After morning pickup at your Beijing hotel, travel in a private vehicle to the Longqing Gorge (Longqingxia Gorge), located about 55 miles (90 km) north of downtown Beijing. Flanked on both sides by green peaks and capped to the north by the Gucheng Reservoir, built in 1981, the gorge offers peaceful yet dramatic scenery of wooded mountains, curious stones, and karst caves. During a 1.5-hour cruise through the ravine, feel the gentle breeze blowing against your face and enjoy the view of passing attractions like Baihua (Hundred Flowers) Cave and the Shenxianyuan (Immortal) and Jingang temples.

After the morning boat ride, enjoy a lunch of regional cuisine at a famer's house. Continue on to the Guyaju caves, a multi-village complex of more than 170 dwellings carved directly into the rock face. Believed to have been carved by an ethnic minority called the Xiyi between the Tang and Liao Dynasties, the remarkable caves resemble 'ant farms for humans' and consist of rooms of varying shapes and styles complete with doors, windows, kitchen ranges, and closets. After the full-day tour is finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel in downtown Beijing.