Chengdu · Zhangjiajie · Guilin · Yangshuo. Pandas before breakfast, floating mountains by afternoon, a bamboo raft at dawn.
This is the trip for travelers who came for the landscape and the wildlife rather than the imperial monuments. It runs from Chengdu's bamboo groves to the sandstone pillars that inspired Avatar, and finishes on the misty Li River.
It's also a quieter route than the classic one. Zhangjiajie and Yangshuo are places where the crowds disperse the moment you step off the main trail, and your guide knows exactly which viewing platforms to reach before the buses do.
The Giant Panda Base first thing in the morning, then a walk in the People's Park teahouse district with a stop at a local dumpling house. Evening: a Sichuan hotpot that can be dialled from mild to life-changing.
Fly to Zhangjiajie and spend three days in the sandstone pillar forest — the Bailong elevator, Tianzi Mountain, and the glass bridge for the brave. Your guide times each platform for the light and the crowds, and swaps days around if the weather closes in.
A short flight south to Guilin, then the Li River by boat through the classic karst landscape. Two nights in Yangshuo: cycling the Yulong River, a morning market, and a cooking class with a local family.
A last sunrise from Xianggong Hill, a bamboo raft on the Yulong, and space in the schedule to do absolutely nothing if that's what you want. Transfer to Guilin airport for your onward flight.
Best time to travel: April–May and September–October. Zhangjiajie is greenest in late spring; autumn gives the clearest views.
Every included item is itemized in your itinerary before you pay anything. No hidden fees on arrival.
From $599 per person
From $659 per person
From $399 per person
Pandas, teahouses and real heat
The mountains that float
Karst peaks and river mornings
Emperors, hutongs and the Great Wall
Where China began
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