Guiyang-Anshun-Libo

5-Day Guizhou Waterfalls & Emerald Karst Tour: Guiyang, Anshun (Huangguoshu) & Libo

Designed for American Travelers · 5-Star & Premium Boutique Hotels · Meals Included · Private Transportation · Dedicated English-Speaking Guide

Guizhou is China's best-kept natural secret. Stand behind Asia's greatest waterfall, walk through a rainforest growing in the river itself, and cross an 1835 stone bridge above unreal turquoise water in a UNESCO karst wilderness — with fiery sour-soup hotpot, a 600-year-old Ming garrison town, and some of China's most fun street food in between.

Tour Highlights

• Huangguoshu — Asia's Greatest Waterfall & the World's Largest Waterfall Cluster Feel the thunder of the 77.8-meter-high, 101-meter-wide Huangguoshu Falls and walk the misty trail behind the cascade through the famous Water Curtain Cave. Eighteen waterfalls make up this Guinness-recognized cluster, spread across three scenic areas: the dramatic grand falls, the wide curtain of Doupotang (seen in the classic Journey to the West TV series), and the enchanted water stone forest of Tianxingqiao.
• Libo Xiaoqikong — "the Emerald on the Earth's Belt" Inside the UNESCO South China Karst World Heritage Site, follow one magical valley past blue-green pools, the staircase-like 68-Level Cascades, a primeval forest growing straight out of the riverbed (the Water Forest), and the graceful seven-arch Qing-dynasty stone bridge that gives the park its name.
• Daqikong's Dramatic Gorge Walk along a cliff-hugging plank road into a wild karst canyon, where a natural rock arch towers over an emerald river — a quieter, wilder counterpart to Xiaoqikong.
• Qingyan Ancient Town — A Living Ming Garrison Town Wander stone lanes, city walls and a Confucian academy in a 600-year-old military town, snacking on soy-braised pork knuckles, rose-petal candy and glutinous rice treats.
• Guiyang — One of China's Great Food Cities Feast on Miao sour-soup fish, vegetable "silk baby" rolls and changwang spicy noodle soup at buzzing night markets, and visit the riverside Jiaxiu Pavilion glowing over the Nanming River.
• Exceptional Value, All-Inclusive Premium Tour Your package covers all private ground transportation, hand-selected hotels, an expert English-speaking guide, every entrance ticket and in-park shuttle, plus daily breakfast and selected local meals — no shopping stops, ever.

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Day 1 | Arrival in Guiyang · The Forest City & Its Night Market

• Meals: Dinner
• Overnight: Guiyang, 5-star or premium boutique hotel

Full day: Private pickup at Guiyang Longdongbao International Airport or Guiyang North Railway Station and transfer to your downtown hotel. Guiyang is a cool, green highland capital known as the "Forest City."

• Late afternoon: Stroll through Qianlingshan Park if you arrive early — forested trails, a hillside Buddhist temple and lakes, with troupes of wild macaques (please don't feed them) — or simply settle in after your journey.
• Evening: Visit the elegant Jiaxiu Pavilion, Guiyang's 400-year-old landmark beautifully lit over the Nanming River, then dive into Qingyun Market for dinner: Miao sour-soup fish, siwawa cold vegetable rolls, spicy changwang noodle soup and grilled tofu.

Day 2 | Qingyan Ancient Town → Doupotang Waterfall

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Overnight: Huangguoshu / Anshun area, premium hotel
• Morning: Drive about 40 minutes to Qingyan Ancient Town, founded over 600 years ago as a Ming-dynasty military garrison and once the "Southern Gateway to Guiyang." Walk the intact stone city walls, ancient gates, tiled lanes, old temples and the former Zhuangyuan (top-scholar) mansion. Snack your way through the town's famous treats: soy-braised pork knuckle, rose-petal candy (meigui tang) and rice tofu.
• Afternoon: Continue to the Huangguoshu area near Anshun. Approx. 2 hours' drive. Settle into your hotel, then visit Doupotang Waterfall, the widest curtain in the Huangguoshu group, its broad sheet of water instantly recognizable from the ending credits of the classic Journey to the West television series.
• Evening: A Buyi-style dinner of local river fish, free-range chicken and wild vegetables at your hotel.

Day 3 | Huangguoshu Full Day — Tianxingqiao, the Grand Falls & Water Curtain Cave

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
• Overnight: Huangguoshu / Anshun area

Full day: Explore the three great areas of Huangguoshu National Park, connected by the park shuttle, following the classic counter-clockwise routing. From September 1 the park opens at 7:00 a.m.; we enter early to beat the crowds.

• Morning: Tianxingqiao ("Star Bridge") Scenic Area — a dreamlike landscape of water, caves and strange karst stone formations. Walk the "water stone forest" and boardwalks to the delicate Silver Chain Fall (Yinlianzhuitan), where water spills like strands of silver beads; the second half of the route holds the finest scenery.
• Afternoon: The mighty Huangguoshu Grand Waterfall — 77.8 meters tall and 101 meters wide, the centerpiece of the 18-fall cluster. Walk the viewing platforms, then follow the trail along the cliff to walk behind the waterfall through the Water Curtain Cave, gazing out through the falling water. A light rain jacket is provided; access depends on water levels. Ride the optional scenic escalator to save the climb.
• Evening: Return to your hotel for a relaxed dinner and rest.

Day 4 | Anshun → Libo · Daqikong Gorge

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
• Overnight: Libo / Xiaoqikong East Gate, premium boutique hotel
• Morning: Drive east through Guizhou's karst countryside to Libo in Qiannan Prefecture. Approx. 3.5–4 hours with a rest stop; the journey can alternatively be made partly by high-speed train.
• Afternoon: Check in near the east gate of Xiaoqikong, then explore the dramatic Daqikong ("Big Seven Arches") Scenic Area. A riverside plank trail leads into a deep, wild gorge between sheer green peaks, past the towering natural arch of Tianshengqiao ("Nature-Born Bridge") and a cliffside cave, with the jade river below.
• Evening: Dinner of local specialties — Libo beef hotpot, tofu-blossom grilled fish and chilled bayberry drink — at the Mengliu Buyi ethnic town beside the park gate.

Day 5 | Xiaoqikong — the Emerald Valley & Departure

• Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

Full morning: Enter Xiaoqikong ("Little Seven Arches") Scenic Area, the heart of the Libo cone-karst World Heritage Site, and ride the shuttle to the western end to walk back downhill and eastward with the flow of the valley:

• The deep blue-green Wolong Pool (Wolongtan), ringed by misty forest;
• Yuanyang (Mandarin Duck) Lakes, where a hand-rowed boat glides through a labyrinth of trees growing in the water (optional, seasonal);
• Cuigu Waterfall and wetlands;
• The magical Water Forest, where you walk stone stepping-paths through a forest growing directly in the rushing stream;
• The tumbling 68-Level Cascades and roadside Laya Waterfall;
• And finally the graceful Xiaoqikong Ancient Bridge, seven arches of blue stone built in 1835 (the 15th year of the Qing Daoguang reign), mirrored in impossibly turquoise water.
• Afternoon: Transfer to Libo Station for the comfortable high-speed train back to Guiyang. Approx. 1 hour. Private transfer to Guiyang airport or your city hotel.Please book a flight departing after roughly 8:00 p.m.; we are happy to add one extra night in Guiyang for a relaxed morning departure.

From the thunder of Asia's greatest waterfall to the hushed emerald forests of Libo, this is Guizhou at its most magnificent — a land of mist, stone and water that most travelers to China never see.

What's Included

• Private air-conditioned vehicle with experienced local driver for the entire Guiyang–Anshun–Libo–Guiyang journey
• High-speed train ticket Libo → Guiyang on Day 5, with station assistance
• Dedicated English-speaking guide throughout, including geology and Buyi/Miao culture interpretation
• 4 nights' accommodation: 1 night in a 5-star/premium Guiyang hotel, 2 nights at the Huangguoshu/Anshun area, and 1 night in a premium boutique hotel near Xiaoqikong's East Gate (daily breakfast included)
• All entrance tickets and in-park shuttles: Qingyan Ancient Town, the full Huangguoshu scenic area (Doupotang, Tianxingqiao and the Grand Falls, including park bus), Daqikong and Xiaoqikong (combined ticket and shuttle)
• Selected meals: 4 breakfasts, 4 lunches and 3 dinners, featuring Miao sour-soup fish, Buyi farmhouse cooking, Libo beef hotpot and Guiyang street food
• Bottled water in the vehicle, rain capes for the waterfall, and 24/7 on-trip assistance
• No shopping stops — a pure, privately escorted nature and culture experience

What to Know

• Start & end: Guiyang, capital of Guizhou Province, with direct flights from major Chinese cities and Southeast Asia and high-speed rail across China. The tour uses Guiyang as both gateway and endpoint.
• Best seasons: June–August for the most powerful waterfalls (warm, green, but wetter — pack a light rain jacket); September–November is the favorite window, with comfortable weather, still-strong water and autumn color; spring brings blossoms and clear skies. Libo and Huangguoshu lie at roughly 400–1,200 m (1,300–3,900 ft) with mild summers.
• Scenic-area reservations: Both Huangguoshu and Xiaoqikong require real-name timed bookings. We will reserve tickets and shuttle buses in advance using your passport information; please carry your passport with you each day.
• Walking level: Moderate. Expect 4–6 hours in the major parks with stairs, boardwalks and some wet, slippery sections (notably the Water Curtain Cave and Water Forest). Non-slip closed shoes are essential; sandals or water shoes are useful in Libo. Escalators and shuttles reduce climbing, and the route can be shortened for less mobile guests.
• Packing: Non-slip walking shoes, a light rain jacket or poncho (provided near the falls), quick-dry clothing, sunscreen and a hat, insect repellent, and a waterproof pouch for your phone or camera.
• Food: Guizhou cuisine is sour, fragrant and moderately spicy, built around fermented tomato and rice sour soups, chili and herbs. Mild and non-spicy options are always available — just let your guide know.
• Optional extensions: Add one night in the hilltop Xijiang Thousand-Household Miao Village (with its famous night panorama and long-table banquet), or continue south to the karst peaks of Guangxi; both can be quoted on request.