Private Luoyang Day Tour: Longmen Grottoes & White Horse Temple
Two millennia of carved stone and temple history in a single day, with your own guide
A private full-day tour of Luoyang visits Longmen Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site holding 100,000 Buddhist images carved into cliffsides, and White Horse Temple, where Buddhism first took hold in China. Your English-speaking guide meets you at your hotel at 8:30 AM, drives you through both sites, arranges lunch at a local restaurant, and returns you by late afternoon. The tour covers the two must-see attractions that shaped Luoyang's 5,000-year history as capital of 13 dynasties.
Step-by-step itinerary
Visit Longmen Grottoes and White Horse Temple
- Pick up from hotel at 8:30 AM
- Explore Longmen Grottoes UNESCO site
- Lunch at local Chinese restaurant
- Visit White Horse Temple
- Return to hotel
What’s included
- Hotel or Luoyang Longmen Train Station pickup and drop-off in Luoyang City.
- transfer by air-conditioned vehicle with a reliable driver.
- English-speaking tour guide throughout the day.
- lunch at a local popular restaurant.
Times
- Every day 08:30
Information
Prices and times updated 3 days ago
Operated by Trippest Travel
The experience
Longmen Grottoes sits amid green mountains and a serpentine river, holding about 2,100 grottoes and niches carved over centuries. Inside are 100,000 Buddhist images and statues, 40 crematory urns, and 3,600 inscribed stone tablets: a single site that documents the evolution of Chinese Buddhist art. Your guide walks you through the site and explains the history and local stories behind what you're seeing, rather than leaving you to read plaques alone.
After lunch at a local restaurant popular with residents, you head to White Horse Temple, backed by Mangshan Mountain and facing the Luohe River. This temple is regarded as the birthplace of Buddhism in China. Historically, accomplished Buddhist monks from across China and abroad traveled here to study. The afternoon visit gives you time to absorb the spiritual significance of the place before your driver returns you to your hotel.
Is this one for you?Because this is a private tour, your guide's pace and focus follow your interests rather than a group schedule, and you avoid waiting for other travelers at each site. Choose this if you want to linger at the carvings that move you and have someone explain the history as you go, rather than moving through on a set timeline.
Traveler reviews
More experiences you might like
Top questions
Can children come?
Yes. Ticket types: Infant (under 2): free.
What happens if it rains?
It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.
What exactly is inside Longmen Grottoes that makes it a UNESCO World Heritage Site?
Longmen Grottoes holds roughly 2,100 grottoes and niches carved into the cliffs, containing 100,000 Buddhist images and statues, 40 crematory urns, and 3,600 inscribed stone tablets accumulated over centuries of devotion and artistry.
Why is White Horse Temple considered important to Buddhism in China?
White Horse Temple is regarded as the cradle land of Buddhism in China, where highly accomplished Buddhist monks from China and renowned monks from abroad came to pursue Buddhist wisdom and inspiration throughout history.
What time does the tour start and when will I be back at my hotel?
Your guide and driver pick you up from your hotel lobby at 8:30 AM. The full-day tour runs eight hours, so you'll return in the late afternoon.
Is lunch included, and can you handle dietary requirements?
Yes, lunch is included at a local restaurant serving authentic Chinese dishes popular among residents. Please advise any dietary requirements when you book so the operator can arrange accordingly.
Can I be picked up from Luoyang Longmen Railway Station instead of my hotel?
Yes, the operator can arrange pickup from Luoyang Longmen Railway Station. Provide your train information when booking and note it in the pickup location field.
Private Luoyang Day Tour: Longmen Grottoes & White Horse Temple
8h · EN · at your hotel
from US$ 225.96 per person