Set among winding waterways and sculpted limestone hills, Guilin is a landscape long celebrated in Chinese poetry, painting and folklore. Upon arrival, your local travel expert greets you at the airport and assists with the transfer to your hotel. As we enter the city, rounded karst peaks rise unexpectedly from the plains, their shapes softened by distance and light. After check in, the remainder of the afternoon is kept unhurried, giving you time to settle into the gentle rhythm that defines this part of southern China. 

Later, we take a leisurely walk around the central lakes, an interconnected system of waterways lined with willow trees, stone bridges and small pavilions. Locals gather along the paths to practise calligraphy with water on stone, rehearse dance routines or chat beneath shaded archways. Despite being in the heart of the city, the atmosphere remains calm, infused with the silhouettes of distant mountains. 

As evening falls, soft lighting illuminates the bridges and pagodas surrounding the lakes. Their reflections stretch across the water, creating shifting patterns of colour. You may pause at a waterfront café, continue strolling or simply take a quiet bench to observe the scene. Dinner is left at leisure with tailored recommendations that might include restaurants specialising in freshwater fish, bamboo shoots or traditional Guilin rice noodles. 

The day eases into a peaceful close as we return to your hotel, allowing the impressions of Guilin’s landscapes to rest in mind before tomorrow’s deeper exploration.

This morning begins with check out from the hotel before we make our way to the riverbank, where the Li River slowly curves between rising limestone peaks. Here we board a boat bound for Yangshuo, setting off along one of the most celebrated scenic waterways in the region. As the boat drifts away from Guilin, the landscape widens into a panorama of karst mountains that rise sharply from the river’s edge, their silhouettes softened by distance and light. These formations create shifting patterns as we move, some appearing like painted brushstrokes, others like tall sentinels guarding the valley. 

Along the banks, fishermen steer narrow wooden boats, water buffalo graze in shallow pools and farmers tend vegetable plots that run down to the water. Bamboo groves form arching green corridors, and small villages appear briefly before disappearing behind the curves of the river. The scenes change gradually and gracefully, allowing time to simply watch the shapes of the mountains evolve with each bend. 

We arrive in Yangshuo around midday and transfer to a local restaurant for lunch before checking in to your hotel. Yangshuo carries a quieter, more intimate charm than Guilin, embraced on all sides by steep peaks and winding rivers. The town has long drawn artists, hikers and travellers seeking a gentler pace of life. 

In the afternoon we travel into the countryside by bicycle, following narrow roads that weave between rice fields, small farmhouses and orchards. Villagers sit outside their homes sorting vegetables, and children cycle past in small groups, waving as they pass. With every turn of the road, the mountains shift into new compositions that echo traditional landscape paintings. 

As the light softens, we return to the town and enjoy a relaxed walk along West Street. Lined with cafés, teahouses and small studios, it offers a warm introduction to Yangshuo’s creative atmosphere. Dinner is at leisure before returning to the hotel.

This morning is yours to enjoy at an easy pace. You may wander along the river as mist lingers between the peaks, or settle into a quiet breakfast on a terrace overlooking the mountains. Yangshuo’s soft rhythm offers a final moment of stillness, a gentle pause before we shift into the onward journey. Take a little time to breathe in the landscape—its silhouettes, its calm, its sense of space—before we begin travelling north. 

Late morning we travel back to Guilin to board the high speed train to Hangzhou. As the train accelerates through Guangxi’s countryside, the limestone peaks gradually give way to broader plains dotted with small towns, farmhouses and pockets of rice paddies threaded with narrow canals. Occasional glimpses of distant hills and river bends appear between tunnels and bridges, creating a steady procession of changing scenery. The journey offers a natural interlude, perfect for resting, reflecting on the days just spent, or simply watching the landscape unfold in its varied textures. 

Upon arrival in Hangzhou, you are met by your local travel expert and transferred to your hotel near West Lake. After checking in, the afternoon remains flexible and unhurried. You may choose to take a gentle stroll along willow lined paths, where arched bridges, lotus ponds and small pavilions cast mirrored reflections across the water. Cobblestone walkways reveal quiet corners, tea houses and shaded viewpoints that offer a first glimpse into the city’s poetic character. Alternatively, you might prefer to relax at the hotel, enjoying a slower pace after the journey. 

Dinner is at leisure this evening, supported by curated recommendations. Options range from refined restaurants overlooking the lake, where seasonal ingredients are shaped into elegant dishes, to smaller neighbourhood venues serving comforting Hangzhou classics. Whether you prefer something polished or something understated, your travel expert will assist with reservations to ensure the evening suits your mood perfectly.

This morning we drive from Hangzhou to Suzhou, a city renowned for its classical gardens and elegant waterways. Our first stop is one of Suzhou’s UNESCO listed gardens where ponds, pavilions, rockeries and delicately framed windows create a sequence of miniature landscapes. These gardens are designed for contemplation and movement, with each turn revealing a carefully composed scene shaped by light, shadow and architectural detail. 

As we move deeper into the garden, quieter pockets emerge — moss covered stones, bamboo groves that shift in the breeze, and small verandas that face onto still pools. It is a space where nature and design meet with extraordinary harmony, offering a gentle rhythm that encourages slow steps and unhurried observation. Even brief pauses feel restorative in this environment. 

From the gardens, we continue to a historic canal district where whitewashed houses, stone bridges and narrow lanes line the waterfront. Life here unfolds quietly as residents sweep doorways, shopkeepers arrange displays and boats glide beneath arching bridges. A short boat ride may be taken for a waterside perspective of Suzhou’s traditional homes and small workshops. 

We also spend time exploring one of the district’s lesser visited lanes, where independent teahouses and small family run craft studios sit tucked between older residences. Here, the atmosphere is intimate and rooted in daily life — offering a contrast to Suzhou’s grander landmarks while revealing the textures of a neighbourhood that has evolved yet retained its essential character. 

Lunch is enjoyed at a well regarded restaurant serving dishes known for their delicacy and balanced flavours. Afterward there is time to wander a street known for silk or traditional crafts, where artisans and modern studios share space among historic buildings. 

In the late afternoon we drive back to Hangzhou, watching the countryside soften into fields and farmhouses before the city reappears. Upon arrival, we return to your hotel with the evening free to enjoy West Lake by night or simply relax after the day’s discoveries.

This morning we travel to Baofeng Lake, a serene body of water embraced by cliffs and thick forest. A gentle walk leads us to the pier where we board a wooden boat that glides quietly across the jade coloured surface. Sheer rock walls rise directly from the water, their reflections creating mirror like patterns that shift with each movement of the boat. Birds call from the trees and the stillness of the lake deepens the sense of entering an ancient landscape. 

As the boat moves deeper into the lake, the scenery becomes even more immersive. Small inlets appear between the rock faces, revealing pockets of greenery and hidden cascades that trickle down the cliffs. The interplay of light and shadow across the water gives each turn a slightly different mood, enhancing the quiet beauty of this mountain world. 

After lunch at a simple local restaurant, we continue to the Zhangjiajie Grand Canyon. A series of trails lead through lush vegetation beside streams, waterfalls and narrow rock passages before opening to expansive canyon views. The highlight is the glass bridge suspended high above the gorge. Those who cross experience the exhilarating sensation of walking on transparent panels above steep cliffs and forested slopes. Others may prefer to observe the structure from scenic lookouts where its elegant span can be appreciated from a distance. 

As the afternoon cools, we return to your hotel for an evening at leisure. You may choose to enjoy the mountain air on a terrace, rest after the day’s varied scenery or simply review photographs that capture Zhangjiajie’s dramatic contrasts.

Our final full day in Zhangjiajie begins with the ascent on the Bailong Elevator, the towering glass lift that rises along the face of a cliff for more than three hundred metres. As we ascend, layers of sandstone peaks and deep ravines unfold below, offering an immediate sense of the dramatic world we are entering. At the upper station lies Yuanjiajie, a high plateau surrounded by towering pillars that rise in sculpted shapes. This area inspired the floating mountains seen in film, and the connection becomes clear as we walk between viewpoints where the pillars appear to hover in shifting mist. 

As we explore the plateau, the forest reveals small signs of the region’s wildlife. You may spot macaques moving agilely between trees, pausing to observe visitors from a distance, or hear the flutter of wings from hidden birds that thrive among the cliffs. In quieter pockets of vegetation, bright butterflies and small lizards warm themselves on sunlit rocks. These glimpses of life add a natural energy to the dramatic landscape, reminding us that these mountains support a vibrant ecosystem tucked between their towering forms. 

We continue along walkways that link natural bridges, cliffside overlooks and forested paths. Each viewpoint frames the peaks differently, sometimes in tight clusters, sometimes in broad panoramas. After lunch at a simple mountain restaurant, we travel to Tianzi Mountain, known as the Monarch of the Peaks. From these higher elevations, the view stretches across wave after wave of stone towers. On clear days, the scale seems almost endless. On misty days, isolated pillars emerge through drifting clouds like islands in the sky. 

In the late afternoon we descend by cable car, watching the stone formations rise and fall as we approach the valley floor. If time allows, there may be a brief stop for one final viewpoint before we return to the hotel. The evening is free to unwind and pack ahead of tomorrow’s departure, with the silhouettes of Zhangjiajie’s pillars now part of your memory of the journey.