CHINA ADVENTURE CLUB

Shaolin Temple and Luoyao Longmen Grottoes Tour for 2 Days

Why you should make a trip to Shaolin?

What is the charm of Shaolin Temple and why can it be called the "first place in the world"?

Songshan Shaolin, the birthplace of Chinese Buddhist Zen ancestors and Chinese Kung Fu, has been a Buddhist holy place in people's hearts for more than 1,500 years. The accumulation of history and the extension of incense, Shaolin today is not only known for its millennium Buddhist ancestral home, but also world-renowned for its Shaolin Kung Fu.

In order to ensure that the Chinese Kung Fu in the film is "authentic", the production team of the Kung Fu Panda film went to Shaolin Temple to learn from them.

YOUR JOURNEY

Route Map

Explore the routeOpen route in Google Maps

Select a route section to explore the map. Tap a stop for its location or use the directions link for the next leg. Flights, trains, cruises and hiking arrangements follow your itinerary.

Day 1: Itinerary

Shaolin Temple and Dengfeng of Mt Songshan

Your guide and driver will meet you in the morning at your hotel or the high-speed railway station in Luoyang. Drive approximately 1.5 hours to Shaolin Temple. The three-hour visit includes the temple complex, Pagoda Forest, and a 25-minute kung fu performance featuring traditional routines, weapons, Baduanjin, and demonstrations of qigong.

Visit Shaolin Temple, an important center of Chan Buddhism and the home of Shaolin martial arts. Learn about the monastery’s role in Chinese Buddhist history and its long association with kung fu.

Visit the Pagoda Forest, also known as Talin, about 300 meters west of Shaolin Temple. The approximately 20,000-square-meter site contains memorial towers for Shaolin monks, dating from the Tang Dynasty through later periods. Their varied sizes and shapes give the grounds the appearance of a forest of pagodas.

Take the cable car to Sanhuangzhai to explore the mountain scenery of Songshan. Walk among dramatic peaks, rocky paths, and wooded slopes. Seasonal changes bring fresh greenery in spring and summer, colorful foliage in fall, and snowy landscapes in winter.

Overnight in Luoyang.

Kungfu Performance

The first show in the morning in the high season is at 09:30, a total of three shows.

The first show in the afternoon is at 2:00 p.m., a total of 4 shows. The performance time is about 25 minutes and once every hour.

Due to limited seats, there is no advanced booking of seats. Early arrival at the performance venue is highly recommended.

Day 2: Itinerary

The Longmen Grottoes

After breakfast, take a bus to visit Longmen Grottoes. The journey takes about 35 minutes.

Visit the Longmen Grottoes, about 12 kilometers south of Luoyang. Carved into cliffs on both sides of the Yi River, the caves form one of China’s major Buddhist art sites. The facing hills create a gateway-like setting that gives Longmen its name.

Explore the Longmen Grottoes, where Buddhist sculptures were carved into the cliffs beside the Yi River over several centuries. The site contains caves, shrines, stupas, statues, and thousands of inscriptions. Together, they offer a rich record of Chinese religious art, calligraphy, architecture, and cultural exchange.

We'll drop you off at your hotel or the train station for your trip to your next destination.

Other Two Famous Grottoes in China

Yungang Grottoes in Datong of Shanxi Province

These grottoes are outstanding examples of rock-cut Buddhist architecture. Explore our Yungang Grottoes tour for a trip from Beijing. Yungang Grottoes tour

Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang of Gansu Province

-- Also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, form a system of 492 temples 25 km southeast of the center of Dunhuang, an oasis located at a religious and cultural crossroads on the Silk Road. Visit our Mogao Grottoes tour program.