7-Day Private Silk Road Trip Urumqi to Dunhuang and Zhangye

Overview

Day by day itinerary

1. 1Arriving Urumqi⌄

   tour operator

   Upon arrival at Urumqi Airport or Urumqi Rail Station, your guide will send you to the hotel for check-in.

   Overnight: 5-Star hotel, Urumqi

2. 2Urumqi - Heavenly Lake - Urumqi⌄

   Visit Xinjiang Museum where well-preserved Chinese mummies are exhibited. Among which, you will find the spectacular one standing out from the rest named "Beauty of Loulan".(close on Mondays)

   After lunch, take a one hour ride to Heavenly Lake, which is located on the north side of the Tianshan Mountains to enjoy fantastic mountain views and serene lake scenery.

   Later, return to Urumqi and stroll through the Erdaoqiao Bazaar.

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: 5-Star hotel, Urumqi

3. 3Urumqi - Turpan⌄

   Take a 3-hour car ride to Turpan, the centre of a fertile oasis and an important trade center along the Silk Road. You will visit Karez Irrigation System that is old canal system to water the farm in Turpan.

   Then you will head to explore the Ancient City of Gaochang, which used to be a huge city in the history.

   Then you will visit Bezklik Grottos, a pretty place with amazing frescos.

   Later you will move to ruin of ancient Jiaohe City that was once the capital of Anterior Jushi kingdom during 108 B.C. to 450 A.D. but abandoned in the 15th century.

   Meals: Breakfast · Lunch

   Overnight: 5-Star hotel, Turpan

4. 4Turpan - Liuyuan (via bullet train) - Dunhuang⌄

   Today you will catch 3-hour bullet train to Liuyuan and be transferred to Dunhuang in about two hours. Enjoy a fun hike on the sand dunes to visit the Crescent Spring Lake this afternoon. Be sure to explore the night market nearby the hotel in the evening!

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: 5-Star hotel, Dunhuang

5. 5Dunhuang - Jiayuguan by vehicle⌄

   Visit the highlight of Silk Road today, Mogao Grottoes (Caves of the Thousand Buddhas). These caves are examples of rock-cut architecture of soft gravel conglomerate not suitable for either sculpture or elaborate architectural details. After lunch, you will take 5-hour car ride to Jiayuguan.

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: 5-Star hotel, Jiayuguan

6. 6Jiayuguan - Zhangye by vehicle⌄

   Visit Jiayuguan Fort that is called The First Pass Under Heaven, the western end of the Great Wall for Ming Dynasty.

   Then you will catch 2-hour car ride to Zhangye Rainbow Danxia, which is very colorful clay mountain.

   Meals: Breakfast

   Overnight: 5-Star hotel, Zhangye

7. 7Departing from Zhangye, tour ends.⌄

   If time allows, visit Dafo Temple before heading to Zhangye Airport or station where the tour concludes.

   Meals: Breakfast