Silk Road Adventure from Lanzhou

Day 1 Arrival in Lanzhou
Statue of Mother Yellow River
Statue of Mother Yellow River
No matter whether you arrive in Lanzhou by air or train, our guide will pick you up on time and transfer you to your already-booked hotel. After leaving your luggage in the hotel and having a short rest, your private Lanzhou Jiayuguan Dunhuang tour begins with the Statue of Mother Yellow River, a landmark of the city. Next we will trace agricultural history by viewing the Waterwheel Garden, followed by enjoying a panoramic view of Lanzhou from the top of White Pagoda Mountain. After that, our guide will escort you to take a leisurely stroll on Zhongshan Bridge before returning to the hotel.

Meals: No meals, advice freely available
Accommodation: Legend Hotel
Day 2 Lanzhou – Zhangye
Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park
Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park
After breakfast, you will be transported to the railway station to take the bullet train departing at 08:36 to Zhangye, the second destination of your 6 days Lanzhou tour. The train journey is about 3.5 hours. On arriving in Zhangye, we will transfer you directly from the railway station to your hotel. A hearty lunch will be arranged at a nice restaurant for you to taste authentic local cuisine. After that, we will head for Linze County to visit Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, where one can witness bright multicolored mountains formed by the power of nature. You can witness peaks with yellow, reddish and rainbow layers under the rosy rays of sunset. Afterwards, we will return to the hotel in Zhangye.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Dinghe International Hotel
Day 3 Zhangye – Jiayuguan
Giant Buddha Temple
Giant Buddha Temple
After breakfast, our guide will show you the Giant Buddha Temple. It is famous for a huge clay reclining Buddha statue, which reproduces the nirvana of Shakyamuni depicted in Buddhist scriptures.

Afterwards, you will take a high-speed train to the Jiayuguan with a travel time of about 2 hours. On your arrival, our local guide and driver will meet you at the exit of the railway station. Then we will pay a visit to a large tomb complex of Wei and Jin dynasties (220 – 420), also named Wei-Jin Art Gallery. These tombs are famous for numerous brick murals with bright colors and vivid images. Stories and scenes depicted on the bricks are mostly about farming, planting, banquets, travel and army life. Then our guide will help you check into a hotel for a good rest.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Holiday Plaza Hotel Jiayuguan
Day 4 Jiayuguan – Dunhuang
Jiayuguan Great Wall
Jiayuguan Great Wall
Jiayuguan Great Wall, standing in the middle of the desert, is a highlight of the city. Our guide will take you to climb its Gate Tower which suffered from a lot of fierce wars in the past. Then, we will stop by the Overhanging Great Wall crawling along steep mountain ranges.

In the afternoon, we will set out on a trip to the next stop of your Gansu tour package, Dunhuang by our private vehicle. Our guide will help you to get checked into a hotel, where you can leave your luggage and rest for a while. In the evening, our guide will escort you to explore the bustling Shazhou Night Market where you will find many street food stalls and handcraft vendors. You will have a chance to savor the most authentic delicacies.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel Building No. 8
Day 5 Dunhuang
Crescent Lake, Dunhuang
Crescent Lake, Dunhuang
This whole day is for you to sight-see essential spots of Dunhuang, including Mogao Caves, Crescent Lake and Echoing-Sand Mountain. To start with, you will be transported to Mogao Caves by an air-conditioned vehicle to tour large grottoes while enjoying exquisite murals and Buddha statues.

In the afternoon, we will proceed to Echoing-Sand Mountain, where you can hear interesting sounds made by sands while enjoying an exotic camel ride. At the top of sand dunes, you can capture a panoramic view of the desert and Crescent Lake accompanied by a strip of oasis in the boundless deserts.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch
Day 6 Departure from Dunhuang
Echoing-Sand Mountain
Echoing-Sand Mountain
This is the last day of your 6 days Lanzhou Jiayuguan Dunhuang tour. Before departure, our guide will show you the Dunhuang Museum, to have a general view of the city’s developmental history. It houses more than 4,000 cultural relics, featuring Buddhist scriptures, funeral objects, and silk fabrics.

After lunch break, we will head for the airport for your outbound flight. Alternatively, you may extend your China tour package to Beijing, Xian, Shanghai, Lanzhou, Chengdu or Chongqing by a direct flight. You can also take a bullet train to Urumqi and Turpan for further exploration of the Silk Road, or make a visit to the amazing Qinghai Lake and explore the authentic Tibetan culture in Xining. For more options, please turn to your tour consultant.

Meals: Western buffet breakfast, Lunch