Jiuquan Trip Overview
This 5 days In-depth Dunhuang Silk Road private tour takes you to explore important section of ancient Silk Road of Dunhuang. You will see 1: a collection of Buddhist art in The Mogao Grottoes 2: Crescent Lake and Mingsha Shan, oasis in the desert, 3: Ancient Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, 4: Yadan Geo-Park with vivid rocks in various shapes.
Additional Info
Duration: 5 days
Starts: Jiuquan, China
Trip Category: Cultural & Theme Tours >> Historical & Heritage Tours
Explore Jiuquan Promoted Experiences
What to Expect When Visiting Jiuquan, Gansu, China
This 5 days In-depth Dunhuang Silk Road private tour takes you to explore important section of ancient Silk Road of Dunhuang. You will see 1: a collection of Buddhist art in The Mogao Grottoes 2: Crescent Lake and Mingsha Shan, oasis in the desert, 3: Ancient Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, 4: Yadan Geo-Park with vivid rocks in various shapes.
Itinerary
Day 1: Dunhuang Arrival
Pass By: Dunhuang, Dunhuang, Gansu
Welcome to Dunhuang, the famous city on the Silk Road in Ancint China.Your local tour guide will meet you in the arrivals hall of the airport or at the exit of the train station. After your guide meets you, he/she will escort you by private vehicle to your hotel. Have a good rest and be ready for the next day’s adventure.
No meals included on this day.
Accommodation included: Overnight at The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel ,a 5-star hotel.
Day 2: Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center & Mogao Grottoes (B,L)
Stop At: Mogao Caves, West of Hexi Zoulang, Dunhuang 736200 China
After breakfast, drive about 10km from the Dunhuang city to visit the newly opened Mogao Grottoes Digital Exhibition Center before go to Mogao Grottoes. You will watch two well-produced educational documentary movies that introduce the history, arts, and other facts about Mogao Grottoes, which will be very helpful when you visit the grottoes.
Mogao Grottoes is famed as the “Louvre of East”, which is outstanding for its exquisite mural paintings and statues. There are now 492 grottoes in which about 45000 square meters mural paintings and 2100 colorfully painted statues from which you can trace the development of Chinese art over 1600 years from one dynasty to the next because each dynasty built own caves to record its own features. There are about 40 common caves opened to the public.
In the evening, you can go out to go for a walk in the interesting Shazhou Night Market where you can try some local food, relax in a drinking bar, or buy some interesting handcrafts, etc.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel ,a 5-star hotel.
Day 3: Echoing Sand Mountains and Crescent Lake & Dunhuang Research Academy(B,L)
Stop At: Mingsha Shan – Echoing-Sand Mountain, Three miles from Dunhuang, Dunhuang 831900 China
In the morning , visit the magic Echoing Sand Mountains and Crescent Lake. In the sunny days, the sand mountains echo like Orchestra music even if there is no wind. If you slide from the sand mountains, you can hear the echoing sound clearly. Crescent Lake is a beautiful oasis with some well decorated traditional Chinese architecture, some trees and flowers and a lake that has never dried up.
After lunch, pay a visit to Dunhuang Research Academy,a place where you can sit down to listen to the story behind the murals and appreciate the painting skills.
Make your own mural: Choose one of the mural samples and copy it onto a mud slab, which is made from the same material as the Mogao Caves. Take your masterpiece home with you.
After the exciting tour, come back to your hotel and have a good rest!
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel ,a 5-star hotel.
Day 4: Desert landscape-Yumen Pass (Jade Gate Pass)-Ruin of Great Wall of Han Dynasty-Yadan National Geologic Park(B,L)
Stop At: Yadan National Geological Park, 180 Km Northwest of Dunhuang, Dunhuang 736200 China
After breakfast, you will be taken to explore the remote wild Gobi desert landscape as well as several legendary historical sites. Drive westwards about 100km, you will firstly arrive at Yumen Pass (Jade Gate Pass) which used to be a military defensive pass as well as an important border for international trading along the ancient Silk Road. It is said that the jadewares from West were imported to China through this gate, which is how the name Yumen was given. About 5 km from Yumen Pass is the Ruin of Great Wall of Han Dynasty which was built to fight against Xiongnu in the ancient time. Keep driving more 80 km, you will get to Yadan National Geologic Park. It is also called Devil City in that you will hear the sound just like the devil screaming when the strong wind goes through the desert. The park is featured Yadan landforms in distinct shapes like Mongolian Bao, Stone Bird, Peacock and others.
Leave Yadan National Geologic Park, and drive along the coming way back to Dunhuang.
Duration: 8 hours
Meals included:
• Lunch
Accommodation included: Overnight at The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel ,a 5-star hotel.
Day 5: Dunhuang Departure(B)
Stop At: Dunhuang, Dunhuang, Gansu
Your guide and driver will take you to the airport/train station and ensure your check-in goes smoothly and wave good bye! Service ends!
Duration: 4 hours
No meals included on this day.
No accommodation included on this day.
