5 Days Silk Road Tour of Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes & Zhangye Danxia Landscape

Day 1 · Dunhuang Arrival

1. 1

   Dunhuang

   30 min

   Welcome to Dunhuang, The well-known ancient cities along the silk road. Upon you arrive at Dunhuang Airport, our tour guide will meet you and escort you to your hotel. Have a good rest and be ready for the next day's adventure.

Overnight in Dunhuang Wansheng International Hotel

Day 2 · Buddhist Art Mogao Grottoes & Dunhuang Museum

1. 1

   Mogao Caves

   4 hours Admission included

   Our professional tour guide will meet you at your located hotel lobby, and your private day tour to Mogao Grottoes continue with the driving of 20-mins to entrance of the Mogao Grottoes. Here you can enjoy the magnificent grottoes and mural art, and learn the history of Buddhism in Dunhuang through explanation and film display, which is the best option for tourists to visit Dunhuang.

2. 2

   Dunhuang Museum

   2 hours Admission included

   Following in a lunch in local restaurant, we will continue the tour to Dunhuang Museum. The museum has a great exhibition of the Silk Road culture, and it has duplicate caves with exquisite murals and statues that you can take photos of.

3. 3

   Shazhou Nightly Market

   one hour Admission included

   In the evening, strolling this interesting Shazhou Night Market with different types of things to see and food to eat, it's easy to lose our sense of time wonder the market while enjoying your leisure time and taste some local cuisine.

Overnight in Dunhuang Wansheng International Hotel

Day 3 · Echoing Sand Mountain & Mogao Mural Painting Experience

1. 1

   Mingsha Shan - Echoing-Sand Mountain

   3 hours Admission included

   Continue our Dunhuang travel, Visit Echoing Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make a loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blown by the breeze. There is also a Crescent Lake that has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. Riding the camel (approximately 40mins) as the Silk Road Caravan in the vast desert is highly recommended. Experience the feeling of the camel team marching in the desert. The sound of camel bells is a must-play item for every tourist.

2. 2

   Dunhuang

   3 hours

   Afternoon, you will go head to the Dunhuang Painting and Calligraphy Institute, visit the Carpet display, Painting and Calligraphy exhibition, The Murals of the Mogao Grottoes. You can also experience and copy the murals of Mogao Grottoes.

Overnight in Dunhuang Wansheng International Hotel

Day 4 · Train to Zhangye, Enjoy the sunset of Rainbow Mountain

1. 1

   Zhangye Danxia Geopark

   4 hours Admission included

   A beautiful day start with breakfast. Then you will say farewell to Dunhuang and catch an express train to Zhangye. visit the splendid Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, located in northwest China's Gansu Province. It is a spectacular multicolor covering a large area of the cliffs that have made the place look like a masterpiece of an oil painting against the canvas of surrounding grey plain. The landform is the result of red sandstone erosion, together with its geological structure and long term desert conditions, wind and water erosion. The great force of nature has its great artwork emerged.

Overnight in Zhangye Yujing International Hotel

Day 5 · Mati Temple & Giant Buddha Temple Exploration

1. 1

   Mati Temple Scenic Resort

   4 hours Admission included

   The first site we will visit today is Mati Temple ( Horseshoe Temple ), located between the foothills of Qilian Mountain in Sunan Yugur Autonomous County. There are many grotto Buddha statues carved on the wall from Beiliang period to the present thousand years; and the high-rise grotto temple buildings, which is very attractive and splendid.

2. 2

   Dafo Temple of Zhangye

   40 min Admission included

   We will bring you to visit Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple, located in the southwest corner of Zhangye as a well-known Buddha worship place, has its founding in the 1st year of Yongan during the reign of Emperor Chongzong In Xixia Dynasty and strengthening maintenance for many times. Here, you can not only visit the largest indoor clay statue of Buddha in China, but also watch the simple and exquisite mural sculptures and ancient buildings in the temple, plus experience the ancient religious art.

3. 3

   Zhangye

   30 min

   This memorable Silk Road Holiday is coming to an end; we will set you off to Zhangye Ganzhou Airport and looking forward to seeing you next time.