Trip Summary
The loess heartland at temple pace: the Buddhist monasteries of Mount Wutai, Yungang's imperial caves, Pingyao's complete Ming walls, the yellow river pouring through Hukou's gorge, and three days of Xi'an's Tang glory.
Trip Highlights
- Wutai's valley of 40 monasteries, Tibetans and pilgrims together
- Yungang's 51,000 cave Buddhas
- Pingyao's 6-km wall walk and bank-museum houses
- Hukou's yellow falls squeezing through the stone gorge
- Xi'an's wall, warriors and Grand Tang nights
Day by Day
Day 1 — Arrive Taiyuan
Fly into Wusu (TYN); Jinci's Song halls before the drive up to Wutai.
Flight in · Taiyuaninternational flights, destination pre-filledBook → Stay · Jinci Templeshrine-side first nightBook → Car rental · Taiyuanpick up at Taiyuan Wusu International Airport on arrivalBook → 
Day 2 — Wutai monasteries
Xiantong and Tayuan's great whites, the pilgrimage kora with monks and ponies.
Stay · Mount Wutaimonastery-gate innBook → Tickets · Mount Wutaiskip-the-line entryBook → Day 3 — Wutai to Datong
The hanging temple of Hengshan en route; evening at Datong's night wall.
Stay · Yungang Grottoeswall-city baseBook → 
Day 4 — Yungang Grottoes
The full cave sequence and museum; knife-cut noodle dinner.
Stay · Yungang Grottoessecond cave nightBook → Tickets · Yungang Grottoesskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 5 — HSR to Pingyao
The fast train south; dusk on the full wall circuit, courtyard inn.
Datong → Taiyuan trainHSR ~1.5 hBook → Taiyuan → Jinzhong trainshort hop to PingyaoBook → Stay · Pingyao Ancient Citykang-bed courtyardBook → Tickets · Pingyao Ancient Cityskip-the-line entryBook → Day 6 — Pingyao banks & lanes
Rishengchang's ledgers, the city-god temple, and the Qiao compound's 313 carved rooms.
Stay · Pingyao Ancient Citysecond wall nightBook → Tickets · Pingyao Ancient Cityskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 7 — To Hukou
Road south to the yellow river; the falls' roar from both banks at golden hour.
Stay · Hukou Waterfallgorge-edge stay for golden hourBook → Tickets · Hukou Waterfallskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 8 — HSR to Xi'an
Into Shaanxi; evening in the Muslim Quarter's charcoal lanes.
Linfen → Xi'an trainHSR ~2.5 hBook → Stay · Xi'an Bell Towerold-city centreBook → Car rental · Xi'anpick up at Xi'an North Railway Station on arrivalBook → 
Day 9 — Terracotta & wall
Morning among the warriors, afternoon bikes on the 14-km wall, Grand Tang mall's night parade.
Stay · Xi'an Bell Towersecond warrior nightBook → Tickets · Terracotta Army of Emperor Qinshihuangskip-the-line entryBook → 
Day 10 — Out
Wild Goose pagoda fountains and steles museum before XIY out.
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