4 Days Dunhuang Jiayuguan Highlight Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Dunhuang

   Hello! So glad that you are interested in our 4-day Dunhuang Jiayuguan tour. Today you will arrive in Dunhuang on your own. A local driver will pick you up at the train station or airport and escort you to a hotel in the city center. You are free to explore during the remaining time.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: Dunhuang

2. Day 2: Dunhuang’s Essence
   Visit Ancient Fortress, Han Dynasty Great Wall, Yardang Landforms

   You will meet your private guide in the hotel lobby. From there, drive for 90-minute drive through the desert landscape to reach Yumen Pass (Jade Gate Pass). This ancient fortress was constructed over 2,000 years ago under Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (around 121 BC). It was a key checkpoint on the Silk Road. The well-preserved fort forms a perfect square, standing nearly 10 meters tall. What's fascinating is that the walls were built entirely from local yellow clay, mixed with reeds for extra strength.

   Next, visit the Han Dynasty Great Wall. Stretching 10,000+ km (China's longest wall system), it features trenches, watchtowers, and barriers made from local sand, stones, and reeds. This wall played a role in agriculture, horse breeding, and resisting the nomadic tribes of the Xiongnu.

   

   Then, head to Yardang National Geopark, aka "Ghost City," featuring one of Earth's largest collections of wind-sculpted rock formations. Spanning 400 sq km, its thousands of dramatic shapes were carved by desert winds over 700,000 years. Walkways and viewpoints let visitors explore this natural wonder up close.

   Drive back to Dunhuang. In the late afternoon, have fun at the Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Spring. The highest point of Mingsha Mountain reaches 1,715 meters, and from below, the hills look like glowing ancient pyramids. Crescent Spring lies at the foot of the mountain and has never dried up. You can try various desert activities, like off-road driving, camel rides, and sand sliding (optional, with extra cost).

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Dunhuang

   

3. Day 3: Dunhuang to Jiayuguan
   Learn about Buddhist Art through Murals and Sculptures

   After breakfast, you’ll be guided to the Mogao Grottoes (also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves), the largest Buddhist art site along the Silk Road. Built over many centuries, the site now includes 735 caves spreading along a 1,700-meter cliff. As a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mogao preserve 45,000 square meters of wall paintings and over 2,400 painted sculptures. The murals show a wide range of scenes, including Buddhist stories, trade along the Silk Road, and everyday farming life.

   In the afternoon, we drive for 3.5 hours to Jiayuguan.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Jiayuguan

   

4. Day 4: Jiayuguan Exploration, Departure
   Touch Ming Dynasty Stones, Glimpse Wei-Jin Lifestyles

   After breakfast, follow your guide to walk up the Jiayuguan Pass, known as the “First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven” and the “Throat of the Hexi Corridor.” As the western end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, it played a key role in both military defense and cultural exchange along the ancient Silk Road.

   Next, go to visit the Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum, located within the scenic area. This is the first museum in China focused on the Great Wall, with seven main halls showing detailed history and facts about this great structure.

   

   Afterward, move to the Weijin Tombs. Archaeologists have discovered over 1400 brick tomb groups here, mostly underground murals from the Wei and Jin dynasties (220-419 AD), known as the "world's largest underground gallery". Among the excavated parts, there are 8 painted brick mural tombs, with a total of more than 700 mural bricks unearthed. Currently, only Tomb No. 6 is open to visitors. These paintings depict a large number of scenes of productive labor and luxurious and indulgent lifestyles.

   After the 4-day Dunhuang and Jiayuguan tour, you will be dropped off at Jiayuguan airport / train station for departure (please book the ticket departing after 7:00 pm).

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: N/A