Voice of Water: A 6-Day Journey Through Guizhou’s Hidden Beauty
Customizable
Small Group Journeys
Suggested Length
6 days
€165 per person per day
Price From
Maximum group size 6 people
What We Love
We will start a 6-day, 5-night journey through Guizhou, where misty mountains cradle ancient villages, waterfalls roar across hidden valleys, and centuries-old traditions live on in song and ritual. This is a journey that stirs the senses - rich in legend, landscape, and human connection.
You’ll step into Zhaoxing, the world’s largest Dong village, where wooden drum towers rise above stilted houses. Here, indigo dyeing stains your hands blue, long-table banquets stretch into the night, and the UNESCO-honored Dong Grand Choir sends voices flowing like rivers through the valley.
In Basha, China’s last gun-carrying tribe, men still trim hair with sickles and shoulder ancestral muskets, preserving rituals as old as the forests they guard. By nightfall, bonfires blaze, and stars shine above songs and dances that echo across generations.
Adventure unfolds in Maolan and Libo, where jade-colored rivers slip through vast limestone caves, and glowing pools sparkle like a hidden galaxy. On a cliff edge 200 meters high, a single cup of coffee carries the thrill of wild air and triumph.
Finally, ascend Fanjing Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site rising into seas of clouds. Temples perch on peaks like a “hanging palace,” where earth and heaven meet, and every step draws you closer to eternity.
Guizhou is a frontier of roaring waterfalls and secret caves, inviting you to uncover stories etched in stone and song.
Step into Basha Miao Village, China’s last gun-carrying tribe, where men trim hair with sickles and carry ancestral muskets in living ritual.
Wake up in Zhaoxing Dong Village, wander under towering drum towers, and hear the UNESCO-honored Grand Choir echo through the valley.
Join a starlit bonfire night, dancing to bamboo flutes and lusheng under skies filled with sparks and song.
Stroll through Xijiang Miao Village, where thousands of stilted houses cascade down the hillsides, glowing like a river of stars after dusk.
Ascend Fanjing Mountain, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and stand among cloud-wrapped temples that seem to float between earth and sky.
Embark on a Maolan cave expedition, paddle jade-green underground rivers, and sip coffee on a 200-meter-high cliffside café.
Highlights of the Journey
Try your hand at indigo tie-dye, turning local plants into patterns of deep blue cloth guided by Dong artisans.
Join a starlit bonfire night, dancing to bamboo flutes and lusheng under skies filled with sparks and song.
Wander the Tang’an Rice Terraces at sunrise, where golden light spills over fields that blend farming with fish-raising traditions.
Share a Dong long-table banquet stretching over a hundred meters, where sour fish soup and glutinous rice tell stories of hospitality.
Enter the glowing chambers of Libo’s karst caves, where mineral pools sparkle like galaxies in the dark.
Taste coffee in a café perched on a sheer cliff, where every sip carries the thrill of height and the purity of mountain air.
Map & Itinerary
DAY 1:
Guiyang to Zhaoxing · Songs of the Dong
Depart from Guiyang and drive through mountain valleys to reach Zhaoxing Dong Village, known for its drum towers, wind-and-rain bridges, and clusters of stilted wooden houses.
Explore the village lanes where streams run beneath wooden bridges and daily life flows to the rhythm of songs.
Join a handmade indigo-dye workshop, learning traditional techniques to create your own blue-dyed fabric.
Sit down at a lively long-table banquet, sharing bamboo rice, sour fish soup, and glutinous delicacies with the Dong people.
As night falls, gather for a bonfire under the drum tower, where lusheng flutes play and the haunting voices of the Dong Grand Choir echo across the valley.
DAY 2:
Whispers of Tradition in the Hills
Travel to Tang’an Dong Village, where stilted houses stand above layered terraces. In the morning light, farmers work the fields while fish swim in the paddies, showcasing the ancient wisdom of the rice–fish system.
Step into Basha Miao Village, known as China’s last gun-carrying tribe. Men shave their heads with sickles, shoulder muskets, and guard sacred groves. Watch lusheng dances, gunfire rituals, and the traditional art of indigo dyeing.
Discover Huanggang Dong Village, hidden deep in the Moon Mountains. Free from modern bustle, life flows to simple rhythms—folk songs at dawn, rice wine toasts at dusk, and lyrical duets of young villagers.
Return to Zhaoxing for the night, falling asleep to the glow of drum towers and the murmur of streams.
DAY 3:
Maolan Primeval Forest · Karst Secrets
Depart from Zhaoxing and travel to the Maolan National Nature Reserve, a vast protected area of over 200 square kilometers with 91% forest cover. Celebrated as one of China’s “Top Ten Most Beautiful Forests”, Maolan is a world of towering karst peaks and untouched wilderness.
Walk beneath ancient trees and limestone cliffs, breathing in the pure air of this primeval forest.
Embark on a 6-kilometer cave adventure: descend into pitch-black chambers, admire stone towers shaped like pagodas, step into cathedral-like halls, and weave through labyrinthine passages. Stalactites and rock formations rise like fantastic sculptures, revealing nature’s artistry carved over millions of years.
Spend the night in Maolan Forest, where only the songs of insects and a sky full of stars accompany your rest.
DAY 4:
Libo Adventure Forest and Xijiang Nights
Head to Libo Adventure Forest, where you climb narrow rock crevices, zip-line across hidden gorges, and drift along jade-green underground rivers, discovering the magic of the karst landscape.
Walk through an “underground forest” of stalactites and stone pillars, where crystal-clear pools and glowing waters sparkle like a galaxy in the dark.
Pause inside the cave to enjoy a refreshing drink, then gather under a stone arch to taste authentic Guizhou sour soup hotpot, its spicy aroma awakening all your senses.
Challenge yourself at the Cliffside Café: climb 200 meters by via ferrata or rope, and reward yourself with a cup of coffee on the edge of a sheer cliff, gazing at misty mountains stretching into the horizon.
Arrive in Xijiang Miao Village in the evening. As night falls, layers of stilted houses light up across the hillsides, glowing like a river of stars and casting a spell of mountain romance.
DAY 5:
Morning Mist in Xijiang and Yunshe Ancient Village
Stroll through Xijiang Miao Village in the morning mist, where wooden stilt houses rise among terraced fields and the village glows quietly in the soft light.
Witness everyday moments of the Miao people: smoke curling from rooftops, streams flowing through alleys, elders chatting and children laughing in the lanes.
Continue to Yunshe Village, an ancient Tujia settlement named after its mountain spring. Stone-paved lanes wind through the village, with streams murmuring by, as if time itself has slowed. Wander slowly through the village, listening to the blend of flowing water and birdsong, leaving the noise of the city far behind.
DAY 6:
Sacred Peaks of Fanjing Mountain
Depart from Yunshe Village in the morning and travel to Fanjing Mountain, a sacred peak rising 2,572 meters high and often called the “Third Pole of the Earth.”
Climb the stone steps and near-vertical iron chains, with seas of clouds rolling beneath your feet, until you reach the majestic Golden Summit, standing like a “palace in the sky.”
At the summit, witness nature and spirituality intertwining: rhododendrons in spring, drifting mists in summer, fiery red leaves in autumn, and crystalline snow in winter. Amid mountains and temple bells, experience a dialogue between the earth and the spirit.
Return to Guiyang by evening, concluding your six-day journey through Guizhou.
Featured Stays
We’ve hand-selected a range of accommodations to suit different preferences, each offering a distinctive experience deeply seeped in local land and culture.
Stay in Guizhou
Stay in boutique and wooden lodges that reflect the spirit of each village. In Zhaoxing and Xijiang, stilted houses glow warmly above streams and terraces, while in Maolan and Yunshe, simple lodges offer quiet nights with the sounds of forest and water.
What’s Included:
Accommodation
Private driver and vehicle for the duration of the trip
All activities, experiences, and necessary equipment as outlined in the itinerary
12/7 online concierge service for assistance during your journey
Emergency rescue team on standby for safety and security
Virtual guided sightseeing explanations to enhance your cultural experience
Entrance fees for all attractions listed in the itinerary
What’s Excluded:
Daily meals (We will recommend the best local restaurants based on your personal preferences)
On-site translator (Our 12/7 online guide service is available if language assistance is needed)
Additional emergency rescue expenses caused by personal circumstances
Trip Costs:
Starting from €165 per person per day
Based on boutique accommodation and a group of 4 travelers.
Room upgrades
Add €40 per room, per night for each upgrade level.
Send us an inquiry
Begin Your Unique Journey Through China.
