10-Day Xinjiang, Gansu & Qinghai Silk Road Tour

Meals: No meal
Accommodation: In Urumqi

Welcome to Urumqi, the lively capital of Xinjiang, a region known for varied scenery and cultural diversity. Meet your guide and transfer to the hotel, with the rest of the day free.

Urumqi Grand Bazaar

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Urumqi

After breakfast, travel about 100 km from Urumqi to Heavenly Lake of Tianshan (天山天池), a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Pines and cypresses border the lake, whose clear snowmelt water reflects the surrounding snow-covered mountains. On arrival, take a 40-minute scenic-bus ride through the mountain landscape, followed by a 10-minute walk to the lake. Continue with a leisurely lakeside walk to enjoy the highland air, plants and wildlife.

Optional Activities (additional fee required):
Boat Ride: Cruise across the lake and view reflections of the surrounding snow-covered mountains.
Cableway Ride: Ride the cableway to Mayashan for elevated views toward Bogda Mountain.

In the afternoon, return to Urumqi and visit the Grand Bazaar, also known as the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar and described here as the city's largest outdoor market. Browse the lively marketplace at your own pace.

After the tour, return to your hotel in Urumqi.

Heavenly Lake

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Turpan

After breakfast, take a scenic 3-hour, 180 km drive from Urumqi to Turpan. En route, pass Salt Lake and the wind-power station at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains, described here as the largest in Asia.

On arrival in Turpan, drive to Tuyoq Valley(吐峪沟) through the Flaming Mountain Grand Canyon. Named for their intense heat and reddish-brown sandstone, the Flaming Mountains appear to glow beneath the desert sun. The eroded hills extend for more than 100 kilometers from east to west, with stops available for photographs along the way.

Continue to Jiaohe Ancient City(交河故城), one of the best-preserved ancient city ruins on the Silk Road. The site forms part of the UNESCO World Heritage property ‘Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan Corridor' and offers insight into early city planning and the civilizations that developed along the route.

Visit the Karez System (坎儿井) to learn how its underground irrigation channels, developed several thousand years ago, brought water to communities at the desert's edge and turned dry land into an oasis. The system is regarded as one of China's three great ancient engineering projects alongside the Great Wall and Grand Canal, and it entered the World Irrigation Project Heritage list in 2024.

Continue to Emin Minaret (Sugong Pagoda), described as Xinjiang's largest surviving ancient pagoda and the country's only ancient Islamic pagoda. Afterwards, transfer to the hotel in Turpan.

Emin Minaret

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Dunhuang

Today, transfer to Turpan North Station for the high-speed train to Liuyuan South Station. Meet your guide and driver at the station exit on arrival, then drive 120 km, about 2 hours, to the hotel in Dunhuang.

Welcome to Dunhuang in Gansu Province. After checking in, explore independently according to your arrival time, and ask your guide for suggestions if needed.

Free Time Ideas:
Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market(敦煌沙洲夜市) Visit the market for local foods such as Apricot Skin Water (杏皮水), Donkey Meat Noodles (驴肉黄面) and Bubble Oil Cakes (泡儿油糕). Dunhuang cuisine also features lamb, chicken, beef and a variety of noodles.

Mogao Grottoes

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Dunhuang

Today, visit Mogao Grottoes(about 4hrs), one of China's three noted grotto complexes and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its frescoes and statues make it an important surviving collection of Buddhist art.

Continue to Crescent Spring and Singing Sand Dune. Singing Sand Dune, or Mingsha Hill, contains sand in five colors: red, yellow, green, black and white. The sound is produced when people tread or slide on the sand. At the hill's northern foot, Crescent Spring measures 118 meters from east to west and 25 meters from north to south, with water five meters deep. Although surrounded by sand, the clear crescent-shaped lake remains uncovered throughout the year.

Allow time to sample local food at Shazhou Night Market.

Echoing Sand Dune & Crescent Spring

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Jiayuguan City

Today, drive 400 km, about 5 hours, to Jiayuguan City to explore the Great Wall on the Cliff (Overhanging Great Wall) & the Jiayuguan Pass (Jiayuguan Fortress).

Climb the Great Wall on the Cliff, known as the Overhanging Great Wall and described as the ‘end of the Great Wall.' Built in 1539 during the Ming dynasty, 750 meters remain. This northern extension of Jiayuguan Pass follows the natural terrain in local gravel and loess; its steepest section reaches about 45 degrees over a distance of more than 200 meters, creating its suspended appearance.

Continue to Jiayuguan Pass(嘉峪关关城). Built in 1372, Jiayuguan is one of the Three Great Passes of the Great Wall of China, together with Shanhaiguan in the east and Zhenbeitai in the center. The pass is part of the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Great Wall and marks the westernmost pass of the Ming Great Wall in the Hexi Corridor. ‘Jiayu' means ‘beautiful valley,' and the strategic site is known as ‘The Impregnable Pass under Heaven.'

Stay overnight in Jiayuguan city.

Jiayuguan Pass

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Zhangye

Today, drive 225 km, about 3.5 hours, toward Zhangye to visit the Grand Buddha Temple. Stop en route at Zhangye Danxia Landform Park.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Park, also known as Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot (七彩丹霞景区), is known for layered, brightly colored rock formations often called the Rainbow Mountains. The area attracts geology and photography enthusiasts as well as other visitors to Zhangye.

Continue to Zhangye city and visit the Grand Buddha Temple, a landmark for visitors interested in Buddhist culture and historic architecture. The temple houses a 34.5-meter-long reclining Buddha and is commonly called the Reclining Buddha Temple (卧佛寺) by local residents.

Stay overnight in Zhangye city.

Zhangye Danxia Landform Park

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Chaka Town

After breakfast, transfer to Zhangye railway station and board the high-speed train to Xining.

Meet your guide and driver at Xining railway station, then drive about 145 km, approximately 2.5-3 hours, from central Xining to Qinghai Lake.

Along the route, pass vibrant rapeseed fields around the lake, where yellow flowers extend toward the horizon. (Best Time to Visit: July to August, when the fields are in full bloom.)

Explore the Erlangjian Scenic Area, the principal visitor area at Qinghai Lake. Look across the broad turquoise water, with distant snow-covered mountains visible on clear days.

After Erlangjian, continue west along Qinghai Lake's shoreline. Drive about 150 km, approximately 2.5 hours, to Chaka Town, known for nearby Chaka Salt Lake.

Stay overnight in Chaka Town.

Qinghai Lake

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: In Xining

In the morning, transfer to Chaka Salt Lake; the scenic train, bus and boat are not included. This naturally crystallized saline lake lies amid the mountains of the Qaidam Basin. Its white lakebed and blue water reflect the sky, giving rise to the name ‘Mirror of the Sky.' Afterwards, drive about 300 km back to Xining in 3.5 to 4 hours.

Chaka Salt Lake

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, drive about 40 minutes to Ta'er Monastery (塔尔), founded in 1379, the 12th year of the Hongwu era in the Ming dynasty. The monastery is the birthplace of Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelugpa or Yellow Hat school, and a center of Buddhist activity in northwestern China. It is regarded as one of China's six major Tibetan Buddhist monasteries.

After the visit, conclude the 10 Days Silk Road tour. Your guide and driver will transfer you to the airport or railway station for departure.

Thank you for traveling with us. We look forward to welcoming you on another journey in China or elsewhere in Asia, and wish you a safe trip home.

Service Ends