The Yellow River Route
The Yellow River Route traces China's mother river from source to sea — the cradle of Chinese civilisation, past Hukou Waterfall, ancient capitals and the North China Plain.
routes2026-10-18
At a glance
- Best for
- history buffs, landscape photographers, cultural travellers
- Theme
- historical
Overview
Follow the Yellow River 5,464 km from its Tibetan plateau headwaters through the Hukou Waterfall, ancient capitals, and the fertile North China Plain to its Bohai Sea mouth — tracing the cradle of Chinese civilization.
Day by day
7 — Lanzhou to Luoyang
Fly to Lanzhou, cross Zhongshan Bridge, train to Yinchuan (Ningxia irrigation), Hukou Waterfall, then Luoyang for Longmen Grottoes.
10 — Full river journey
Add Xining headwaters and Jinan/Bohai delta to the 7-day route for a complete river crossing.
Key stops
- Xining
- Lanzhou
- Hukou Waterfall
- Luoyang
- Kaifeng
- Jinan
Famous for
- Hukou Waterfall (the Yellow River's most dramatic single drop)
- Longmen Grottoes (UNESCO Buddhist cave art)
- Ancient capitals: Luoyang and Kaifeng
- Yellow River iron bridge at Lanzhou
Provinces
- qinghai
- gansu
- ningxia
- shaanxi
- shanxi
- henan
- shandong