Duration

9 days

Persons

10 - 15

places

15

Itinerary:

Beijing – Lanzhou– Bingling Temple – Shandan – Zhangye – Jiayuguan – Guazhou – Dunhuang – Beijing

Journey Highlights

At Bingling Temple

step into the earliest dated Buddhist grottoes in China, where Tibetan and Han mural styles blend.

In Shandan Horse Ranch

ride deep into the Qilian Mountains and feel the living legacy of a 2,100-year-old Han Dynasty cavalry tradition.

Inside Zhangye's Great Buddha Temple

trace the fusion of Greek sculpture and Chinese aesthetics in the folds of a reclining Western Xia Buddha.

At Jiayuguan Fort

walk the same path where Yuezhi jade carvers and Central Plains traders once met.

In the Yulin Caves

follow the brushstrokes of a Western Xia Water-Moon Avalokitesvara – solid proof of how Central Asian art traveled east.

In the Mogao Grottoes

grind pigments and try your own mural copying, to feel the colors and faith that flowed along the Silk Road.

At the Wei-Jin Mural Tombs

make a rubbing of China's earliest post rider image – the legendary "Post Horse" on a brick.

Design Philosophy

The Silk Road: A Journey Through the Heart of Human Civilization – the Hexi Corridor

The Silk Road was never just a trade route. It was the world's greatest cultural artery, connecting East and West, giving birth to Buddhism, Islam, Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and bringing together the civilizations of China, India, Greece, Egypt, and Mesopotamia.

At its very core lies the Hexi Corridor – in China's Gansu Province.

From here, silk, porcelain, gunpowder, and paper traveled west. And through here, Buddhist art traveled east, forever transforming China and all of East Asia.

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    Inclusions

    Round-trip airfare between Beijing and Lanzhou, and between Dunhuang and Beijing;
    Excellent English-speaking tour guide service throughout the itinerary;
    Lunch and dinner daily at local specialty restaurants to enjoy authentic local cuisine;
    Accommodation at city hotels as listed in the itinerary;
    Private vehicle service throughout the itinerary: commercial tourist coach;
    Entrance fees to all attractions listed in the itinerary;
    Daily bottled water and fresh fruit in the vehicle;
    Domestic travel insurance.

    Exclusions

    Optional activities and other personal expenses not mentioned in inclusions;
    Personal expenses incurred during the itinerary.

    Reiseverlauf


    Day 1      

    Beijing – Lanzhou


    Fly from Beijing to Lanzhou. Check in at the hotel on your own. In the evening, take a stroll to Zhongshan Bridge and the Yellow River Scenic Belt. Visit the local Muslim quarter, explore the 200-year-old Muslim community, and wander through hand-pulled lamb restaurants and snack streets to experience the traditional life of the Hui and Dongxiang people and the authentic Northwest Muslim atmosphere. Dinner features a Dongxiang specialty: a whole-lamb feast.
    Accommodation: Lanzhou City Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (own expense) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 2      

    Lanzhou – Bingling Temple – Shandan


    After breakfast, depart for Yongjing, Linxia. Take a speedboat to Bingling Temple. Cave 169 bears an inscription dated "Xiqin Hongyuan Year 1" (420 AD) – the earliest recorded date of any Buddhist grotto in China. Explore by speedboat through spectacular peaks. We specially arrange a visit to the Upper Monastery to find traces of ancient monks' lives, see a Tang Dynasty future Buddha statue, and talk with the temple keeper to learn about Tibetan Buddhist heritage and the rare Kangxi-era Tripitaka. After the visit, return to Lanzhou West Station and take a high-speed train to Shandan. Tonight, enjoy stargazing under the Qilian Mountains.
    Guest: Upper Monastery Keeper, Lama Yang
    Accommodation: Shandan Horse Ranch Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 3      

    Shandan – Zhangye


    Early morning watch the horse herd drinking and moving at Shandan Horse Ranch. Then ride with local herders deep into the Qilian Mountains (1-hour horseback riding). Follow a special path to look for wild elk (weather permitting). The Shandan Horse Ranch has been a royal horse ranch since the Han Dynasty – over 2,100 years of continuous use, still Asia's largest military horse breeding base. In the afternoon, leave the ranch and travel along the Qilian Mountains to Zhangye.
    Accommodation: Zhangye City Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 4      

    Zhangye – Jiayuguan


    After breakfast, visit the Great Buddha Temple, built during the Western Xia Dynasty. It is the oldest temple in the Hexi Corridor and a former royal temple. The reclining Buddha in the main hall is the largest indoor reclining Buddha in Asia. Then visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark – China's only combination of Danxia landforms and colorful hills. After the visit, continue to Jiayuguan, the western terminus of the Ming Great Wall and home of the Jiuquan Iron and Steel Group, a key national First Five-Year Plan project. A special visit to the local workers' market includes tasting Jiayuguan-style barbecue.
    Accommodation: Jiayuguan City Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 5      

    Jiayuguan – Guazhou


    In the morning, visit Jiayuguan Fort – the western end of the Ming Great Wall. After lunch, visit the Wei-Jin Mural Tombs (1,600 years old), where the "Post Horse" – China's postal symbol – was found on the earliest known brick mural. Then visit Zixuan Winery to learn about the 2,000-year wine history of the Hexi Corridor, with a special cellar tour and wine tasting.
    Accommodation: Guazhou Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 6      

    Guazhou – Dunhuang


    In the morning, visit the Yulin Caves – sister grottoes to Mogao, continuously built from Northern Wei through Yuan, with minimal tourism development. The surrounding high-mountain Gobi landscape was part of the real route where Xuanzang traveled westward for Buddhist scriptures. Specially arranged access to Caves 25 and 3 (not open to the public). In the afternoon, visit the "Earthly Child" modern art installation. Arrive in Dunhuang in the evening. After dinner, watch the "Encounter Dunhuang" light-and-shadow performance to prepare for the next Day's Mogao Grottoes visit.
    Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 7      

    Dunhuang


    After breakfast, depart for the Mogao Grottoes. First, watch the Mogao Grottoes digital cave films, then explore the caves with a professional guide. The Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage site, is the world's largest and richest collection of Buddhist art. Built over ten dynasties, it has 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 painted statues. Specially arranged access to Caves 245 and 56 (not open to the public). In the afternoon, visit an intangible cultural heritage artist's studio. Learn about Dunhuang murals from pigments to painting techniques, and try copying a mural yourself.
    Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 8      

    Dunhuang


    Visit the Yumen Pass ruins and hike along the remaining Han Great Wall. At Xiaofangpan City, gaze out at the solitude and steadfastness of ancient frontier soldiers. Then visit the Han Great Wall site to learn about Han Dynasty border defense systems. In the afternoon, return to Dunhuang and visit Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring. Ride a camel across the sand dunes. In the evening, enjoy an exclusive desert sunset dinner, sharing travel reflections under the moonlight and around a campfire.
    Today's Highlights: Frontier Pass · Desert Sunset
    Accommodation: Dunhuang Hotel
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (included) / Dinner (included)


    Day 9      

    Dunhuang – Beijing


    After breakfast, transfer to the airport and take a flight back to Beijing. End of the journey.
    Meals: Breakfast (hotel) / Lunch (own expense) / Dinner (own expense)