8 Days Silk Road Tour from Lanzhou to Dunhuang

Silk Road desert and camel

Tour Overview

From Lanzhou to Dunhuang, this 8-day Silk Road tour will offer you a vacation filled with stunning natural landscapes and cultural heritage sites along the ancient route. Hop on our air-conditioned vehicle, you will take a glimpse into the Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line with charming waterfront landscapes, marvel at the splendid view of the Rainbow Mountains, and appreciate the natural idyllic scene on Sangke Grasslands.

Following our professional English-speaking guide, you will get a wealth of information about many famous and important historic sites along the Silk Road – Bingling Temple, Labrang Monastery, Zhangye Great Buddha Temple, Jiayuguan Pass, Weijin Tombs, Mogao Grottoes, etc.

Highlights of this tour:

*Marvel at the splendid Rainbow Mountains in Zhangye Danxia National Geo-park.
*Visit the amazing Mogao Grottoes to appreciate thousands of exquiste painted sculptures and frescoes.
*Explore the Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake, ride a camel to enjoy the stunning desert scenery.
*Taste local food and look into local life at Shazhou Night Market.
*Absorb in the natural idyllic scene of Sangke Grassland.

Day-by-day Itinerary

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  1. Welcome to join our Silk Road tour! Upon your arrival at Lanzhou airport / train station, the local driver will pick you up and transfer you to check in at local hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day at leisure.

    Accommodation: Overnight in Lanzhou

  2. After breakfast, your guide will lead you to visit the core scenic spots of Lanzhou City: the Yellow River and its charming riverfront landscape - Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line. The Yellow River is known as the mother river of all the Chinese people and the cradle of Chinese civilization. There are a lot of featured attractions along the riverside. You can not only walk across Zhongshan Bridge, the first bridge over the Yellow River, but also travel around the Waterwheel Park to appreciate revolving waterwheels for relax.

    Then we will drive around 1.5 hours to Bingling Temple, which was excavated on rugged cliffs. The temple is a typical Buddhist grotto complex, housing 183 niches, 694 stone statues and 82 clay sculptures. Visitors can take a speedboat to appreciate the grottoes with vivid shapes and enjoy the fresh air and beautiful scenery along the way.

    In the late afternoon, we will transfer you to Xiahe for overnight.

    Meals: breakfast, lunch

    Accommodation: Overnight in Xiahe

    Bingling Temple Grottoes
    Bingling Temple Grottoes

  3. Today’s visit begins with the Labrang Monastery. The grand temple complex is home to elegant Buddhist statues, wall paintings and many other treasures. As one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, it is renowned for its rich Tibetan culture, imposing Buddhist structures, unique Tibetan food and the long corridor of prayer wheels.

    Labrang Monastery in Xiahe
    Labrang Monastery

    In the afternoon, we will go sightseeing in Sangke Grasslands, which is a natural pasture for the Tibetan people. Under the blue sky and white clouds, herds of cattle and sheep form a natural idyllic scene. It is a wonderful place for you to ease your mental pressure.

    After that, we will escort you to your hotel in Lanzhou.

    Meals: Breakfast

    Accommodation: Overnight in Lanzhou

    Sangke Grassland
    Sangke Grassland

  4. In the morning, we will take a 4.5-hour high-speed train from Lanzhou to Zhangye. Your visit will begin at the Zhangye Great Buddha Temple, which is one of the highlights of our Silk Road tours. The temple houses the largest reclining Buddha Shakyamuni in Asia. It is 34.5 meters (113.2 feet) long and its shoulder spans across a width of 7.5 meters (24.6 feet). Visitors will be impressed by the splendid culture and long history here by visiting the beautiful wood carvings, frescoes and statues.

    Meals: breakfast

    Accommodation: Overnight in Zhangye

    Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple
    Giant Buddha Temple

  5. Today we will get you to enjoy the gorgeous landscape in Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park. It is famous for the typical Danxia landform in China. Once inside the park, you can appreciate the splendid view of Rainbow Mountain. Ranges of mountains show different colors under the sunlight, depicting a breathtaking view for the visitors.

    Zhangye Rainbow Mountains
    Zhangye Rainbow Mountains

    Then, move on to the Ice Valley Mountain Scenic Area (aka Binggou Scenic Area). Although the color of the hills here is not as bright as Rainbow Mountain, The Binggou Scenic Area is known for its magnificence and strange shapes.

    In the afternoon,we will drive 2.5 hours to Jiayuguan City for overnight.

    Meals: breakfast

    Accommodation: Overnight in Jiayuguan

    Zhangye Ice Valley Mountain Scenic Area
    Ice Valley Mountain Scenic Area

  6. Let's continue the Silk Road trip. Today we will explore the prominent historical relic Jiayuguan Pass. It is the renowned western starting point of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Visitors can appreciate ancient military facilities such as forts, watchtowers and trenches, which has long played a crucial role in military defense in Chinese history.

    Next, we will visit the Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum. The Great Wall is a major constructional engineering in Chinese history. The Jiayuguan Great Wall Museum is the first Great-Wall-themed museum in China, exhibiting typical ancient Chinese weapons, the Jiayuguan cultural relics and architectural models. Through 7 major exhibition halls here, you can learn more about the Great Wall culture.

    Afterwards, we will leave for Weijin Tombs, the famous “underground gallery”. You can appreciate frescoes in the catacombs which vividly depict the scholars and officials’ life in the Wei and Jin Dynasties(222-589) and have a better understanding of the cultural and historical background.

    Last, we will drive around 5 hours to Dunhuang and check in at local hotel.

    Meals: breakfast

    Accommodation: Overnight in Dunhuang

    Jiayuguan Pass
    Jiayuguan Pass

  7. Today you will enjoy the highlight of your trip in Dunhuang: visit the amazing Mogao Grottoes. They are the largest and most richly endowed treasure house of Buddhist art. We can appreciate more than 2000 painted sculptures and about 45,000 square meters (484,376 square feet) of frescoes within 492 temples. They are both a rare national treasure of China as well as a unique cultural heritage of all mankind.

    Buddha Statues in Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes
    Buddha Statues in Mogao Grottoes

    When it is not too hot, we will continue to visit Crescent Spring and Echo Sand Mountain. Among the endless sand mountains nestled a crystal clear lake in the shape of a crescent moon. The lake with no river around has co-existed with the sand mountain for over thousand years. They are the masterpieces of nature, attracting endless tourists all year round.

    Friendly tip: You can also enjoy camel trekking and sand sliding here. if you would like to try it, please pay in cash on your own.

    At night, we will enjoy local life in Shazhou Night Market where you can taste delicious snacks and fruits and buy exquisite ornaments and craftwork for your friends and families.

    Meals: breakfast

    Accommodation: Overnight in Dunhuang

    Camel ride at Echoing Sand Mountain in Dunhuang
    Camel ride at Echoing Sand Mountain

  8. Free and easy on your own until the pickup time for departure. Our driver will meet you at the hotel lobby and transfer you to Dunhuang airport / train station to see you off. Thank you for booking our Silk Road trip!

    Meals: breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A

Price Includes

  • 7 nights’ accommodation in centrally located hotels with daily breakfast
  • Lanzhou-Zhangye, Zhangye-Jiayuguan, Jiayuguan-Dunhuang high-speed train ( second class seat )
  • Entrance tickets as listed in itinerary
  • Excellent English-speaking tour guide
  • Private transfers in air-conditioned vehicle with licensed driver
  • Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour
  • Government taxes

Price Excludes

  • China Visas/international flights
  • Any meal (the tour guide will give food recommendations for you to pay in cash )
  • Any optional activity/camel ride/battery car/shuttle bus/boat cruise inside the attractions
  • Our package does not include travel insurance. Please purchase commercial travel insurance before your trip for any unforeseen circumstance
  • Any item beyond “Price Includes”
  • Gratuities to guide and driver (recommended if you are satisfied with their services)
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