6 Days Mysterious Silk Road Hiking Tour

As one of the most important cities along the mysterious Silk Road, Zhangye attracts many visitors every year from home and abroad. Once your arrival, our local tour guide and driver will meet you at the Lanzhou airport, then take you to the Lanzhou Railway Station; we’ll take a night sleep on the train to Jiayuguan. 

Meal: No

Altitude: 1600m

Traffic: Plane, Train

Hotel: Overnight on the train

After having your breakfast, we’ll go to visit the Wei-Jin tombs (10km, 20minutes). After that, we will start our hiking from the No.1 Beacon Tower and visit Jiayuguan Pass and the Great Wall Museum, hiking further on to the hanging Great Wall or more further up the time. It takes about 4-5 hours, if you are a hiking lover, enjoy yourself as much as possible!

As the key waypoint of the ancient Silk Road, Jiayuguan Pass is famous for the name “First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven”, it’s the first pass at the west end of the Great Wall and also one of the most intact surviving ancient military buildings. In the past, Jiayuguan has a somewhat fearsome reputation for Chinese people who were banished were ordered to leave through it for the west, never to return.

And the sacred Wei-Jin Tomb is a big tomb group with over 1,400 tombs built between the 3rd Century and 5th Century during the Wei and Jin dynasties. It is well-known as the largest subterranean art gallery in the world, housing a great deal of colorful murals. Meanwhile, the gallery has attracted visitors from home and abroad since the 70s of the 19 century. Most tombs are of families, housing bodies of three or four generations, and now only Grave 6 and Grave 7 are open for tourism.

Meal: B,L

Altitude: 1600m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Jiayuguan

In the morning, we’ll drive to the Danxia after having breakfast, which takes about 3-4 hours. Have a delight lunch in Danxia, then start hiking along the north part of Danxia Landform. Along the way, you will enjoy the amazing view of Qilianshan and the gorgeous sunset in Danxia.

Meal: B, L

Altitude: 408m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Danxia

In the morning, we’ll drive into Danxia for appreciating the natural beauty of the unique sunrise at 5a.m., after having breakfast, trend to south part of Danxia and start hiking (4-5 hours) around Binggou Rock viewing the red terrestrial classic rock landform. After having lunch in Danxia, we’ll head to Zhangye to visit the magnificent Giant Buddha Temple, where the biggest indoor sleeping Buddha in China is preserved.

China’s largest reclining Buddha is well preserved in this temple, and it is the largest architectural relic in Gansu Province of the Western Xia (1038-1227) period. Famous Giant Buddha Temple is located in the southwest corner of Zhangye in Gansu Province, which was built in 1098 to house the Buddha. In its 900 years the temple was restored many times during the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Meal: B,L

Altitude: 1483m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Zhangye

Start a brand-new day by visiting the fabulous Mati Temple after having breakfast. We’ll visit the south part of Mati Temple, and hiking along Thousand-Buddha caves. It takes about 2 hours. After lunch, we’ll go for a hiking in north part of Mati Temple, which includes caves neighbor to Sanshisantian cave and Songlin waterfalls. Afterwards, go to enjoy a nice local dinner with folk songs and dances; Yugu folklore is a unique nomadic minority of Gansu.

The Grottoes of the Mati Temple Complex consists of various Temples and the Caves with their Deities and Murals. Set within the beautiful surroundings of the Green foothills of the Qilian Mountains, and along a cool and refreshing river, Mati Temple offers a unique and amazing scenery.

Meal: B,L

Altitude: 1483m

Traffic: Car

Hotel: In Yugu Local Tent

After having breakfast in Yugu, we’ll go for hiking on the Alpine Meadow, which is located on the south part of Qilian Mt. You’ll enjoy amazing hiking tour as much as possible until we drive back to the Zhangye. Meanwhile, along the way back to Zhangye, you can enjoy the natural view of beautiful Qilian Mountains. After arriving in Zhangye, our local tour guide and driver will escort you to the airport or the railway station for your next trip or home. Tour ends!

Meal: B

Altitude: 1483m

Traffic: Car, Plane

Hotel: No