D1Gateway to the Silk Road▾
Arrive in Lanzhou. Afternoon: Gansu Provincial Museum β the famous 'Flying Horse of Gansu' bronze (25-220 AD), China's tourism logo. Walk the Iron Bridge over the Yellow River and visit White Pagoda Hill for city views. Evening: authentic Lanzhou hand-pulled beef noodles (lamian) at its birthplace.
D2Labrang Monastery▾
Drive to Xiahe (3 hours), the spiritual heart of Tibetan Buddhism in Gansu. Visit Labrang Monastery β one of the six great Gelugpa monasteries with 1,500 monks. Walk the 3km kora (pilgrimage circuit) lined with 1,174 prayer wheels. Visit a Tibetan thangka painting workshop.
D3Rainbow Mountains▾
Drive to Zhangye. Late afternoon: Zhangye Danxia National Geopark β rainbow-striped mountains in red, orange, yellow, and green, a geological wonder formed over 24 million years. Best light at 4-6 PM. Sunset photography from the viewing platforms.
D4Great Wall's Western End▾
Morning drive to Jiayuguan. Visit Jiayuguan Fort β the 'First Pass Under Heaven' where the Ming Dynasty Great Wall terminated at the Gobi Desert. Afternoon: hike the Overhanging Great Wall, climbing a mountain ridge at a steep angle. Wei-Jin Dynasty tomb murals depicting 1,700-year-old Silk Road life.
D5Mogao Caves▾
Morning: Mogao Caves β 492 cave temples, 45,000 square meters of murals spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art. This is arguably the world's greatest collection of Buddhist art. Afternoon: Dunhuang Museum. Evening: camel ride at Mingsha Singing Sand Dunes watching sunset over Crescent Moon Spring β an oasis that has never dried up.
D6Turpan & Urumqi▾
Morning high-speed train to Turpan (4 hours). Afternoon: Emin Minaret (1777), the world's tallest minaret at 44m, and Karez Paradise β walk through ancient underground irrigation tunnels. Train to Urumqi. Evening farewell dinner with Xinjiang roasted lamb.
Included
- Private English-speaking guide & driver
- Hotel accommodation with daily breakfast
- All entrance fees & tickets listed
- Airport/train station transfers
- Domestic travel insurance
Excluded
- International flights to/from China
- China visa fees
- Personal expenses
- Optional activities not listed
- Meals not specified


