Start your day with an early morning pickup at shanghai downtown by your friendly driver, then transfer to Shanghai HongQiao Railway Station to catch your train to Zhengzhou (depart at 6:10am).

Upon arrival at Zhengzhou East Railway Station (11:09am), your private guide will hold a sign with your name on it and meet you at the exit.

Then transfer to Shaolin Temple (approximately 1.5 hours) after meeting your driver. Upon arrival, you will first stop for lunch. You can choose to have a nice vegetarian lunch in the temple or enjoy a local lunch outside before your visit. Then visit the Shaolin Temple, which was originally built in 495 in the Northern Wei Dynasty (368-534), reputed to be 'the Number One Temple under Heaven'. Accompanied by your tour guide, you will first visit Shanmen Hall, Hall of Heavenly Kings and Thousand-Buddha Hall.

After the tour is finished, drive another 1.5 hours to Luoyang City, where you will stay overnight.

Meet your private guide and driver at your hotel lobby in Luoyang at 8:00am and drive about 30 minutes to Luoyang Longmen Grottoes, which is located on both sides of the Yi River to the south of the ancient capital of Luoyang, Henan province. The magnificent carvings ranks first among China’s grottoes, comprising more than 2,300 caves and niches carved into the steep limestone cliffs over a 1km long stretch.

After lunch, continue to visit the White Horse Temple, which is the birthplace of Buddhism in China, having been first established in 68 AD under the patronage of Emperor Ming in the Eastern Han dynasty.The site also includes exquisite examples of Thai, Burmese and Indian temples.

At the end, you will be dropped off at Luoyang Longmen Railway Station to catch your bullet train back to Shanghai (depart at 16:35).

Upon arrival in Shanghai, your driver will meet you at Shanghai Hongqiao Railway Station and transfer back to your hotel.