8 Days of Silk Road Tour from Lanzhou to Urumqi

Today your travel begins with a welcome meeting at airport. After checking in the hotel, rest of your time is free to explore Lanzhou with a long history and colorful culture. There are many historical sites worth visiting.

With a early start today, we will arrive Binlings Temple at 09:30 after 1.5hrs' driving. Taking the 40mins fast boat to the inside of the park , enjoy the variety of artworks in different styles and observe the social situations and customs in ancient times when seeing the stone sculptures and appreciate the miracle of Buddha caves. 

We will then head back to downtown to continue tour at the visit the first bridge Of the Yellow River, it is the first highway bridge in the ancient Yellow River, also the second city steel bridge in China. Yellow River's Mother Statue consisting of “a mother” and “a baby boy” which symbolizes the mother of the Yellow River nurturing the Chinese nation. Stroll around the Waterwheel park, an ancient irrigation tool.

After the visiting, you will be transferred to the train station and take an express train to Zhangye for rest.

After breakfast, take you to visit the Grand Buddha Temple, which is the important place of the Silk Road. the Giant Buddha Temple is the largest architectural relic in Gansu Province of the Western Xia (1038-1227) period. China's largest reclining Buddha is well preserved in this temple.

After lunch, we will drive 3hrs to the masterpiece of nature Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which is situated in the north of Qilian mountains with a distance of 40 km from east Zhangye city. You will be marveled by the colorful layers of mountain ridges in the 4hr’s adventure to the different platforms.

Afterwards, 3hrs driving to Jiayuguan for a refreshing dinner and a good rest.

Today we begin our journey to the Jiayuguan Fortress. Standing among vast desert and surrounded by rolling mountains, it looks like a dignified general guarding the grand land. It was constructed with the most integrated defensive system: an inner city, an outer city, and a moat. Besides functioning as a frontier military fortress, it was also an important traffic hub along the Silk Road, the oldest worldwide trading route.

Continue the sightseeing to renowned underground gallery Weijin Tombs.There we can enjoy lifelike and succinct wall paintings covering a wide range of subjects including politics, economics, culture, military affairs, folk customs, and science and technology during the Wei and Jin periods (4AD)

After lunch, 4hrs driving to Dunhuang to visit Echoing Sand Mountain, where you can ride the camels for 40mins to experience the beautiful desert scenery in the sunset.

After an extraordinary day, freshen up and enjoy a good dinner, we continue to appreciate the bustling Shazhou Night Markets dotted with special commodities and souvenirs.

Today we are going to appreciate the Holy Center of Buddhism Culture and Art-UNESCO of Mogao Grottoes, enjoying the 40mins 4D movie to learn the development of the grottoes and then we will be escorted by the professional guides from Mogao to enjoy the the 8 caves mainly.

Afterwards, say farewell to Dunhuang and we will take high-speed train to Turpan.

With an early start today our first stop the Karez Well irrigation system that produce the best melons and grapes in China. Following is the visiting to Sugong Minaret, a conduit for cultural exchange between different ethnic and religious groups.

Today's tour end up with the 2hrs's exploration of Jiaohe Ruins, resembles Pompei, but 300 years older，a Chinese archaeological site found in the Yarnaz Valley, 10 km west of the city of Turpan and a natural fortress located atop a steep cliff on a leaf-shaped plateau between two deep river valleys where you can experience the way of life of the Uygur ancestors.

After visiting, driving to the capital city of Xinjiang- Urumqi

We will drive 1.5 hours to entrance of the Heavenly Lake about 08:30, following is the 40-minutes shuttle bus twisting through the picturesque Tianshan mountains to the edge of the Lake. Either Trek around the lake, enjoy the boating cruise, or even take the cable car to the explore the Maya Mountain for the incredible view of Bogoda Peak. Lunch will be arranged in the Yurt of the local Kazakhs.

Back to Urumqi and head to Xinjiang International Bazaar, the largest bazaar in Urumqi. You'll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine.

Today you will say goodbye to Urumqi, be transferred based on your flight or train schedule. Wish you a pleasant journey home!