10 DAYS SILK ROAD FOOTSTEPS IN GANSU

Arriving in Dunhuang Airport, we will transfer to your hotel to rest. Dunhuang is the westernmost outpost of West Han Dynasty where trade, culture and religion were exchanged during the Silk Road times. This evening, you can explore the night bazaar at your own leisure.

Today, we explore the world-famous Mogao Caves (UNESCO), including special access to caves not normally accessible to the public. Enjoy a camel ride to view the lovely sunset in the Singing Sands Mountain. You will also visit the Crescent Moon Lake – a natural wonder in the Gobi Desert. Relax and enjoy a fantastic sunset dinner by the dunes.

Start the day with an artefact-rich journey from prehistoric to Qing Dynasty times at Dunhuang Museum (closed Mon). Transfer to Jade Gate Pass, a former military station of the Han Dynasty. Visit a section of Han Dynasty Great Wall and witness sunset bathing the ruined ruined city walls of Hecang Town in golden lights.

Drive 380km to Jiayuguan Pass. Visit one of the 1,400 Wei Jin Tombs with brick-wall paintings depicting scenes of everyday life. Continue to Jiayuguan, a Ming Dynasty fort marketing the Western end of the dynasty.  Running north from the fort is the Overhanging Great Wall which offers a bird’s eye view of the endless Gobi desert and snow-capped peaks in the distance.

This morning, we drive approx. 225km to Zhangye, one of the four outposts in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, the name means “Extending the arm of the nation to its Western Realm”. Spend the afternoon to explore Zhangye Danxia Geopark’s colourful-layered rock formations. Take our private park vehicle to visit up to 8 viewing platforms and sundowner at a fantastic viewpoint.

Devote this morning to visit Mati Si (approx. 75km from Zhangye Danxia), or Horse’s Hoof Temple, famous for its grottoes and spectacular cave temples. Visit the Thousand Buddha Caves, one of the most accessible of the grottoes.

Embark an adventure to hike in the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, enjoy the red-layer geomorphology, mainly red and white and slightly gray colors of the low and gentle sandstone mountains.

Take the morning bullet train (09h38m-13h51) to Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province. 

Visit the Provincial Museum (closed Mon) with intriguing Silk Road collection, including the graceful Eastern Han (25 BC-AD 220) bronze horse galloping upon the back of a swallow, which is now the symbol of China tourism. Spend some time for an orientation tour of the city landmarks such as Zhongshan Bridge, Water Wheel of the Yellow River and Statue of Mother of Yellow River.

Drive about 1.5 hours to visit the exterior of Liujiaxia Hydroelectric Power Station. After lunch, take a 40-minute private speedboat to Binglingsi Grottoes (or “Ten Thousand Buddha Caves” in Tibetan), carved on Jishi Hill. Return by boat to the Dam and drive 2 hours to the monastic town of Xiahe and stay in a luxury nomad camp (opens 1 May-15 Oct) at Sangke Grassland ringed by Himalayans foothills.

Start at Labrang Monastery, the spiritual heartbeat of Kanlho and one of the six great monasteries of the Geluk (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism. Walk the world’s longest “kora” around the Monastery and observe the daily life of local monks, followed with a wonderful view of Labrang from Gong Tang Pagoda. Continue to the old Octagonal Town, where the Tibetan and Han people live from the ancient times until today. Return to the campsite to wind down over sauna, grassland horse riding, hiking, or visit to black yak textile studios. As the night falls, star gaze around a bonfire.

After a relaxing breakfast, we drive to Linxia Autonomous prefecture to visit its Grand Mosque and have a walk in the local market. Thereafter, we transfer to the Lanzhou airport for your flight home.