5D4N
Best Apr–Jun / Sep–Nov
Zhengzhou Entry/Exit
Henan · Shaolin Temple to Longmen Grottoes
The heart of Central Plains culture — Shaolin Temple, Longmen Grottoes, Henan Museum, Kaifeng Millennium City Park. One route to understand the cradle of Chinese civilization. Zhengzhou entry/exit, 5 days 4 nights.
All-Inclusive · No Add-Ons
Contract Body = Appendix Match
Hotel Name Confirmed = Locked In
USD Pricing
Pricing
4+ people · per person
USD 280from
RMB ¥2,000 · MYR 1,290 · USD 279
Under 4 people · per person
USD 420from
RMB ¥3,000 · MYR 1,936 · USD 418
More people = lower per-person cost — groups of 6/8/12 have more room for negotiation. Private group, one vehicle per booking, no joining with strangers.
Actual pricing varies with vehicle type and hotel tier. Contact a travel consultant online for an exact quote.
Actual pricing varies with vehicle type and hotel tier. Contact a travel consultant online for an exact quote.
✓ ¥500K Travel Insurance
✓ All-Inclusive
✓ No Shopping Stops
✓ No Tipping
Itinerary
Day-by-Day Plan
Zhengzhou entry/exit. 7-seater business van, reasonable driving times, no rushing. The Central Plains heartland — landmarks are dense, and every stop is a chapter of history.
DAY 1
Arrive in Zhengzhou
Zhengzhou pickup → check-in. Your travel consultant walks you through the entire itinerary — every day, every accommodation, every optional activity, confirmed one by one.
DAY 2
Henan Museum · Erqi Square
Henan Museum — one of China's top eight museums, housing national treasures like the Jiahu Bone Flute and Fu Hao Owl Zun. Afternoon at Erqi Square to feel Zhengzhou's urban pulse. Stay: Zhengzhou.
DAY 3
Kaifeng · Millennium City Park
Kaifeng Prefecture → Millennium City Park — a large-scale Song Dynasty theme park based on the famous scroll painting "Along the River During the Qingming Festival." Immersive experience of Bianjing's prosperity in the Northern Song → Xiaosongcheng for Kaifeng street snacks. Stay: Zhengzhou.
DAY 4
Shaolin Temple · White Horse Temple · Luoyi Ancient City
Shaolin Temple (Dengfeng) — birthplace of Chan Buddhism and cradle of martial arts → White Horse Temple — China's first government-built Buddhist temple → Luoyi Ancient City evening stroll. Stay: Luoyang.
DAY 5
Longmen Grottoes · Departure
Longmen Grottoes — UNESCO World Heritage, the Lushena Buddha is the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art. Afternoon drop-off; your travel consultant confirms your next flight/train time and sees you to the security gate.
Inclusions
What's Included & Excluded
✓ Included
Full-time 7-seater business van (fuel/tolls/parking included)
Highly-rated 4-diamond hotels (breakfast included)
All listed attraction tickets
¥500K travel accident insurance
Bottled water throughout + station transfers
✗ Not Included
Flights/trains to/from Zhengzhou
Lunch and dinner (driver-guide recommends local restaurants)
Personal expenses, souvenirs
Visa fees (visa-free for many passport holders)
Hardware Standards
Vehicle & Hotel
No "comparable substitute" excuses — what's confirmed is what you get.
Fully Licensed 7-Seater Business Van
Brand-owned, brand-dispatched, brand-inspected. Not a last-minute market rental. Overseas guests have more luggage — 4 people in a 7-seater ensures space for at least one large suitcase + one carry-on per person.
Minimum vehicle matching: 4 pax→7-seater / 6 pax→9-seater / 10 pax→≥17-seater minibus. Matched to group size + luggage, never cramped.
Minimum vehicle matching: 4 pax→7-seater / 6 pax→9-seater / 10 pax→≥17-seater minibus. Matched to group size + luggage, never cramped.
Highly-Rated 4-Diamond Minimum
Selection standard: a good 4-diamond beats a mediocre 5-diamond, and a bad 4-diamond is worse than a 3-diamond. Hotel name shared before departure — this is your final confirmed hotel. In case of exceptional circumstances, we upgrade to a higher standard at our expense.
Competitors promise "wooden cabin at ¥2,000/night" → you arrive to find a 15m² tiny room worth ¥800. We don't play that game.
Competitors promise "wooden cabin at ¥2,000/night" → you arrive to find a 15m² tiny room worth ¥800. We don't play that game.
Why This Route
Itinerary Design Logic
Not a random patchwork of attractions — every rhythm has a reason.
Why stay in Zhengzhou for Days 2–3?
Kaifeng is only 1 hour from Zhengzhou, and Henan Museum is right downtown. The first three days use Zhengzhou as a base — no daily hotel changes, no repacking. Kaifeng is a day trip, saving you the hassle of switching hotels. Time is for sightseeing, not for transit logistics.
Why only go to Luoyang on Day 4?
Shaolin Temple is in Dengfeng — perfectly between Zhengzhou and Luoyang. Day 4 sets out from Zhengzhou to Shaolin Temple first, then continues west to White Horse Temple and Luoyi Ancient City, staying in Luoyang that night. Day 5 morning: Longmen Grottoes, afternoon: station drop-off. This is an east-to-west one-way flow — no backtracking.
Henan Pitfalls
What You'll Face with Competitors
Every item below comes from real Xiaohongshu feedback. More likes = more people burned.
"Fake monk performances around Shaolin Temple, dragged in and charged ¥200/person" Common trap
→ How we handle it
Official Shaolin Temple main compound monk performance sessions — tickets included in the itinerary. We pre-warn you about surrounding fake monk performance spots and never take you into any unofficial paid venue.
"Millennium City Park turned into a shopping stop, guide took us into silk/jade shops" 860 likes
→ How we handle it
Millennium City Park is Millennium City Park — immersive Northern Song Bianjing experience, zero shopping stops. All-inclusive, no add-ons, no optional activity upselling. No shopping, period.
"Contract body says 2-person private group, appendix fine print says 2–6 person shared group" 1,360 likes
→ How we handle it
Contract body = appendix, word for word identical. PDF sent for your review before departure, signed online before coming to China — both copies match line by line. Private group, one vehicle per booking, no joining with strangers.
FAQ
About This Route
Can I see real Shaolin monks?
Yes. The Shaolin Temple main compound has official monk performance sessions, and we arrange the official ones. Be aware there are many fake monk performance spots around Shaolin Temple that charge admission — we pre-warn you about these and never take you into any unofficial paid venue.
How long do the Longmen Grottoes take?
Plan 2–3 hours. Focus on the Lushena Buddha in the Western Hill Grottoes — the pinnacle of Chinese stone carving art, 17.14m tall. We schedule the afternoon slot when light comes from the west, best for both photography and close viewing. The Eastern Hill Grottoes and Xiangshan Temple are optional depending on energy levels.
Is Henan Museum worth visiting?
Absolutely. Henan Museum is one of China's top eight museums, housing 170,000 artifacts including 8 national treasure-grade pieces. The Jiahu Bone Flute (8,000 years old), Fu Hao Owl Zun, and Lotus and Crane Square Pot are must-sees. Free entry but requires reservation — we book it for you in advance. Plan 2–3 hours.
Are meals included? How does food work?
Breakfast is included. Lunch and dinner are not — because everyone has different tastes and budgets. The driver-guide recommends restaurants locals actually eat at, not kickback places. Henan's hulatang (spicy soup), huimian (braised noodles), guantangbao (soup dumplings), and lamb soup — you'll eat the real thing, not tour-group bulk meals. Average USD 5–10/day gets you very good food.
Start Planning Your Henan Trip
Tell us your group size and travel dates, and a travel consultant will customize your Henan itinerary.
Key Takeaways
- This 5-day, 4-night Henan route starts and ends in Zhengzhou and covers Henan Museum, Kaifeng Millennium City Park, Shaolin Temple, White Horse Temple, Luoyi Ancient City, and Longmen Grottoes.
- The itinerary uses Zhengzhou as a base for the first three days to reduce hotel changes, then moves west through Dengfeng to Luoyang without backtracking.
- Included items are a full-time vehicle, listed attraction tickets, 4-diamond hotels with breakfast, station transfers, bottled water, and travel accident insurance; flights or trains to and from Zhengzhou, most meals, personal expenses, and visa fees are not included.
- The article states that bookings are private groups with one vehicle per booking and no joining with strangers, and that confirmed hotel names are shared before departure.
- It also notes common tourist traps around Shaolin Temple and Millennium City Park, including unofficial paid performances and shopping stops, and says the route avoids these through official arrangements and a no-shopping policy.
Official resources
- Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the People's Republic of China (mct.gov.cn) — the national regulator for licensed travel agencies
- National Immigration Administration (nia.gov.cn) — official entry, exit, and immigration information for mainland China
- Consular Services, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (cs.mfa.gov.cn) — official consular information and travel notices