Southern Loop: Guilin & Zhangjiajie in 8 Days

For scenery, it is hard to beat this pairing: the karst peaks and rice terraces of Guilin, then the sandstone pillars of Zhangjiajie. It is more physically demanding than the city routes, but the payoff is some of the most dramatic landscapes on the planet.

The route

Start in Guilin for the Li River and Longji terraces, continue to Yangshuo for a couple of days of cycling, then connect north to Zhangjiajie for the forest park and Tianmen Mountain.