Private Day Trip to Shaolin Temple, Zhongyue Temple & Songyang Academy from Zhengzhou

Tour Highlights
• Visit Shaolin Temple, the origin temple of Chan Buddhism and cradle of Chinese martial art Kungfu
• Admire Kungfu performance at the famed Shaolin Temple
• Marvel at the 2,200-year-old Zhongyue Temple
• Visit Songyang Academy, one of the oldest private educational institutions in China.
• Experienced English speaking tour guide
• Overland transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments

About This Tour
• Departure: Daily departing from Zhengzhou
• Tour Duration: Approximately 8 hours.
• Guide Languages: Chinese & English.
• Pickup Time: Between 07:00 and 10:00, choose a departure time most suitable for you.
• Pickup & Drop-off Place: Your accommodation in Zhengzhou
• Advice on Meals: Lunch is not included in this tour. We recommend having a substantial breakfast and bringing snacks in case you get hungry while sightseeing. If you'd like to experience authentic local cuisine for lunch, feel free to inform your guide, who will be happy to assist.

Tour Itinerary at a Glance
• Pick up from your accommodation in Zhengzhou
• Drive to Shaolin Temple (90km, 2 hours)
• Visit Shaolin Temple (2 hours)
• Lunch on your own
• Drive to Songyang Academy (11km, about 20 minutes)
• Visit Songyang Academy (30 minutes)
• Drive to Zhongyue Temple (about 10 minutes)
• Visit Zhongyue Temple (45 minutes)
• Transfer back to your accommodation in Zhengzhou

Price Remark
• Prices are not valid during National Day (Oct 1-7), Chinese New Year, and Labor Day (May 1-5).

Price Inclusions
• Professional English language speaking tour guide.
• Air-conditioned vehicle with an experienced driver.
• Admission tickets to sightseeing places.
• All government taxes.

Price Exclusions
• Hotel accommodation.
• Meals are excluded allowing you flexibility on menu.
• Your personal expenses.
• Travel insurance is not included. Please purchase before your trip to provide for any unforeseen circumstances.
• Gratuities to guide & driver. They are customary and would be of great encouragement and reward for quality service.

Additional Information
• Confirmation will be received at the time of booking.
• Operates in all weather conditions, please dress appropriately.
• The itinerary is subject to change due to traffic conditions or bad weather.
• The itinerary is flexible; changes can be made upon written request from travelers.
• IMPORTANT: It is required by the government regulations that travelers must provide their name, gender, nationality, passport number and date of birth to their tour operator upon booking a tour. Failure to do so could result in being denied access or admittance to sites and attractions during sightseeing. When you book this tour, please complete all required fields at checkout. Please bring your passport with you on the tour.

Cancellation Policy
• Cancellations made 24 hours prior to the scheduled departure time will receive a 100% refund.
• Cancellations made within 24 hours of the tour's start time or after the tour begins are non-refundable.
• Cancellation request will be confirmed within 2-5 business days, with refunds issued within 14 working days.

Tailor This Tour to Meet Your Needs
• If you want to customize this itinerary, contact us via WhatsApp (+86 139 1083 0737) or email (info@GrandChinaTravel.com). We'll create a tailor-made tour package just for you.

Know Before You Go
• Keep your passport with you throughout the tour; it may be needed to buy entrance tickets.
• Pickup time, guide's name, and contact information will be confirmed via WhatsApp or email.
• Your guide will be at the meeting point, holding a GGC pickup sign with your name.
• Meals are not included; please feel free to ask your guide for recommendations.
• If you book an Airbnb, please note that door-to-door pickup and drop-off might not be provided.
• There's a 20-minute grace period for waiting. Failure to show up will result in tour cancellation & no refund.

Hotel Pickup, Transfer to Shaolin Temple
Your private guide will be holding GoGrandChina pick-up sign and waiting for you in your hotel lobby (or other appointed meeting place) at the appointed time. You will be transferred to Shaolin Temple (90km, about 2 hours) in a comfortable private vehicle.

Visit Shaolin Temple (2 hours)
Shaolin Temple  is the origin temple of Chan Buddhism and cradle of Chinese martial art Kungfu. First built in 495 AD, it was a royal temple built to accommodate Indian Buddhist monk Master Batuo. Later it became the center of Buddhism in China, where holy monks gathered, emperors and high-ranking officials came to visit and pay homage, and poets and scholars came to admire the beauty of this scenic place. Shaolin Kungfu is one of the ways that monks of Shaolin Temple study Chan Buddhism. Being the single most outstanding representative of ancient Chinese martial arts culture, Shaolin Kungfu is very welcomed among people of many different cultures. It is a vivid legend in the history of the human being’s civilization. Continue your visit to the Pagoda Forest, where hundreds of stone pagodas, memorials to past monks, are tightly grouped together in a Forest. Also don't miss the Kungfu Show begining at 10:30, 11:30, 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, lasting for half hour each day.

Lunch at Your Own Expense
Please feel free to ask your guide for suggestions and recommendations.

Drive to Songyang Academy (11km, about 20 minutes)

Visit Songyang Academy (30 minutes)
Built in 484 AD during the Northern Wei Dynasty, Songyang Academy was once designated as an imperial palace by Emperor Wu Zetian of the Tang Dynasty and was later officially called, Songyang Academy during the reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty. It is credited as one of China’s four most famous academies. More than 2000 books are stored in this academy. Other historical relics include 15 stone sculptures of Eastern Wei Dynasty and 14 ancient trees. Songyang academy serves as a place to teach Confucian doctrines, a place to worship scholars and a place to hold examinations. Hence, it is of high significance for the development of Confucianism, the research on academic building, educational institution and Confucian culture in ancient China.

Drive to Zhongyue Temple (about 10 minutes)

Visit Zhongyue Temple (45 minutes)
Embedded in a mountainous background, with monks garbed in traditional dress and sporting topknots, Zhongyue Temple is the largest Daoist temple in Henan Province. Today's complex dates from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911). In the courtyard after the Chongsheng gate are four 3m-high (9 3/4-ft.) Song dynasty iron guards originally cast in 1064 with weapons in their hands. Just before the central gate (Lingji Men) is a rather unusual 1604 stele with carvings of the five sacred Daoist mountains: Mount Songshan stands in the middle, Mount Taishan in the east, Mount Hengshan in the north, Mount Hengshan in the south, and Mount Huashan in the west. The temple's central hall, the impressive golden-roofed, double-eaved Zhongyue Dadian, resembles the hall of supreme harmony of the Forbidden City and has a statue of the god of Mount Songshan. A Temple Fair is held here twice a year on the tenth day of the third month and the tenth day of the tenth month of the lunar calendar (usually early April and early November). This boisterous and colorful event lasts ten days.

Transfer Back to Your Hotel
Your guide and driver will transfer you back to your hotel in Zhengzhou.