade-green fields, but also get amazed at the scoop of the valley below, which is dotted with local wooden houses with smoke rising from the chimneys. You will have enough time here to capture fantastic pictures and take in the beautiful vistas.

Next, we will descend from the high viewing point. It is also available to trek among the dense rice paddies along the winding paths. Accompanied by your guide, you can wander around to immerse yourself in the photogenic rural views up close. Along the way, the guide will also show you around the surrounding Zhuang villages where you can see local Zhuang peoples' unique wooden houses with typical stilt architecture style set among the rice fields. Some of the old houses can even be traced back to 200 years ago. You may also encounter local elderly people and have a small talk with them with the help of your guide and try on their bright-colored ethnic costumes. After about 40 minutes’ trek, we will reach another sightseeing platform, Seven Stars Chase the Moon Viewing Point. It is so called because a large striped and swirled terraced dome is accompanied by seven smaller ones. Here you could enjoy a smaller view than that of the Nine Dragons & Five Tigers, but it’s still impressive. You will have enough time to take pictures and enjoy the fresh air.

► Our Friendly Tip: As you are going to walk a lot today, please wear comfortable shoes and take sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat with you.

Best Time to Enjoy the Longji Rice Terraces
1. From mid-April to mid-May: It is the spring plowing season when the water is channeled down to the fields. With the reflection of hills and clouds, the terraces are just like a glittering paint palette, which is perfect for shooting sunrise and sunset scenes.

2. From early July to mid-September: Summer is the peak growing season for rice, and the terraced paddies are lush and carpeted with green.

3. From late September to late October: This is the harvest season when the rice paddies turn into a sea of gold! 

Your one-day Guilin to Longji Terraces tour draws a perfect conclusion here. Waving goodbye to the beautiful idyllic world, you will be escorted back to your hotel in the Guilin downtown. Wish you a nice journey with us! 

► Restaurant Recommendation for Dinner (at your own expense):
Still feel not enough about the unequaled natural beauty in Longji Terraces? Then a nice atmospheric river-view restaurant is an ideal choice for you to linger over the natural beauty. ZUI Lijiang River View Restaurant is located in the central Guilin area, about 1 km (0.6 mi) from the famous East West Street, offering tasty local delicacies and specialty food including Li River Beer Fish, Fried Snail with Mountain Pepper and Basil, Premium Marbled Beef Ribs, and Claypot Lipu Taro with Chicken Sauce. As soon as you step into the restaurant, the 270-degree beautiful view of the Li River immediately comes into your eyes. As the night falls and lights on, it will be more romantic to enjoy a big dinner here.
Average cost per person: CNY 100-110 (USD 14-15)
Address: Top floor of the Lijiang River Courtyard Hotel, No. 7 Longzhu Road, Diecai District