6-Day Lanzhou Zhangye Jiayuguan Dunhuang Tour

The Echoing Sand Mountains
The Fort of Jiayuguan Pass
Zhangye Danxia Landform
The Crescent Lake in Dunhuang
The Stone Buddha of Mogao Grottoes

Tour Outline: 6 Days & 5 Nights
Lanzhou(1 N) - Zhangye(1N) - Jiayuguan(1N) - Dunhuang (2N)

Overview
Itinerary
Service Inclusion
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Trip Overview

This tour highlights the popular tourist sites on the Silk Road in Gansu. If you are interested in the culture of the ancient Silk Road, we highly recommend you to reserve this tour. We make sure each day is special.

In the tour, you will have a layover in Lanzhou as a transfer point, then drive to visit the colorful Danxia Landform and Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye; the "first pass under heaven" - Jiayuguan Pass and Yulin Grottoes in Jiayuguan; Maogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Mountains, Crescent Lake, Yumenguan Pass, Yadan National Geological Park in Dunhuang.

[Danxia Landform] It is known for its saturated color patterns of the rocks caused by red sandstone and mineral deposits over 24 million years;
[Jiayuguan Pass] 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;
[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

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Day 1: Lanzhou Arrival

Upon your arrival at the Lanzhou Zhongshan International Airport/ Train Station, our tour guide will meet and escort you to your hotel in Lanzhou downtown. The rest of today is free for you to explore Lanzhou city.

Drive 70km from airport to downtown
Altitude: Lanzhou (1520m)
Lanzhou business hotel
Meal: NO

Day 2: Lanzhou - Zhangye

Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park

Today drive about 505km from Lanzhou to Zhangye. And transfer to visit the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, which remains seemingly untouched by and pollution in the Gansu Province. The Landform is known for its saturated color patterns. The unusual colors of the rocks are caused by red sandstone and mineral deposits laid down over the course of 24 million years. The formations carved into the park, such as valleys, pillars and waterfalls, were shaped over millions of years by rains and winds. Be transferred back to your hotel in Zhangye.

Today drive about 585km
Danxia Landform (2000-3800m), Zhangye (1200-6000m)
Internet & Wifi
Zhangye business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 3: Zhangye - Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan Pass

The Reclining Buddha in Giant Buddha Temple

Jiayuguan Pass

After breakfast in your hotel, our tour guide and drive will pick you up and transfer you to visit the Giant Buddha Temple where there is a large reclining Buddha so people also call it as the Reclining Buddha Temple.

Afterwards, you will drive about 230km to Jiayuguan and visit the Jiayuguan Pass. The Jiayuguan Pass represents the western starting point of a section of the Great Wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The Pass is the best preserved of the Great Wall’s ancient military fortresses. Wander along the ancient city wall and feel the heartbeats of this “first pass under heaven”.

Today drive about 250km
Altitude: Jiayuguan (1600m)
Internet & Wifi
Jiayuguan business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 4: Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

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
Dunhuang business hotel
Breakfast, Lunch

Day 5: Dunhuang

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 6: Dunhuang 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)
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 Lanzhou business hotel, one night in Zhangye business hotel, one night in Jiayuguan business hotel, two nights in Dunhuang business hotel;
Private experienced English-speaking tour guide / 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 (5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches);
First aid kit;
A coverage of 300,000RMB Chartis travel insurance;

Price Exclusions

International and domestic flight/train to Lanzhou and International and domestic flight/train departs from Dunhuang (Note: we accept the domestic flight/train tickets booking to Xining 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!