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Shaolin Temple gate and courtyard at the foot of Mount Song

PreeChina · Route Guide

Shaolin Temple Day Trip from Luoyang

A sample itinerary from Luoyang that PreeChina can turn into a private tour, with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant.

1 day 5 stops Start: Luoyang 46 km to Shaolin Temple, straight line USD 305 per person, 2 travelers

At a Glance

Route Quick Facts

Start
Central Luoyang (洛阳)
Stops
5, in order of distance
Farthest Stop
59 km, straight line
Chain Length
62 km one way, straight line
Length
1 day
Core Theme
Chan Buddhism and Song academies

Price

Price of This Private Tour

Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. What a price includes and leaves out.

Estimated price per person for Shaolin Temple Day Trip from Luoyang, by number of travelers
Travelers246810152030
Day tripUSD 305USD 220USD 185USD 175USD 160USD 155USD 145USD 135

Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.

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Why This Route

Beyond the Martial Arts

Most people know Shaolin for martial arts. The temple is also the ancestral temple of Chan Buddhism. Tradition says Bodhidharma travelled north from Guangzhou to this mountain and faced a rear wall for nine years, which founded the Chan school.

Behind the temple, the Pagoda Forest holds more than 200 memorial pagodas from the Tang to the Qing dynasty, the largest group of ancient pagodas in China.

Five stops sit between 33 and 59 km from Luoyang: Xuanzang Temple, the monk Xuanzang's home town; Shaolin Temple; Songyue Pagoda; Songyang Academy, one of the four great Song academies; and Zhongyue Temple, where rulers made offerings to Mount Song. The Luoyang city guide covers the city itself.

Itinerary

Shaolin Temple Day Trip from Luoyang Itinerary From Luoyang

The Day

  1. 1

    Xuanzang Temple (玄奘寺). The home town of Xuanzang.33 km from central Luoyang, straight line

  2. 2

    Shaolin Temple (少林寺). The ancestral temple of Chan Buddhism.15 km from the previous stop, straight line

  3. 3

    Songyue Pagoda (嵩岳寺塔). A historic building listed in our map library.7 km from the previous stop, straight line

  4. 4

    Songyang Academy (嵩阳书院). One of the four great academies of the Song dynasty.2 km from the previous stop, straight line

  5. 5

    Zhongyue Temple (中岳庙). Where rulers made offerings to Mount Song, the Central Sacred Mountain.4 km from the previous stop, straight line

Stops follow distance from central Luoyang. We do not list clock times here: your private itinerary sets the pace, the order and the start time with you.

Route Map

Map of the Stops

The yellow marker is central Luoyang. Numbers 1 to 5 follow the route order. The line joins stops in a straight line and does not follow roads.

Stop by Stop

The Stops

Xuanzang Temple hall and courtyard
1
Buddhist Temple

Xuanzang Temple (玄奘寺)

33 km from central Luoyang, straight line

The home town of Xuanzang. His journey west to seek the teachings lasted 17 years, and after his return he led the translation of scriptures. His Great Tang Records on the Western Regions is a key source on the ancient history of India and Central Asia.

Pagoda Forest behind Shaolin Temple
2
Buddhist Temple

Shaolin Temple (少林寺)

46 km from central Luoyang, straight line

The ancestral temple of Chan Buddhism. Tradition says Bodhidharma travelled north from Guangzhou and faced a wall behind the temple for nine years, which founded the school. His memorial pagoda stands at Kongxiang Temple in Shaanzhou, Sanmenxia, so the two places mark two ends of one life. The Pagoda Forest behind the temple holds more than 200 memorial pagodas from the Tang to the Qing dynasty, the largest group of ancient pagodas in China.

Songyue Pagoda rising above trees
3
Historic Building

Songyue Pagoda (嵩岳寺塔)

53 km from central Luoyang, straight line

A historic building listed in our map library.

Ancient cypress trees in the courtyard of Songyang Academy
4
Academy

Songyang Academy (嵩阳书院)

55 km from central Luoyang, straight line

One of the four great academies of the Song dynasty. The brothers Cheng Hao and Cheng Yi taught here, and many basic propositions of Neo-Confucianism took shape in these halls. Local tradition says Emperor Wu of Han ennobled two ancient cypresses in the courtyard as generals. Each is more than 4,000 years old, among the oldest cypresses in China.

Zhongyue Temple gate tower and courtyard
5
Daoist Temple

Zhongyue Temple (中岳庙)

59 km from central Luoyang, straight line

Where rulers made offerings to Mount Song, the Central Sacred Mountain. The surviving layout follows a Qing-dynasty rebuild modelled on the plan of the Forbidden City, and the complex is the largest Daoist group of buildings in the Central Plains. Four Northern Song iron figures stand in the temple, the largest and most complete Song cast-iron figures in China.

Distances

Distance From Central Luoyang

#StopTypeStraight line
1Xuanzang TempleBuddhist Temple33 km
2Shaolin TempleBuddhist Temple46 km
3Songyue PagodaHistoric Building53 km
4Songyang AcademyAcademy55 km
5Zhongyue TempleDaoist Temple59 km

Straight-line distances from the centre of Luoyang. Road distances are longer.

Independent Travel

Doing This Route Independently

Arranging these 5 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.

Custom Tour

Turn This Route Into a Private, Custom Tour

This route is a starting point: 1 day and 5 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.

Plan My Custom Tour See Pricing

Questions

FAQ

How far is Shaolin Temple from Luoyang?

Shaolin Temple sits 46 km from central Luoyang in a straight line. The road distance is longer.

What is Shaolin Temple known for besides martial arts?

It is the ancestral temple of Chan Buddhism. The Pagoda Forest behind it holds more than 200 memorial pagodas from the Tang to the Qing dynasty.

Where is Bodhidharma's tomb?

Tradition places his memorial pagoda at Kongxiang Temple in Shaanzhou, Sanmenxia. The tradition says he faced a wall at Shaolin for nine years, so the two places mark two ends of one life.

What else is near Shaolin Temple?

Xuanzang Temple at 33 km, Songyue Pagoda at 53 km, Songyang Academy at 55 km and Zhongyue Temple at 59 km, all measured in a straight line from central Luoyang.

How do I plan Shaolin Temple Day Trip from Luoyang from Luoyang?

Start from the stop order on this page, then tell us your dates, group size and pace through the contact form. We build the route into a private itinerary with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant from arrival to departure.

Can I book Shaolin Temple Day Trip from Luoyang as a private tour?

Yes. PreeChina plans every trip as a private, custom, tailor-made journey. This route is a starting point, and we adjust the stops, the days and the pace.

Who is this route not a good fit for?

Anyone who wants a full day at one place. The route moves between 5 stops, so the visit at each is shorter.

Plan More

Nearby Routes and Tour Types

Things to Do Near Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, Xi'anXi'an, 323 km from Luoyang (straight line)Luoyang city guideWhere to stay, eat and go

See all PreeChina route itineraries

Explore More

This route is in Henan. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.

Related

Keep Exploring Luoyang

Attractions in and around Luoyang

Routes and day trips

Theme maps

Background reading

Plan This Route as Your Private Tour

Tell us when you arrive in Luoyang, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.

Plan My Custom Tour See Pricing