8 Days Private China Silk Road Tour by Bullet Train

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Lanzhou Arrival

   Welcome to Lanzhou! Upon your arrival, your private driver will greet you at the train station or airport by holding the board with "China Xian Tour" on it. Then you will be escorted to check in at a comfortable hotel in the city center. Enjoy your free time for the rest of the day.

   We suggest that you take a walk along the Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line by yourself in the evening (without admission). The main attractions of this site include three elements. The first one is a 6.5-meter-high Yellow River Mother Sculpture. The second is a wooden waterwheel and the third is the Zhongshan Iron Bridge which locals call The First Bridge of the Yellow River. The evening lights create a more beautiful display of the scenery.

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   4-Star Hotel in Lanzhou
2. Day 2: Lanzhou to Zhangye by Bullet Train
   Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Grottoes

   After hotel breakfast, meet your tour guide and then be escorted to visit Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Grottoes near the Liujiaxia Reservoir. It is one of the best known ancient Buddhist grottoes in China. At present there are 183 caves and 694 Buddhist figures preserved. In 2014, Binglingsi Grottoes was selected as a world cultural heritage site. Interestingly, before visiting this scenic spot, you need to take a 45 minute speedboat ride through the reservoir. Along the way, see the spectacular Danxia peaks and the Yellow River landscape.

   Lunch is on your own. After that, drive back to Lanzhou and take a bullet train to Zhangye (around 1 hour). Met by the driver in Zhangye and check in hotel. In the evening, you can visit Ming Qing Street on your own. It is 323 meters long and is a reconstructed Ming-Qing style pedestrian street with all wooden antique buildings on both sides. Tasting Zhangye local snacks is like stir-frying Bola (炒拨拉). The block is adjacent to Ganquan Park, where you can see locals dancing and singing.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Zhangye
3. Day 3: Zhangye to Jiayuguan
   Giant Buddha Temple, Rainbow Mountain

   In the morning, pay a visit to the Giant Buddha Temple. Built in 1098, the temple is said to be Kublai Khan’s birthplace. Here you can appreciate the largest indoor clay reclined Buddha in Asia which is 34.5 m long, with a width of 7.5 m between its two shoulders. Its ears are 4 m long (13.1 feet), and can accommodate up to eight people sitting side by side. The rare hand-written classics of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)and thousands of cultural relics.

   In the afternoon, one hour drive takes you to best known natural landscape in Zhangye – the Rainbow Mountains. Developed in about 200 million years ago, it was formed by long-term weathering and erosion of red sandstone. Within the area of 10km² visitors could see the rock strips of red, yellow, orange, green, white, steel grey, greyish black, etc. They make the valleys and hills colorful and attractive.

   Drive you for 2.5 hours to Jiayuguan after the visit. Upon arrival, check in at your well-selected hotel. In the evening, you can go around the city and explore some local cuisine of Jiayuguan, such as grilled lamb legs and lamb soup noodles.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Jiayuguan
4. Day 4: Jiayuguan to Dunhuang by High-speed Train
   Jiayuguan Pass, Weijin Art Gallery

   In the morning, your guide will take you to ascend the well-known Jiayuanguan Pass. As one of the most grandiose ancient forts on the Silk Road, JIayuguan was named the First Pass under Heaven. Then you will proceed to the First Fire Tower of Great Wall, known as the west end of the Ming-dynasty Great Wall. The 56-meter-high (184 feet) tower stands on the cliff of the Gobi desert, with the Talai River flowing by and the majestic Jiayuguan Pass at a distance.

   The Weijin Art Gallery is the next location to visit. The Wei-Jin Mural Brick Tomb exists as a massive tomb complex which contains more than 1400 individual tombs. What is most amazing is that they all were constructed in the 3rd and 5th centuries during the Wei and Jin dynasties. The underground gallery holds the title of largest underground gallery in the world because it displays an extensive collection of murals from the Wei and Jin dynasties which existed 1500 years ago.

   After that, take the high-speed train to Dunhuang for 2.5 hours. Upon arrival, your driver will pick you up and then send you to the hotel for check-in.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Dunhuang
5. Day 5: Dunhuang to Turpan by High-speed Train
   Mogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Hill, Crescent Lake, Shazhou Night Market

   The first destination of our day will be the Mogao Caves which represent one of China's four most famous caves and serve as a unique treasure along the Silk Road. The Digital Exhibition Center at the scenic spot shows two movies which present historical content and artistic works and fascinating details about the Mogao Grottoes. The cave area presents 487 grottoes which include 45000 square meters of mural paintings and more than 2000 colorfully painted sculptures. The caves have been carved out for about 1000 years.

   Afterwards, continue to the Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. When you slide down the slope, you can hear the roaring echo of the sands, hence the name. Mingsha Mountain is a typical aeolian sand dune landform and Crescent Spring is surrounded by sand mountains. From the high sand dunes, you can see the spring resembling a crescent moon. In this scenic area, experience self-paid desert activities - 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.

   Last, you will be dropped off at the train station for the 3.5-hour ride to Turpan. (Recommend: D2717 / 17:54-21:33) After you arrive in Turpan, the local driver will take you to the hotel. Have a good rest so that you can greet tomorrow's exploration with full energy.

   

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   4-Star Hotel in Turpan
6. Day 6: Turpan to Urumqi
   Karez Well, Sugong Pagoda, Jiaohe Ruins

   Our itinerary includes visits to three well-known locations. The Jiaohe Ruins exploration will begin at the morning which represents one of the major Silk Road towns. The structure represents the world's most ancient and extensive earth construction which has survived through history. The former greatness of Jiaohe which existed 2000 years ago still exists today through its remaining ruins. Walking through the original city walls and streets and temples allows you to experience a time travel which brings you to the Western Regions past to see its former glory.

   

   The next stop will take you to the famous Karez Well which serves as an underground irrigation system created by ancient Xinjiang inhabitants. Turpan has more than 1100 Karez Wells which have supplied essential water resources to the arid and hot region for 400 years. The guide will take you into the underground area where you will see the system's complete design and operation and get information about the karez irrigation system's functioning.

   The last stop of today will be Sugong Pagoda, aka the Emin Minaret,  the largest existing ancient tower in Xinjiang. The construction of this pagoda can be dated back to 1778 in the Qing Dynasty with a history of over 230 years. 37 meters high, it is a cone-shaped 7-story building with a thicker base and a slender top featuring yellow and gray hues.

   After all visits, you will be transferred to Urumqi for the night. This is about a 3-hour drive, and your tour guide will roughly introduce the highlights of Urumqi and its importance on the ancient Silk Road along the way.

   

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   4-Stat Hotel in Urumqi
7. Day 7: Urumqi's Essence
   Heavenly Lake, Xinjiang Museum, Erdaoqiao Bazaar

   After breakfast at the hotel, travel for 1.5 hours to reach Tianshan Mountain Heavenly Lake - the first destination of the day. Heavenly Lake, Chinese people call "Tianchi," exists as a high mountain lake which sits on the slopes of Bogda Mountains that stay covered with snow. The area rarely experiences hot summer weather because of its specific geographical position. The scene offers complete visual satisfaction through three elements which include white snow peaks that create a mirror effect in emerald lake water and various flowers that grow on green grassland and the tour guide who tells the story of the Queen Mother of the West along with the unblemished natural beauty of the area.

   Optional activity: You can take a boat cruise to enjoy nature up close (at an extra fee).

   Then we drive to Urumqi and pay a visit to the Xinjiang Museum. The large number of cultural relics collected will introduce Xinjiang’s past. And the mummies are the highlight and the must-see things in the museum. In the evening, do not miss the lively Erdaoqiao International Grand Bazaar where you can experience the diverse cultural heritage while tasting local dishes and traditional ethnic crafts.

   

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   4-Stat Hotel in Urumqi
8. Day 8: Departure from Urumqi

   At the confirmed time after breakfast, your driver (no tour guide) will meet you in the hotel and transfer you to the airport/train station for departure. Your 8-day Silk Road Bullet Train tour is comingto an end. Thank you very much for choosing China Xian Tour!

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