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The 32-metre granite bust of the young Mao Zedong rising above the orange groves at the head of Orange Isle in Changsha
Journey · 21 days · Private

The Grand WesternRoute

The longest route we run. The warriors in Xi'an, the pandas in Chengdu, the Chongqing skyline, six days from the Zhangjiajie pillars to the old river towns, and the night food streets of Changsha to finish.

The trip in one paragraph

Twenty-one days, seven stops, one direction of travel. The cities come first: Xi'an inside its Ming walls, Chengdu at tea-house pace, Chongqing stacked over its two rivers. Then the wild middle: four days among the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, and two nights in the river towns of Furong and Fenghuang. Changsha closes it, with the Han tombs by day and the food streets after dark. It is the trip for travellers who want the whole west in one go, without flying home in between.

21 days
Per person from
US$10,750

Per person, on 4- and 5-star hotels of your choosing

Indicative · your trip is priced when we design it.

What's included
  • Hotels
  • Breakfast
  • Private driver-guide
  • Executive private vehicle
  • Transport between destinations
  • Activities and excursions
  • Travel insurance
  • 24-hour support while you travel
Design my trip
  1. 4 nights

    Days 1 to 4: Xi'an

    1. Day 01: Terracotta Warriors and Lintong

      Ranks of terracotta warriors standing in Pit One at Emperor Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum outside Xi'an
      Terracotta Warriors and Lintong

      About 1 hour east

      1. Meet the Terracotta Army at first entry

      2. Ride the cable car up Mount Li

      3. Look through the Lintong Museum

      4. Stroll Lintong's old streets

      5. Watch The Song of Everlasting Sorrow at Huaqing Palace

    2. Day 02: History and Tang Dynasty Culture

      A Buddha statue and reflecting pool in Daci'en Temple Ruins Park, the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda rising behind
      Wild Goose Pagoda North Square

      1. Spend the morning in the Shaanxi History Museum

      2. Walk the Daci'en Temple Ruins Park

      3. Join the lantern-lit crowds at Datang Everbright City

      4. Catch the fountain show at the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

    3. Day 03: Qinling

      A ridge pavilion above the Qinling range, cloud drifting below the peaks
      Qinling

      South into the Qinling foothills

      1. Take fireside tea at a foothill farm-stay

      2. Cross the Qinling watershed pass

      3. Meet the pandas at the Four Treasures Science Park

      4. Finish with dinner and shopping at Xi'an MixC

    4. Day 04: Local Markets and Yuanjia Village

      The Bell Tower lit at dusk from above, ringed by the roundabout at the centre of Xi'an's old city
      Bell Tower

      Northwest into the Guanzhong countryside

      1. Visit the Bell Tower

      2. See the Drum Tower

      3. Eat your way along the Muslim Quarter

      4. Graze the snack lanes of Yuanjia Village

      5. Stay for the village's lantern-lit evening

    Xi'an’s famous dishes

    • Xi'an lamb skewers grilling over charcoal, with raw lamb pieces ready at the back and cumin and chilli powder scattered along the rail

      Xi'an BBQ Skewers

      (Cumin, Chilli, Charcoal)

    • A Xi'an rou jia mo, shredded meat tucked into a wheat bun and served one-handed

      Rou jia mo

      (Xi'an's pulled-pork flatbread)

    • A bowl of Xi'an yangrou paomo in blue-and-white porcelain: lamb broth ladled over hand-torn flatbread cubes and glass noodles, with chilli paste and pickled garlic on the side

      Yangrou paomo

      (mutton soup with hand-torn bread)

  2. High-speed rail from Xi'an, around 3.8 hours

    5 nights

    Days 5 to 9: Chengdu

    1. Day 05: Daci Temple and Taikoo Li

      A monk in orange robes on the steps of Daci Temple, tiled rooflines folding around the courtyard
      Daci Temple

      1. Visit the courtyards of Daci Temple

      2. Graze the riverside kitchens of Wangping Street

      3. Walk Chunxi Road under the neon

      4. Finish among the lanes of Taikoo Li

    2. Day 06: Pandas and Dujiangyan

      A giant panda eating bamboo among the trees at Dujiangyan's Panda Valley
      Dujiangyan Panda Valley

      About 1.5 hours northwest

      1. Watch feeding hour at Panda Valley

      2. Walk the Dujiangyan Irrigation System

      3. Wander Guanxian Ancient City

      4. Watch the Nanqiao Bridge light up over the river

    3. Day 07: Bronzes and the Three Kingdoms

      The 2.6-metre bronze standing figure from the Sanxingdui Bronze Age site, arms outstretched holding a ceremonial object
      Sanxingdui Museum

      About 1.5 hours north to Guanghan

      1. Meet the bronze masks at the Sanxingdui Museum

      2. Visit Wuhou Shrine

      3. Stroll Jinli Ancient Street next door

      4. Wander the Kuanzhai Alleys after dark

    4. Day 08: Mount Emei

      The golden summit of Mount Emei above a sea of cloud, snow peaks on the horizon
      Mount Emei

      About 2 hours southwest

      1. Ride the cable car up Mount Emei

      2. Walk between the temples and viewpoints

      3. Return to Chengdu for the river lights at Dongmen Wharf

    5. Day 09: Modern Chengdu

      The Tower of Vitality's lit water columns pouring at night above Chengdu SKP
      Tower of Vitality

      1. Settle into a tea house at People's Park

      2. Browse the factory halls of Eastern Suburb Memory

      3. Watch the water columns light up at the Tower of Vitality

    Chengdu’s famous dishes

    • A Chengdu hot pot table, split broth bubbling at the centre surrounded by plates of thin-sliced beef, skewers and fresh greens

      Chengdu hot pot

    • A wide bowl of milky-white pig trotter soup with white kidney beans, beside a small dish of chilli-and-Sichuan-pepper dip on a Chengdu late-night table

      Pig trotter soup

      (Ti Hua)

    • A small plate of plump pork wontons glossed in red chilli-oil sauce with garlic and scallion, the signature Chengdu lunchtime snack

      Red oil wontons

      (Hongyou Chaoshou)

  3. High-speed rail from Chengdu, around 1.5 hours

    3 nights

    Days 10 to 12: Chongqing

    1. Day 10: Jiefangbei and Hongya Cave

      Hongya Cave's stacked stilt houses glowing at dusk above the Jialing River
      Hongya Cave

      1. Walk Jiefangbei from the Liberation Monument

      2. Walk out across the Qiansimen Bridge

      3. See the stacked storeys of Hongya Cave

      4. Watch Hongya Cave light up from the Jialing waterfront

    2. Day 11: Wulong Karst

      The Three Natural Bridges of Wulong Karst, a vast limestone arch above a green valley
      Wulong Karst Three Natural Bridges

      About 2.5 hours southeast, each way

      1. Walk the valley floor beneath the Three Natural Bridges

      2. Take lunch above the gorge before the drive back

      3. Return to Chongqing and rest

    3. Day 12: The mountain city on foot

      A Chongqing Line 2 monorail train passing through the middle floors of the Liziba residential block
      Liziba station

      1. Watch the light rail pass through the building at Liziba

      2. Explore the stone lanes of Ciqikou Ancient Town

      3. Climb Shancheng Alley as the lanterns come on

    Chongqing’s famous dishes

    • A bubbling Chongqing málà hot pot at a back-street house, broth red with chillies and Sichuan peppercorn

      Chongqing hot pot

      (the bencheng version, beef-tallow broth)

    • A bowl of Chongqing xiaomian, wheat noodles in chilli oil with peanuts, scallion and Sichuan peppercorn

      Chongqing xiaomian

      (the city's morning noodle)

    • A Chongqing mao xue wang, duck blood and beef offal in a chilli-bean broth, served at a jianghu-cai house

      Jianghu cai

      (the rivers-and-lakes school)

  4. High-speed rail from Chongqing East, around 2.5 hours

    6 nights

    Days 13 to 18: Zhangjiajie

    1. Day 13: Arrival and the 72 Qilou

      A tiered timber tower lit blue at night in Dayong old town, crowds filling the street and shopfronts below
      Dayong old town

      1. Arrive by rail or air and settle in

      2. Take a first walk through the Dayong old town

      3. Wander the lit stilt towers of the 72 Qilou

      4. Stay for the evening performances and the food lanes

    2. Day 14: Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain

      The Bailong Elevator climbing the cliff face of Wulingyuan, the world's tallest outdoor elevator
      Bailong Elevator

      1. Ride the Bailong Elevator up the cliff face

      2. Walk the Yuanjiajie rim past the pillar formations

      3. See the No. 1 Bridge Under Heaven

      4. Walk the Tianzi Mountain viewpoints

      5. Ride the cable car down from Tianzi Mountain

      6. Take dinner in Wulingyuan town

    3. Day 15: Golden Whip Stream and the Ten-Mile Gallery

      Quartz-sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan rising above the forested valley floor in morning mist
      Golden Whip Stream

      1. Walk the Golden Whip Stream beneath the pillars

      2. Ride the valley tram through the Ten-Mile Gallery

      3. Pause at the viewpoints along the gallery

      4. Return for an easy evening in Wulingyuan town

    4. Day 16: Tianmen Mountain and Xibu Street

      Heaven's Gate, the natural limestone arch through Tianmen Mountain south of Zhangjiajie city
      Tianmen Mountain

      1. Ride the cable car up Tianmen Mountain

      2. Walk the cliff paths and the optional glass skywalk

      3. Stand under Heaven's Gate at the top of the 999 steps

      4. Browse the evening stalls of Xibu Street

    5. Day 17: Huanglong Cave and Furong Town

      Stilted Tujia houses leaning out from the cliff above the waterfall at Furong Town in Yongshun County
      Furong Town

      About 2 hours southwest to Furong

      1. Ride the boat along the underground river in Huanglong Cave

      2. Walk the lit paths to the Sea-Calming Needle

      3. Drive southwest through the hills to Furong Town

      4. Wander the stone lanes and stilt houses

      5. Watch the falls light up after dark

      6. Stay overnight in Furong Town

    6. Day 18: Furong Town and Fenghuang

      Stilted Diaojiaolou houses leaning out over the Tuojiang River at Fenghuang Ancient Town, with lanterns lit along both banks at dusk
      Fenghuang Ancient Town

      About 2.5 hours south to Fenghuang

      1. Take a slow morning by the falls

      2. Drive south to Fenghuang Ancient Town

      3. Browse the old town lanes

      4. Walk the Tuojiang bank as the lanterns come on

      5. Take the night cruise beneath the stilt houses

    Zhangjiajie’s famous dishes

    • A silver-carp fish head laid flat on a platter under a blanket of bright red chopped fermented chilli, garlic and ginger, steamed Hunan-style

      Chopped-chilli fish head

      (Duojiao Yutou, the Hunan signature)

    • A bowl of dark glossy pork belly cubes glazed in caramelised rock sugar and dark soy, Hunan red-braised pork in the Chairman Mao style

      Chairman Mao's braised pork

      (Mao Shi Hongshao Rou, the Shaoshan icon)

    • A clay pot of Western Hunan three-in-the-pot stew with smoked pork belly, sour radish and tofu in a deep simmering broth

      Three-in-the-pot stew

      (Sanxiaguo, the Western Hunan signature)

  5. High-speed rail from Fenghuang, around 2 hours

    3 nights

    Days 19 to 21: Changsha

    1. Day 19: Changsha City Highlights and Historic Streets

      The painted T-shaped silk funerary banner from Lady Dai's tomb at the Hunan Museum
      Hunan Museum

      1. Look through the collections of the Hunan Museum

      2. Spend time with the Mawangdui Han tomb relics

      3. Visit Wuyi Square at the centre of the city

      4. Walk the length of Huangxing Pedestrian Street

      5. Visit Du Fu River Pavilion above the Xiang

      6. Take in the night views along the Xiang River

    2. Day 20: Yuelu Mountain Cultural Exploration

      Maple leaves in deep red and orange around Aiwan Pavilion on Yuelu Mountain, the Xiang River below
      Yuelu Mountain

      1. Climb Yuelu Mountain by ropeway or on foot

      2. Walk the scenic trails to the viewpoints over the city

      3. Visit Yuelu Academy on the lower slope

      4. Walk the lecture halls and courtyards of the old campus

      5. Explore the lanes of Taiping Old Street

    3. Day 21: Orange Isle and Riverside Scenery

      The 32-metre granite bust of the young Mao Zedong at the head of Orange Isle, the Xiang River behind
      Orange Isle

      1. Walk Orange Isle to the granite head of the young Mao

      2. Wander the island park and its tangerine groves

      3. Visit Kaifu Temple

      4. Walk the lotus pond and the temple gardens

      5. Cross to Juzizhou Bridge for the illuminated river

      6. Watch the Changsha skyline light up across the water

    Changsha’s famous dishes

    • Mahogany-black Changsha-style stinky tofu cubes glossed with red chilli oil, garlic-leek sauce and cilantro at a Wuyi Square food stall

      Changsha stinky tofu

      (the charcoal-black version)

    • A stacked plate of glossy mahogany-glazed sugar-oil rice cakes dusted with sesame, the Changsha Pozi Street snack served fresh from the wok

      Sugar-oil rice cakes

      (Tang You Ba Ba)

    • A tabletop spread of Ben Luobo Hunan home-cooking dishes in plain ceramic bowls, small-wok plates piled with red chillies and fresh herbs

      Ben Luobo

      (the home-cooking house Changsha queues for)

When to go

When to visit,
and how it feels.

March

Xi'an
Daily max (°F): 60° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 28 mm · Dry
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring and still quiet. City-wall cycling weather begins.

Chengdu
Daily max (°F): 64° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 24 mm · Dry
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring and still quiet. Comfortable walking weather returns.

Chongqing
Daily max (°F): 65° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 56 mm · Showery
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring, mild and still quiet. Comfortable weather returns for the stair streets.

Zhangjiajie
Daily max (°F): 63° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 88 mm · Showery
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring, with mist between the pillars. Paths are quiet before the season starts.

Changsha
Daily max (°F): 60° · Mild
Rainfall (mm): 129 mm · Rainy
Crowds: Quiet

Early spring, mild and wet. The museum mornings work well while the rain passes.

Temperature and rainfall are China Meteorological Administration climate normals, 1991 to 2020. Crowd levels follow the Chinese public-holiday calendar and daily booking caps at the major sites.

The 32-metre granite bust of the young Mao Zedong rising above the orange groves at the head of Orange Isle in Changsha
Everonia
21 daysThe Grand Western Route

The 21-day route, day by day, with the months that suit it

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Before you enquire

Questions worth
answering early.

  • Travellers with the leave and the appetite for the whole west in one go. If three weeks is too long, the 18-day route keeps everything except Changsha, and the 14-day route keeps the three cities.

Portrait of Jack Guo

Jack Guo

Your travel specialist

Jack has spent ten years working with the guides, drivers and hoteliers across China. He'll be your contact from first enquiry to final airport pickup.

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