Luocheng Cotton Sinkhole 3 Days 2 Nights Essential Travel Guide
✨ Highlights of the Trip
· Diverse Experiences on the Cliff: At the edge of the 326-meter-deep sinkhole cliff, you can stroll along the glass walkway, quietly read in the unique cliff bookstore, and experience the unique feeling of a "heavenly fairyland and a paradise in the pit."
· Deep Immersion in Mulam Culture: Stay in a Mulam-style mud-built guesthouse, taste authentic Boji feast, participate in folk activities, and feel the original ethnic minority customs.
· High Cost-Performance Thrilling Journey: Carefully planned itinerary and spending choices include sinkhole adventure, cave exploration, and folk experiences within budget, enjoying great value.
🗓️ Itinerary Overview
Here is the overall arrangement for the three-day itinerary, helping you intuitively understand the daily activity flow:
```mermaid
gantt
title Luocheng Cotton Sinkhole 3 Days 2 Nights Itinerary
dateFormat HH:mm
axisFormat %H:%M
section Day 1: Arrival and Initial Exploration
Depart from Nanning to Luocheng :d1_1, 08:00, 4h
Check-in at cliff hotel/guesthouse :d1_2, after d1_1, 1h
Light meal near the scenic area :d1_3, after d1_2, 1h
Mulam performance at Sinkhole Grand Theater :d1_4, after d1_3, 1h
Cliff bookstore night view :d1_5, after d1_4, 2h
Taste Mulam cuisine :d1_6, after d1_5, 1.5h
section Day 2: In-depth Sinkhole Exploration
Hotel breakfast :d2_1, 08:00, 1h
Cliff walkway and glass walkway :d2_2, after d2_1, 1.5h
Sinkhole adventure (sky ladder/zipline) :d2_3, after d2_2, 2h
Lunch inside the scenic area :d2_4, after d2_3, 1h
Explore Changsheng Cave :d2_5, after d2_4, 1.5h
Monorail slide down the mountain :d2_6, after d2_5, 1h
Cliff swimming pool :d2_7, after d2_6, 1h
Rest at guesthouse :d2_8, after d2_7, 1h
Food exploration in Luocheng town :d2_9, after d2_8, 2h
section Day 3: Cultural Experience and Return
Hotel breakfast/check-out :d3_1, 08:00, 1h
Mulam folk experience :d3_2, after d3_1, 2h
Lunch in Luocheng town :d3_3, after d3_2, 1.5h
Short visit to Chenglong Lake Park :d3_4, after d3_3, 1h
Return to Nanning :d3_5, after d3_4, 4h
```
🚗 Transportation Guide
Getting to Luocheng
· Self-driving: Depart from Nanning, take Quannan Expressway then Shankun Expressway, about 4 hours drive. The mountain roads have many curves, drive carefully and slowly.
· Public Transport:
· High-speed train + bus: Take the high-speed train to Liuzhou Station, then transfer to a bus to Luocheng; or take the high-speed train to Hechi Station, then transfer to a shuttle bus to Luocheng County (about 2 hours).
· Direct shuttle: From Jinchengjiang District, you can take the "One-Click Tour Hechi" direct shuttle to Cotton Sinkhole Scenic Area.
· Scenic area transport: Tickets including shuttle minibuses are more convenient.
🏞️ Detailed Daily Itinerary
📍 Day 1: Arrival and Initial Exploration
· Morning: Depart from Nanning to Luocheng. It is recommended to take an early bus to arrive around noon.
· Afternoon: After arrival, check in at the cliff hotel or nearby guesthouse to drop off luggage. After a simple meal near the scenic area, start initial exploration.
· Sinkhole Grand Theater: A unique cliff theater that can hold over 3,000 spectators. If time permits, watch Mulam ethnic performances featuring unique folk dances like rice transplanting dance and fishing shrimp dance.
· Cliff Bookstore: Visit the cliff bookstore at dusk, a major highlight of the trip. Built adjacent to the sinkhole, it looks especially beautiful when lit at night, like a dream castle hanging over the deep valley. You can quietly read and enjoy the sinkhole night view here.
· Evening: Taste the Mulam-style long table feast, with 25 dishes served on banana leaves, embodying the "taste of Mulam on the tongue," or try the rice noodle soup as Luocheng locals' "morning wake-up drink" to start your culinary journey.
🌄 Day 2: In-depth Sinkhole Adventure
· Morning: After breakfast, start the sinkhole adventure.
· Cliff walkway: Walk the approximately 800-meter cliff walkway overlooking the deep sinkhole.
· Glass walkway: Experience the 98-meter glass walkway built on a cliff crack, with a hundred-meter cliff and sinkhole beneath your feet, thrilling and exciting.
· Sinkhole thrill activities: Try the sky ladder (total length 380 meters, over 300 meters above the pit bottom), zipline, cliff swing, and other exciting activities (some may require extra fees).
· Afternoon:
· Changsheng Cave: Take the cliff mini train to Changsheng Cave, where stalactites resemble birds, beasts, immortals, and monsters, brilliantly lit underwater with colorful lights.
· Monorail slide down: After exiting Changsheng Cave, experience the monorail slide down the mountain, controlling your own speed, both thrilling and fun.
· Cliff swimming pool: If the weather is warm, swim in the sinkhole pool surrounded by mountains for a refreshing experience.
· Evening: After resting at the guesthouse, explore Luocheng town’s food scene and try the jam barbecue—Luocheng’s "soul food" at night, perfectly blending meat and fruit flavors.
🏮 Day 3: Cultural Experience and Return
· Morning: After breakfast and check-out, participate in Mulam cultural experiences.
· If timing is right, join folk activities held in the scenic area such as grass dragon dance, bamboo ball snatching, and bamboo clapper dance.
· Or stroll around the ancient village guesthouse area, admiring mud-built houses in traditional Mulam style, with a rustic and nostalgic overall look.
· Noon: Enjoy your last lunch in Luocheng town, trying Datoufen—a unique rice noodle with a thick head, soft and chewy texture.
· Afternoon: If time allows, take a short visit to Chenglong Lake Park before heading back to Nanning, concluding a pleasant trip.
💰 Budget Planning Table
Expense Category Budget Option (CNY) Comfortable Option (CNY) Notes and Saving Tips
Transportation 300 500 Mainly public transport; self-driving is more cost-effective if traveling with multiple people
Accommodation (2 nights) 300 600 Guesthouse/economy hotel; cliff hotel offers a better experience
Tickets & Activities 200 350 Basic ticket (~98 CNY); optional activities: Changsheng Cave, monorail slide
Meals (3 days) 200 400 Taste local snacks and specialty dishes
Miscellaneous 50 100 Souvenirs, emergency expenses, etc.
Total 1050 1950 Actual expenses can be flexibly adjusted based on personal preferences
💡 Practical Tips
1. Ticket Discounts: Free admission for seniors over 65, but a 10 CNY shuttle bus fee applies; for visitors under 65, Cotton Sinkhole + glass walkway + cliff bookstore costs about 40 CNY per person.
2. Accommodation Recommendations:
· Cliff Hotel: Located inside the scenic area, unique experience with sinkhole views right outside the window.
· Cotton Sinkhole Guesthouse: Mulam-style mud houses, back to nature.
· County hotels: More affordable options like City Select Hotel, Vienna International Hotel, etc.
3. Dress Suggestions: Wear non-slip comfortable sports shoes as there is a lot of walking in mountainous areas; high heels are impractical. Prepare sun protection (hat, sunglasses, sunscreen) and a raincoat for rainy days.
4. Best Photo Spots: Cliff bookstore at night, glass walkway, "looking at the sky from the bottom of the well" at the sinkhole bottom, and the viewing platform at the Sinkhole Grand Theater.
Luocheng Cotton Sinkhole not only lets you marvel at nature’s craftsmanship but also deeply experience the unique culture of the Mulam ethnic group.