8 Days Private Tour to Silk Road Highlights from Dunhuang
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About This Tour in Dunhuang
Why Visit Dunhuang?
Dunhuang, China offers a wealth of attractions, cultural experiences, and activities for visitors. From historic landmarks to modern attractions, Dunhuang provides an unforgettable travel experience with something to discover around every corner. Explore local cuisine, discover unique culture, and create lasting memories in this remarkable destination.
Getting to Dunhuang
You can reach Dunhuang, China by air, train, or road depending on your starting location. The city offers various transportation options including taxis, public transit, and private transfers to help you reach your destination. Many hotels can arrange airport transfers, and local transportation options vary by location.
What's Included
- The hotels
- The bullet train ticket from Zhangye to Lanzhou(Second class)
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- The private car and private guide
- The entrance ticket
What's Not Included
- Others not mentioned above
- Single Room Supplement
Cancellation Policy
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.
Additional Information
- Specialized infant seats are available
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- The tour may not available during the Oct 1-7 and Chinese new year festivel or need to pay some extra charge of the hotel room fees
- Gansu museum is closed on every Monday
- Langmusi international hotel offer the Chinese breakfast only(Day 7 morning)
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Meeting and Pickup
Pickup Information
Pickup Option: Pickup available for all travelers
Pickup Time: 10 minutes before departure
Itinerary
Dunhuang. O/N Dunhuang.
Today, can meet you at Duhuang hotel/airport/train station... 10 minutes
Today, can meet you at Duhuang hotel/airport/train station and then transfer to Crescent lake, need 40 minutes driving, 20KM.
The Mysterious Crescent lake which its name derives... 1 hour
The Mysterious Crescent lake which its name derives from the crescent moon shaped by the small pool of spring water between two large sand dunes. Here you could slide down on the Sounding sand dunes to see if you can hear the sound from sand dunes. The Crescent lake also Known to the world as “the first spring in the desert”, no-one can explain the formation of such a geological oddity.visit would be a great experience. crescent lake is like a crescent moon, which is nestled in the vast desert for thousands of years, its water is very clear, sweet.
Next,visit to the Singing Sand Mountains (Mingsha Mountain)... 30 minutes
Next,visit to the Singing Sand Mountains (Mingsha Mountain) where you can experience sand surfing and camel riding( on your own expenses). Mingsha Mountain starts from Mogao Caves in the east, 40 kilometers long from east to west, and 20 kilometers from south to north.
After the check in the hotel and have... 1 hour
After the check in the hotel and have short a break, you can go to the Shazhou Night Market and you can have a dinner there. The Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market here is the biggest night market of the whole city and offering you a great opportunity for an evening walk and a souvenir shopping chance. The Night maket also is on behalf of Dunhuang Nightlife and regarded as a “nightlife landscape”. It is highly popular among the tourists all over the world with its featured local specialties as well as strong flavor of local culture.
At the end, your guide will escort you to your hotel 18 hours
At the end, your guide will escort you to your hotel.
Dunhuang. O/N Dunhuang
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 09:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to the well-known Mogao Grottoes in around 30 minutes ride.
The Mogao Grottoes, which were constructed over a... 2 hours
The Mogao Grottoes, which were constructed over a millennium ago, from the 4th to 14th centuries. The caves are also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves has two distinctions of being one of the most notable grottoes in China as well as the best-preserved treasure house of Buddhist art, sutras, murals and sculptures in the world.
After lunch you drive to Yumenguan pass which... 1 hour
After lunch you drive to Yumenguan pass which is located about 110kms from Dunhuang city. “Yumenguan” means jade Pass in Chinese and it is said that the jades from Western region transported into central China only through this pass. It used to be the gateway to west region on the northern Silk Road. In ancient times, it also functioned as a military strategic pass and significant passage of the ancient Silk Road.
Then continue the tour to Great Wall of the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 BC) 1 hour
Then continue the tour to Great Wall of the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 220 BC). Unlike other parts of the wall brick and stone, this section is made of rammed earth, gravel and juniper. Over time, the wall has been badly damaged by nature and humans, but you can still see how the wall looked like at first. Next, continue to River Storage City ,it is an important military storage city and played an important role on the ancient silk road from Weijin to Han Dynasty .people can’t see it before you get to it as it was designed very scentically and well preserved.
At the end, your guide will escort you to your hotel 18 hours
At the end, your guide will escort you to your hotel.
Dunhuang - Jiayuguan. O/N Jiayuguan.
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 08:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to the well-known Jiayuguan Fort in around 5hrs ride,385km.
After lunch in Jiayuguan you will first visit... 1 hour 30 minutes
After lunch in Jiayuguan you will first visit Jiayuguan pass (Jiayuguan Fort) also known as the “Impregnable Pass under Heaven,” Jiayuguan is the western end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty as well as the most magnificent and well-preserved pass among over a thousand passes along the Ming Great Wall.
Then, your guide will escort you to your hotel and help you check in 18 hours
Then, your guide will escort you to your hotel and help you check in. The rest of day is free for you.
Jiayuguan - Zhangye by train. O/N Lanzhou.
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 09:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to the well-known Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountain in around 150 minutes ride,208km.
The Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountain where you will... 2 hours
The Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountain where you will see different colors and view is charming at different times; the scenery here is really fantastic and incredible. It is the best representative of China’s colorful Danxia landform and the largest Danxia landscape in an arid area, with a wide variety of landforms ..
Then drive to Zhangye city for Giant Buddha... 1 hour 30 minutes
Then drive to Zhangye city for Giant Buddha Temple which is renowned for the largest indoor reclining Buddha in China. Even a finger of the Buddha can hold one adult to lie down. It is said that this giant Buddha statue is made in the image of Sakyamuni. Our guide will also introduce other statues and delicate murals in the hall. Numerous scriptures and ancient books are also displayed in here. In this temple, we will not miss the earth tower and a typical folk residence with traditional carved beams and painted pillars.
At the end, your guide will escort you... 40 minutes
At the end, your guide will escort you to Zhangye Railway Station, where a train to Lanzhou is waiting for you and may book the D2706 17:54-22:11pm). The train takes around 4 hours.
Upon arrival at Lanzhou, you will be picked... 10 minutes
Upon arrival at Lanzhou, you will be picked up on time with our Lanzhou local guide and transferred to Lanzhou hotel.
Lanzhou - Xiahe. O/N Xiahe.
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 09:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to theXiahe in around 4hrs ride, 230km.
On the way to Xiahe,You will stop in... 2 hours
On the way to Xiahe,You will stop in Liujiaxia small town to visit Bingling Grottos which filled with Buddhist sculpture carved into natural caves and caverns in a canyon along the Yellow River.So we have to take a boat from Liujiaxia town to Bingling temple which takes about one hour to get there through Liujiaxia Reservoir and we spend about 2 hours to explore the sculptures, carvings and frescoes which is an outstanding examples of Buddhist artwork. Our driver will be Waiting for us on the other side of the Reservoir and keep driving until Xiahe through many small beautiful villages.
Upon arrival at Xiahe, your guide will help... 18 hours
Upon arrival at Xiahe, your guide will help you check in the hotel and is free time for you at the rest of the day.
Xiahe - Langmusi. O/N Langmusi.
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 09:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to the Langmusi town in around 3hrs ride, 183km.
The Labrang Monastery which is the largest, the... 1 hour 30 minutes
The Labrang Monastery which is the largest, the most influential and major monastery of the Gelugpa (Yellow Hat) sect of Tibetan Buddhism. The architectural layout follows true Tibetan style, while construction patterns are mixed with Chinese styles. The view here is fantastic.
Then drive to Bajiaocheng Ancient City which was... 1 hour
Then drive to Bajiaocheng Ancient City which was build for military importance in Han dynasty and many Tang and Song dynasty ancient coins were excavated from this site,since there are 8 city corners hence the name. About 74 households live inside the Bajiaocheng Ancient City and all speak Tibetan language.
Upon arrival at Langmusi town, your guide will... 18 hours
Upon arrival at Langmusi town, your guide will help you check in the hotel and is free time for you at the rest of the day.
Langmusi - Lanzhou. O/N Lanzhou.
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 09:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to the well-known Langmu Temple in around 20 minutes ride.
Langmusi is not only a name of place... 2 hours
Langmusi is not only a name of place but also name of monastery and it became famous because of a book named “ Tibetan Skylines” written by American famous Tibetologist Robert B.Ekvall. Langmusi town is divided into two parts by Bailonghe river ..one part is in Sichuan province and another part is in Gansu part . Bailongjiang grand canyon has a fantastic view and tourists can hike or ride horse around the beautiful grassland.
After lunch drive back to Lanzhou 17 hours
After lunch drive back to Lanzhou.
Lanzhou Departure. The tour end.
Your guide will pick you up at the... 10 minutes
Your guide will pick you up at the lobby of your hotel at around 09:00 in the morning. You will be escorted to the Gansu museum in around 17 minutes ride, 7km.
The Gansu museum which holds more than 350 1 hour
The Gansu museum which holds more than 350.000 historical relics discovered in Gansu province , and it is an ideal place to know history culture economy of Gansu province.
Also known as Zhongshan Bridge, Yellow River Iron... 30 minutes
Also known as Zhongshan Bridge, Yellow River Iron Bridge is at the foot of the White Pagoda Mountain, and it was built in the 33rd year (1907) of Emperor Guangxu’s reign in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911); it is awarded the title of “the First Bridge over the Yellow River”.
The Waterwheel Park is situated at the west... 30 minutes
The Waterwheel Park is situated at the west end of Binhe Road, Lanzhou with the Sculpture of the Yellow River Mother to the west, the White Pagoda Mountain Park to the north and the White Cloud Temple to the south, and it’s another highlight along the Yellow River in Lanzhou. Serving as the oldest irrigation tools in Lanzhou,the time-honored waterwheels appeared in Lanzhou during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644); they are shaped strangely and known as the Irrigation Wheel and the Tiger Wheel.
The Yellow River Mother Sculpture stands north of... 20 minutes
The Yellow River Mother Sculpture stands north of the Little West Lake Park, on Binhe Central Road of Lanzhou, which is the most beautiful one of its kind in China and is of a high artistic value. It was appraised as a piece of excellent work in the First Chinese City Sculpture Design Contest. The Yellow River Mother Sculpture has become a landmark building of Lanzhou. Mother statue of Yellow River mother stands for yellow river and baby stands for Chinese beings.
After the lunch, your guide will escort you to Lanzhou train station/airport 2 hours
After the lunch, your guide will escort you to Lanzhou train station/airport. End of your 8 day tour services.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cancellation policy?
If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure…
How do I book this tour?
Click the "Book Now" button on this page to complete your reservation through Viator's secure booking platform. You'll receive instant confirmation via email.
Is this tour suitable for all ages?
Please check the age requirements and physical fitness level requirements listed in the tour details above. Some tours may have age restrictions or require a certain level of physical fitness.
