1 Day Shaolin Temple Tour & Kung Fu Experience from Luoyang
Must-see & Must-do：
Highlight 1: Discover the largest of China’s four major grottoes, stretching along the scenic Yi River in Luoyang. Divided into the Western Hill and Eastern Hill Grottoes, it boasts thousands of intricate Buddhist carvings and statues.
Highlight 2: Transfer to White Horse Temple, China’s first Buddhist temple, built during the Eastern Han Dynasty. Known as the cradle of Chinese Buddhism, it features ancient architecture, sacred halls, and three exotic architectural styles.
Highlight 3: Visit the legendary Shaolin Temple, the birthplace of Kung Fu and Chan Buddhism. Explore its ancient halls, witness martial arts traditions, and immerse yourself in its spiritual and cultural legacy.
Highlight 4: Stroll through the Pagoda Forest, a unique cemetery of over 250 stone pagodas built to honor Shaolin monks. Each pagoda reflects the monk’s rank and achievements, offering a glimpse into Buddhist history and architecture.
Itinerary Quick Look：
This morning, your local guide will meet you at the appointed location in Luoyang (hotel, railway station, or airport; tell us in advance).
You will then be transferred to the Shaolin Temple (60-70 km, about a 70-minute drive) in Dengfeng City, located to the east of Luoyang. The Shaolin Temple is renowned as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is also the location where the first martial arts film, Shaolin Temple (1982), starring Jet Li, was filmed. Here, you can immerse yourself in an incredible Kung Fu experience.
Upon arrival, you will first enjoy a Kung Fu performance at the Shaolin Martial Arts Hall, lasting about 30 minutes. Afterward, explore the Shaolin Temple complex, which consists of seven main halls along its central axis and seven additional halls surrounding them. The first hall, known as Shanmen or “Mountain Gate” Hall, features a large black tablet inscribed with the words “Shaolin Temple” in gold, written by the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. At the heart of the complex lies the Mahavira Hall, where daily prayers and significant ceremonies take place. The floor of this hall contains 50 small pits, believed to be the footprints left by monks practicing Kung Fu.
Next, visit the Pagoda Forest, also known as the “Museum of Ancient Chinese Pagoda Art.” This area houses 241 tomb pagodas of varying sizes, dedicated to eminent monks, abbots, and high-ranking temple monks. The pagodas vary in size and are generally 1 to 7 stories high, with the tallest pagoda being no higher than 15 meters. The most famous of these are the Seven-story Pagodas. The forest, the largest of its kind in China, showcases diverse architectural styles spanning from the Tang to Qing Dynasties, offering a visual feast of history and culture.
After the tour, your 1-day Shaolin Kung Fu Tour concludes. Your guide and driver will escort you to the train station (or airport) in Luoyang for your onward high-speed train (or flight) to your next destination.
Thank you for choosing HelloChinaTrip for your Luoyang tour. We are always dedicated to serving you and look forward to welcoming you again for your future trips to China/Asia.
What’s Included
- Guide Service: Professional English-speaking tour guide.
- Attraction Tickets: All entrance fees to the sites listed in the itinerary.
- Transportation: Airport transfers on arrival and departure. Private Vehicle for city sightseeing tours. Shinkansen (bullet train) tickets.
- Accommodation: Hotels are listed in the itinerary.
- Meals: Daily breakfast at the hotel.
- Service fee: planning, handling, operational and communication charges
What’s Excluded
- Visa Fees: Cost of tourist visa if required, depending on the traveler’s nationality.
- Optional Tours and Activities: The cost of all optional activities in the itinerary is not included.
- Single Supplement: Additional charge for travelers who wish to have a private room.
- Tips and Gratuities: Tips for tour guides and drivers, which are optional and at the traveler’s discretion.
- Overtime Service Fees：Additional charges may apply for services requested beyond the scheduled hours.
- Personal Expenses: Shopping, additional meals, snacks, and beverages outside of those specified in the itinerary.
- Tax: Japanese municipal lodging tax and onsen (hot spring) tax, as well as consumption tax on purchases. These taxes are typically not included in the tour package price and are payable on-site as required.
Important Trip Notes for Booking a private China Tour
How do I book a private China tour?
It is very simple to book a private China tour. Select the tour you are interested, and click “Make an Enquiry for Free”. Tell us your demands and likes while submitting the form. During this process, you don’t need to pay immediately. After sending us your requirements, one of our professional travel experts will get back to you within 0.5 to 24 hours. When all the information have confirmed, then you make the deposit. Please feel free to contact the travel expert directly if you have any questions prior to booking.
Extend Your private China Tour
The above itinerary is the sample one that most travelers would go like that. The tour can be customized based on your likes, interests and budget. At the same time, if you want to extend this tour, just tell us your favored destinations and things to do. Our professional travel experts will redesign the trip totally for you and your group at the best price. Tell us your ideas now >>
Transportation
In a private tour, it means you will transfer to the tourist attractions in one city by private vehicle. The private car we selected is spacious, comfortable and air-conditioned. And the driver we use are very experienced. As for traveling between two destinations, we use domestic flights (economy seat) or high speed trains (second class seat, usually less than 6 hours). The local guides and drivers will pick you up at the airport/train stations, and escort you to the hotel.
Sarah Mitchell –
I loved how customized this tour was. We started early to avoid the crowds, had a delicious vegetarian lunch at the temple, and even got a short Kung Fu lesson! Traveling in a private car and having a guide focused only on us made the day smooth and unforgettable.
James Parker –
This private Shaolin Temple day trip was everything we hoped for and more. Our guide adjusted the schedule so we could watch the Kung Fu performance from the best seats and spend extra time exploring the peaceful temple grounds. The flexibility made the whole experience feel personal and unhurried.