Silk Road Exploration 8 Days Tour

Day 1: Xining Arrival

Today your flight will touch down in Xining around 11:00am, We will meet you at the airport exit with a welcome board. Then we will take you to the Ta'er Monastery (Kumbum Monastery), the most populous monks outside of Tibet. You will stay at Thangka Sunning Terrace that is one of a good place to view the monastery and surrounding scenery. Inside the monastery, apart from magnificent Buddha stupas and wall paintings, prayer wheels are also the must-see spot. The whole monastery is surrounded by wheels, walk along the corridor, rotate the wheels and pray for chasing away the troubles.

Day 2: Xining-Chaka-Qinghai Lake

Depart from the hotel and explore Chaka Salt Lake, the largest saline in Qinghai Province, Chaka Salt Lake means "the sea of salt"  in Mongolian. It lies in the centre of Qaidam Basin, which was nominated by the national tourist Geography magazine as one of the 55 places to go. Thereafter, drive to the hotel near the Qinghai Lake.

Chaka Salt Lake Train by Chaka Salt Lake

Day 3: Qinghai Lake-Xining-Zhangye

Enjoy the magnificent scenery of Qinghai Lake in the morning, which is the largest inland salt water lake in China. It is no exaggeration to say that Qinghai Lake is a miracle that is endowed by a deity. Outside, he encircled the lake with four continuous mountains and extends broad grassland at the foot of them. Then back to Xining and catch the express train to Zhangye.

Day 4: Zhangye

After breakfast at the hotel, we will take you to visit the Giant 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. then proceed the tour to Pingshan Lake Valley, which is located in Pingshanhu Geopark Ganzhou Zhangye China, it is characterized by gutters and gullies and was an important channel to enter the Hexi corridor. Spend a night at Kaoshan Tent.

Day 5: Zhangye-Jiayuguan

Today we will proceed to visit the Binggou Danxia, which is the most significant geological and geomorphic relic of the window lattice palace in China, mainly composed of sandstone geomorphic relic landscape. After that, continue the tour to Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which is the most typical arid area of northern China. Ribbons of reds, oranges and yellows slice through the rock, to create a rainbow vista contained only by the contours of the jagged mountain peaks. Many people also call it "Rainbow Mountain". Afternoon, drive you to Jiayuguan. Met and be transferred the hotel for rest.

Day 6: Jiayuguan-Dunhuang

In the morning, we will meet you at the hotel lobby and take you to visit the Jiayuguan Pass. This Ming Dynasty fort guards the strategic Jiayuguan pass, at the western end of the Great Wall – this was the last section built by the Ming Dynasty. you will explore the Great Wall Museum, which was opened to the public in October 1989 and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way. Afterwards, we will drive all the way to the next stop Dunhuang

Day 7: Dunhuang

The journey will begin from the Mogao Grottoes, this UNESCO World Heritage site is one of the great artistic and religious wonders of the world and it is famous for its exquisite murals and various sculptures inside the caves, which was built in different dynasties, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.

Following a lunch in local restaurants, then we will head to visit the Echoing Sand Mountaion&Crescent Lake. it is famous for the constant sound of the moving sand. and the Crescent Lake, The lake’s name derives from the crescent moon shape taken by the pool of spring water between two large sand dunes.

Day 8: Dunhuang Departure

Enjoy your leisure time in the morning, we will arrange airport transfer according to your flight schedule, wish you have a pleasant journey home!