Day 1 Across the country → or → Zhengzhou
All day
Tourists from all over the world will meet in Zhengzhou, the capital of Henan Province, by plane or train, and then check into their hotel. (Check-in is available after 2:00 PM at the meeting hotel in Zhengzhou.) Early arrivals can leave their luggage at the hotel front desk and arrange their own sightseeing in downtown Zhengzhou. Recommended attractions include the Henan Provincial Museum, the Erqi Memorial Tower, the Yellow River Huayuankou, and the Dengfeng Shaolin Temple. Enjoy Zhengzhou specialties such as Henan braised noodles and Daokou roast chicken. Please be safe during free time. The tour leader will inform everyone of the meeting time the following morning.
Day 2 Zhengzhou → Huixian Wanxian Mountain (Guoliang)
All day
After breakfast, we'll board the bus and head north, crossing the Yellow River to the Wanxian Mountain Scenic Area in Huixian County, Xinxiang. The tour guide will explain the itinerary and play some interactive games.
After a 3.5-hour drive, we arrived at the scenic area. Luggage was transported to our accommodation by car, and the tourists boarded a scenic shuttle bus to Nanping, an ancient village deep in the canyon. Lunch was arranged, where we enjoyed local farm specialties. After a short rest, we'll hike Danfengou in the afternoon (those with less fitness can take the Danfengou shuttle bus at their own expense, 30 yuan per person one way). We'll explore nature's wonders and walk along a "1.2 billion-year-old ancient path." We'll exit the canyon and take the scenic shuttle bus up the mountain to Guoliang Village, halfway up the mountain. Arriving at the entrance to Guoliang Cave, we'll begin our hike along the cliff-hanging road, known as one of the "18 Strange Roads in the World," strolling along the cliff corridors until we reach Guoliang Village.
We went to the farmhouse in the village to rest and have dinner.
Day 3 Guoliang → Wangmangling
All day
If the weather is good in the morning, you can get up early and go to the watchtower and the ladder to watch the sunrise (the cost of renting a car for the sunrise is about 20 yuan per person, at your own expense). If you want to sleep in, you can continue to sleep in.
In the morning, we gathered at an opportune time and set off for Guoliang Film and Television Village, exploring scenes from film and television dramas and admiring the old stone houses nestled in the Taihang Mountains. We then touched the massive Zhangshiyan rock face and hiked through Guoliang Cave, where light and shadow flickered through the intermittent apertures. Leaving the Cliff Corridor, we crossed Tianchi Lake and arrived at the Cliff Houses. Here, multiple viewing platforms offer panoramic views of Guoliang Cave, a breathtaking spectacle that truly captures the spirit of the Taihang Mountain people. The Cliff Houses also offer a stunning view of the Red Rock Cliff Canyon. From afar, the sheer red rock face resembles a towering city wall. On rainy days, misty clouds rise, making one feel like a celestial being on high!
We returned to the village in time for lunch, then headed to Kunshan Village on the border of Henan and Shanxi. Here, we arranged a car to transport our luggage. We then boarded a scenic bus to cross the spectacular Kunshan Hanging Wall in the Southern Taihang Mountains. The narrow, narrow road inside was a thrilling experience, barely navigating the road on our own. Beyond, the breathtaking scenery of rolling hills and peaks unfolded, a breathtaking spectacle. The "holes" of the hanging wall we initially saw from afar were the Kunshan Hanging Wall we were about to cross. This nearly 8km-long hanging wall road, due to its altitude, is even more breathtaking and magnificent than the Guoliang Cave. As we neared the end of the tunnel, we were struck by the breathtaking sight of Wangmangling, the peak of the Southern Taihang Mountains in Shanxi, and the Danfengou Valley in Henan below.
We arrived at the foot of Wangmangling around 2pm. You can follow the tour guide to explore the Wangmangling Cliff. From here, you can see the cliffs on both sides that are thousands of feet high, and the canyons in the middle. The Kunshan Cliffs are winding among the mountains, which is so magnificent!
Rest at the right time and have a sweet dream.
4th Tianwangmangling → Loop Line → Xiyagou → Tianjie Mountain
All day
After breakfast, we'll take a scenic shuttle bus to the core area of the northern loop of Wangmangling Mountain. We'll take photos as we walk, including Turtle Hump, Fuyun Cliff, and Scattering Flower Terrace. Each of these scenic spots is truly breathtaking! The rolling sea of clouds after rain creates a fairyland-like experience.
We will go down the mountain in time and take the scenic shuttle bus to cross the Xiyagou Cliff Road. There are seven cliff roads carved in the 800-mile majestic Taihang Mountains. Among them, the Xiyagou Cliff Road has the largest amount of work, the longest time and the greatest difficulty in carving.
In the afternoon, we visited Xiyagou, another core component of Wangmangling, where "A Bite of China 2" was filmed. Crossing the street, we arrived at the Red Rock Canyon, a place comparable to Colorado in the United States, with its winding canyon and sheer cliffs. From the cliffside observation deck, you can even see four generations of the Stone Family living together under one roof—an extremely rare spectacle.
Afterwards, we will walk along the cliffside path, cross the provincial border, return to Henan, and arrive at the mountain B&B near Huilong Grand Canyon. After dividing the rooms, we will take a short rest.
We'll then head to the core scenic area of Tianjie Mountain. Exiting Qingfeng Pass, the ancient pass between Henan and Shanxi, we'll gaze up at Laoye Peak, the Iron Peak of the World, at 1,570 meters, known as the "Taihang Peak." We'll take a scenic shuttle bus around the 8-kilometer Yunfeng Gallery, offering a 360-degree panoramic tour. Along the way, we'll visit the towering Guizhen Terrace, a perilous 1-kilometer-long plank road built on the cliffs (for the faint of heart). There's also a glass plank bridge spanning the cliffs, and a courage-testing platform that juts dozens of meters into the abyss.
We returned to our accommodation in good time and after dinner, we fell asleep under the stars.
Day 5 → Baligou → Zhengzhou
All day
Tourists who get up early can go for a walk and exercise in the ancient mountain village. If you are lucky, you will be able to see the beautiful scenery of the rolling sea of clouds in Huilong Grand Canyon.
After breakfast, take the scenic shuttle bus down the mountain and cross the S-shaped Huilong Cliff, one of the seven cliffs in the southern Taihang Mountains, to arrive at Baligou. In 1997, Huilong Village in Huixian County, Henan Province, deep in the Taihang Mountains, dug an 8-kilometer-long cliff road on the cliff to reach the outside world. It was named Huilong Cliff Road and became a miracle in architectural history.
This morning, we visited the Baligou Tianhe Waterfall scenic area. Xinxiang's Baligou Scenic Area is known as the "Soul of the Taihang Mountains and the Spirit of Chinese Style," and is hailed by garden experts as "Asia's Unparalleled." Tianhe Waterfall is Baligou's core attraction. With a drop of nearly 180 meters, it cascades down from Hulu Cliff. Behind the waterfall, visitors can traverse the Water Curtain Valley and gaze up at the waterfall. Beneath the curtain, the 200-meter-long Water Curtain Cave is open year-round for visitors to experience the "Northern Water World."
Exit the scenic area at an appropriate time and have lunch at the entrance. Then, transfer to the scenic shuttle bus down the mountain and then transfer to the bus back to Zhengzhou. Expected arrival time: around 4:00 PM.
For your convenience, we will first send you to Zhengzhou East Station on the end of the trip, and then to your hotel in Zhengzhou city on the gathering day. It is recommended that you book your return trip on the same day by high-speed rail from Zhengzhou East Station after 16:30 in the afternoon and by flight after 19:00 in the evening.
During peak holiday seasons, it's recommended to book a later bus than the one suggested on this page to avoid traffic delays! Please plan your return time accordingly to avoid delays. Everyone was reluctant to leave, kissing goodbye with tears in their eyes!
