Cultural Photography Tours & Trips in Great Wall Of China

Shoot Beijing's Forbidden City with its red walls and golden roofs, then head to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. In Kyoto, photograph the red torii gates at Fushimi Inari Shrine and traditional thatched-roof houses in Shirakawa-go village, plus the golden Kinkaku-ji Temple reflected in the pond.

Ride the cable car to Mutianyu section of the Great Wall for mountain views, then head to the UNESCO-listed Longmen Buddhist Caves near Luoyang where over 100,000 carved Buddha statues line a kilometer of rocky cliffs. At sacred Wutai Mountain's Nanshan Temple, photograph monks.

Ride the cable car up to walk the Great Wall at Mutianyu section, where you'll see this 2,000-year-old site winding through the mountains. Check out a quieter section near Yanmen Pass at the Mongolian border, see the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, and ride tricycles through Hutong neighborhoods.

Ride the cable car up to Mutianyu and walk along the 2,000-year-old Great Wall as it winds through the mountains, then check out Beijing's 600-year-old Forbidden City and wander through the 798 Art District where contemporary art fills old military factory buildings. See the Temple of Heaven where emperors prayed for harvests.

Take in the Forbidden City's 500-year imperial history and climb Coal Hill in Jingshan Park for panoramic photography of Beijing's UNESCO-listed palace complex. Frame the 2,000-year-old Great Wall at Mutianyu section via cable car, then photograph thousands of life-sized Terracotta Army warriors in Xian. Document the Dragon's Backbone Rice Terraces in Longji, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and shoot the karst peaks along the Li River cruise from Guilin to Yangshuo.

Photograph the ancient Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves carved into cliff faces along the Silk Road, capture the architectural grandeur of the Forbidden City's imperial palaces in Beijing, and frame Suzhou's UNESCO-listed Garden of the Humble Administrator. See the vibrant Muslim Quarter culture at Xian's Great Mosque and photograph traditional tea ceremonies at Yuyuan Garden in Shanghai.

Photograph over 100,000 Buddha statues carved into rocky cliffs at the UNESCO-listed Longmen Buddhist Caves stretching a kilometer along the river in Luoyang. Capture the Terracotta Army in Xian with thousands of life-sized clay soldiers guarding the tomb, then document Lhasa's 13-story Potala Palace.

Photograph the ancient Jiaohe Ruins near Turpan, a strategic Silk Road adobe city, and see Tianchi Lake at 2,000 meters altitude in Urumqi, a UNESCO Natural Heritage site. Visit the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves carved into rock and the Ancient City of Gaochang with its preserved buildings.

See Lhasa's 13-story Potala Palace, the iconic winter residence of the Dalai Lamas from the 7th century that's visible across the city. Check out the legendary Terracotta Army in Xian where thousands of life-sized clay soldiers guard China's first emperor's tomb, then walk through Barkhor Market.

This private 2-day photography trip from Shanghai to Huangshan Mountain includes roundtrip train tickets and cable car access. You'll stay overnight at the 4-star Xihai Hotel North Building on the mountain summit to capture dawn's golden light on Beginning to Believe Peak and the iconic Flower Grown out of a Writing Brush Rock. An English-speaking guide takes you through West Sea Valley's plank road trails, where you can photograph twisted pines, towering granite formations, and the ever-changing sea of clouds that define this Chinese landscape.