Shaolin Kung Fu Experience Private Day Tour from Luoyang

Shaolin monks perform real kung fu at the temple where the martial art was born.

A full-day private tour from Luoyang visits Longmen Grottoes, one of China's four great grottoes with 2,345 caves carved into riverside cliffs, then moves to Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain to watch monks demonstrate kung fu and explore the halls and pagoda forest where Chinese martial arts began. Hotel or railway station pickup and drop-off, lunch, entrance fees and an English-speaking guide are included.

Step-by-step itinerary

Stops and time spent at each

1. Longmen Grottoes4h · entry included
2. Shaolin Temple4h · entry included

Visit Longmen Grottoes and Shaolin Temple

• Pickup from Luoyang hotel or station
• Visit Longmen Grottoes
• Enjoy lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Shaolin Temple and watch Kung Fu
• Explore Shaolin Temple main sites
• Drop off at Luoyang hotel or station

The experience

How do you get from your Luoyang hotel to two major sites in one day without renting a car? The tour picks you up around 8:30 am from your downtown hotel or the railway station and handles all the driving. You start at Longmen Grottoes, where 2,345 caves and 2,680 statues line both banks of the Yi River. The scale is what stops most visitors: the cliffs are dense with carved Buddhist figures, stupas and inscribed tablets scattered across what took centuries to complete. Your guide walks you through the main sites and explains the history carved into the stone.

After lunch at a local restaurant, you head to Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain. This is where you see the kung fu: monks perform real martial arts demonstrations, not a staged show for tourists. The temple itself is the cradle of Chinese Zen Buddhism and Shaolin Martial Arts, so the performance happens in the place where the discipline was born. You visit the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Grand Hall, the Sutra Depository, the Hall of Thousands of Buddha, and the Pagoda Forest, each one a working part of the temple rather than a museum display. Your guide explains the connection between the architecture, the philosophy and the martial tradition.

The day ends with drop-off back at your hotel or the railway station, so you don't need to arrange your own way back. The tour runs eight hours total, which is long enough to see both sites without rushing through either one.

What’s included

• Private transportation from your hotel or railway station.
• professional English-speaking guide.
• entrance tickets to both Longmen Grottoes and Shaolin Temple.
• Chinese lunch at a local restaurant.
• bottled water.
• fuel surcharge and tax.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 08:30

AgesUp to age 90

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

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 9 days ago

Good to know

Moderate physical effort

Operated by China Theme Tour

Is this one for you?Pickup from your hotel or the railway station means you don't need a rental car or a separate taxi to reach either site, making the day work whether you're traveling solo or with family and have luggage to manage.

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Top questions

What exactly is Longmen Grottoes and why is it one of the four great grottoes?

Longmen Grottoes holds equal significance to Yungang Grottoes in Datong, Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and Maiji Mountain Grottoes in Tianshui. The site contains 2,345 caves with 2,680 statues, over 70 stupas and 2,680 inscribed stone tablets carved into cliffs on both banks of the Yi River, making it one of the most extensive Buddhist stone carving complexes in China.

Do I actually see monks performing kung fu, or is it a demonstration for tourists?

You witness real kung fu performed by Shaolin monks at the temple itself. The performance takes place at Shaolin Temple on Songshan Mountain, the birthplace of Shaolin Martial Arts, so you're seeing the discipline demonstrated in its original home.

What are the main temple buildings and sites I'll visit at Shaolin?

Shaolin Temple includes the Hall of Heavenly Kings, the Grand Hall, the Sutra Depository, the Hall of Thousands of Buddha, and the Pagoda Forest. Your guide leads you through each one and explains their role in the temple's history and the martial arts tradition.

Does the tour include transportation from my hotel, and what if I'm staying near the railway station?

Private pickup and drop-off are included from your Luoyang downtown hotel or Luoyang Railway Station, so you don't need to arrange your own transport. The driver collects you around 8:30 am and returns you at the end of the day.