• Roam the Badain Jaran Mega dunes;
• Enjoy the breathtaking scenery of rainbow mountains, which is one of the ‘Top 10 Geographical Wonders of the World’ selected by the National Geographic;
• Visit the Mati Temple, a Buddhist hideout on the Qilian Cliff;
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Destination
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Trip duration
7 days, 6 nights
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Min/Max travelers
Min. 8 | Max. 16
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Transport
Van
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Accommodation
5 star (local best)
• Camel riding onto the desert dune;
• Witness firsthand Heritage masterpieces: The Mogao Frescoes along the Hexi Corridor, first section of the Ancient Silk Road;
Day 1
DAY 1: ARRIVAL ZHANGYE
Upon arrival, met and greeted by your guide, and then transfer to hotel for check in. If time permits, visit Mati Temple(60km,1.5hours), first built in the northern Liang period (397-460), this temple originally was a Chinese Buddhist temple, and later gradually changed into a Tibet Buddhist temple decorated outside with numerous colored flags. A series of horse shoe prints are visible in Grotto 9, which are said to be left by a heaven horse. As a result, the temple was named for the horseshoe prints left by the legendary heaven horse, which become the treasure of the temple.
Food
-/-/-
Accommodation
LOCAL 5 STAR
Day 2
DAY2: ZHANGYE – BADAIN JARAN DESERT (140KM, 2.5H)
Transfer to Pingshanhu Danxia in the morning (60km, 1.5hours). Hiking around Pingshanhu Danxia is an optional. Following the travel route directly down to the bottom, you will see rocks up and down. It is real wild hiking. Till climbing a vertical irony steel to up, you will see vast red flat plain stretching boundlessly as you are on the top. Continue to Badain Jaran Desert in the afternoon, enjoy the beautiful sunset on the endless sand dunes.
Food
B/-/-
Accommodation
LOCAL BEST
Day 3
DAY3: BADAIN JARAN DESERT - ZHANGYE
Soak up the dramatic natural landscapes of the vast Badain Desert. Badain Jaran Desert is famous for its five wonders, namely, sandy peaks, singing dunes, colorful lakes, clear springs, and ancient temples. The altitude is generally between 1100 and 1600 meters, and the relative height of the sand peak is between 200-500 meters. These tall sand dunes account for 61% of the desert area. There are 113 inland lakes found in the Badain Jaran Desert, commonly known as "thousands of lakes in the desert". These lakes have various formations and different scenery, forming a unique desert landscape. You can trek around Badan Lake to nearby sand mountain. (About 2 hours)
Drive back to Zhangye in the late afternoon, check in Kaoshan tent at the entrance of the Rainbow Mountain.
Food
B/-/-
Accommodation
TENT
Day 4
DAY4: ZHANGYE – JIAYUGUAN(230KM,3H)
Visit Danxia Landform Geopark in the morning, which is home to incredible ‘rainbow mountains,’ layers of different colored sandstone and minerals that rise and fall like waves. The colorful rolling hills span about 300 sq.km and they are an incredible natural phenomenon formed over 24 million years.
Next is drive to Jiayuguan. It is a great militarily self-defense complex in Chinese ancient time. Meanwhile tour around the Great Wall Museum, which was opened to the public in October 1989 as the biggest military museum of China and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way. As one of the tour destinations along the silk road, the Overhanging Great Wall is the best place where you can visit the culture of the ancient Silk Road and the Great Wall plus the ancient weapons exhibition in Jiayuguan.
Food
B/-/-
Accommodation
LOCAL 5 STAR
Day 5
DAY5: JIAYUGUAN - DUNHUANG (370KM, 4H)
In the morning you will be free to relax and later start transfer to Dunhuang(370km,4hours). Upon arrival, visit Singing Sand Dune, which is also called Mingsha Hill. The so-called singing sand does not sing by itself, but creates singing sound when people tread or slide on the surface of the sand, which is a kind of miracle of the nature. The crescent-like lake is surrounded by the sand but never buried by it. The water in the lake is very clear all year around.
Here you will ride a camel up to the sand dunes and enjoy an exciting slide down the hills. (Halfway of the sand dunes)
Food
B/-/-
Accommodation
DUNHUANG SILKROAD HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Day 6
DAY6: DUNHUANG
This morning, it is a climate time of visiting Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, this UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the great artistic and religious wonders of the world and it is famous for its exquisite murals and various sculptures inside the caves, which was built in different dynasties, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.
Enjoy a leisure relaxing afternoon.
Enjoy a walking tour to the Shazhou Night Market, the most bustling place of Dunhuang at night. It's easy to lose our sense of time wonder the market while enjoy your leisure time and taste some local cuisine.
Food
B/-/-
Accommodation
DUNHUANG SILKROAD HOTEL OR SIMILAR
Day 7
DAY7: DEP DUNHUANG
Enjoy a leisure morning and then transfer to airport for flight back home If time permits, you may visit the Dunhuang Museum, where you can learn more about the history of Silk road.
Food
B/-/-
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- 6 nights’ accommodation in sharing twin/double room with breakfast as indicated in the program (Meal Symbols: B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner)
- Transfers, tours by A/C vehicle and entrance fees as indicated with English speaking guide service
- Entrance tickets listed in the itinerary;
- A Trails Hotline: 400-860-0836
Not Included
- Ticket(s) for international and domestic flights
- Meals not mentioned in the programme, (Meal Symbols: B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner) with one soft drink (soda, mineral water, local beer) per person per meal;
- Tips for services of local guides and drivers;
- Optional Tours.
- Excess luggage surcharge
- Any personal expenses.
- Supplement for Oct National Holiday: RMB 200 per person
Payment and Cancellations
- Full payment is due 30 days prior to departure. We reserve the right to release all services in case of payment default.
- Intermediate bank charges and fees are the responsibility of the client.
- In case of cancellation, the following cancellation fees will apply:
- Between 30-15 days prior to departure - 25% of total price
- Between 14-7 days prior to departure - 50% of total price
- Less than 7 days prior to departure – 100% of total price