Dunhuang, Jiayuguan, Lanzhou 5 Days 4 Nights Tour

Highlights

• Jiayuguan city was an important stop on the ancient" Silk Road" and served as a significant trade link between China and the other parts of the world. Its great historical role over years has endowed the place with abundant historical sites and cultural relics, such as the westernmost portion of the Great Wall
• The Mogao Grottoes, also known as "the Thousand Buddha Caves", and praised as "a glittering pearl that adorns the Silk Road", are the most famous Buddhist grottoes in China

Trip Itinerary

Day 1 Arrive in Dunhuang

Arrive in Dunhuang by air or train, meet your English-speaking guide, and transfer to your hotel for the night.

Dunhuang, historically known as Shazhou, was an important stop on the Silk Road. Explore the region’s Buddhist heritage at the Mogao Grottoes and its frontier history at the ruins of Yangguan and Yumenguan, places celebrated in Chinese poetry.

Day 2 Dunhuang (B, L)

After breakfast, visit the Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves, about 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang. Carved into sandstone cliffs, the caves preserve Buddhist art created over many centuries. Explore a remarkable collection of painted sculptures and murals that reflects the cultural exchanges of the Silk Road.

Visit Echoing Sand Mountain, where wind and movement across the dunes can produce a low, resonant sound. Walk among the dunes and take in the desert landscape.

Encircled by the mountain, there is the Crescent Moon Lake, so called because of its shape. The water in the lake is so pure and sweet that it looks like an emerald set in the sand. Many of the visitors who have made their way down the mountain like to drink from the lake. According to historical record, the lake has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand; it is really a geological wonder.

There is also a story about the lake. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC- 24), a general called Li Guang, together with a group of soldiers, captured a powerful and swift horse from Dawan, a western state of China at that time. When passing the Echoing-Sand Mountain upon their return, the soldiers became too thirsty to continue their march. General Li drew his sword and thrust it into the side of the mountain causing water to spring forth and so formed the lake.

You will then be taken back to your hotel for the night.

Day 3 Dunhuang-Jiayuguan Pass (B,L)

Visit Jiayuguan Pass at the western end of the Ming dynasty Great Wall. Explore its defensive walls, towers, and courtyards, and take in views of the surrounding desert. You can also explore our Great Wall adventure tours near Beijing. Great Wall adventure tours in Beijing

It is one of the main passes of the Great Wall, along with Juyong Pass and Shanhai Pass. It is located at the narrowest point of the western part of Hexi Corridor, and was a key passageway of the ancient Silk Road. It commands fascinating views of the boundless Gobi Desert and the snow-capped Qilian Mountains.

We will spend the evening at a hotel in Jiayuguan.

Day 4 Jiayuguan-Lanzhou (B, L)

After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a short flight to Lanzhou. Once an important Silk Road junction, the city connects central and western China. Explore its setting between mountain ranges along the Yellow River.

Your English-speaking guide will meet you at Lanzhou Airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a short break, visit Five Springs Mountain Park, known for its wooded slopes, historic temples, and springs named Ganlu, Juyue, Mozi, Hui, and Meng. Local Buddhist celebrations take place on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.

Day 5 Lanzhou-departure (B)

After breakfast you will be taken to either the Lanzhou airport or train station.