Xi'an to Shaolin Temple Round Day Trip
One Day Longmen Grottoes and Shaolin Temple Tour
It only takes 1½ hours to travel from Xi'an to Luoyang by HSR (High-Speed Rail). After a short time, you reach another world that is famous for its wonderful cliff carvings and Shaolin Kung Fu. This one day tour is a nice extension of a Xi'an tour.
Highlights
- Enjoy ancient grottoes of different sizes at Longmen with over 1,000 years of history.
- Discover the origin of Chinese kung fu.
Suggested Itinerary
Your guide will contact you about the meeting time and place before the tour. You will be met at your hotel lobby in Xi'an in the early morning. Your guide and driver will escort you to the HSR station and give you your tickets. Get on board for your trip to Luoyang (1½ hours).
Taking the Bullet Train in China
You are required to do a security check before entering the train station, and there's a 5–8 minute walk from the ticket gate to the platform. There may be long stairs and slopes without an escalator, so it is recommended that you pack lightly.
Take some food and drinks for the journey, as they are not very varied and have high prices on the train. A meal box is available on the train.
Keep your train ticket to hand as it might be checked again during the journey and at the train station's exit.
Seating: There are two seats on each side of the aisle in the first class seat car, and three seats on one side and two seats on the other in the second class car. Business class seats are the most luxurious ones on G trains.
In Luoyang
Your guide will meet you upon arrival in Luoyang at the exit, holding a welcome board. Get ready to explore Luoyang.
Thirteen kilometers to the west of Luoyang, Longmen Grottoes is one of the four largest grotto complexes in China. The cultural relics lie amid green mountains and serpentine rivers.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000, the grottoes of differing sizes that were carved in different dynasties are a feast for your eyes.
Shaolin Temple
Then head to Shaolin Temple, which takes about 1½ hours by car.
Shaolin Temple is shrouded in legend and mystery. The origin of martial arts and kung fu is part of the mystique of Shaolin Temple and the Shaolin monks. This is probably the most famous temple in China, not just because of its long history but also because of its role in Chinese Buddhism and its martial arts, or wushu. You will enjoy a half-hour kung fu show at the theater there to see the different weapons used by Shaolin monks.
At the end of the tour, you will be transferred to the railway station at Luoyang to catch the train back to Xi'an. Driver in Xi'an will wait for you and send you back to your hotel.
Trip Notes
Tips for Riding a Bullet Train in China
Arrive at the correct railway station at least 30 minutes before the departure time. You are required to do a security check before entering the train station, and there's a 5–8 minute walk from the ticket gate to the platform. There may be long stairs and slopes without an escalator, so it is recommended that you pack lightly.
Take some food and drinks for the journey, as they are not very varied and have high prices on the train. A meal box is available on the train.
Keep your train ticket to hand as it might be checked again during the journey and at the train station's exit.
Different Seats on a Train
There are two seats on each side of the aisle in the first class seat car, and three seats on one side and two seats on the other in the second class car. Business class seats are the most luxurious ones on G trains. Read more on China's bullet trains
Simple Lunch
To make sure you have more time to enjoy attractions, lunch boxes or hamburgers of fast-food restaurant are recommended. You can have a quick lunch in car/van on the way to Shaolin Temple. Dinner is not included, we recommended food that is available on train.
Price includes:
What Our Customers Said
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Xian 3 day tour
A real cultural&historical impressive 3 day trip to Xi'an, despite the shortening of the actual trip by some days to Covid!However, even with all the challenges, which laid ahead before and during the trip, the flexibility of everyone involved (especially my guide Jenny & my agent Zac) was the key to a memorable journey.This wasn't my first good experience with China Highlights and won't be definitely my last one as you can really take your mind off from the daily grind during those days and just enjoy the scenic spots! moreOct 2022, Karl Kirchheimer
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Hua Shan Hike
Mervyn took me from Xi'anbei Station to the top of Hua Shan east peak, where I stayed overnight to watch the sunrise.It's a magnificent place, best appreciated on days like this without too much crowd, and Mervyn was a fantastic guide.It's not easy being a foreigner travelling around China in these days of covid, but Mervyn made all of that seem easy. And she was a helpful and encouraging presence on the way up, pointing out places of interest and pulling out cans of red bull for when the going got tough!Highly recommended! moreSep 2022, Paul R
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Xian 2022 Trip
Went on a family vacation to Xian and thanks to #chinahighlights my kids and I had a truly enjoyable time. #Christy arranged our tour and #Helen was our tour guide. #Helen did a great job of leading us around the Muslim Quarter, the Terra-cotta Warriors, walking up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, bell and drum towers, riding on the Xian city wall, visiting the Shaanxi History Museum and watching the Legend of the Silk Road show. She was especially knowledgeable of the areas history. The kids and I enjoyed the paper cutting and making terra-cotta warriors out of clay activities as well as watching the Shadow Puppet Show. Despite the COVID restrictions and excessive bureaucracy that now exists for foreigners traveling in China, #Helen did a great job meeting the unique needs of my family and I highly recommend her services. moreJul 2022, Bryan Stanfield
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Xi'an Bliss
We highly enjoyed our trip to Xi'an organised by China Highlights and with fantastic support from our guide Helen. Helen stitched together thousands of years of Chinese history throughout our visits to the terracotta warriors, the Xi'an museum and the ancient city walls. Helen gave us many superb food recommendations, in particular Xi'an's thick spinach noodles and the famous Muslim street. The trip was made very straightforward and we were supported at every step of the journey which gave us great peace of mind, even with COVID restrictions. The tour around the city walls by bike was a particular highlight. Helen also recommended the Nearwall bar which is a fantastic place for coffee and craft beer enthusiasts. China Highlights have been very flexible and responsive. We look forward to visiting again with family and friends in future. moreJul 2022, Michael H
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2.5 days in Xian
Helen helped with a quickly arranged Covid test at a local centre to smooth future travel. Next day was the Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Mosque. Amazing history and not too crowded with plenty of time to explore with excellent local restaurant for dumpling lunch . Helen went through loads of background info at each site adding to the experience and assisted with bartering at the markets. The final day required a late switch of museum and to the little wild goose pagoda which Helen organized efficiently and also played museum guide, I’m not sure what she doesn’t know about Chinese history. Helen was also helpful with our individual onward travel plan changes and our obsession with coffee. moreDec 2021, David P
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The best Xi’an experience I could only recommend
Susan (绒绒), my guide for 2 days, explained everything very pleasant in very good English. She has a huge historical know-how and could introduce me into all cultural and historical events connected to the visited places. To complete this journey, always accompanied with a delicious local food. Many thanks to Susan (绒绒), her driver and Chinahighlights for this fantastic experience moreOct 2021, luismK2514FG
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Our tour guides were Ann (Zhangjiajie), Ivy (Beijing), Lily (Xi'an) and Cecile (Chengdu). Each one of them was fantastic - attentive to our needs, organized, and made sure all of the details were taken care of. Each one of them adapted to our family's needs as things came up and also adapted to changing conditions -(weather, illness, unexpected closures, delays, etc) so we maximized our time and got the most out of every day. Every guide was knowledgeable and personable. moreJul 2021, christinajeanne
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Fabulous Xi’an.
The support from Christy before the trip was superb. The itinerary was perfectly designed to meet my wishes. I loved every single bit of it. Mervyn, my guide was knowledgeable, kind and friendly and brought an added something to the trip that you just don’t get when you do it all yourself. This was my third itinerary with China Highlights and it didn’t disappoint. moreMay 2021, CSA100
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