Beijing: Datong Yungang Grottoes Private Bullet Train Day Trip

After early pickup from your central Beijing hotel, settle inside your private vehicle. Then, head to the train station and enjoy a 2-hour bullet train ride to the northern city of Datong, admiring the scenic countryside along the way. On arrival in Datong, stop for an early lunch of local specialities such as sliced noodles: bowls of savory, flattened noodles sliced with a knife and mixed with other ingredients. Duly refreshed, travel to your main destination for the day: the Yungang Grottoes. One of China’s three best-known historical Buddhist sculptural sites, this UNESCO-listed treasure dates from the 5th and 6th centuries, and consists of 252 cliffside grottoes and niches, all filled with more than 51,000 statues and depictions of Buddha. Head inside the complex and enjoy about three hours to look around the grottoes that stretch along the cliffs, seeing everything from miniature statuettes to rock-face sculptures. Stop to marvel at the largest, 55-foot-tall (7-meter-tall) Buddha, and view some of the smaller caverns and niches to admire everything from colorful wall murals to figurines and other ornamental depictions of Buddha. Having explored this incredible sight, head back to Beijing by return bullet train, after which an early-evening drop-off at your central hotel brings your tour to a close.