6 Days Classic Silk Road (Land Tour + Train Ride)

Trip Length

6 Days

Route

Lanzhou-Jiayuguan Pass-Dunhuang-Turpan-Urumqi

Attractions

Jiayuguan-Xuanbi Great Wall, Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Mountain-Yueya Spring, Flaming Mountains, Gaochang Ruin, Tianchi-Heavenly Lake, Urumqi Bazaar

Itinerary Day by Day 

Day 1: Arrive in Lanzhou

Today's Highlights

Airport/train station transfer, Ancient Water Milla, Zhongshan Bridge on Yellow River, Transfer to Lanzhou Railway Station

Details

Arrive in Lanzhou Zhongchuan Airport by air or Lanzhou Railway Station by train. Pick you up and transfer to your hotel to check in.

If time allows, we will visit the Ancient Water Milla, a kind of ancient implement for irrigating at past, or Zhongshan Bridge on the Yellow River, or Lanzhou Provincial Museum has an excellent selection of exhibits relating to Gansu and the Silk Road. 75,000 cultural relics including natural resources and historical exhibits are exhibited here.

At night, take the train N851 at 20:50 to Jiayuguan.

Day 2: Jiayuguan-Dunhuang

Today's Highlights

Train station transfer, Jiayuguan-Xuanbi Great Wall

Details

Arrive in Dunhuang Railway Station at 07:36 a.m.

Visit Jiayuguan Pass, the western end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty as well as the most magnificent and best-preserved pass among the over thousand passes along the Ming Great Wall, known as "Impregnable Pass Under Heaven". Here, you can overlook the "little Badaling" - Xuanbi Great Wall, also called Overhanging Great Wall which means the wall hanging on the cliff. It's a rather ancient portion of the famous China Great Wall.

Day 3: Dunhuang-Turpan

Today's Highlights

Mogao Grottoes, Mingsha Moutain-Yueya Spring, Transfer to Dunhuang Train Station

Details

Early morning, we visit the Mogao Grottoes also known as Thousand Buddha Cave is one of three noted grottoes in China and also the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world. Despite years of erosion, the murals are still brightly colored, with clear lines. Through pictures of different styles and schools drawn in different historical periods, they tell Buddhist stories and ways as well as life in the secular world.

Then, we go to Mingsha Mountain and Yueya Spring. The sand storms at Mingsha Mountain are said to create almost melodic sounds as millions of minute particles bounce and rub. Countless Silk Road travelers, nomads, merchants and tourists today have quenched their thirsts at Yueya Spring or called Crescent Lake.

At night, we take the train T217 at 20:16 to Turpan.

Day 4: Turpan-Urumqi

Today's Highlights

Pick you up at Tupan Railway Station, Flaming Mountains, Kareze Well, Gaochang Ruin, Salt Lake, Largest Wind Power Plant in Asia

Details

We arrive in Turpan Railway Station at 08:22 a.m.

Visit the Flaming Mountains named of the red clay mountains reflect the heat and glow of the desert in the evenings and seem to burn. It is an intensely hot part of the desert without a single blade of grass to be seen for miles. In July, the mountains seem to be on fire in the burning sun and become a purplish-brown colour.

Only in Turpan, you can find the Karez Well, the underground canal. It is one of the three greatest irrigation systems in ancient China together with the Jinghang Manmade Cannel, and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System.

Gaochang Ruin, the Uygur city-state around the 9th century to the 13th, which was founded a few hundred years earlier than that, and gradually became known as a trading post on the Silk Road. On the way to Urumqi, you can see the Dead Sea of China-Salt Lake and the largest wind power plant in Asia.

Have a good rest in your hotel after arrival in Urumqi.

Tips

The clock time in Xinjiang is the same as Beijing Time, but there is 2-hour difference because of the longitude. You should adjust your rest and dinning time 2 hours later as compared with that in mainland China.

Day 5: Urumqi-Tianchi (Heavenly Lake)-Urumqi

Today's Highlights

Tianchi-Heavenly Lake

Details

Drive to Tianchi/Heavenly Lake, a marvelous view of mountain lake formed more than million years ago in the 4th glacial epoch. It is famed as the "Jewel in the Crown". The pine trees covering the hillsides and the snow capped mountains in the background make the huge clear water spectacular sight-reminiscent of Switzerland or the Rocky mountains but somehow with more vibrancy and color. Bogda Peak-the highest peak stands to the east of the lake in the east part of Tianshan Mountain which is capped by glacier and snow glistening in the sun, finely contrasted with blue lake water, forming fabulous scenery.

Tips

Have a cruise on the Heavenly Lake-Tianchi, another way to embrace the nature. The clear blue water captures the reflection of the surrounding mountains as you enjoy cruising the serene waters.

Day 6: Leave Xinjiang

Today's Highlights

Erdaoqiao Bazaar, Transfer from hotel to airport/train station

Details

After breakfast, we will ramble around the Erdaoqiao Bazaar, the largest Uigur bazaar in Urumqi, where you'll find a bustling market filled with kinds of fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and more things with local colour.

Transfer to airport or railway station for next destination.

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