4-Day Jiayuguan Pass and Dunhuang Silk Road Short Break

Camels outside of Jiayuguan Pass
Short a Arrow on the Wall of Jiayuguan Pass
The Stone Buddha of Mogao Grottoes
The Panorama of the Crescent Lake
Camel Riding at Echoing Sand Mountains
The Eroded Stone Mountains of Yadan Nation Geological Park

Tour Outline: Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

Overview
Itinerary
Service Inclusion
ENQUIRE NOW

Trip Overview

This short break tour on the Silk Road connects the "first pass under heaven" - Jiayuguan Pass and the highlights of Dunhang: Maogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Mountains, Crescent Lake, Yumenguan Pass, Yadan National Geological Park and the ancient Great Wall of Han Dynasty. In the tour, tourists can learn about the Buddhism culture, the defensive system of the Great Wall, and the long-distance traffic and communication on the Silk Road.

[Jiayuguan] Wander along the ancient city wall and feel the heartbeats of this "first pass under heaven";
[Yulin Grottoes] Visit the Yulin Grottoes which is considered as the sister of Mogao Grottoes;
[Mogao Grottoes] Enjoy the 2,415 colorful statues and 45,000 square meters mural paintings in the world’s most important site of ancient Buddhist Culture;
[Echoing Sand Mountains] Slide down from the mountains to hear the echoing sound like Orchestra music in the sunny days;
[Crescent Lake] Be amazed by the crescent-shaped lake surrounded by sand mountains, with its water that has never dried up;
[Yadan National Geological Park] Visit the park which is created over time by the sort part of the earth surface.

Best Time to Visit

All year round
Physical Demands

Very leisure tour; zero physical demand

Day by Day Itinerary

Expand All|Close All

Day 1: Jiayuguan Arrival

Upon your arrival at the Jiayuguan International Airport/ Train Station, our tour guide will meet and escort you to your hotel in Jiayuguan downtown. After a short break in the hotel, we will drive to visit the Jiayuguan Pass. Wander along the ancient city wall and feel the heartbeats of this “first pass under heaven”. Then head to visit the Great Wall Museum where you will learn about the history of Jiayuguan Pass and the Great Wall.

Drive 14km from airport to downtown
Altitude: Jiayuguan (1600m)
Internet & Wifi
Jiayuguan business hotel
Meal: NO

Day 2: Jiayuguan - Yulin Grottoes - Dunhuang (504km)

Yulin Grottoes in Gansu Province

The Wall Painting of Yulin Grottoes

Today after breakfast, we will drive from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang. On the way, visit the Yulin Grottoes in Guazhou county. In the forty-two caves are preserved more than 100 polychrome statues and over 5,000 square meters of wall paintings, dating from Tang Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty. It is considered as the sister of Mogao Grottoes. Then continue drive to Duhuang and check in your hotel.

Today drive about 504km
Altitude: Jiayuguan (1600m), Dunhuang (1139m)
Internet & Wifi: NO
Dunhuang business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Visit the Mogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Mountains, Crescent Lake

Mogao Grottoes of Dunhuang

The Crescent Lake of Dunhuang

Today, we drive to visit the Mogao Grottoes, which is the world’s most important site of ancient Buddhist Culture. It is outstanding for its exquisite mural paintings and statues. 735 sandstone caves holds 2,415 colorful statues and 45,000 square meters mural paintings. Then move on to visit the Echoing Sand Mountains, where it is said that the sand mountains echo like Orchestra music in the sunny days, even is there is no wind. If you slide down from the mountains, you can hear the echoing sound more clearly.

After that, continue to visit the Crescent Lake which is surrounded by sand mountains from different directions. It is a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis, with some well decorated traditional Chinese architecture, trees, flowers and a lake that has never dried up.

Drive about 70km
Altitude: Dunhuang (1139m)
Internet & Wifi
Dunhuang business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Visit the Yadan National Geological Park, Yumenguan Pass, the Great Wall, Duhuang Departure

After breakfast, drive to visit the Yadan National Geological Park, which has been created over time by the sort part of the earth surface and then has been eroded by wind and rain with the hard part of the rocks remaining in the desert. Then you will visit the Yumenguan which was the most important pass on the western of the Hexi Corridor region, where you will witness the management system of the traffic and the beacons, the defensive system of the Great Wall, and the long-distance traffic and communication on the Silk Road.

In the afternoon, drive back to Dunhuang City. Then our tour guide escort you to airport/ train station for your next destination.

Drive about 206km
Altitude: Dunhuang (1139m)
Internet & Wifi: NO
Hotel: NO
Breakfast, Lunch

Price Details & Guide

Price Inclusions

Private transportation to the destinations and sites listed in the itinerary; ranging from 4WD land cruiser to bus depending on the group size and trip route; car gasoline, road toll and in-transport refreshments (free bottles of water, air pillow and headscarf) are included;
Lodging: one night in Jiayuguan business hotel, two nights in Dunhuang business hotel;
Private experienced English-speaking trip leader;
Airport/railway station pick-up and send-off services at the beginning/end of the tour;
Entrance ticket fees for all the sight spots listed in the itinerary;
Meals listed in the itinerary (3 Breakfasts, 3 Lunches);
First aid kit;
A coverage of 300,000RMB Chartis travel insurance;

Price Exclusions

International and domestic flight/train to Jiayuguan (Note: we accept the domestic flight/train tickets booking to Jiayuguan from other cities in advance, check the updated ticket availability and cost with your travel consultant);
Meals that are not specified in the itinerary (Averagely a meal in the 3rdpole region cost 3~10USD per person);
Tips and gratuities for the trip leader and driver;
The expense of a personal nature like alcoholic beverages, laundry, phone call, etc;
Optional activities and excursions not specified in the itinerary;
China Entry visa fees;

Itinerary Alteration

Once we receive your tour deposit, which is followed by signing the contract, your reservation is secured with legitimacy. Our staff will reserve the accommodation, vehicle, site tickets, meals and more, and pay the deposit for our suppliers. So if you want to alter to another itinerary, you need to cover the deposit we've paid, while no service charge is needed if you make some changes on the itinerary you booked.

Cancellation and Refund Policy

If you cancel the tour beacuse of your personal issues, you will be liable to pay cancellation charges that are bounded by 3rdpoletour.com cancellation policy as follows:

1.) If you cancel the tour more than 30 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 10% of the total land cost per person;
2.) If you cancel the tour 15-30 days prior to your trip start date, 20% of your total land tour cost will be forfeited as a cancellation fee.
3.) If you cancel the tour 7-15 days before the trip starts, you will forfeit 30% of land cost.
4.) If you cancel the tour 7 days prior to your tour start date, you will forfeit 50% of land cost.
5.) If you fail to show up or cancel at your scheduled arrival time without prior notice or later than that, you will forfeit 100% of the land cost.

If the tour has to be cancelled because of the natural disaster or the government restrictions that is beyond both parties control, we will charge only USD50 per person, this is just the service fee and larbor fee during the preparation. This is a rare occurrence!