Hunan to Guilin “Danxia to Limestone” Festival Pre-Ride
(7 Days)

A relaxed supported ride from the pink sandstone peaks of Bajiaozhai to the limestone landscapes of Guilin.

Highlights

• Bajiaozhai National Park and its spectacular Danxia sandstone peaks
• Quiet country roads with very little traffic
• Traditional Yao, Miao and Zhuang minority villages
• Bustling country markets and local food
• Mountain guesthouses and family-run inns
• Longsheng Hot Springs
• Forested valleys, rivers and rice terraces
• Guilin’s famous noodles and regional cuisine

Day 1 – 8th May

Arrival in Guilin

Welcome to China!

Guilin is one of China’s most beautiful and leafy cities, where limestone mountains rise almost straight out of the city. Busy neighbourhoods, great local food and that extraordinary karst backdrop make it a perfect place to begin our journey through northern Guangxi.

Look for your name on our sign at the airport. Whatever time you arrive, we’ll pick you up and transfer you about an hour to our joining-point hotel.

In the evening we’ll meet the group and head out for our first dinner together. Tomorrow we leave the city behind and head north towards the extraordinary pink sandstone landscapes of Bajiaozhai.

Day 2 – 9th May

Guilin to Bajiaozhai National Park

2–3 hour hike / 15 km warm-up ride – B L D

Today we head out early after breakfast for the two-hour drive north of Guilin to UNESCO-listed Bajiaozhai National Park, famed for its unique pink sandstone Danxia formations. At first glance they’re similar to the more famous limestone karst mountains found further south, but geologically they’re quite distinct.

Once here, we’ll hike the 1,800 steps up to the Tian Kong Buddhist temple for incredible views overlooking neighbouring Hunan Province.

After wandering through the temples and watching the locals make offerings and wishes at the shrines, we’ll have a picnic lunch on top of the mountain. Then it’s a walk down through bamboo groves followed by a short drive to our hotel.

There’ll be time to set up the bikes before heading out for a ground-level look at the Danxia formations on a 14 km warm-up ride at sunset. A pre-dinner cool-off in the hotel pool awaits, followed by a local-style banquet featuring the local specialities and produce.

Day 3 – 10th May

Bajiaozhai NP – Guali – Chetian

67 km – B L D

The start of today’s ride is spectacular as we trace a route out of the national park through tiny villages on quiet roads. The terrain is undulating, with forest and farmland as the backdrop and local people tending rice fields and livestock along the way.

We take a sharp ascent onto a ridgeline, where things flatten out for a while and rural China scenes abound, before descending into a wider valley and our lunch stop in the village of Guali.

After lunch it’s a steady 18 km climb, flat at first and becoming steeper towards the top of the pass. We’ll pass through the tiny village of Baotian, where we’ll take a break at a local school. For those who would prefer to transfer up to the top of the hills, our vehicles will be available.

From the top we can see the ridgeline of the province’s highest mountain peak, Mao Er Shan (Cat Mountain). The descent on the other side takes us through forests, narrow gullies and ravines. We’ll pass numerous villages and wooden houses built into the mountainsides, nestled amongst rice terraces, fruit orchards and wild forest.

Eventually we make our way down into the main river valley and the small Chetian Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Populated by the Miao minority group (also known as Hmong in Southeast Asia), this vibrant little administrative centre is a hub for villagers from the surrounding mountains to sell and distribute their produce, and the bustling market is always colourful.

From Chetian town it’s a short ride to Shishandi, a secluded valley and quiet farming village where we stay in a small hotel beside a bubbling stream. Upstream are spectacular rock formations and waterfalls, ideal for hiking and swimming.

Day 4 – 11th May

Chetian to Longsheng Hot Springs

44 km – B L D

Today’s ride is a scenically spectacular one as we cycle along a high ridgeline, with views down into the valleys below and across to the huge mountains beyond, where small wooden villages cling to the mountainsides.

We start with a steep 4 km climb from the guesthouse up to the ridgeline, before dipping down and climbing one final, shorter section on our way to the tea break. From there it’s a steep downhill to the Xun Xun River, which we’ll follow to lunch and our hotel just beyond.

Our hotel sits beside a creek in a narrow valley, with hot pools fed by a thermal spring. A cool dip in the river will refresh us after the ride, while a soak in the hot spring should help relieve tired muscles. There’s also a nice walk up through the canyon before dinner at the hotel.

Day 5 – 12th May

Longsheng Hot Springs – Pingan

63 km – B L D

Most of today’s terrain is flat or undulating, but we finish with a steep and challenging 6 km climb up to the Longji rice terraces.

Along the way we’ll pass through the county capital, Longsheng, where we’ll check out the local market. Much of the produce from the surrounding region ends up here before being traded to far-off locations around China or finding its way into local kitchens. There’s an extraordinary array of goods for sale – exotic and sometimes very strange, but always colourful and fascinating.

From Longsheng we ride towards the Longji Rice Terraces, stopping for lunch before entering the park area. There are a few little climbs as we make our way up the river valley, dotted with Yao villages and their colourfully dressed inhabitants.

Glimpses of villages high above give us an indication of the climb ahead: 6 km of switchbacks up to the base of Pingan village, set in the middle of the rice terraces.

Here we’ll swap cycling shoes for hiking shoes and walk up the stone steps for around 20 minutes to our guesthouse. We should arrive in Pingan with enough time to sit back with a beer or a cuppa and enjoy the sunset views from the terrace of our traditionally built Zhuang guesthouse.

The owners, Keyin and Yibeng, always make us feel at home and may offer us a sample of their special sweet rice wine to go with their outstanding cooking.

Day 6 – 13th May

Pingan to Shiertan

30 or 60 km – B L D

Today starts with a fantastic downhill through the switchbacks we cycled up the previous day – a nice reward for the effort!

We spend the day on quiet, sealed roads, undulating through pine and bamboo forests and passing villages tucked away in the hills. The views are spectacular as we head up a gentle 12 km climb, followed by the fastest twisting descent of the trip.

Being close to Guilin, delicious Guilin-style rice noodles are on the menu for lunch at the roadside.

In the afternoon there’s a choice: continue cycling through bamboo plantations and small rural villages, or put your feet up and pick up some paddles for a sometimes thrilling, sometimes serene, optional rubber raft ride directly to our hotel by the river.

We’ll settle in for the evening with a chance to relax or swim before a banquet of local dishes and BBQ overlooking the river.

Day 7 – 14th May

Shiertan to Yangshuo

There’ll be some free time to explore before we drive to Yangshuo (roughly 3 hours) to join the Yangshuo Bike Festival.