8 Days Gansu Tour

Our driver and guide will wait for you at the airport terminal exit or train station by holding a welcome sign with your name on it. Then you will be driven to hotel in Xiahe and refresh for the coming tour days. Accommodation: Xiahe

In the morning we will first go to visit the Labrang Monastery, the largest Buddhist Institute of Tibetan Buddhism. Where tourists will also appreciate thousands of statues of Buddha made of various materials. Tourists may have the chance to watch the morning devotion here. Then drive to visit Sangke Prairie to witness the typical plateau grassland. After that you will pay a visit to a local Tibetan family to learn about the nomadic life of local people. After the whole day’s tour back to hotel in Xiahe.Accommodation: Xiahe

Today in the morning we will drive back to Lanzhou. On the way we will visit Binglinsi Temple (also known as Binglingsi Grottoes ) by boat to visit the completely preserved grottoes. There are776 Buddha statues, over 1,076 square yards murals and 6 stones sculptures from 1,600 years ago waiting for your exploring. Upon arrival in Lanzhou we will have dinner first and then transfer to hotel. Accommodation: Lanzhou

After hotel breakfast check out hotel and be escorted to train station to catch the high speed train to Jiayuguan. Upon arrival in Jiayuguan, met by local driver and guide and transfer to hotel for checking in. In the afternoon, we will start for Jiayuguan Pass, the very west starting point of the Chinese Great Wall. Here you will see the Great Wall constructed on cliff. Next move to the Great Wall Museum where you will get some comprehensive knowledge of Great Wall as a military defensive system in ancient China. After having dinner back to hotel. Accommodation: Jiayuguan

In the morning check out hotel in Jiayuguan and drive to Dunhuang. On the way to Dunhuang we will visit Yulin Grottoes. the sister-caves of Mogao Grottoes. From the existed murals we could find Buddhist and Bodhisattva figures of various sizes and paintings telling Buddhist stories. The must visit cave is the Cave No 25 which was made in Golden Tang Dynasty. Then continue driving to Dunhuang City and check in hotel. Accommodation: Dunhuang

Today we will firstly visit the most notable attraction in Dunhuang, the Mogao Caves. one of the four most famous caves in China. The grottoes, also know as Caves of the Thousand Buddha, preserve nearly a thousand years of Buddhist cave temple architecture, clay sculpture, mural paintings, and manuscripts, dating from the 5th to the 14th centuries. And in Tourist Reception Center, which functions as Digital Exhibition Center now, tourists will see two 20-minute long digital movies to have a overall understand of Silk Road Tour.
In the afternoon continue to visit the Echoing-Sand Mountain. When you slide down the slope, you can hear the roaring echo of sands, hence the name. A short Camel Ride (optional) will leave you a unforgettable memory. Riding along the mountain to reach the Crescent Lake, your eyes will be feasted on the crescent-shaped spring surrounded by the endless Gobi desert. Then back to downtown Dunhuang to have dinner and then back to hotel. Accommodation: Dunhuang

Today’s first stop is Yadan National Geological Park to see magical landscape created by thousands of years eolian erosion. In Yadan Geological Park we will see the unique dessert view and various shaped landscape, and also you will hear the interesting and attractive ancient local folktale. Then we will drive to visit Yumenguan Pass and Han Dynasty Great Wall. Yumenguan Pass was set in the West Han Dynasty when building Great Wall. The pass was named so because this pass used to be the only pass to transfer Jade produced in turkestan to China (Jade is called YU in Chinese, and Yumen means Gate of Jade). The existed Han Dynasty Great Wall is much less grand than the Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Beijing. Great Wall here is built mainly with rammed earth and has been badly effected by eolian erosion. But we could still imagine the original look of that Great Wall. Back to hotel in Dunhuang. If have interest in local food and market, taking a walk at Shazhou Night Market is an ideal way to send night time. Accommodation: Dunhuang

According to the flight/train time, your guide will pick you up from your hotel and transfer to airport or train station to depart Dunhuang.