Pingyao Tours
31 years after the Stock Exchange began in Wall Street, Chinese banking began in Pingyao in 1823. When the world was busy changing its face, it kept its appearance of 2,700 years ago. You don't need a time machine — just come to Pingyao, and you will see the birthplace of "China's Wall Street", and experience the history of the best-preserved ancient town in China.
Pingyao is like a scrolldisplaying the development of China's economy, culture, society, and religion for nearly 3,000 years — the First Bank in China, displays of old armed escort companies, colored mud sculptures, wooden temples, the ancient city wall… every corner has its unique story.
Our Pingyao package tours pick out the most representative sights, utilize time efficiently, and thoughtfully present the gems of ancient Pingyao to you. We are flexible to tailoring your own trip according to your schedule, and offer professional suggestions.
Most Popular Pingyao Tour
Experience the rich ancient culture of China in the best preserved ancient walled town — Pingyao Ancient Town
Explore the Buddhism relics- Yungang Grottoesin Datong, combine with the Pingyao Ancient Town and Wang's Family Compound.
Visit the most important historical sites in China- Great Wall, Yungang Grottoes, Pingyao Ancient Twon and Terra-Cotta Warriors.
Immerse yourself into the glory history and stories of imperial family in Beijing, and touch the ordinary life of merchant in Pingyao.
This tour combined Beijing, Pingyao and Xian by bullet train, smart way to save the cost and enjoy the scenery along the way.
Pingyao Ancient City and Surrounding
Pingyao Vicinity Map
Common Questions Travelers Ask Us
1. What are the best sightseeing and transportation options in Datong and Pingyao?
It is recommended to spend one day in Datong (to see the town's attractions and the Yungang Grottoes,), one day traveling from Datong to Pingyao and sightseeing on the way (to see the Hanging Monastery, Yingxian Wooden Pagoda, and the Wang Family Courtyard), and one day in Pingyao Ancient Town. The best way to get to Pingyao from Datong is to have a private vehicle. In order to have the most flexibility to enjoy the attractions along the way, we have a four-day package tour that includes the most representative attractions in Datong and Pingyao
2. What are the transportation links between Beijing and Datong?
There are two ways to get to Datong from Beijing: airplane and train. There are two daily flights from Beijing to Datong that depart in the early morning and late afternoon. The flights take 55 minutes. The train journeys take between 6½ and 8 hours, and most of them are overnight trains. They depart in the late evening (around 11pm) and arrive in the early morning.
3. What is an overnight train like? How is a train ticket booked?
For overnight trains, we recommend soft sleepers. There are four bunks in a compartment with a door for privacy. Each bunk has a pillow and a blanket. The toilets are at the end of the carriage and may be a Western toilet; however, they may not always be clean as they are used by people from other carriages. We can book the train ticket for you, and will usually purchase the ticket for a bottom bunk in the compartment, which is easier and steadier. If you do not want to share the compartment with other people, we can also book the whole compartment (four tickets).
4. What is the recommended transportation between Beijing, Pingyao, and Xi'an?
The fastest and easiest way between these three cities is to travel on the CRH (China Railway High-Speed), also known as the bullet train. Below are the schedules of the trains:
Beijing Xi (Beijing West Railway Station) – Pingyaogucheng (Pingyao Ancient Town Railway Station)
Train Number | Departure City to Arrival City | Duration |
---|---|---|
D2001 | 07:52 Beijing Xi – 12:08 Pingyaogucheng | 4h 16m |
G609 | 10:33 Beijing Xi – 14:32 Pingyaogucheng | 3h 59m |
D2005 | 15:29 Beijing Xi – 19:45 Pingyaogucheng | 4h 16m |
Pingyaogucheng (Pingyao Ancient Town Railway Station) – Beijing Xi (Beijing West Railway Station)
Train Number | Departure City to Arrival City | Duration |
---|---|---|
D2002 | 08:42 Pingyaogucheng – 12:55 Beijing Xi | 4h 13m |
G616 | 13:40 Pingyaogucheng – 17:28 Beijing Xi | 3h 48m |
D2006 | 16:16 Pingyaogucheng – 20:39 Beijing Xi | 4h 23m |
Xi'an Bei (Xi'an North Railway Station) – Pingyaogucheng (Pingyao Ancient Town Railway Station)
Train Number | Departure City to Arrival City | Duration |
---|---|---|
D2506 | 09:38 Xi'an Bei – 12:23 Pingyaogucheng | 2h 45m |
D2512 | 11:07 Xi'an Bei – 14:14 Pingyaogucheng | 3h 07m |
D2514 | 12:10 Xi'an Bei – 15:10 Pingyaogucheng | 3h |
D2518 | 13:40 Xi'an Bei – 16:47 Pingyaogucheng | 3h 07m |
D2532 | 16:12 Xi'an Bei – 19:26 Pingyaogucheng | 3h 14m |
D2530 | 19:05 Xi'an Bei – 22:04 Pingyaogucheng | 2h 59m |
Pingyaogucheng (Pingyao Ancient Town Railway Station) – Xi'an Bei (Xi'an North Railway Station)
Train Number | Departure City to Arrival City | Duration |
---|---|---|
D2503 | 08:40 Pingyaogucheng – 11:55 Xi'an Bei | 3h 15m |
D2031 | 10:05 Pingyaogucheng – 13:12 Xi'an Bei | 3h 07m |
D2513 | 14:11 Pingyaogucheng – 17:04 Xi'an Bei | 2h 53m |
D2521 | 16:38 Pingyaogucheng – 19:45 Xi'an Bei | 3h 07m |
D2529 | 20:00 Pingyaogucheng – 22:40 Xi'an Bei | 2h 40m |
China Highlights,Asia Highlights, andGlobal Highlightscollaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.
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One Day Beijing Trip (Great Wall, Summer Palace) With Jennifer
My tour guide Jennifer made this quick one day trip to Beijing great! The day started out a bit overcast and rainy when I landed, but Jennifer’s positive attitude and kind communication (along with her being able to keep up/put up with my jokes) made it fine.Despite this, Jennifer and our driver Chen were able to swing an extra photo shoot stop at the Olympic Stadium. I guess it gives me an excuse to come back to visit again, and when I do - I will use China Highlights and this great fantastic team. more
Sep 2023, Alan Landau
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Best Great Wall experience
Used China Highlights for a private all-day tour of Jinshanling portion of the Great Wall. One of the best days of my life! Tour guide Alan and a driver met me at my hotel and the ride was very comfortable. Alan was extremely knowledgable and friendly, I really enjoyed talking with him. The scenery was astoundingly beautiful; this is a less touristy portion of the Wall. The hiking was fun, Alan brought plenty of water, and showed me things I would not have noticed by myself. On the way back to the hotel, we stopped at a local restaurant for lunch that Alan had arranged - delicious! Once in a lifetime experience. more
Sep 2023, LZviajera
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Non-standard private China tour
I booked a 4 weeks private China tour with ChinaHighlights covering landscapes and cultural sites between Beijing, Xian, Guilin, Zhangjiajie, Hangzhou and Shanghai. The entire tour was set up accurately, very fast and in the light of all relevant personal preferences by Mrs. Carol Wang, an expert in organizing hand made voyages in China. Due to her knowledge and immediate responses the tour was scheduled comfortably and straightforward, including all transfers and authentic hotel bookings. I highly recommend ChinaHighlights and in particular Carol Wang for organizing any extraordinary, non-mainstream travel to China. more
Sep 2023, Dr. Manfred Leubner
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Best way to see Beijing
Our guide Lily Liu was lovely - super patient, warm, knowledgeable about Chinese history, and great English skills. Would definitely recommend this service! more
Sep 2023, Stephanie N
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Amazing tour!
Our guide, Linda, was by far the best person to have for our tours of The Forbidden City, Tianamen Square, and Mutianyu Great Wall. She was an encyclopedia with great knowledge of Chinese History and was able to explain every detail of what we were seeing. She picked us up with a very nice car and driver from our hotel both days, at the time most convenient to us, and dropped us back off wherever we wanted at the end of our tours. Both the Forbidden City and the Great Wall are marvels of human and Chinese achievements and are a must to see in Beijing. Visiting them both with a tour guide that feels more like a friend was certainly helping enjoying it even more. more
Sep 2023, Robin Z
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北京是惊人的
Linda Wang our amazing tour guide helped us to have an unforgettable trip to all the best of Beijing. From organizing the driver (also excellent) to drop us/pick us up exactly when we were leaving busy tourist sites, excellent food recommendations, fascinating knowledge relevant to us and our children (13yo and 11yo) making The Forbidden City, Tiannamen Square, Great Wall, Beijing Zoo and The Hutongs thoroughly enjoyable. Handling all the entrance/exit passport and ticket requirements, interpreting, answering any questions we had about local culture, we were so comfortable and happy, never rushed, everything you could want and more. more
Sep 2023, Michelle A
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Personal Private tour China
Me and my wife have book a personal private tour to China with China Highlights in March'23 and I must say Ms Maggie Jiang has been very helpfully all along. Advising us on the trips, Visa, Covid and details of our trips coming this 18th September'23. We hope that with all the information provided by Maggie, we should be enjoying our coming tour in China. more
Sep 2023, John Wee
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Very helpful with trip planning
Planned a trip to Beijing for around a week with China highlights. The consultant Silvia did a great job creating the itinerary of the trip. more
Sep 2023, ax zx
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Streamlined and Customized Trip Planning at its Finest!
Roger Li has crafted the most amazing trip for my family for next summer! We have emailed back and forth about different experiences I wanted to add, and he always responded within a few hours. He actually ended up creating 4 different itineraries for me to choose from! Now we’re all set for a completely customized trip to China that includes all the major sites plus cultural experiences! I would recommend China Highlights to anyone thinking of going to China whether they are an experienced travel planner or a novice! Especially, if you get to work with Roger! more
Sep 2023, Tamara Scheel
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Unforgettable trip!
海伦,我不our guide, to make possible this amazing first trip to China that I'll never forget! Each day was amazing, Helen helped a lot and was there since I got out to the arrival hall at the airport and replied all my curious questions related to China's history during the visit. For sure an unforgettable trip!!!! more
Sep 2023, Rebeca Elena
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强烈推荐
Our tour guide, Mark was excellent. He was very accommodating and knowledgeable! We wouldn’t have seen half the places without Mark. He was able to get us past crowds and organised passport entry. Alongside Mr Who, the driver, it made our time in China hassle free and very memorable! Thank you Mark, Mr Who and China Highlights! more
Sep 2023, Sara N
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Great service from China Highlights in planning my trip
I've been very happy with the service I have gotten so far (noting that my trip has not happened yet). My agent Roger Li has been so helpful. He helped me plan the Guiling day trip according to special requests and had great advice on how to plan a unique trip away from the crowds. We couldn't be more excited. Roger was also happy to help and answer all the questions I had unrelated to my planned trip with them and to help me out when I had some issues when I accidentally gave the wrong information when booking train tickets. His replies were always prompt and friendly. I feel very comfortable traveling to China knowing I can reach out to Roger with any issues that may arise during our China Highlights trip. more
Aug 2023, Jóna Marín ólafsdóttir
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Beijing and a little beyond!
We have recently returned from an action packed 4-days in Beijing, including a trip to the Great Wall, in the company of Bruce, our tour guide from China Highlights. Bruce was very knowledgeable throughout the 4-days and took the time and effort to discuss various aspects of Chinese history with our teenage son, including quite a bit in mandarin . Our days were both busy and enjoyable and Bruce also seemed to know all the good places to eat – thanks Bruce and look forwards to next time! more
Aug 2023, Mike M
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China Highlights - Beijing
Our trip to Beijing with China Highlights was amazing! We took our 12 year old daughter. Mark our guide did a wonderful job making sure we were all comfortable, stayed busy and got acclimated to China as Beijing was our first stop on the mainland. Mark has a lot of knowledge about China and the sites we saw and communication was easy (with us and with our daughter in Chinese). Thanks Mark! more
Aug 2023, Breton P
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2-day Beijing
顶级的!或者我们为期两天的北京之旅是很好ganised and tailored to our wishes. We visited the Great wall, Tiananmen square, forbidden city and had food at local restaurants. Email contact with China Highlights (Chandler Wang) was very convenient and replies were quick. Our tour guide (Felix) was very knowledgeable and very easy to speak to. The local restaurants visited during our trip had amazing food, really great experience! We had a great time and would definitely use China Highlights again. Thank you! more
Aug 2023, Jonna
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Der Partner für eine individuelle China Reise
Die Agency (in unserem Fall vertreten durch Tutu Sun) hat für uns eine perfekte Reise organisiert. Sehr gute Kommunikation im Vorfeld der Reise und vor Ort. Zu 100% verl?sslich, immer pünktlich und an jedem Ort sehr freundliche und engagierte Guides. Wir k?nnen eine Buchung bei diesem Unternehmen absolut und uneingeschr?nkt empfehlen. In Beijing hatten wir mit Herrn Chen 3 interessante Tage inklusive einer sehr spannenden individuellen Wanderung auf der grossen Mauer. more
Aug 2023, Jeanne K
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Beijing Tour
Bruce was an amazing guide and very knowledgeable. He got me past ALOT of long lines fast and knew all the best places to go to take pictures! Also provided good recommendations for additional activities! If you get Bruce you’re in good hands! more
Aug 2023, Anthony L
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Great two weeks in China with China Highlights
The trip included Shanghai where Kris was our amazing guide, Guilin and Yangshuo with Gary who did an amazing job at adjusting the schedule to meet our needs given the incredible heat, Chengdu with Helen who shared her passion for the Pandas with us, had fun in the peoples park with us and introduced us to the local opera which was fascinating and ensured we were able to taste amazing Sizhuan food without burning up! We then moved on to Xian with Jenny who ensured we got to the Terracotta army early enough to get an amazing view, took us to try our hand at making our own warriors, was very knowledgable about the history of Xian which was very interesting and lastly allowed us to try making dumplings which we all loved. Our final stop was Beijing. Ethan was our tour guide and he again did an amazing job ensuring we got to the Great Wall of China early enough to see the amazing wall without too many people and whilst it was still relatively cool, share his great knowledge of the Forbidden City and Summer Palace with us, introduced us to the Beijing Hot Pot and importantly ensured we were able to celebrate our sons 18th birthday in style and with his favourite Chinese food!! Thank you again for making our 2 weeks so special and we will for sure be back very soon. more
Aug 2023, Sandra
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There is tour guides and there is felix
I had a blast with this tour! Felix is such an amazing person and so knowledgeable! He understands how to share knowledge and make us interested! Me and my friends had a wonderful day with Felix around the city I highly recommend China Highlights and would most likely recommend felix!!! more
Aug 2023, PrettoMauricio
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Jennifer is an awesome guide and the…
Jennifer is an awesome guide and the tours were great! more
Aug 2023, Renan Santos
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