4-Day Shanxi Private Tour Includes Pingyao Ancient City, Mt. Hengshan and Datong Yungang Grottoes

Attractions: Jinci Temple, Pingyao Ancient Town
Meal: Not Included
Hotel: Overnight in Pingyao

Welcome to Taiyuan. After arrival, drive 30mins to explore Jin Garden & Temple Museum, beautiful garden temple famous for its combination of solemn architecture and skillfully-carved sculptures.

After the visit, drive 1.5h to Pingyao Ancient Town, check into nice boutique hotel inside the town. Explore the ancient town.

Attractions: Pingyao Ancient Town
Meal: Not Included
Hotel: Overnight in Datong

After breakfast, your guide will pick you up to start Pingyao Ancient City exploration. As one of the best-preserved ancient cities in China, Pingyao Ancient City is listed as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site because of its brilliant cultural magnificence. Your tour starts from the Ancient City Wall of Pingyao, where you can have a panorama view of the layout of this town. Then you will move on to the Rishengchang Former Bank, which shows you the original bank system in the past. Next, stroll on the traditional Ming and Qing Street, a cobbled road with old buildings on either side. It’s much like tracing back to the former bustle bazaar in the old days. Later, visit the Temple of City God to appreciate the wonderful wood carvings, paintings and sculptures in the old temple.

After the visit, transfer to train station to board 3 hour train to Datong. Welcome to Datong!  Driver will pick you up and transfer you to hotel.

Attractions: Hanging Temple, Mt. Hengshan
Meal: Not Included
Hotel: Overnight in Datong

After breakfast, you will move to Hanging Temple, after 1.5 hours’ driving (80 km). Miraculously carved into the sheer cliff of Hengshan Mountain, Hanging Temple is one of the most incredible sights in China. Moreover, Hanging Temple is featured as the only existing temple with the combination of Buddhism, Taoism and Confucianism.

After the exciting experience in Hanging Temple, a short drive to Hengshan Mountain, one of the most famous ‘Five Sacred Mountains’ in China, to appreciate natural sceneries and man-made landscaping. We will take cable car up, and do a light hiking around the mountain.

Drive back to Datong after the visit. Stroll at restored City Wall of Datong. Both new and old city of Datong can be viewed on the wall, showing a drastic difference. The night view seen from the City Wall is amazing.

Attractions: Yungang Grottoes, Nine Dragon Screen Wall, Datong city wall
Meal: Not Included
Hotel: Not Included

In the morning, you will drive about 50 minutes (23 kilometers) to Yungang Grottoes, a World Heritage site dating back to 5th century. You won’t miss Cave No.5 and Cave No. 6 – the highlights of Yungang Grottoes with the entire interiors carved and colored. Facing these jaw-dropping celestial beings in different shapes, you can imagine the painstaking effort taken to produce them.

In the afternoon, drive back to Datong city to visit Nine Dragon Screen Wall, made of colorful glazed tiles and depicting nine dragons. It was served as a temple’s spirit wall placed in the entrance to inhibit the evil spirit’s coming. Now it is the biggest and oldest glazed dragon wall in China.

After the visit, drive to Datong airport for departure flight.