Explore the route, then refine the details.
A China Adventure Club route through western China’s varied heritage and scenery. Explore the operator’s itinerary outline, then refine its pace and arrangements for your dates.
Adapted from China Adventure Club’s original regional and national collection. The outline below describes the source route; your written proposal establishes the current order, overnight stops and service arrangements.
Itinerary outline
Select a route section to explore the map. Tap a stop for its location or use the directions link for the next leg. Flights, trains, cruises and hiking arrangements follow your itinerary.
1 Dunhuang Directions to Mogao Grottoes
2 Mogao Grottoes Directions to Jiayuguan Pass
3 Jiayuguan Pass Directions to Lanzhou
4 Lanzhou
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive in Dunhuang
Arrive in Dunhuang by air or train, meet your English-speaking guide, and transfer to your hotel for the night.
Dunhuang, historically known as Shazhou, was an important stop on the Silk Road. Explore the region’s Buddhist heritage at the Mogao Grottoes and its frontier history at the ruins of Yangguan and Yumenguan, places celebrated in Chinese poetry.
Day 2 Dunhuang (B, L)
After breakfast, visit the Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand-Buddha Caves, about 25 kilometers southeast of Dunhuang. Carved into sandstone cliffs, the caves preserve Buddhist art created over many centuries. Explore a remarkable collection of painted sculptures and murals that reflects the cultural exchanges of the Silk Road.
Visit Echoing Sand Mountain, where wind and movement across the dunes can produce a low, resonant sound. Walk among the dunes and take in the desert landscape.
Encircled by the mountain, there is the Crescent Moon Lake, so called because of its shape. The water in the lake is so pure and sweet that it looks like an emerald set in the sand. Many of the visitors who have made their way down the mountain like to drink from the lake. According to historical record, the lake has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand; it is really a geological wonder.
There is also a story about the lake. In the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC- 24), a general called Li Guang, together with a group of soldiers, captured a powerful and swift horse from Dawan, a western state of China at that time. When passing the Echoing-Sand Mountain upon their return, the soldiers became too thirsty to continue their march. General Li drew his sword and thrust it into the side of the mountain causing water to spring forth and so formed the lake.
You will then be taken back to your hotel for the night.
Day 3 Dunhuang-Jiayuguan Pass (B,L)
Visit Jiayuguan Pass at the western end of the Ming dynasty Great Wall. Explore its defensive walls, towers, and courtyards, and take in views of the surrounding desert. You can also explore our Great Wall adventure tours near Beijing. Great Wall adventure tours in Beijing
It is one of the main passes of the Great Wall, along with Juyong Pass and Shanhai Pass. It is located at the narrowest point of the western part of Hexi Corridor, and was a key passageway of the ancient Silk Road. It commands fascinating views of the boundless Gobi Desert and the snow-capped Qilian Mountains.
We will spend the evening at a hotel in Jiayuguan.
Day 4 Jiayuguan-Lanzhou (B, L)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport for a short flight to Lanzhou. Once an important Silk Road junction, the city connects central and western China. Explore its setting between mountain ranges along the Yellow River.
Your English-speaking guide will meet you at Lanzhou Airport and transfer you to your hotel. After a short break, visit Five Springs Mountain Park, known for its wooded slopes, historic temples, and springs named Ganlu, Juyue, Mozi, Hui, and Meng. Local Buddhist celebrations take place on the eighth day of the fourth lunar month.
Day 5 Lanzhou-departure (B)
After breakfast you will be taken to either the Lanzhou airport or train station.
Where Are Dunhuang and Jiayuguan in China?
Dunhuang and Jiayuguan Photos
SILK ROAD Packages
3-day
Exploring the treasure of Dunhuang
5-day
3-day
Dunghuang and Jiayuguan Pass GreatWall
TAILOR-MADE TRAVEL
What to refine before booking
Protect the travel days
Review the full hotel-to-hotel transfer for every intercity leg. Avoid relying on a flight or train arriving early enough for a tightly timed major attraction unless the final schedule supports it.
Choose a comfortable pace
Confirm stairs, slopes and time on foot. Ask which optional visits can be shortened or removed, and where an additional night would make the biggest difference.
Make inclusions explicit
Request the actual hotel and room choices, guide language, vehicle arrangements, admission coverage, meals and any activity-specific support in the written quotation.
Compare another approach
For a more spacious route, explore the original journey briefs in our national and regional collections. These show overnight allocations, transfer days and the tradeoffs behind each route.