Time Travel in Guizhou
6-Day Guizhou City and Village Tour
Highlights
- Review some of the forgotten history of the province.
- Shuttle between local alleys with your walking map to discover authentic street food.
- See the world's largest radio telescope and understand how it is a world-leader.
- Explore the mysterious villages of minority groups hidden deep in the mountains.
Itinerary Details
There can hardly be a province in China as magical as Guizhou, where centuries-old ethnic civilization and world-leading technical miracles have dramatically fused together.
This tour is a time-travel, switching between old and new in Guizhou, for curious people like you.
Welcome to Guiyang! Your private guide will meet you at the airport/train station arrivals hall and transfer you to your hotel in a private car.
Hotel options:
Howard Johnson Plaza Guiyang
Sofitel Guiyang Hunter
breakfast & lunch
Qingyan ancient town, with its strong stone walls and isolated location, was a refuge for revolutionaries and their families during the Anti-Japanese War (1937-45).
The town is guarded by a miniature "Great Wall". If you are energetic, climb up and enjoy a bird's-eye view.
Villagers live at the rear of the town. Go further in so that you can taste their lovely snacks. Wander along the hidden paths at your own pace, and enjoy peace of mind under the shade of ancient trees in what is otherwise a world of stone.
In the afternoon, start your city walk from Jiaxiu Pavilion, a landmark of old Guiyang. Hidden in the concrete jungle, the pavilion delicately straddles the unruffled river. It used to be a muse of poets. Many treasured masterpieces from different ages are collected there, for you to appreciate some of them.
After waving goodbye to ancient exquisite temples, travel forward to a building from the Republic of China period (1912-49), mixing Chinese and Western architectural styles. Who owned this grand villa and what happened?
Just listen to the forgotten stories told by your guide, while sipping a cup of coffee.
breakfast & lunch
Skyscrapers are just the tip of the iceberg in China's big new data center. You may fail to feel how advanced Guizhou is until you pay a visit to FAST (Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope).
Looking from above like a massive iron pot, FAST features the world's largest aperture, at 500 meters, with an area equal to 30 soccer fields.
It is believed that FAST is more sensitive and better quality than the Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico; not only bigger. It reaches further and transfers more. Intelligent beings' transmissions can be tracked within its detection zone.
There are still not many English signs and illustrations there, however, as it just opened for tourists in 2016. Your guide will introduce more about FAST to you at the museum.
breakfast & lunch
Had enough of modern city sightseeing? Maybe it's time to escape to wild villages hidden among deep mountains. Guizhou is home to dozens of China's 55 official minorities. The Miao are a large group with many sub-groups, and thus a myriad of cultures.
Most Miao people are hospitable and handy. So don't be surprised if they welcome you at the entrance to the village with a bowl of special rice wine. They are proud of their homemade brewing skills and would love to share the produce with you. If you are not really in "drinking mood", your guide will help you deal with it.
Settled deep in the mountains and provided with limited resources, rural people are good at making the most of whatever they have: for example, making paper from wood pulp. There is a village where people today are still following in their forbears' footsteps and making paper by hand.
You are encouraged to create a unique paper craft with your own hands, under the guidance of an experienced natural-paper maker.
Hotel options:
Heaven Sent Dragon Hotel
breakfast & lunch
The village you are going to visit today is famous for its batiks and army-uniform-style costumes.
It is obvious that batik is much-valued by locals when you see the dyed fabrics hanging at the doorways, instead of the usual red-paper antithetical couplets. People here dye white cloth using indigo plants and paint their totems with wax to express awe and worship.
You will have an opportunity to step into the dye-house and see how to make a fine batik step by step; then participate in the process.
After lunch, visit another special Miao village, famous for its mini-skirt costumes and its unique creative way of storing food, which has been used for centuries.
Trip Notes
Every element of the tour above can be tailored. Feel free to tell us your ideas and we will be happy to make adjustments for you.
1. Extend the Tour
- Zhenyuan: Add a day to take a relax gorge cruise and peaceful ancient town.
- Anshun: Add a day for China's biggest waterfall and karst park.
- Guilin and Yangshuo: Add 2-3 days for Li River Cruise and Yangshuo countryside.
- Zhangjiajie: Add 2-3 days to Zhangjiajie.
2. Hotels and Meals in Remote Areas
China Highlights has carefully selected the best restaurant and hotel available, based on criteria like location and environment. Your private guide will assist you in ordering the dishes you like and will accompany you to check in to your room.
3. Transportation
As China's new big data valley, the network of Guizhou high-speed rail now links to many directions over the country.
Guizhou is a mountainous province but roads to every villages are accessible. So car is a ideal vehicle when transferring between villages. To provide you with a comfortable experience, private car is provided.
Tour Price
Price includes:
- Private air-conditioned business car with big windows and ample space
- English speaking local guide
- Activities, hotels, and meals listed in the itinerary
- 24/7 helpline for while you are traveling
Tour code: gy-3
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The tour was of The Greta Wall of China
The tour was excellent. Selinda was very knowledgeable about all the aspects of our tour. Selinda was very interesting and knew so much Chinese history more
Mar 2024, Alice W
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Ethan, our wonderful guide, whose praises we can not sing loudly enough, was compassionate, caring, and overall endearing! His sense of ease and familiarity with each sight, which were unfamiliar wonders to us, provided a sense of peacefulness that facilitated full enjoyment - helped too by his punctuality and attention to detail. more
Feb 2024, apisn2023
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The Highlights and High Life of Beijing with Ethan & Mr. Chen
Ethan, our wonderful tour guide, made our entire trip an absolute joy for us as he was extraordinarily caring, considerate, and generous. Having had the pleasure of taking in the sights of Beijing previously with another lovely guide, Angela, it was spectacular not only to show the family how fantastic the city is but also how high the quality of services provided by China Highlights are. Each day unveiled a new treasure, helpfully detailed by Ethan, and punctuated by delicious and varied local food. Our driver, Mr. Chen, was also a delight, and was equally as key to the overall experience as he was both attentive and almost mystically punctual! more
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Feb 2024, Nicola B
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3rd time the charm, is being charmed for the 3rd time.
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan Mueller
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3rd time the charm, is charmed for the 3rd time
The sites stay the same but each time we have done this tour, the tour guides manage to make it feel like it is the first time you are experiencing it. And, with the constant renovations, this time we were able to see previous areas that were unavailable the last time we came. more
Feb 2024, Jonathan M
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Great trip and experience!
From beginning to end, China Highlights was very courteous, responsive and attentive in planning and executing a great trip!Aspects and execution of the trip was as discussed and was an overall great experience. Our guide, Michael, was very kind and knowledgeable throughout the tour and would address all questions and help us take lots of photos. Would definitely travel with China Highlights again! more
Feb 2024, Karol
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3rd the charm is charmed for the 3rd time
This is my 3rd tour of Beijing in the last 18 months and I think that speaks a little to the quality of service you get with China Highlights. Each time the sites are the same but each tour guide managed to present them in new and wonderful ways. Also some attractions that were undergoing renovations have been completed, so there were new things to see as well.A big thanks to Mr. Michael, our tour this time around. He was very gregarious and knowledgeable about all the sites. more
Feb 2024, jkjmueller
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1 Day in Beijing
Nice views, Not too much people, Jessi (guide ) so friendly and she have a great service & she knows the answer of all your questions more
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Fabulous day!
Jesse He ,she is a nice tourist guide patience and take good care for us. We had a wonderful time in Beijing,we did the forbidden city and greatwall We love everything ! more
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An excellent day with Linda
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Beijing 2024
We traveled to Beijing with China Highlights in January 2024. Our tour guide Ethan was organized and knowledgeable which made our trip seamless and very interesting!! He helpfully suggested additional activities if we had time in the evenings and assisted us in booking tickets for them. Visiting the Mutianyu Great wall of China was a big highlight of our time in Beijing more
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Jack is an excellent guide
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