Welcome everyone to beautiful Henan
4000 RMB per person! The complete treasure tour guide to Henan, come and take notes📝
Dear friends🤩, if you haven’t been to Henan yet, you’re really missing out! Henan, as an important birthplace of Chinese civilization, has a profound historical heritage, stunning natural scenery, and mouth-watering cuisine. Today, I bring you a Henan travel guide with a budget of 4000 RMB per person, so you can easily explore Henan and experience the unique charm of the Central Plains!
Preparation
Documents
ID card, student ID (don’t forget if you have discounts), a small amount of cash (just in case).
Clothing🧥
Prepare clothes according to the season. In spring and autumn, bring a light jacket for the big temperature difference between morning and evening; in summer, pay attention to sun protection and wear light, breathable clothes; in winter, it’s quite cold, so prepare thick cotton clothes, scarves, gloves, and other warm clothing.
Skincare
Sunscreen, moisturizing lotion, lip balm. Henan’s climate is dry, so moisturizing your skin is very important.
Medicines💊
Common medicines such as cold medicine, stomach medicine, motion sickness pills, band-aids, etc.
Transportation Guide
External Transportation
You can choose to fly✈️ to Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport or take a train🚞 to Zhengzhou Station, Zhengzhou East Station, etc. Booking tickets in advance on major ticket platforms can get you better prices.
Internal Transportation
● High-speed rail/train: Henan has a well-developed high-speed rail network, making travel between cities very convenient. For example, from Zhengzhou to Luoyang or Kaifeng, it takes about half an hour to an hour.
● Bus: City buses cover a wide area and are cheap, but they can be crowded.
● Taxi/ride-hailing: Convenient for travel, but you may encounter traffic jams during peak tourist seasons.
● Car rental: If you want more freedom to arrange your itinerary, renting a car is a good choice🚗. Book in advance on rental platforms; the daily rental fee for a standard economy car is about 100 - 200 RMB.
Food Recommendations
Huimian Noodles🍜
Henan’s signature dish, with chewy noodles and delicious broth, often including lamb, kelp, tofu strips, and other ingredients. Recommended places to try are Heji Huimian and Xiaoji Sanxian Huimian.
Hulatang Soup
A must-have breakfast, seasoned with pepper and chili, spicy in flavor, usually eaten with fried dough sticks or fried bread, super satisfying😋. Fang Zhongshan Hulatang is very famous and worth trying.
Luoyang Water Banquet
A traditional feast from Luoyang with 24 dishes, including 8 cold dishes, 4 large dishes, 8 medium dishes, and 4 table-pressing dishes, with a mix of meat and vegetables, mostly soups. The Peony Swallow Dish is very distinctive, shaped like a peony flower with a fresh aroma.
Kaifeng Soup Dumplings
Thin skin, large filling, rich soup that bursts out with every bite. Huangjia Old Shop’s soup dumplings are very popular.
Attraction Guide
Zhengzhou
● Shaolin Temple: The world’s most famous temple, the ancestral home of Chan Buddhism and Shaolin martial arts. You can watch exciting martial arts performances and experience the profound Shaolin culture. Tickets cost about 80 RMB.
● Henan Museum: Free admission🆓, with a rich collection including many precious artifacts such as the Jiahu bone flute and Fuhao owl-shaped vessel, allowing you to deeply understand Henan’s history and culture.
Luoyang
● Longmen Grottoes: One of China’s four major grottoes, carved during the Northern Wei Dynasty, with over 100,000 Buddha statues. The Vairocana Buddha is solemn and magnificent, breathtaking to see. Tickets cost about 90 RMB.
● White Horse Temple: China’s first ancient temple, the first official Buddhist temple built after Buddhism was introduced to China, with a long history and unique architectural style. Tickets cost about 35 RMB.
● Laojun Mountain: A Taoist sacred site, the golden summit temple complex is spectacular, and when shrouded in mist, it looks like a fairyland. Tickets cost about 100 RMB, cable car fees are extra.
Kaifeng
● Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden: A theme park based on the Song Dynasty painter Zhang Zeduan’s "Along the River During the Qingming Festival." Staff wear Song Dynasty costumes, with exciting folk performances and interactive activities, as if traveling back to the Northern Song period. Tickets cost about 120 RMB.
● Kaifeng Prefecture: The capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, famous throughout the land. You can watch the official court opening ceremony and Bao Zheng’s case judgment performances to learn about Bao Zheng culture. Tickets cost about 65 RMB.
Accommodation Suggestions
Zhengzhou
Stay near Erqi Square for convenient transportation and many shopping malls and food streets nearby.
Luoyang
Stay in the old city area or near Longmen Grottoes for easy access to attractions and to experience the ancient city’s charm.
Kaifeng
Stay near Drum Tower, close to Kaifeng Prefecture and Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden, and enjoy the Drum Tower night market for local delicacies in the evening.
Itinerary
Six days and five nights
● Day 1: Arrive in Zhengzhou, check into the hotel, visit Erqi Square, and try Huimian noodles and other local foods.
● Day 2: Visit Henan Museum in the morning, then head to Dengfeng to tour Shaolin Temple. Return to Zhengzhou in the evening.
● Day 3: Take the high-speed train to Luoyang, visit Longmen Grottoes, and enjoy the night view at Luoyi Ancient City.
● Day 4: Spend the whole day at Laojun Mountain, enjoying the beautiful scenery.
● Day 5: Visit White Horse Temple, then take the high-speed train to Kaifeng. After arrival, visit Qingming Riverside Landscape Garden.
● Day 6: Tour Kaifeng Prefecture, stroll through Kaifeng Old Street, taste Kaifeng cuisine, then return home.
Budget Breakdown
| Item | Cost |
| Transportation (air/train tickets + local transport) | About 1000 RMB |
| Accommodation | About 1500 RMB |
| Food | About 800 RMB |
| Attraction tickets and entertainment | About 700 RMB |
Friends, follow this guide to travel in Henan, and 4000 RMB per person is totally enough😎! Hurry up and plan your trip to experience the charm of history and cuisine in Henan together💕.