Highlights

The price is based on 2 persons in a private tour for 4star hotel

  • Picturesque Heavenly Lake and Tianshan Mountain chains

  • Wonder city of Turpan along old Silk Road

  • Explore Dunhuang’s markets and soak up a very different culture to that of western China

  • UNESCO Mogao Grottoes and Ride Camel across the vast desert

  • Explore the splendid Danxia Rainbow Mountain in Zhangye 

ITINERARY Close All

Day 1Urumqi Arrival

Arrival in Urumqi, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, the farthest city from the ocean. It is Mongolian for 'beautiful farm'. Our bilingual tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi
Altitude: 918m

Day 2Visit Heavenly Lake (120 kms), then Drive to Turpan (200 kms)

Today you will enjoy A FULL DAY tour of the picturesque Heavenly Lake (approximately 1.5hrs), 2000m up in the Tianshan mountain range. which is surrounded by the snow mountains, blooming wildflowers, evergreen pine trees. 40-minute scenic shuttle bus ride that twists though the dramatic mountains. Then you can either walk to the lakeside in 10mins or take the electronic cart. There are 3 options suggested. Boating cruise to take the incredible view of Tianshan Mountain. Trekking along the lake in the fresh air. or you can explore further up to the Maya Mountain by the cable car to enjoy the magnificent view of the Mountains. The lunch in the local Kazakh's yurt is highly recommended. 

In the LATE afternoon, drive to Turpan, passing by the wind power station which is the largest one in Asia spreading at the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Following glimpse of Salt Lake in Dabancheng. We'll be amazed by the historical sites

After visiting, drive all the way to the Oasis Land of Turpan.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 819m
  • Heavenly Lake

  • Heavenly Lake

Day 3Turpan City Tour

Our first stop is Tuyoq Valley, an ancient oasis-village. We will have lunch in the local Uighur family before exploring this traditional village surrounded by the impressive grape trellis and the stories of the adventurers all of the world. Following is the visiting to Sugong Minaret, a conduit for cultural exchange between different ethnic and religious groups.


About 3pm, head up to the Karez Well irrigation system that produce the best melons and grapes in China. Following is the visiting to Sugong Minaret, a conduit for cultural exchange between different ethnic and religious groups.


Today's tour end up with the 2hrs's exploration of Jiaohe Ruins, resembles Pompei, but 300 years older. a Chinese archaeological site found in the Yarnaz Valley, 10 km west of the city of Turpan and a natural fortress located atop a steep cliff on a leaf-shaped plateau between two deep river valleys where you can experience the way of life of the Uygur ancestors


Today's tour end up with the Flaming Mountains and famous for its seedless grapes and a number of ancient Buddhist meditation caves nearby containing frescos.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 819m
  • Sugong Minaret

  • Karez Well

Day 4Train to Dunhuang, Visit Echoing-Sand Mountain

After a pleasant breakfast, take this deluxe train to Dunhuang at 10:00am. We specially arrange Dunhuang experts and professors who'll introduce this exotic city in detail to you. After arriving in Dunhuang, we visit beautiful Crescent Lake & Echoing-Sand Mountains. The Crescent Lake is an oasis Gobi desert, surrounded by numerous sand dunes, reaching a relative height of 250 meters (820 feet). The Mingsha Shan is so named for the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes. After dinner, we move to Dunhuang Night market - bustling Shazhou Night Market. Never miss its tasty snacks, local specialties, and crafts etc.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Dunhuang
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1146m
  • Echoing Sand Mountain

  • Shazhou Night Market

Day 5Visit Mogan Grottoes, then Drive to Jiayuguan (370 kms)

After breakfast, let's visit the world famous Mogao Grottoes, which was designated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO for its 1600 years accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures. There remains 492 cave temple and 45000 square meters of frescos. According to Tang Dynasty records, a monk had witnessed onsite a vision of thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus inspired, he started the caves construction work that spanned ten dynasties. Mogao Caves are commonly known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. After visiting, we will drive to next stop Jiayuguan for overnight stay

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Jiayuguan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1138m
  • Mogao Grottoes

  • Mogao Grottoes

Day 6Jiayuguan Highlights Tour, then Drive to Zhangye (223 kms)

Today we begin our journey to the Jiayuguan Fortress. Standing among vast desert and surrounded by rolling mountains,it looks like a dignified general guarding the grand land. It was constructed with the most integrated defensive system. It was also an important traffic hub along the Silk Road, the oldest worldwide trading route.


Continue the sightseeing to renowned underground gallery Weijin Tombs. There we can enjoy lifelike and succinct wall paintings covering a wide range of subjects including politics, economics, culture, military affairs, folk customs, and science and technology during the Wei and Jin periods (4AD)


After lunch, we will drive 3hrs to the masterpiece of nature Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which is situated in the north of Qilian mountains with a distance of 40 km from east Zhangye city. You will be marveled by the colorful layers of mountain ridges in the 4hr's adventure to the different platforms.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1400m
  • Jiayuguan Pass

  • Zhangye Danxia

Day 7Visit Grand Buddha Temple, then Train to Lanzhou

Morning we will visit the Grand Buddha Temple, which is the important place of the Silk Road. The Temple is the largest architectural relic in Gansu Province of the Western Xia (1038-1227) period. China's largest reclining Buddha is well preserved in this temple. afternoon, you will be transferred to the station to take the express train to Lanzhou.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Lanzhou
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1600m
  • Grand Buddha Temple

  • Zhangye

Day 8Lanzhou City Tour

With a early start today, we will arrive Binlings Temple at 09:30 after 1.5hrs' driving. Taking the 40mins fast boat to the inside of the park , enjoy the variety of artworks in different styles and observe the social situations and customs in ancient times when seeing the stone sculptures and appreciate the miracle of Buddha caves. 


We will then head back to downtown to visit Gansu Museum, which is the biggest comprehensive museum in the province. It is one of the best sights in the city and a visit is well worthwhile. Continue tour at the Yellow River's Mother Statue consisting of “a mother” and “a baby boy” which symbolizes the mother of the Yellow River nurturing the Chinese nation.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Lanzhou
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1600m
  • Binglings Temple

  • Gansu Museum

Day 9Lanzhou Departure

It's time to say farewell to Lanzhou. After a pleasant breakfast, we will transfer you to the airport for the flight back to your hometown or next destination. Bon voyage!

Traffic: Car
Hotel: No accommodation
Meals: Breakfast

INCLUDES

  • Private transportation through out the itinerary. SRT will arrange for all travelers to be met on arrival and seen off on departure based on your flight info.

  • Shared accommodations in well located, tourist to superior class hotels include breakfast, service charge and government tax.

  • All entrance fees(shuttle bus) sightseeing; excursions and activities as per the itinerary

  • 2nd class express train from Turpan to Dunhuang (Liuyuan Station), Zhangye to Lanzhou listed in the itinerary

  • Private friendly and professional English-Speaking guides (French, Italy, Russian, German can be arranged per your request)

  • Visa support letter for you to apply Chinese visa easily.

  • Travel and health insurance when travel with us.

  • 8, A 24/7 helpline while you are traveling.

EXCLUDES

  • International flight arrive in Urumqi and leave from Lanzhou not indicated.

  • Food, Lunch or Dinner not specified

  • Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers

  • Personal expenses and the other tours or activities not mentioned

TRIP NOTES

  • We will upgrade trains to 1st class where available if book the tour 5 months in advance of departure.

  • There is no problem to travel Silk Road during Ramadan.

  • Complimentary 2 bottles of water each person on daily use.

Transportation

We will use business MPV to luxurious coaches and trains.

Accommodation

All the hotels we selected are 4-5star well-located in the city center with good and proper breakfast for our clients.

Guides

Our guides are very friendly, knowledgeable, helpful. And our group tours will be escorted from SRT.

Climate and Altitude

Generally speaking Mid March—End Oct are the best time to visit Silk Road. And we strongly suggest you come in May, June, October to avoid the heat and crowd. No need to worry about high altitude along the Silk Road. We will prepare Oxygen bags if the package includes Xiahe, Qinghai Lake and Taxkorgan County.

We offer beneficial Cancellation Policy to our customers.