5 Days Dunhuang Tour with Hike & Highlights

Tour Overview

Dunhuang, an ancient oasis city on the Silk Road, is famed for its stunning desert landscapes and historic grottoes. This 5-day private tour of Dunhuang takes you to hike across the vast Echoing-Sand Mountain, camp under starry desert skies, and explore the secluded Western Thousand Buddha Grottoes.

Also, it includes the highlights of Dunhuang city: the world-renowned Mogao Grottoes, a treasure trove of Buddhist art, and the thrill of desert activities at the Crescent Spring and Mingsha Mountain.

Highlights of this tour

Trek through untouched dunes and admire the pristine desert landscapes.
Spend a night camping in the desert, surrounded by endless dunes and starry sky.
Witness the sunrise over the vast Gobi desert.
Explore the remote Western Thousand Buddha Grottoes.
Explore exquisite Buddhist art and murals in Mogao Grottoes.
Have fun with various desert activities at the Echoing-Sand Mountain.
Admire the breathtaking images of the desert coexisting with Crescent Spring.

Basic Trip Information

Travel Route: Dunhuang

Travel Length: 5 Days and 4 Nights

Tour Code:

Group Size: Only your family or group

Suitable for: Culture lovers, hiking lovers

Departure: Any day you want

Day-to-day Itinerary

Day 1 Arrival in Dunhuang

Upon your arrival at Dunhuang airport/train station, our local driver will wait for you by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to your hotel. Enjoy your free time in the rest of the day.

Meal: N/A

Accommodation: in Dunhuang

Day 2 Dunhuang Desert Hiking Tour
Appreciate the Unique and Virgin Desert Scenery

After hotel breakfast, we will drive to the edge of Echoing-Sand Mountain where you will start your Dunhuang hiking tour. From here, hike for about 15 km to the Ancient Dunhuang City, a movie studio built according to research of Dunhuang culture in ancient times. On the way, you can appreciate the unique and virgin desert scenery.

By lunchtime, we will arrive at the studio. Enjoy the picnic lunch and rest. After that, continue our hiking. Please get your camera and courage prepared. After another 10km of trekking, we will reach the campsite where we stay overnight. We will have a picnic dinner and then set the camp.

Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

Accommodation: in Camp

Day 3 Dunhuang Tour
Hike for 12 KM to Enjoy the Grottoes Art

In the morning, you will appreciate the sunrise in the Gobi desert if the weather is good. After picnic breakfast, hike about 12km to the 3rd destination – the Western Thousand Buddha Grottoes. That grotto is less known to tourists because it is less easy to reach. Enjoy the grottoes art and have your picnic lunch here. In the afternoon our car will meet you at the Grottoes area and transfer back to the hotel. Hiking activities end here.

Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

Accommodation: in Dunhuang

Day 4 Dunhuang Highlights Tour
Learn about the Buddhist Murals, Experience Desert Fun

Continue your Dunhuang tour after breakfast at the most popular attraction – Mogao Grottoes, an important cultural site on the Silk Road, founded in 366 AD. There are 735 existing caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and over 2,400 colored sculptures. It is not only a treasure trove of Buddhist art, but also a precious resource for studying ancient Chinese religions.

In the afternoon, transfer to the Echoing-Sand Mountain. Here you can experience desert activities such as sand sliding and camel riding here (optional, at your own expense). There is a spring in the scenic area that resembles a crescent moon (so called Crescent Spring) and is surrounded by Mingsha Mountain, known as the “first spring in the desert”. At sunset, you can enjoy the magnificent natural wonder of the coexistence of desert and spring.

Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

Accommodation: in Dunhuang

Dunhuang Camel Ride — Camel Ride in Mingsha Mountain

Day 5 Departure from Dunhuang

The private driver will escort you to the airport to catch the flight home. Hope the 5-day China Silk Road tour in Dunhuang leaves you an impressive and pleasant memory.

Meal: Breakfast

Accommodation: N/A

Request a Custom Quote Today

The price varies based on the activity, number of people, date of trip, and selected hotel. Kindly get in touch with us for a precise cost according to your specifications.

What’s included?

4 nights’ accommodation in well-selected hotels;

Meals listed in the itinerary;

Private air-conditioned vehicle with licensed drivers;

Excellent local English-speaking tour guides services as mentioned in the itinerary;

Entrance tickets as mentioned in the itinerary;

Second-class train tickets and economic-class flights mentioned in the itinerary;

1 bottle of mineral water per person per day;

China Travel Insurance.

What’s excluded?

Flight/train tickets to/off Dunhuang;

Any optional activities inside the attractions;

Any item not mentioned in the itinerary;

Single Room Supplement;

All kinds of gratuities for guides, drivers & others.

What You’ll Receive at Chinasilkroadtours

At the heart of Chinasilkroadtours is the seamless service offered together by our 1-on-1 travel consultant, meticulous tour operators, expert local guides, and attentive local drivers. Our service is therefore made to be as unique as you are.

1-on-1 Travel Advisor

Your Silk Road experience starts with telling us your travel wishes and your one-on-one travel advisor designing the unique trip for you with their insider expertise.

Once we receive your request, one of our travel consultants will get back to you ASAP, typically within 24 hrs. Your travel consultant will then listen and learn about your travel style, your schedule, your budget, and your aspirations for your Silk Road travel plans. Based on this, she/he will provide you with a custom itinerary or a small group journey that suits your needs perfectly.

Plus, know your trip is taken care of by your 1-on-1 travel advisor with round-the-clock support should you need to alter your itinerary anytime.

Best Local Guides

Our locally-based guides narrate the Silk Road’s history and stories. They also provide with you insider tips, show you all the secret places, and introduce you to the locals.

Our best-selected guides are local people living in the cities along the Silk Road. During your trip, be it a private tour or a small group, they offer more than just things you can learn from the guidebooks, they try to give you a real insight into the Silk Route.

Whether you are traveling with kids or seniors, our guides are very patient and always pay close attention to every detail.

Local Drivers & Vehicles

All our Silk Road tours use well-maintained and air-conditioned vehicles. Different types of vehicles, from cars to vans are selected depending on your group size and tour style. We also offer off-road vehicles for desert adventures.

Our experienced local drivers are familiar with the local road conditions of rough terrain, including desert highways and mountainous areas. They can easily navigate the roads, guaranteeing a comfortable and safe journey. Plus, they are well trained in a professional manner, being friendly and helpful.

Handpicked Hotels

Checking in and checking out the accommodations along the Silk Road every year, we hand-pick the best collection of accommodations.

The accommodations we choose include luxury, boutique, or comfortable hotels in major cities, comfortable or basic hotels in remote towns, and caravanserais and camping sites that offer a unique experience.

It’s your decision about where to stay that best suits your tastes and budget. Please feel free to share your thoughts with us.

Silk Road Foods

We also hand-pick restaurants with a variety of local cuisines, from Uyghur cuisine to Shaanxi Cuisine, to enrich your Silk Road travel experience.

Savor authentic Northwest Chinese, Uyghur, and Central Asian cuisines with the signature dishes and snacks. From delicious mutton soups to a wide range of noodles and a taste of the local “bread” like Roujiamo and naan, enjoy an expansive menu featuring local flavors.

Please let us know if you have any dietary allergies or what foods (e.g. Western foods) you or your kids enjoy.

Check What our delighted customers are saying about our services

Our 10-day mid Oct Silk Road trip was magical. Lenna at China Silk Road Tours took us through 3 customized our itinerary. We witnessed breathtaking sights along the way, including a Lake in a desert, snow-capped mountains, unreal layer-cake hills, ancient Silk Road ruins, Buddhist grottoes, museums… We enjoy the good meals, nice hotels and comfortable transport with professcional English-speaking guides.
Traveler634605
December 2024
It was a really great Silk Road trip with varying sights and experiences. W love the beautiful alpine mountains..and enjoy the desert experience with camel riding and the full Monti. The
Food arranged was great again. We always like the travel experience, together with different regional cuisines.
Bigg Caesar
October 2024
In Thailand, I run a travel agency. When travelling to the Gansu Silk Road, always use this agency. I think Sophia is an excellent trip operator. quick to respond to messages and attentive to every detail. We are unable to plan quality travel without a competent tour operator. Sally is the best guide as well; she is incredibly knowledgable and pays close attention to every aspect. I’d want to give these two girls a big thank you.
Anothai L
October 2024
Silk Road Tours was able to deliver with both excellence and value—thank you for a wonderful trip! Sophia responded to all requests with excellent suggestions and follow-through. We are a couple of over 60 years old who are very experienced travellers. Our travel style is to find good local guides and/or tours that offer excellent guidance with good value. We were able to travel efficiently with both high speed trains and a comfortable and private car.
Travel745
September 2024
In September, Sophia organised a party of 11 of us to travel the Silk Road from Urumqi to Lanzhou. The vacation was fantastic; the hotel accommodations, the history of each area we visited, and the scenery were all thoughtfully prepared for us. Sophia, thank you!
BYTKWAN
September 2024