7 Days Silk Road Tour by Train: Xian Zhangye Jiayuguan Dunhuang

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Xian Arrival

   Upon your arrival at Xian airport / train station, the driver will pick you up with a welcome board saying 'China Xian Tour' and then you will be transferred to Xian downtown hotel for check-in.

   Free and easy on your own for the rest of the day. (No tour guide for today)

   If you are a food lover, you can go to the Huimin Street to explore some local snacks, such as Pita bread soaked in Lamb Soup, Liangpi three-piece set (Liangpi, Roujiamo, Ice Peak - a kind of soda drink).

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   4-Star Hotel in Xian
2. Day 2: Xian Terracotta Army Tour
   Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Ancient City Wall, Bell Tower & Drum Tower Square, Muslim Quarter

   At about 08:30, meet your guide and head to the must-see in Xi'an - the Terracotta Warriors and Horses.  Known as “the Eighth Wonder of the World”, the museum shows a surprisingly high level of sculpture, which is listed as one of the most significant discoveries of the 20th century. Do you know how it was discovered? In 1974, a farmer surnamed Yang accidentally excavated a part of this site while digging a well. Entering the museum, the splendid scene and format will leave you with an impressive memory. You will spend 2.5-3 hours exploring the thousands of life sized pottery figurines, which are said to have been colorful before!

   Optional activity: If you are interested in handicrafts, we can arrange an opportunity for you to make a mini Terra Cotta Warrior by hand. You can even bring your 'masterpiece' home! This requires an extra fee, but it's an unforgettable experience.

   

   After lunch, go back to the downtown area and continue to visit the Ancient City Wall. It is the most completely preserved and the largest city wall in China, which was built for military defense in ancient times. You can ride a bike atop the wall (optional). After that, move to Bell Tower and Drum Tower Square, wehre locates the landmark of Xian city. When the lights are turned on at night, the building looks very magnificent. Last, go to the Muslim Quarter with your tour guide who will point out some snacks worth trying for you.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Xian
3. Day 3: Xian to Zhangye by High-speed Train

   In the morning, the driver will pick you up from the hotel lobby and drop you off at Xian North Train Station for the high-speed train to Zhangye. The train rides around 6-7 hours, you are suggested to prepare some snacks and food. Don't miss enjoying the scenery on the way - red Danxia mountains, green grasslands, white sheep flock...

   Upon your arrival at Zhangye West Train Station, the local driver will be waiting for you at the exit gate and send you to the local hotel. In the evening, you can explore Zhangye city on your own. (No tour guide service for today)

   We recommend Ganquan Park, where the mountains and waters complement each other, and the pavilions and towers are arranged in a staggered manner. The moonlight and lights at night make this park more beautiful. You may be able to see locals dancing.

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   4-Star Hotel in Zhangye
4. Day 4: Zhangye Danxia Landforms
   Giant Buddhist Temple, Rainbow Mountains

   Meet your tour guide and visit the Giant Buddhist Temple. Built in Western Xia Dynasty, the temple has survived from the vicissitudes and has stood on the Silk Road for 900 years. Admire a gigantic sleeping Buddha statue of Sakyamuni with the largest scale in Asia inside the temple. The beautiful woodcarving, paintings and statues as well as the underlying culture and history explained by your guide will impress you a lot.

   

   After lunch, drive for 1 hour to the Rainbow Mountain Scenic Area at Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park which displays its geological beauty through its colorful natural features. The hills show their painterly appearance because mineral deposits accumulated throughout millions of years. The tour guide will lead you to walk the wooden paths to four different observation platforms that show various views of the Danxia landforms. From Viewing Platform No.1, visitors can see sweeping views of the striped mountains while Viewing Platform No.4 shows its most luminous scenery which becomes especially beautiful during sunset.

   Tips:

   • Sunset is the best time for photos — around 7–8 pm from June to August and 6–7 pm in December to January.
   • The sun is strong on sunny days, so bring sunglasses, sunscreen, and a hat.

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   4-Star Hotel in Zhangye
5. Day 5: Zhangye to Jiayuguan by High-speed Train
   Jiayuguan Pass, Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum, Weijin Tombs

   Taking the morning high-speed train which takes around 1.5 hours from Zhangye to Jiayuguan ( D2741 / 10:27-11:53 ). Upon your arrival, you will find the local English-speaking tour guide waiting for you at the exit gate. She/he will take you have lunch first.

   In the afternoon, be guided to visit the majestic Jiayuguan Pass, “the Throat of Hexi Corridor”. As the western end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, this fort had a vital position in military defense and had an important influence on culture and trade exchange on the ancient Silk Road. When you climb up to the city wall, see the endless Gobi Desert in the distance while listening to your guide explain the stories behind this pass to you.

   

   Next, continue your visit to Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum, the first museum with the theme of showcasing the history and culture of the Great Wall. Through 7 major exhibition halls, it allows you to gain a more detailed knowledge about this great construction engineering in Chinese history.

   Afterwards, move on to the Weijin Tombs in the wilder Gobi about 20km from Jiayuguan City. This underground gallery, underneath the yellow sand, has about 1,400 ancient tombs buried in the obscure desert and only No.6 tomb is open to the public today. It’s definitely a surprise discovery process when beholding the paintings with bright colors vividly depicting the scholars and official life in the Wei-Jin Time (220-402).

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Jiayuguan
6. Day 6: Jiayuguan to Dunhuang by High-speed Train
   Crescent Spring and Echo Sand Mountain, Shazhou Night Market

   In the morning, take the high-speed train to Dunhuang, about 2 hours. At Liuyuan Station, your driver and guide will pick you up and then directly lead you to experience the ancient caravan's Silk Road journey in the desert. Located on the edge of the Kumtag Desert, Mingsha Mountain is a typical aeolian sand dune landform. It is said that it has been over 3000 years. Crescent Spring is surrounded by sand mountain. From the high sand dunes, you can see the spring resembling a crescent moon. In this scenic area, experience various paid desert activities which include camel riding and desert motorcycle rides. Sand sliding is the most popular and it's free of charge.

   Friendly tip: For the optional activities, your tour guide will help to purchase tickets.

   After dark, the tour guide will take you to the largest night market in Dunhuang - Shazhou Night Market to taste local specialty snacks. Maybe you will even come across some cute souvenirs that you can bring home for your family and friends.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Dunhuang
7. Day 7: Dunhuang Departure
   Mogao Grottoes Buddhist Art

   Welcome to the Mogao Caves after breakfast. As a world cultural heritage site, it undergone multiple construction projects for more than 2000 years. Nowadays, there are 735 caves inside which you can see over 45000 square meters of murals and 2415 colored sculptures. The Nine-story Building is the landmark. It contains the highest seated statue of Maitreya Buddha, 35.5 meter height. Appreciate perfect craftsmanship through the painted sculptures of Cave 45, which show detailed facial expressions and their clothing designs move in natural patterns.

   After lunch, you will be dropped off at Dunhuang airport for your departure flight. You are suggested to depart Dunhuang after 15:00 to ensure no rush for the tour. Your 7-day Silk Road tour by train ends here. If you want to extend your Silk Road trip to Xinjiang, we are glad to customize your itinerary!

   

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