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.
Schedule for Reference
What's Included
- Entrance to scenic spots listed in the itinerary
- HSR tickets for round trip (second class)
- Private English-speaking guide and driver service throughout the tour
- Lunch boxes or hamburgers of fast-food restaurant
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.
