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Chengdu → Guangxi

Chengdu Alleys to Karst Borderlands

Six days from Sichuan teahouses south to Asia's largest transnational waterfall.

CitywalkKarstEthnic culture
6 days · 19 stops · ¥4,300–6,500 pp
Highlights
  • Wander Kuanzhai Alley over gaiwan tea, one of China's best-preserved Qing-era lane districts.
  • Stand at Detian, Asia's largest transnational waterfall, where the Guichun River draws the China and Vietnam border.
  • Drift the karst paddies of Mingshi by bamboo raft, the quieter cousin of Guilin.
Day 1

Chengdu citywalk: old alleys and Sichuan flavour

  1. 09:00
    Kuanzhai AlleyThree parallel Qing-dynasty lanes of teahouses, courtyards and street food.Free · open 24h · 2–3h
  2. 12:00
    Sichuan lunchMapo tofu, kung pao chicken and dan dan noodles, spice to your tolerance.¥60–100 pp
  3. 15:30
    Tea culture & courtyardsGaiwan tea and a slow walk through preserved siheyuan.
  4. 19:30
    Night-lit alleysThe lanes glow after dark with performers and late-night stalls.
Day 2

Wenshu Monastery, then high-speed south

  1. 08:30
    Wenshu MonasteryAn active temple where locals burn incense among ancient halls.Free · 08:00–17:00
  2. 10:00
    Temple teahouseTea in the garden while locals chat, play chess and air their songbirds.
  3. 14:30
    HSR Chengdu → NanningSix hours through the Sichuan basin, Guizhou peaks and Guangxi karst.G2969 · ~¥500 · 6h
Day 3

Mingshi pastoral and Zhuang country

  1. 09:00
    Mingshi scenic areaBamboo-lined river, scattered farmhouses and paddies under karst peaks.¥80 · 08:00–17:00 · 3–4h
  2. 13:00
    Bamboo-raft rideDrift the Ming River as boatmen sing Zhuang folk songs.¥120 pp · ~1h
  3. 15:30
    Zhuang folk museumCostumes, bronze drums and crafts of China's largest ethnic minority.
  4. 17:30
    Farmhouse dinnerFree-range poultry and river fish with sunset over the peaks.
Day 4

Detian: waterfall on the border

  1. 09:00
    Detian WaterfallAsia's largest transnational falls, three tiers over 60m across 200m of border river.¥115 incl. shuttle · raft ¥30
  2. 13:30
    China–Vietnam border marketMarkers 835 and 836 and a street of Vietnamese coffee and crafts, no visa needed.
  3. 15:30
    Upper viewpoint trailClimb for a panorama of both the Chinese and Vietnamese falls.
Day 5

Dragon Palace cave and a border city

  1. 09:30
    Longgong karst caveLit chambers of stalactites and a pillar reaching heaven, deep underground.¥90 incl. shuttle · 2–2.5h
  2. 13:30
    Underground river boatGlide a crystal underground river through illuminated caverns.
  3. 17:00
    Chongzuo old townTaiping ancient city and a night market in a low-key border town.
Day 6

Huashan rock art, then home

  1. 09:00
    Zuojiang Huashan rock art2,000-year-old Luoyue cliff paintings reached by boat, a UNESCO World Heritage site.¥90 incl. boat · 2–3h
  2. 14:00
    Return via NanningTransfer to Nanning for onward flights or high-speed rail across China.

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