Luoyang Trip Planner - How to Design Luoyang Itinerary

Luoyang City, always regarded as the geographic center of China, is a calling card of Henan where China's civilization began. Because of its special location, there were 13 dynasties settling their capital in Luoyang, including the oldest Xia, Shang and Zhou Dynasties (BC2070 ~ BC221) and very flourishing Sui and Tang Dynasties (AD581~907). The long history endows Luoyang with numerous cultural relics and landscapes. If you want to probe into China's history and culture, don't miss Luoyang. Moreover, Luoyang is also the city of peony flowers. In this city, you can appreciate most varieties of peonies.

This Luoyang tour planning guide, containing what to see, how long to stay, the best time to visit, how to reach, where to accommodate, etc., will help you make most of your vacation and unveil a valuable Luoyang travel experience. Start your trip here!

What to See in Luoyang

Being well-known as an old capital, Luoyang is featured with lots of cultural sites. Undoubtedly, it is always loved by those who are interested in history and culture. However, it is also available to find something that you can admire the natural beauty of Luoyang.

Longmen Grottoes - One of China's Three Greatest Grottoes

Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site located in the suburb of Luoyang City, is a must-see if you visit Henan. The construction of Longmen Grottoes started in AD 493 of Northern Wei Dynasty and it took more than 400 years to complete the grottoes. There are over 2,000 caves scattered in the side cliffs of Western Hill and Eastern Hill on two banks of Yi River. Visiting Longmen Grottoes allows you to take an extraordinary insight to the imperial history and Buddhist culture.

Planning Ideas: 1) It usually takes half a day to explore Longmen Grottoes and it is worthwhile to spend most time in Western Hill where most highlights of Longmen Grottoes locate. 2) Since Longmen Grottoes just 5 km (about 15 minutes' drive) away from Longmen Railway Station (high speed railway station of Luoyang), it is convenient to travel Longmen Grottoes directly if you get to Luoyang by high speed train. 3) If the weather permits, it is a good idea to take a several minutes' boat trip from Western Hill to Eastern Hill, which gives you a different sight of Longmen Grottoes.

How to Plan a Trip to Luoyang View of Western Hill from Eastern Hill

Shaolin Temple - Birthplace of Shaolin Kung Fu

In fact, Shaolin Temple is located in Dengfeng City, not Luoyang. However, it is a can't-be-missed site because Luoyang is a great gateway city to Shaolin Temple and it needs only 1.5 hours' drive to travel between them. Shaolin Temple is famous for Zen Buddhism and Shaolin Kung Fu. In this temple, there are various Buddhist halls and architectures, and Forest Pagoda - the existing largest pagoda forest in China, is a must. Of course, the best memorable thing is that you will have a wonderful Kung Fu exploration.

Planning Ideas: 1) There are around 5 stunning Kung Fu shows performed by real monks of Shaolin Temple every day. It is exciting to spend 30 minutes watching it. 2) If you are a Kung Fu enthusiast, it is strongly recommended to take a short-period or long-period Kung Fu training class. 3) For those travelers who are interested in nature or trekking, just spend half a day doing an excursion on Mount Song.

How to Plan a Trip to Luoyang Shaolin Kung Fu Class

White Horse Temple - Oldest Buddhist Temple of China

White Horse Temple is China's first Buddhist temple built in AD 68 of the Eastern Han Dynasty. Till now, it has a long history of more than 1,900 years. It is said that White Horse Temple was named in the memory of the white horses that carried lots of sutras and Buddha statues to China. Now the whole temple is divided into three parts - the Main Temple (original White Horse Temple), Qiyun Pagoda and International Zone. Qiyun Pagoda is an old pagoda with peaceful garden while International Zone houses Thailand Temple, India Temple and Myanmar Temple. Each temple has its own featured style.

Planning Ideas: 1) White Horse Temple is located between Shaolin Temple and Luoyang City. It is a good idea to take a visit of White Horse Temple on your way from Shaolin Temple to Luoyang. 2) It is not convenient to get to White Horse Temple from Shaolin Temple by public transportation, using a travel agency with private transfer is recommended.

How to Plan a Trip to Luoyang Front Gate of White Horse Temple

Others Attractions in Luoyang

Apart from three biggest highlights listed above, there are many other attractions in Luoyang to help you explore in-depth Luoyang culture or kill your time. Luoyang Museum and Tianzi Jialiu Museum are two wonderful museums which tell the history and legend of this old capital city in details. Guanlin Temple is a memorial temple to commemorate the great General Guan Yu of the State of Shu during the Three Kingdoms Period. If you are Three Kingdoms fan, don't miss it. It is available to appreciate the mighty Yellow River in Luoyang. Visiting Xiaolang Scenic Area in rainy seasons, you may see the magnificent scene of flood-discharging. In addition, there are a lot of parks and gardens to visit during Luoyang Peony Festival when over 10 gardens are covered with colorful peony flowers.

Luoyang Attractions Click to Enlarge Luoyang Attractions

How Many Days to Stay in Luoyang

The length of a Luoyang trip can be long or short according to your own needs. Usually, a classic Luoyang tour takes 2 ~ 3 days. 2 days is enough to have a tour covering Longmen Grottoes, Shaolin Temple and White Horse Temple.

Travel Plan Itinerary Features Recommended Tour
Plan A Day 1: Longmen Grottoes + Luoyang Museum
Day 2: White Horse Temple and Shaolin Temple
City Essence of Luoyang 2 Days Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Tour

If you have 3 days, you can enjoy more cultural essences of Luoyang city, have a deep exploration of Shaolin Kung Fu, join Luoyang Peony Festival, or take a side trip to admire Xiaolangdi.

Travel Plan Itinerary Features Recommended Tour
Plan A Day 1: Luoyang Arrival
Day 2: Shaolin Temple + Shaolin Kung Fu Show + Kung Fu Training Program
Day 3: Longmen Grottoes
Authentic Shaolin Kung Fu 3 Days Shaolin Kung Fu Tour including Luoyoang Highlights
Plan B Day 1: Luoyang Arrival
Day 2: Longmen Grottoes + Luoyang Museum + Tianzi Jialiu Museum + Luoyang Old City
Day 3: White Horse Temple + Shaolin Temple
Travel Luoyang at Leisure Pace 3 Days Essence of Luoyang Tour
Plan C Day 1: Longmen Grottoes
Day 2: White Horse Temple + Luoyang Museum + Luoyang National Peony Garden
Day 3: Shaolin Temple
Encounter Beautiful Peonies 3 Days Luoyang Peony Culture Festival Tour
Plan D Day 1: Longmen Grottoes
Day 2: White Horse Temple + Shaolin Temple
Day 3: Luoyang Museum + Xiaolangdi Scenic Area
Xiaolangdi Dam Visit 3 Days Luoyang Culture & Nature Appreciation Tour

If you want to discover more highlights of the city with in one go, feel free to contact us to customize a Luoyang tour.

Luoyang Weather & Best Time to Visit

Luoyang has a continental humid subtropical climate with four featured seasons, namely droughty spring, hot summer, mild autumn and cold winter. The average temperature of a whole year is around 15°C, with the highest temperature of 33°C in July and lowest temperature of -5°C in January. Because most highlights of Luoyang are cultural attractions, it is available to visit Luoyang all the year around. If you want to visit on the most comfortable days, April ~ October is recommended, especially April, May, September and October when the climate is most mild.

Luoyang Peony Festival (early April ~ early May) is always the peak travel period, because thousands of various peony flowers can be appreciated. No matter when you visit Luoyang during the festival, you can easily find a garden with peonies at its full-bloom stage.

▶ Learn more about: Luoyang Weather & Dressing Tips

How to Plan a Trip to Luoyang Luoyang Peony Flower Festival

How to Get to Luoyang

Luoyang, located in northwestern Henan, can be reached conveniently by flights and trains. There are flights to Luoyang Beijiao Airport from Beijing (2h), Shanghai (2-2.5h), Chengdu (2h), Chongqing (1.5h), Guangzhou (2.5h), Shenzhen (2.5h), etc. It is also available to take a high speed train to Luoyang from Beijing (4-4.5h), Xian (1.5-2h), Zhengzhou (40 min), etc.

Useful Links: Luoyang Beijiao Airport & Flights| Luoyang Longmen Railway Station | Luoyang High Speed Trains

Generally, Xian and Beijing are two popular gateway cities to Luoyang, because they are China's top tourist destinations with many things to discover and frequent flights and high speed trains make the two cities be easily reached. Besides, some travelers also choose to reach Zhengzhou first and then travel from Zhengzhou to Luoyang. The drive between Zhengzhou and Luoyang takes about 2.5 hours usually.

Useful Links: Beijing to Luoyang | Xian to Luoyang | Zhengzhou to Luoyang | Shanghai to Luoyang

Luoyang High Speed Rails Map Click to Enlarge Luoyang High Speed Rail Map

How to Get Around Luoyang

As you get to Luoyang, you may want to know how to travel to nearby destinations or attractions. Luoyang is not equipped with metro at present, so you can take bus, call a taxi or charter a car to travel around.

Longmen Grottoes is just located 5 km away from Longmen Railway Station, and it is available to travel Longmen Grottoes after you reach Luoyang by high speed train. You can also get there from Luoyang City by bus, taxi or private car. Traveling from Luoyang City to Shaolin Temple, it is most recommended to charter a car because the public transportation is quite time-consuming. For travelers who want to travel Yuntai Mountain and Guoliang Village, using a car is also the best way for a more convenient travel.

Useful Links: How to Get to Longmen Grottoes> | Travel from Luoyang to Shaolin Temple

√ 8 Days China Ancient Capitals Tour (Beijing / Luoyang / Xian)

√ 15 Days China Kungfu Panda Family Tour

Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Map Click to Enlarge Longmen Grottoes Location and Transfer Map

Where to Stay in Your Luoyang Trip

Though the accommodation condition of the hotels of Luoyang cannot be compared with those in Beijing or Shanghai, you get a lot of hotels for your choice as well. It offers a range of accommodation in Luoyang, from luxury 5-star hotels to budget business hotels and hostels.

Most travelers choose to accommodate in the city area where there more hotels and most of them offer quick access to restaurants, shopping malls and bus stations. Recommended hotels include 5-star Hyatt Place Luoyang and Friendship Guesthouse as well as 4-star Peony Hotel and Jing'an Peony Plaza. You can also accommodate near Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple, but the accommodation is always in very basic condition. Read more about Where to Stay in Luoyang>

Luoyang Accommodation Map Click to Enlarge Luoyang Accommodation Map

How to Extend Your Luoyang Tour

If you want to see China's history and culture from different perspectives, visiting Luoyang is not enough. We strongly suggest you to extend your Luoyang travel to Henan's other destinations or China's other top destinations.

To More Henan Destinations

As one significant of cradle of China's civilization, Henan has many other places to visit as well. For nature-lovers or shutterbugs, you can visit Yuntai Mountain - a stunning geopark recognized by UNESCO. Or if you have an interest in the dangerous hanging road on the cliff, just visit Guoliang Tunnel and Guoliang Village. Of course, you can spend 5 ~ 6 days having an overall Henan tour.

Travel Plan Itinerary Features Recommended Tour
Plan A Day 1:Longmen Grottoes
Day 2: White Horse Temple + Shaolin Temple
Day 3: Yuntai Mountain
Unique Natural Landscape 3 Days Luoyang & Yuntai Mountain Tour
Plan B Day 1~ 3: Luoyang Arrival & Sightseeing
Day 4: Guoliang Village + Guoliang Tunnel
Day 5: Guoliang Village + Zhengzhou Departure
Visit the Hidden Land That Time Forgot 5 Days Hidden Guoliangcun Village Tour from Luoyang
Plan C Day 1~2: Zhengzhou Arrival and Kaifeng Sightseeing
Day 3~4: Shaolin Temple + Luoyang Sightseeing
Day 5: Luoyang Departure
Attractive Henan 5 Days Henan Cultural Tour to Luoyang and Kaifeng

To More China Destinations

Because of the short distance and convenient transfer, many travelers prefer a travel combining Luoyang with Xian and Beijing. All the three cities are embedded with irreplaceable cultural treasures. In addition, it will be an incredible China tour with city night view appreciation in Shanghai, unbelievable Karst nature of Guilin, panda encounter in Chengdu, etc.

Travel Plan Destinations Features Recommended Tour
Plan A Beijing / Luoyang / Xian Full Exploration of Charming World Heritage Sites 8 Days China Ancient Capitals Tour
Plan B Beijing / Pingyao / Xian / Luoyang / Shanghai Stepping Back into Imperial China 11 Days Essence of China Culture Tour by High Speed Trains
Plan C Beijing / Luoyang / Xian / Chengdu / Guilin / Shanghai Chinese Kung Fu Dream 15 Days China Kungfu Panda Family Tour

Travel with China Discovery

In order to have a perfect tour to Luoyang, you can choose to travel with a professional travel agency like China Discovery. We master the most up-dated travel information and are specialized in offering travelers incredible Henan experience. Before your trip, our travel consultants will communicate with you one to one and make an itinerary according to your own travel length, interest and budget. As your itinerary is settled, we will book hotel, flight or trains for you. During your trip, our local travel guide will deal with all details for you and you just need to focus on sightseeing.

For more about private tour with China Discovery, you could contact us to tailor-make the best tour you want.

How to Plan a Trip to Luoyang Our customer visited Longmen Grottoes

Get Inspired by Real Travel Stories of Our Customers

Luoyang and nearby Shaolin Temple are very popular with our customers. Since 2012, we have helped thousands of customers visited the region successfully. With our fully-inclusive private tour packages, all of our customers enjoyed their trips to magnificent Longmen Grottoes, legendary Shaolin Temple, educational Luoyang Museum, beautiful Yuntain Mountain, etc. Some of them even had the rare opportunities to take part in the grand International Peony Festival in Luoyang. Many customers suggest visit Luoyang with Beijing, Xian, Pingyao and Shandong in northern China to explore authentic Chinese culture. Below are some inspiring travel stories:

Cultural Immersion Trip in Ancient Capitals of China (Beijing - Taiyuan - Pingyao - Xian - Luoyang - Dengfeng - Zhengzhou - Kaifeng - Qufu - Mount Tai - Beijing)
Sweet Couple's 21-Day Northern China Exploration (Beijing - Luoyang - Mount Wutai - Pingyao - Xian - Luoyang - Jinan - Taian - Qufu - Beijing - Chengde - Beijing)
19 China Trips of Vijay's People - Spreading around Family & Friends of Wonder's Good Service (Beijing / Luoyang / Xian / Chengdu/ Guangzhou / Guilin)
Sucking Cultural Fragrance from Time-honored Architectures (Kathmandu - Kunming - Lhasa - Shigatse - Xian - Luoyang - Pingyao - Luoyang)

Read more China travel stories > or find recommended similar tours>.

Luoyang Xian Our Delighted Customers

Recommended Luoyang Tours

Top 3 Luoyang tours chosen by most customers to explore Luoyang in the best way. Check the detailed itinerary, or tailor your own trip now with us.

Fabao Pavilion at White Horse Temple

3 Days Essence of Luoyang Tour

Luoyang / Dengfeng / Zhengzhou

Our guests from USA visited Fengxian Temple at Longmen Grottoes

2 Days Luoyang Longmen Grottoes Tour

Luoyang / Dengfeng / Luoyang

Kungfu Show in Shaolin Wushu Hall

3 Days Shaolin Kung Fu Tour including Luoyang Highlights

Luoyang / Dengfeng / Luoyang

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