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Mist drifting between the quartz-sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan, the scenic area at the heart of Zhangjiajie in northwest Hunan
Journey · 18 days · Private

Warriors, Pandasthe Avatar Mountains

The long western route. History in Xi'an, pandas and tea houses in Chengdu, the Chongqing skyline, then six days from the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie to the old river towns of Furong and Fenghuang.

The trip in one paragraph

Eighteen days, six 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 route turns rural: four days among the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie, and two nights in the old river towns of Furong and Fenghuang to finish. It is a trip built for travellers who want the icons and the landscape without flying home in between.

18 days
Per person from
US$9,270

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)

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.

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.

Mist drifting between the quartz-sandstone pillars of Wulingyuan, the scenic area at the heart of Zhangjiajie in northwest Hunan
Everonia
18 daysWarriors, Pandas & the Avatar Mountains

The 18-day route, day by day, with the months that suit it

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Warriors, Pandas & the Avatar Mountains travel guide

Before you enquire

Questions worth
answering early.

  • Three high-speed rail legs: around 3.8 hours from Xi'an to Chengdu, 90 minutes to Chongqing, then around 2.5 hours to Zhangjiajie. The last two legs go by road, with your driver carrying you south to Furong Town and on to Fenghuang. Your guide takes you to each station, and the next driver is waiting with your name.

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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