Xi'an: Lantian Grottoes & Cool Cave Private Day Trip

Slip away from busy Xi'an to the tranquil hills of Lantian county on this comfortable private day trip, a journey through Buddhist art, local food and refreshing natural scenery. Your English-speaking guide and private car collect you from your hotel, so the entire day is smooth and unhurried.

Your first stop is Shuiluan Temple, deep in the Lantian hills, a remarkable hall packed with more than 3,700 painted-clay Buddhist figures. Often called China's second Dunhuang, it is a treasure house of ancient sculpture art. Across the way you visit the Lower Wuzhen Temple, whose main hall houses an 18-metre reclining Buddha, the second-largest clay reclining Buddha in the world. Your guide explains the history and meaning behind these extraordinary works (please note flash photography is not permitted, to protect the fragile clay sculptures).

At midday you enjoy a relaxed local lunch, sampling Lantian's distinctive flavours and soaking up the gentle, small-town atmosphere. In the afternoon you continue to the Wangchuan limestone cave, a cool hidden retreat tucked among the mountains and a welcome escape on a warm day.

This is an easy, mature-trail experience with comfortable walking rather than any strenuous climbing, focused on culture, art and scenery. It suits travelers of all ages looking to see an authentic, lesser-visited side of the Xi'an region. You are returned to your Xi'an hotel in the evening.

A relaxed private day from Xi'an to hidden Lantian, with the painted-clay Buddhist temple of Shuiluan, a giant reclining Buddha, local cuisine, and the cool Wangchuan limestone cave.