9 Days Best Silk Road Tour from Urumqi to Lanzhou by Train
Tour Overview
Join us on an 9-day private China tour through the heart of China’s Silk Road. Travel from Urumqi to Lanzhou by bullet train and explore the diverse landscapes with professional tour guides. The pristine Heavenly Lake, the blazing Flaming Mountains, the vast deserts, the spectacular ruins of raw earth.. apart from these, you will also visit Jiayuguan Pass, Rainbow Mountains, and bustling bazaars. The Silk Road trip is filled with experiencing the rich heritage of the ancient Silk Road. High-speed rail ensures comfortable journey between destinations.
Highlights of this tour
- Appreciate the stunning alpine lake surrounded by snow-capped mountains at Heavenly Lake.
- Discover the Uyghur villages, the fiery Flaming Mountains, and the well-preserved ruins of Jiaohe Ancient City.
- Experience the fun of the desert at Mingsha Mountain and amazing Crescent Spring.
- Marvel at the exquisite Buddhist murals and sculptures.
- Visit the westernmost pass of the Great Wall – Jiayuguan Fort.
- Capture the multicolored rock formations at Zhangye National Geopark.
- Take a stroll around the Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line.
Basic Trip Information
Travel Route: Urumqi-Turpan-Dunhuang-Jiayuguan-Zhangye-Lanzhou
Travel Length: 9 Days and 8 Nights
Tour Code:
Group Size: Only your family or group
Suitable for: Culture and history lovers
Departure: Any day you want
Your tour – quick look
Day 1-2 Arrival & Urumqi Tour
On the arrival day, you can stroll around the Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar on your own. One-day to the beautiful Heavenly Lake (with optional boat trip). Then drive to Turpan.
Day 3-5 Day 3-4 Turpan Tour
Enjoy a day and a half exploring the highlights of Turpan including Sugong Pagoda, Tuyoq Valley, Karez Well, and Jiaohe Ancient City. After that, take a high-speed train to Dunhuang and enjoy the fun desert activities.
Day 5-7 Dunhuang, Jiyuguan and Zhangye Tour
Before heading to Jiayuguan, visit the famous Mogao Caves. Then you will be led to the First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven – Jiayuguan Pass & the landmarks of Zhangye: Giant Buddha Temple and Rainbow Mountains. Last, take s bullet train to Lanzhou.
Day 8-9 Lanzhou Tour, Departure
The Lanzhou day tour takes you to the World Heritage Bingling Temple, and the city highlights – Gansu Provincial Museum and Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line..
Day-to-day Itinerary
Day 1 Arrival in Urumqi
Welcome to Urumqi for our 9-day Silk Road tour of China! Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, has been an important commercial port on the Silk Road since ancient times. It witnessed the exchange and integration of Eastern and Western cultures.
Upon arrival, a local private driver will pick you up and escort you to the hotel in the city center for check-in.
In the evening, stroll around the Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar on your own. This place has a long history and has been a must-visit destination for Chinese and foreign merchants since the Qing Dynasty. You can find Central Asian goods and local features, such as Pakistani bronze ware, Turkish jewelry, grapes from Turpan, carpets from Hotan (no tour guide service today).
Meal: N/A
Accommodation: in Urumqi
Day 2 Heavenly Lake, Urumqi to Turpan
Immerse in Beautiful Scenery and Mysterious Legends of Alpine Lake
Your tour guide will meet you in the lobby of your hotel. Then drive for about 1.5 hours to reach Tianchi, the Heavenly Lake, a brilliant pearl embedded in the Tianshan Mountains. The crystal clear water of the lake is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, making the scenery picturesque.
You can take a stroll by the lake and enjoy the fresh air and unparalleled natural beauty. Or take a cruise (optional, at your own expense) to see the forests up close from another angle. In addition, the tour guide will explain more about the legend of Tianchi – where the Queen Mother of the West once bathed.
After the sightseeing, we drive to Turpan, which takes about 3 hours. After arrival, your guide will assist you with check-in procedures.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Turpan
Day 3 Turpan Essence Tour
Explore the Primitive Uyghur Villages and Raw Earth Ancient City
After breakfast, start your Silk Road tour in Turpan. Today’s first stop is Tuyoq Valley, about 1 hour drive from the city center. This place has preserved the old Uyghur villages with buildings made of yellow clay and raw earth, which are called “living fossils of folklore”. Your guide will also take you into the Thousand Buddha Cave to admire the spectacular grottoes and murals.
After the visit, on the way back to the city, you will see the Flaming Mountains, an important landmark on the ancient Silk Road. Looking at the Flame Mountain from afar, it is like a giant dragon lying across the earth. The mountain is so red that it seems to be burning under the sunlight.
Jiaohe Ancient City is the last stop of today’s Turpan tour. It is the largest, oldest and best-preserved city of raw earth architecture in the world. Shaped like a willow leaf, the city has no walls, but has a natural defense system. Follow your tour guide to explore the important ruins such as official quarters, residential houses and monasteries, and learn the historical facts behind them.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Turpan
Day 4 Turpan to Dunhuang
Get to Know Underground Wells, Enjoy Interesting Desert Activities
Before leaving Turpan you will visit the highlights of the city including Karez Wells and Emin Minaret.
Karez Wells, one of the three major projects in ancient China, skillfully diverts underground water for irrigation. By visiting this place, you can visualize the process of digging Karez wells and feel the wisdom of ancient working people. Emin Minaret or Sugong Pagoda is the largest existing ancient pagoda in Xinjiang. It is 44 meters high, conical in shape and covered with geometric decorations, showing the beauty of Islamic architectural art.
It is time to say goodbye to Turpan. You will then head to the train station to take the high-speed train to Dunhuang. Upon arrival, your local driver and guide will pick you up and take you to visit the Mingsha Mountain Crescent Spring.
As its name suggests, the scenic area is composed of the desert and a spring. Mingsha Mountain is named after the sound of sand movement, and Crescent Spring is embedded in it like a crescent moon. You can hike or ride a camel (at your own expense) across the desert. Climbing to the top of the sand mountain, the beautiful scenery of Crescent Spring can be seen in full view, surrounded by the desert.
After the visit, drive back to Dunhuang hotel to rest. In the evening, you can wander around the Shazhou Night Market on your own.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Zhangye
Day 5 Dunhuang to Jiayuguan
Appreciate Buddhist Sculptures and Murals
After breakfast, the private Dunhuang Silk Road tour continues to the famous Mogao Caves. As a world cultural heritage site, Mogao Grottoes have 735 caves. Entering the cave, you will be amazed by the colorful murals and lifelike sculptures. Especially the murals and sculptures of the Tang Dynasty are highly skilled and rich in content, covering various aspects such as Buddhist stories, myths and legends.
Then drive for about 4 hours to Jiayuguan city. Upon arrival, check in at a local hotel.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Jiayuguan
Day 6 Jiayuguan to Zhangye
Amazed by the Colorful Danxia Landform
Begin your Jiayuguan tour at the Jiayuguan Fort. The starting point of the western end of the Ming Great Wall, it is known as the “Number One Great Pass in the World”. The ancient city is majestic and spectacular, built from rammed earth. Ascend the wall and visit buildings such as Arrow Tower, Enemy Tower, and Corner Tower, while overlooking the scenery inside and outside the gate.
Then, go to visit the “world’s largest underground gallery” – Wei-Jin Art Gallery. There are many ancient tombs from the Wei and Jin dynasties scattered, and the brick murals inside the tombs are rich and colorful, reflecting the scenes of production, life, banquets, music, and dance at that time. Your tour guide will provide you with a detailed explanation of some of the important murals.
In the afternoon, drive to marvel at the Rainbow Mountains in Zhangye National Geopark. The mountains here are colorful, intertwined with red, yellow and orange colors, resembling a palette. You will be led to enter through the north gate and visit four major platforms. Hongxia Observation Deck is the one with the most vivid colors, especially at sunset. After the tour, transfer you to Zhangye city for an overnight stay.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Zhangye
Day 7 Zhangye City Tour, Zhangye to Lanzhou
Visit the World’s Largest Indoor Reclining Buddha
Zhangye city is a shining pearl on the Silk Road. You will be picked up after breakfast and led to visit the Giant Buddha Temple, the landmark of Zhangye. It is home to the largest Western Xia Dynasty Buddhist temple in China, the Great Buddha Hall, and the largest indoor reclining Buddha. The tour guide will show you around the sculptures and murals with vivid explanations.
After the visit and lunch, be escorted to the railway station for a high-speed train to Lanzhou. A local driver will pick you up and transfer you to your hotel after check in.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Lanzhou.
Day 8 Lanzhou Highlights Tour
Glimpse the History of Gansu and the Yellow River Culture
Your Lanzhou tour will takes you to the World Heritage Bingling Temple. Located in Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture, close to the Yellow River, it is an important node of the Silk Road. The grottoes were excavated in the early Western Jin Dynasty and have survived through many dynasties, with 183 niches remaining now. You will arrive at the site by speedboat, and along the way you can enjoy the magnificent scenery of Liujiaxia Reservoir.
Afterward, we drive back to the city to visit the Gansu Provincial Museum, an excellent place to learn about the history of Gansu and even Northwest China. The museum has a rich collection, especially featuring colored pottery, Han Dynasty documents, Silk Road relics and Buddhist arts. The Bronze Running Horse (Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow) is the treasure of the museum, and your guide will explain its story in detail for you.
Then you will be transferred to the Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line. Strolling along the river, from west to east you can see the Sculpture of the Yellow River Mother, the huge Waterwheel Park, and the Iron Bridge, aka Zhongshan Bridge across the Yellow River. After the visit, drive you back to the hotel for rest.
Meal: Breakfast + Lunch
Accommodation: in Lanzhou
Day 9 Departure from Lanzhou
Today is the end of your 9-day private China Silk Road tour package. Enjoy your free time in the morning till the driver escorts you to the airport / train station. Hope you had a great time with us. Looking forward to seeing you on your next tour in China!
Meal: Breakfast
Accommodation: N/A
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