Name: Hidden Guizhou
Brand: WildChina
SKU: 1

About this Journey

Guizhou may truly be one of the last hidden gems of China, rich in minority culture and natural beauty. This southwestern province is home to several minorities, including many types of Miao as well as the Yi and Buyei people, each with their own special clothing, customs, and language. Guizhou’s natural beauty ranges from jutting karst peaks and gushing waterfalls to river gorges and azalea gardens. On this trip, discover the hidden side of Guizhou: wander through villages modernity has forgotten about, get a better understanding of the intricacies of traditional dress, and get hands-on with clay and cloth as you learn the crafts that give this region so much character.

What we love

Understanding the richness and diversity of the local cultures
Learning to make traditional clothing, as well as paper, bamboo flutes, and local pottery
Hiking through lush, verdant countryside, far away from the hustle and bustle of modern life

Map

Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Kaili via Guiyang

Arrive in Guiyang and meet your WildChina guide • Drive to Kaili, the heart of Miao culture in Guizhou • Visit Wangba Village to learn about the Gejia people and see their intricate embroidery and batik work • Explore Chonganjiang Village, strolling along the river, crossing ancient bridges, and browsing the lively Fifth-Day Market if in session • Stay in Kaili for the night.

Day 2Kaili

Drive 40 minutes to Leishan County, the heartland of the Miao people • Hike for three hours between Baibi, Gengan, Baiyan, and Taoyao villages, passing rice paddies, gorges, terraces, and waterfalls while meeting local residents • Visit Paika Village to see lusheng pipes crafted and played by Long-Skirt Miao artisans • Learn traditional pottery-making in Wangfeng from a local Miao family • Explore Datang Village, known for Short-Skirt Miao women’s distinctive dress and stilted water granaries • Return to Kaili for the remainder of the evening.

Day 3Kaili

Learn Miao embroidery in Wengxiang Village with Miss Li, a master artisan who began stitching at age six and now preserves this cultural heritage, sharing how stories of her people are sewn into traditional costumes • Visit a private embroidery museum curated by Miss Xu, showcasing intricate works by Miao and other Guizhou ethnic groups • Try traditional papermaking in Shiqiao Village, from preparing tree bark to flattening sheets for use.

Day 4Kaili to Rongjiang

Drive 1.5 hours to Fan Pai, a Black Miao village known for its dark indigo clothing, minimal embroidery, and stilted wooden houses • Visit a local home to see traditional indigo dyeing before strolling the village • Continue four hours to Rongjiang, home to Dong, Miao, Yao, and Shui communities, and see Dong drum towers built without nails as social and cultural hubs • Check into your hotel.

Day 5 Rongjiang to Zhaoxing

Drive from Rongjiang to Dali Village, a UNESCO-listed Dong community where daily life has changed little over time • Continue to Zhanli Village to learn about its distinctive agricultural customs and the legend of its “magic wells,” or to Biasha Village to explore the gun-making traditions and hair-cutting ceremony of the Biasha Miao people • Arrive in Zhaoxing, the largest Dong village in the world, known for its five drum towers, wind and rain bridges, and traditional wooden architecture • Check in to your hotel.

Day 6Zhaoxing

Visit Tang’an Village, home to the Dong Ethnic Eco-Museum, and learn about traditional cloth-making techniques that create a metallic sheen using egg whites, pig’s blood, and wooden mallets • Observe village life amid terraced rice paddies before hiking two hours back to Zhaoxing through fields and country lanes • Explore Zhaoxing’s covered bridges, wooden stilt houses, and five drum towers, each symbolizing a different virtue.

Day 7Depart from Guiyang via Zhaoxing

Meet your WildChina guide and driver at the hotel lobby and drive to the airport/high speed train station of Guiyang for your departure flight back home.

Hotels

Hampton by Hilton, Kaili

Local boutique

A modern landmark in Kaili, this hotel offers cozy rooms, friendly service, and firm, comfortable beds—providing a quiet, contemporary base for exploring Guizhou.

Shangpin International Hotel, Rongjiang

4 Star

Rongjiang’s only hotel welcoming international travelers, Shangpin is simple but reliable — a quiet stopover surrounded by mountains, markets, and morning mist.

Indigo Lodge Zhaoxing

Boutique Hotel

Tucked into the heart of Zhaoxing’s Dong village, this wood-built lodge blends local character with modern comfort, offering warm service and a peaceful atmosphere steps from the region’s iconic drum towers.

Photos

Details

What’s Included

Services of an English-speaking WildChina guide
Accommodation based on double occupancy with breakfasts included
All overland transfers with private chauffeur and in-transport refreshments
Private chauffeur service to and from airport at start and end of your trip
All admission fees and activity expenses, as noted in the itinerary
Meals as noted in the itinerary with complimentary drinking water

What’s Excluded

International and domestic flights, domestic trains, plus relevant taxes
Chinese tourist visa, which is required for most foreign passport holders
Travel and medical insurance
Meals, apart from those included in the itinerary, and alcohol
Expenses of a personal nature
Excursions and activities not included in the itinerary
Discretionary gratuities for guides and drivers

Next Steps

How do I book this tour?

Please use the inquiry form on the right-hand side of this page or email info@wildchina.com to get started. One of our travel designers will be in touch accordingly to start the process of planning your custom China trip!

What is the payment schedule?

Deposit:

Once you are ready to book, a $500 USD per person planning fee is required to begin reserving your arrangements. This will go towards your total trip costs and will be taken off your final balance amount.

Full payment:
Full trip payment will be requested 60 days prior to departure. If you’re booking within 60 days of your departure, you may be asked to pay make the full payment straight away.

Payments can be made via credit card, bank transfer, WeChat or Alipay.

What is your cancellation policy?

See our full booking conditions here.

Why WildChina

We’re on the ground with you

Our team of advisors will design every detail of the trip with you through close consultation, then orchestrate your entire journey while on the ground. We’re in the same time zone as you, so we can fulfill requests and handle issues without a hitch. With over 40 staff in China and an expansive network of operational partners across the country, we have the manpower to ensure your journey is safe, reliable and comfortable from beginning to end.

Your trip, your way

Flexibility is our highest-ranking compliment. We pull off journeys for pioneers with a 6-hour layover to Hollywood’s elite, and everywhere in between. Our team regularly pulls off unprecedented logistical feats; nearly any time frame or budget is within our realm. No matter how you wish to experience China, we are here to bring that dream to life.

We embody passion

WildChina guides are carefully handpicked for their knowledge and charisma, then meticulously trained to maintain our exceptional service standards. They are expert storytellers and passionate natives of the regions where they guide, having the perfect combination of local insights and service know-how to bring you seamless once-in-a- lifetime moments all across China.

The little things, the big picture

Supporting inspired local economies allows you to experience the soul of the destination, while also protecting and cultivating China’s artisanal culture. From watching artisans creating their handcrafts, to picking organic vegetables for dinner on a local farm, our tours are designed to showcase and protect China’s heritage, both natural and human.

Hidden Guizhou

Have questions?