Tour Overview
| Duration | 5 Days / 4 Nights |
|---|---|
| Destination | Henan — Zhengzhou / Kaifeng / Dengfeng / Luoyang UNESCO Heritage |
| Price From | $949 per person (twin share) |
| Tour Style | Ancient Capitals Cultural Journey |
| Data Source | ChinaDiscovery.com 2026 |
Itinerary Highlights
Day 1: Arrive Zhengzhou
Transfer from Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport. Visit the Henan Provincial Museum (free entry; one of China’s national museums). 5,381 artifacts from Neolithic cultures through Song Dynasty, with an outstanding Bronze Age collection. Walk Dehua pedestrian street, the commercial heart of modern Zhengzhou. Overnight in Zhengzhou.
Day 2: Zhengzhou → Kaifeng → Dengfeng
Morning transfer to Kaifeng, the “Eastern Capital” of Song Dynasty. Visit the Iron Pagoda Park (1049) — actually made of 28 types of glazed brick. Stop at Daxiangguo Si (555 AD, rebuilt 1766), where the famous Chinese Buddha Taisai’s octagonal Hall of Preaching hosts an immense carved wooden Guanyin (patron saint of pilgrimage). Continue to Yangguishan, where Emperor Zhao Kuangyin of the Song Dynasty holds a royal barge. Walk the Song Dynasty river corridor park. Drive 2 hours to Dengfeng. Overnight in Dengfeng.
Day 3: Shaolin Kung Fu & Mount Song
Full day at the Shaolin Temple Complex (UNESCO World Heritage since 2010). See the original Shaolin Temple (495 AD) where monk Bodhidharma developed Chan Buddhism and Chinese martial arts 1,500 years ago. Watch the famous Shaolin Kung Fu Performance. Hike 3 hours on Mount Song, one of China’s five sacred mountains, with stops at the ancient Zhongyue Temple (110 BC), Qimu Wenjiao (First Heavenly Sign), and Three Zhangji Gorge with its Tang Dynasty stone inscriptions. Overnight in Dengfeng.
Day 4: Dengfeng → Luoyang
Drive to Luoyang. Morning visit to Longmen Grottoes — UNESCO heritage site with 100,000+ Buddhist statues carved into 1km of limestone cliffs. Begun 493 AD and continuing for 400 years. Visit the Luoyang Museum’s Tang Dynasty collection, including a 1340 AD gold sword. Evening walk the Old Town, trying Henan street food: Hu La Tang (spicy oil soup), Shui Xian (water banquet soup), You Zhua Bing (fried pancake with shredded meats). Overnight in Luoyang.
Day 5: Luoyang & Depart
Morning visit to White Horse Temple (68 AD), China’s first Buddhist temple — built by Emperor Mingdi to honor the white horses carrying the Indian Buddhist sutras from India. Visit the Guanlin Temple, tomb of Guan Yu from “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” Afternoon transfer to Luoyang Airport.
Inclusions
- 4 nights (1 Zhengzhou + 1 Dengfeng + 2 Luoyang) with breakfast
- Henan Museum + Iron Pagoda + Daxiangguo Si (Kaifeng)
- Shaolin Temple + Mount Song + Zhongyue Temple hike
- Shaolin kung fu performance
- Longmen Grottoes + Luoyang Museum + White Horse Temple
- All transfers with English guide
