7 Days Guizhou Cave Camping, Terrace Hiking & Culture Tour
Tour Overview
This is an ultimate 7 days Guizhou trip with cave camping, terrace fields hiking, waterfall visits, and ethnic culture exploration. On this trip, our local English-speaking guide will take you deep into off-the-beaten-track villages for some unforgettable experiences, including spending the night in Karst caves, hiking through terraced fields, exploring the authentic Miao and Dong villages and their unique cultures, and discovering Asia’s largest waterfall.
Highlights of this tour:
1. Cave camping, exploring the mysterious Karst caves for the fossilized remains of marine life; experiencing grinding soybean milk, holding a bonfire, barbecue, and Karaoke concert2. Step into a fantastical stone castle -Yelang Valley to discover the utopian dreams of a reclusive artist
3. Experience batik and paper-making under the guidance of local masters
4. Marvel at the impressive Huangguoshu Waterfall – the largest waterfall in China and Asia, and appreciate the waterfall from different angles.
5. Attend a Grand Chorus Party with locals at one of the five drum towers
6. Enjoy a leisurely hike with a spectacular view of the terraced rice fields, scattered with Miao villages
Day-by-day Itinerary
- Day 1: Guiyang - AnshunYelang Valley, Baojia Tun Village
Please arrive in Guiyang one day in advance and check into the hotel in downtown Guiyang. (Novotel Guiyang Downtown Hotel is recommended)
Your guide and driver will pick you up from your hotel at 8 am and drive for 1 hour to Yelang Valley, a fantasy stone castle. It is a very beautiful and mysterious place, scattered with villages surrounded by green hills and lingering fresh air. The Yelang Valley is the epitome of the ancient Yelang Kingdom, with stone sculptures, stone castles, stone bridges, stone roads, stone walls, and other buildings that show the culture and art of the Yelang Kingdom period (about 2,300 years ago) to the fullest.
After lunch, take a one-hour ride to Baojia Tun Village, featuring typical Karst landscapes. We will explore the maze-like ancient fortress and decipher its unique military defense function under the guidance of the village chief. After the visit, go to Huangguoshu Scenic Area and check in at the hotel.
Note: If you need, we can help to book the flight ticket to Guiyang, and provide airport pick-up service. (Extra fees needed)
Accommodation: Huangguoshu Scenic Area
- Day 2: Anshun - GuiyangHuangguoshu Waterfall National Park: Dupotang, Tianxingqiao Scenic Area, Huangguoshu Waterfall, water curtain cave
After breakfast, head to Huangguoshu Waterfall National Park which boasts the largest waterfall cluster in the world. Besides the impressive Huangguoshu Waterfall with a height of 77.8m (255 ft) and a width of 101m (331 ft), the park will also entertain you with other 18 waterfalls of varied sizes and characteristics.
Upon arrival, go to explore Dupotang, the widest of the waterfalls in the park.
In the afternoon, visit the less-visited Tianxingqiao Scenic Area. With large caves, ancient trees, serene ponds, stone formations, and star-studded waterfalls, it is often regarded as the most beautiful part of the park. Then, we'll head toward the Huangguoshu Waterfall and its water curtain cave in the back, through which you can hear, see and touch the waterfall.
At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to Guiyang for check-in.
Accommodation: Hotel in Guiyang
- Day 3: Guiyang - QiannanLocal family visit, natural cave camping
This morning, we will drive 2 hours to the hiking trail point (packed lunch is suggested at your hotel). Hike for 2 hours through beautiful farmland to the ancient Village of Buyi, where we will visit a local family to taste tea provided by the hosts and learn about the history of the village.
After a short break, there is another one-hour hike to the natural cave camping site, the highlight of the entire trip. Breathtaking views of the mountain peaks are unobstructed. Explore the mysterious Karst caves on a guided tour to discover the remains of fossilized marine life. After exploring, enjoy the sunset from the platform or make dinner with the local farmers.
Note: You are advised to prepare in advance a simple backpack with toiletries and chargers as well as the necessary medication for you. We offer a luggage handling service (an additional RMB30 per single way and RMB40 per round way for each suitcase carried). Each person will be provided with a separate tent. If you are over 1.9m, please tell us in advance.
Accommodation: Cave Camping
- Day 4: Qiannan - KailiShiqiao Miao Village, Qingjiang Village, local long table banquet
After breakfast, walk downhill to meet our driver and then take a 2-hour ride to Danzhai. On the way we will stop to admire the spectacular Sky Bridge, which is 2135 meters long, and 332 meters high, equivalent to a 110-story building, making it the tallest concrete bridge in the world. You will be amazed by the view surrounding the bridge.
After lunch, a 1-hour drive will take you to Shiqiao Miao Village, where you will learn about the art of papermaking dating back more than 2,000 years and experience it for yourself. In the afternoon, go to Qingjiang Village, where the Green Miao people will welcome you with a traditional ceremony - singing and rice wine drinking.
Visit a local family and learn about their unique brocade weaving, embroidery, or wood drumming. In the evening, you can join the local families to cook a special Miao-style dinner. Enjoy a long table banquet, listen to Miao mountain songs, and taste Miao wine. After dinner, head to your hotel in Kaili.
Accommodation: Hotel in Kaili
- Day 5: Kaili - JianheXijia Village, Matang Gejia Village with a family visit, learn to make clay pottery
After breakfast, meet your driver in the hotel lobby, then a 1-hour ride will take you to the hiking site located in Xijia Village. Then take a 1-hour walk to Matang Gejia Village. It is home to Gejia people who are not listed as 55 minority groups in China.
People here are good at traditional Gejia batik. Visit a local family led by your guide and catch the chance to learn the technology of batik with a skillful craftsman.
After that, head to another Miao village and visit a Miao master here to learn how to make your own clay pottery. In the afternoon, take a leisurely hike to our guesthouse. Amazing views of rice terraces and mountain valleys can be enjoyed during the hike.
Accommodation: Local Boutique Guesthouse
- Day 6: Jianhe - RongjiangShort Skirt Miao Village, Dali Dong Village, Grand Chorus Party
Enjoy the beautiful morning view in this Miao village located on the top of rice terraces. And then drive 2 hours to a Short Skirt Miao Village and join locals to celebrate the festival. Take a walk around the village and see how the locals prepare for the festival. You can also witness the local girls dancing. Enjoy locals singing and dancing after having lunch with the local family. Drive for 2 hours to Dali Dong Village in the afternoon.
Upon arrival, take a short rest. In the evening, attend the Grand Chorus Party and listen to the original Dong chorus, which is listed as a World Intangible Cultural Heritage.
Accommodation: Local Boutique Guesthouse
- Day 7: Rongjiang - Guiyang Departure
Feel free to enjoy the beautiful scenery of Dong Village in the morning, then take a car for about 3 hours to Guiyang Airport. The trip ends here. (It is recommended to book a flight after 16:00)