Classic Luoyang Day Tour

This morning, your private guide and driver will meet you at your self-booked hotel or the railway station in Luoyang. If you plan to make a same-day round trip by high-speed train, you’re advised to arrive before 9:00 and opt for a return train after 18:30, allowing ample time for your visit.

Then, we’ll kick off this Luoyang day tour to Longmen Grottoes, a 1,500-year-old heritage site boasting the most Buddhist stone statues in the world. From a distance, the whole complex resembles a giant honeycomb, which is not a natural creation, but an artificial miracle carved by countless clever hands over 400-plus years. As you approach the Fengxian Temple, the 17-meter-high (56-foot-high) Vairocana Buddha, the largest of all statues, is gazing at you with a mysterious smile. It’s no wonder foreign visitors call it “Oriental Mona Lisa”! Beyond these exquisite sculptures, you can also enjoy more than 2,800 epigraphic inscriptions. Take a close look at the Longmen Twenty Inscriptions. Through your guide’s commentary, you’ll discover that this is not only a masterwork representing the finest of Chinese calligraphy from the late fourth to the early seventh centuries, but also an important historical record for researching Buddhism, social structure, and historical events of that era.
► Tip: There is almost no place for shade, so sunblock, sunglasses, and sun hats are must-haves in summer from June to August. After lunch, let’s explore the nearly 2,000-year-old White Horse Temple. As the first temple officially built after Buddhism spread to China, it has been honored as “China’s First Ancient Temple”. Upon entry, you’ll first see some buildings laid out along a central axis, which is the classic design of Chinese traditional Buddhist architecture. These main halls, including the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, the Great Buddha Hall, and the Mahavira Hall, stand in sequence, all adorned with red walls and intricate brackets. Head west with your guide, and you’ll feast your eyes on the domed Indian Hall, the golden-spired, white-walled Thai Hall, and the Burmese Hall guarded by a huge cobra statue. This scene, where various exotic halls come together, vividly embodies the temple’s role as a crossroads of global Buddhist cultures.
► Dress Code: In Buddhist temples, you’re advised to wear modest attire out of respect. Scantily-clad clothes like camisoles, hotpants, miniskirts, and flip-flops are not recommended.

Later, we’ll dive deeper into the 800-year-old Luoyang Old Town. As the Lijing Gate draws near, you’ll be instantly captivated by rustic flagstone streets and orderly-arranged traditional dwellings with weathered brick walls and grey-tiled roofs. Stroll along West Avenue, lined with time-honored brands and specialty food stalls, where the scent of rich mung bean pancake soup and lamb soup will make your mouth water. East Avenue is a bit quieter, inviting you to savor exquisite door ornaments and browse handicraft studios full of peony porcelains and Tang tri-color glazed ceramics. To the west lies the iconic Drum Tower, which offers a panorama of the entire old street. All these seemingly transport you back to Luoyang’s prosperity in the old days and the ordinary lives of its people.

As we reach the bustling Luoyi Ancient City, this 1 day Luoyang city tour comes to an end. Your guide and driver will then see you off at your hotel or the train station in Luoyang. If you wish to extend your trip to destinations near Luoyang, such as visiting the Shaolin Temple to watch a Chinese Kung Fu show, please contact your travel consultant anytime to tailor your exclusive itinerary!

Meal: Lunch► Recommended Nighttime Activities:
If you stay in Luoyang tonight, part with your guide at Luoyi Ancient City at the end of this tour to explore more on your own. After dark, admire the Wenfeng Tower illuminated like a large golden brush piercing the dark sky, and leisurely walk along the crystal-clear Luoshui River mirroring the pseudo-classic buildings on the banks and strings of lit red lanterns on the corridor bridges. There is also a popular “Heavenly Maiden Scattering Flowers” performance, where a graceful actor in traditional Chinese attire scatters eco-friendly biodegradable petals from mid-air, and if you’re interested, ask your guide for the specific showtime in advance.