Qingdao Mount Lao Day Tour: Cable Car, Taiqing Palace, Lunch

Walk Mount Lao's peaks and temples without arranging your own transport

A private day tour of Mount Lao near Qingdao visits Taiqing palace, the mountain's peaks and Dragon waterfall over eight hours, with a round-trip cable car, guided walking, Chinese lunch and hotel pickup included. The tour runs with an English or Chinese-speaking guide. Comfortable walking shoes are essential as the mountain section is on foot after the cable car ascent.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Mount Lao and Taiqing Palace

• Take excursion bus to Taiqing Palace
• Explore Taiqing Palace Taoist Temple
• Have lunch
• Take one way cable car to Mount Lao
• Walk and explore Mount Lao
• Visit Dragon Waterfall
• Take private transfer to hotel

The experience

Mount Lao has been a pilgrimage site for over a thousand years, known as one of Taoism's birthplaces. At its peak, the mountain held nine palaces, eight temples and 72 convents. Taiqing palace, built in the early Northern Song Dynasty around 960 CE, is the largest and oldest of the temples still standing. You start by taking an excursion bus to Taiqing palace to walk through its simple, centuries-old architecture before lunch.

After eating, you board a one-way cable car up the mountain, then walk the peaks on foot. The walking section is where comfortable shoes matter: the operator emphasizes this because the terrain is uneven and the views require you to move between overlooks. Dragon waterfall, also called Jade Longtan, drops roughly 30 meters off a cliff into a deep pool below. The water source originates 500 meters higher up the mountain and gathers streams as it descends through the valley. From the platform below the waterfall, you can look up at the full height or scan the surrounding peaks from above.

The tour wraps with a private transfer back to your hotel or a central location in Qingdao. You get a bottle of water, entrance fees to Mount Lao, the cable car ride both ways, lunch and the guide's commentary in English or Chinese throughout the day.

What’s included

• Entrance fee to Mount Lao.
• round-trip cable car.
• excursion bus to Taiqing palace.
• Chinese lunch.
• private hotel pickup and return transfer.
• English or Chinese-speaking guide.
• bottle of water.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30 and 09:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 to 90 years) · Youth (8 to 11 years) · Child (3 to 7 years) · Infant (under 3): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish and Chinese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 8 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by China Kongfu Panda tour

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you want a guide handling the route and timing so you can focus on the walking and the views, and if you prefer not to arrange your own transport to and from the mountain. The private transfer and cable car mean you avoid the logistics of getting to Mount Lao and climbing from the base, leaving the day for the temple, the peaks and the waterfall itself.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Chinese.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (8 to 11 years); Child (3 to 7 years); Infant (under 3): free.

How much walking is involved on Mount Lao itself?

The mountain section happens after the cable car takes you up. You then walk the peaks and overlooks on foot to see Taiqing palace's architecture and reach Dragon waterfall. The operator asks for comfortable shoes because the terrain is uneven, though the exact distance and pace depend on which peaks and viewpoints the guide includes on the day.

What is Taiqing palace and why is it worth seeing?

Taiqing palace is the largest and oldest Taoist temple still standing on Mount Lao, built nearly 1,000 years ago in the early Northern Song Dynasty. It features simple, elegant architecture and sits on a mountain that was once the center of Taoism in China, with nine palaces, eight temples and 72 convents at its height. Many have been lost, but the palace's design and its position on the mountain make it a landmark of that history.

Is the cable car included, and do I have to walk the entire mountain?

Yes, a round-trip cable car is included. You take it up the mountain after visiting Taiqing palace by bus, then walk the peaks and Dragon waterfall on foot from there. The cable car handles the steep ascent, so the walking portion is from the top down to the waterfall and overlooks rather than climbing from the base.

Does the tour include pickup from my Qingdao hotel?

Yes, private transfer from your hotel in Qingdao city centre or a downtown location you specify is included. The tour ends with a return transfer to the same place.