One Day Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park Tour

Tour Overview

This Zhangye day trip is the perfect choice for travelers who want to explore the unique beauty of northwest China. The highlight of the journey is the breathtaking Zhangye Danxia, where you will see the attractive China’s Rainbow Mountains, known as the God overturned the palette. The layers of red, yellow, and orange form an amazing scene, especially spectacular at sunrise or sunset. In addition to the rainbow colored hills, you can also go to the Binggou Valley, which is famous for its dramatic sandstone cliffs and imaginative animal-like rock formations. Whether you are a photographer, a nature lover, or simply interested in seeing the hidden landscapes of China, this Zhangye tour will leave you inspired and with some incredible photographs to remember your experience.

Travel destination: Zhangye
Suitable for: Photographers, Geological Enthusiasts
Tour type: Private

Highlights of this tour:

• Ice Valley – This area is home to extreme sandstone cliffs, high stone columns and natural shapes of camels, toads and flying eagles, all of which have been developed by nature over the course of millions of years.

• Zhangye Danxia Mountains – The rainbow-colored hills of Danxia landforms stretch across the horizon. Often called “a heavenly overturned palette,” these unique layers glow even brighter under sunlight.

• Scenic Deck Views & Sunset – Ascend to high observation platforms for expansive views of a colorful expanse. At sunset, the last light creates vibrant mountains dipped in gold and red – a piece of art you want to catch.

In the morning, our English-speaking tour guide and the local driver will pick you up from your Zhangye downtown hotel, and your exploration begins!

Today, you will fully appreciate the highlights of Zhangye Danxia National Geopark. This area boasts the most typical and largest Danxia landform landscape in arid regions of China. It was named one of the “Top Ten Natural Wonders of the World” by National Geographic in 2011. Zhangye Danxia has two main scenic spots, each with its own characteristics.

In the morning, we drive west for about an hour to reach the Binggou Valley, which is dominated by sandstone landforms. The scenic area is widely distributed with cliffs, stone walls, stone pillars, peaks, hills and other landforms, which are steep and straight, continuous and magnificent. Using your imagination, you will discover that these stones come in various shapes, such as turtles, golden toads, eagle heads, camels… Some of the popular ones include Louvre’s Phantom, Toad Watching the Clouds, and Camel Welcoming Guests.

After the visit, we return to the city to enjoy lunch. In the afternoon, we will go to the Colorful Danxia Scenic Area. The hills here were formed 137 million years ago and present a diverse range of colors due to their different mineral contents. The rock layers are mainly reddish brown, blended with orange, yellow, green, green and other colors. On clear days, the colors are as bright as oil paintings, and are known as the “overturned palette from heaven.”

The scenic area mainly features 4 observation decks, and you will take a sightseeing bus back and forth. At different viewing platforms, you can overlook the continuous colorful mountains, observe the texture of the rock layers up close, and capture the dazzling rocks like a rainbow at sunset. If you are a photography enthusiast, this Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park tour is not to be missed!

After the visit, we will escort you back to the hotel or high-speed railway station in the city.