Private Tour of Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple in Luoyang

You'll receive a welcome call from your guide via hotel at the night before your tour day, he/she will double confirm the pick-up time for the next day's trip with you. If you are not available at that moment, the tour guide will leave a message for you.

Just in case that if you don't receive our emails or phone calls, please call our 24-hour hotline at +[ ] or add WeChat ID: liudahaii and we will put things right.

Your guide will be waiting for you in your hotel lobby which is centrally located in Luoyang City at 9:00AM holding a sign with your name on it. We can also pick you up at Luoyang Longmen/ Luoyang railway station. Then brings you to our first stop--the Longmen Grottoes. As you travel, listen as your guide tells tales of Longmen.

Good to Know:

• The hotel pick-up and drop-off area should be within Luoyang city center (including Luoyang Railway Station and Luoyang Longmen Railway Station). For further distance there might be an extra cost for the transfer which you'll be notified by your travel advisor.
• If you take an early high-speed railway and arrive at Luoyang/ Luoyang Longmen Station in the morning or catch a train after tour, please provide your train information(train number, carriage number, arrival/departure time) at the time of booking. We will pick you up at/drop you off to the station for free.

Your exploration of the Longmen Grottoes site begins. Please follow your guide to discover the grottoes which house the biggest collection of Chinese art from the late Northern Wei and Tang Dynasties, from between the 4th and 10th centuries

The Yi River flows between Mount Xiangshan (to the east and known as East Hill) and Mount Longmen (to the west and known as West Hill), and most of the grottoes and caves are on the western side. About 2,300 grottoes and niches, more than 40 crematory urns, 25,000 inscribed stone tablets, and over 100,000 Buddhist images and statues are carved into the cliffs.

Head into the site, and enjoy a guided walk along the riverbanks to see the highlights, admiring the earliest niches with their simple Buddha statues, to the later and more richly carved caves, featuring rich depictions of Buddhas, court figures, and other decorative elements.

There some highlights you should not miss on West Hill, such as Guyang Cave which is the oldest cave, Fengxian Temple which is the largest cave and the biggest sculpture of Vairocana Buddha, Wanfo Cave which is the smallest cave, etc.

Good to Know:

• The Longmen Caves area is very large. Although you can take a battery car from the entrance to the site, you also need to walk a lot. Wearing a pair of comfortable shoes is recommended.
• Please be prepared to climb steps. All the steps are fenced safely and you can ascend them easily. Your experienced guide will take good care of you.

Admire the lush scenery around the caves, and afterward, head to a local restaurant for a lunch of popular regional dishes.

Please let us know your food preferences, such as a vegetarian diet, gluten-free food, etc. so that we can make preparations in advance.

Duly refreshed, continue with a 40-munite drive to the White Horse Temple, founded in 68 AD, and held to be the first Buddhist temple in China. Backed by the Mangshan Mountain and overlooking the Luohe River, this ancient temple consists of ornate religious shrines holding images of Buddhist deities.

Soak in the spiritual atmosphere, and tour of the main areas, including halls, pavilions, and courtyards, as you learn about the temple's history and why it's regarded as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism.