9 days Ethnic Guizhou and fantastic Zhangjiajie Fenghuang tour

Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province, is the entrance city of this Guizhou and Zhangjiajie tour. Upon your arrival at the airport or railways station, be assist to the hotel by your local guide and driver. This morning is left for you to wash up and take a short break.

After having lunch in the hotel, drive to the Qingyan Ancient Town in the southern suburb of Guiyang city. This historical town was established by the first emperor of Ming dynasty for military reasons. Roaming through the narrow alleys, you will see lots of well preserved historical architectures, which present an ancient town with cultural features of Ming and Qing Dynasties.

Today you will have a chance to explore the culture if a unique group of Han Nationality in Guizhou province, Tunbao people. Most of them still keep the cultural traditions of the Ming Dynasty. The first stop is Yunfeng, which is one of the largest settlements of Tunbao people. Enjoy a classical Dixi Opera while walking around this ancient village. Regarded as one of the oldest operas in China, Dixi Opera is performed to tell stories, to offer sacrifices and to entertain. It is a cultural treasure left by these ancient Tunbao people.

After visiting Yunfeng, you will explore other nearby ancient Han villages. Then drive back to the hotel in Guiyang for the evening.

You will visit Nanhua village, Nanhua is a Long-Skirt Miao village. It is encircled by towering old trees and its houses supported by wooden pillars are built along the hill. This is a village with two religions: Ancestral worship and the Christian religion. There is a church opened on Sunday and an old butterfly altar for festivals. The coexistence of western and local religions can help us to understand the history and culture of Miao people. Continue driving to visit Langde Long-skirt Miao Village and get close to the local family. Meanwhile, you can appreciate the Miao people's typical architecture, Wooden Stilt House. This evening, you will stay in hotels in Kaili. 

Visit Shiqiao Miao village to see traditional paper making. Then continue a visit to Qingman Miao village. Next with a visit to one of the top 10 most beautiful rice terraces in China - Gaoyao terrace. Afternoon, drive back to Kaili and pay a visit to Kaili Folk Museum, which displays some buildings, food and drink, costumes, festivals, production, recreation, etiquette, morals and beliefs, etc. created by Miao People. It provides a broad, comprehensive introduction to the history of the various ethnic minorities that make up the multi-cultural patchwork that is the southeastern part of present-day Guizhou Province. At last, walk around the local market to get close to the local people's life. Overnight at Kaili.

Drive to Zhenyuan, on the way visit Matang Geijia village. Matang village is a quaint ancient village located 18 kilometers north of Kaili City. Matang is populated with 400 members of the ethnic minority group of Gejia, a subgroup of the Miao ethnic minority.  The Matang villagers are easily identifiable in the colorful clothing that they wear as their daily dress code and their fancy and colorful hand-fabricated adornments. Geija girls learn the art of Batik at a very early age, and this art plays a key role in the Gejia culture. After that, keep the driving to Zhenyuan, pay a visit to Zhenyuan ancient town and Black Dragon Cave. Overnight at Zhenyuan.

Today you will leave Guizhou for a noted ancient town in Hunan province, Fenghuang, which is reputed for the beautiful scenery, fresh air, as well as simplicity of the folk customs. It only takes about 4 hour's drive. 

Spend today to explore the unique beauty of this ancient town. be impressed by its air of mystery, elegance and primitive simplicity. Walk through dozens of alleys paved with flagstones run between the historical buildings, and discover the unspoiled culture of Miao ethnic minority. Afterwards, spend the evening in a hotel.

This morning you will ride a wooden boad along the Tuojiang River to view the whole Fenghuang ancient town. See the bridges over the water and unique houses built on stilts display a harmony, which is so often portrayed in traditional Chinese paintings. After, pay a visit to Liu Da Pao, a local artist, to see a demonstration of his unique form of batik.

After lunch, say farewell to Fenghuang as you will drive to Zhangjiajie. Stop at the Furong Ancient Town, which is a settlement of the Tujia people. Spend some time roaming this town to experience their lifestyle. Then drive to Zhangjiajie for retire.

Spend the whole day to visit Zhangjiajie. Located on the northwestern border of Hunan province, Zhangjiajie is a national park that features the unique Karst mountains and picturesque forests. Morning head to the Yuanjiajie, which is situated in the north of Zhangjiajie National Park. This scenic area is world-famous as the mountains here inspired the floating mountains in the Hollywood movie Avatar. The peaks in Yuanjiajie are nearly at the same height, which makes it a mountain platform great for enjoying sweeping vistas.

Next up with a visit to Tianzi Mountain, where you can have a stunning view of the peaks rising one after another.  There are four wonders in Tianzi Mountain: the Sea of Clouds, the Radiance of the Moonlight, Rays of Sunshine and the Snow in winter.

Continue your journey to Zhangjiajie National Park today. Huangshizhai is the first sightseeing today. This scenic area is regarded as the essence of Zhangjiajie as it possesses quite concentrated attractions and well worth visiting. Afterward, head to the eastside of Zhangjiajie to get to the Golden Whip Creek, an extraordinary tranquil place where you can see the meandering streams, the crystal-clear waterfalls, exotic plants, and rare animals. The creek is also called "the most beautiful valley in the world" and "the most poetic stream" by travelers.

In the afternoon, end today's trip with a visit to the Four Creeks Gate, Afterwards, your guide will drive you to the airport for departure. Wish you have a pleasant journey home.