10 Days China Silk Road Tour by Speed Train from Lanzhou to Urumqi
Silk Road Tour is the highlights of China tours. There are magnificent desert landscapes, the great ruins of significant historical cities and colorful folk custom. This classic silk road tour will take you to visit the famous cities along ancient silk road, including Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, and Urumqi.
Highlights:
- View the breathtaking rainbow mountains in China – Zhangye Danxia Landform.
- Visit the glittering pearl that adorns the Silk Road – Mogao Grottoes.
- See the starting point of Great Wall of Ming Dynasty – Jiayuguan Pass.
- Experience the “heat” of “fire land” – Turpan.
- Enjoy the picturesque scenery of Heavenly Lake.
Brief Itinerary
- Day 1: Lanzhou Arrival
- Day 2: Lanzhou
- Day 3: Lanzhou – Zhangye
- Day 4: Zhangye
- Day 5: Zhangye – Jiayuguan
- Day 6: Jiayuguan – Dunhuang
- Day 7: Dunhuang – Turpan
- Day 8: Turpan
- Day 9: Turpan – Urumqi
- Day 10: Urumqi Departure
Detailed Itinerary
Day 1 Lanzhou Arrival
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation: Lanzhou
Meals:
Picked up from airport and transferred to your hotel. Explore this city at leisure.
Day 2 Lanzhou
Sightseeing and Activities: Bingling Temple Grottoes
Accommodation: Lanzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, head to visit Binglingsi Grottoes, one of the best-preserved collections of Buddhist cave art in all of China. There are three parts: Shangsi, Donggou, and Xiasi.
Day 3 Lanzhou – Zhangye
Sightseeing and Activities: Waterwheel Garden
Accommodation: Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, head to visit the Waterwheel Garden on the southern bank of the Yellow River in Lanzhou. Then transfer you to Lanzhou train station to take high speed train to Zhangye. Upon arrival, local tour guide will pick you up and transfer to your hotel.
Day 4 Zhangye
Sightseeing and Activities: Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, Mati Temple
Accommodation: Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, dirve to Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, which is known for their otherworldly colors that mimic a rainbow painted over the tops of rolling mountains. Many artists admire this masterpiece which is like a perfect painting on canvas.
Then continue to visit the Mati Temple, an ancient Tibetan temple carved out of the side of a cliff in Sunan Yugu Tibetan region. After that, transfer to your hotel in Xining.
Day 5 Zhangye – Jiayuguan
Sightseeing and Activities: Giant Buddha Temple, Jiayuguan Pass, Great Wall Mesum
Accommodation: Jiayuguan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, drive to visit the Giant Buddha Temple, which is the largest architectural relic in Gansu Province of the Western Xia period. After that, drive about 2.5 hours to visit Jiayuguan Pass. Jiayuguan is a well restored fort marking the edge of the Great Wall in the Ming Dynasty time, in an important place in the Hexi Corridor. Frist we will stop at the Great Wall Mesum for a brief visit. Afte that, explore the grandoise fortress.
Day 6 Jiayuguan – Dunhuang
Sightseeing and Activities: Crescent Moon Spring, Minsha Mountain
Accommodation: Dunhuang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast, drive to Dunhuang. Then head to Crescent Moon Spring, which is an oasis in the Gobi Desert. Enjoy the rare view where an oasis meets the desert and have some fun sand adventure. After that, ride camels across the sand dunes to Minsha Mountain which can make sounds when the wind passes.
Day 7 Dunhuang – Turpan
Sightseeing and Activities: Mogao Grottoes
Accommodation: Turpan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Morning head to visit Mogao Grottoes that is known as “The Thousand Buddha Cave”, and noted as one of the most important cultural and historical sites in China. After the visit, take the speed train to Turpan. Then have a good rest in Turpan.
Day 8 Turpan
Sightseeing and Activities: Jiaohe Ruins, Karez Well System, Bezklik Grottoes
Accommodation: Turpan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast at hotel, head to visit Jiaohe Ruins. It is a natural fortress located atop a steep cliff on a leaf-shaped plateau between two deep river valleys. Then move on to Karez Well System. Located in the Turpan Depression, it is a vertical tunnel system adapted by the Turpan people.
After the visit, continue the tour to Flaming mountain and Bezklik Grottoes.
Day 9 Turpan – Urumqi
Sightseeing and Activities: Heavenly Lake
Accommodation: Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Today drive to visit Heavenly Lake. It is a crescent alpine lake in the north of Bogda Peak, which enjoys crystal water due to melted snow as its source. Cruise on the lake and stroll around the lake after that.
Day 10 Urumqi Departure
Sightseeing and Activities:
Accommodation:
Meals: Breakfast
Transferred to the airport or train stataion for your next destination.
Service Included:
- Admission fees for all of the sightseeing spots listed in the itinerary;
- Meals as listed in the itinerary;
- Hotels as listed in the itinerary;
- Private English-speaking tour guide;
- Private vehicle for transfers & sightseeing with skilled driver;
- Service charge & government taxes;
- Luggage transfers between airports and hotels;
- Domestic train tickets of soft sleeper.
Service Excluded:
- Any arrival and departure international airfares or train tickets;
- Chinese visa fees;
- Excess baggage charged by Airlines;
- Single room supplement;
- Tips to guides and drivers;
- Personal expenses and gratuities to service staff;
- Personal travel accident insurance;
- All optional programs.
