5 Days Zhangye Dunhuang Silk Route Tour by Bullet Train

Summary

D1 Zhangye Arrival: Take train or flight to Zhangye, Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple
D2 Zhangye: Danxia Geopark
D3 Zhangye to Dunhuang by bullet train: Wooden Pagoda Temple, Take train to Dunhuang, Shazhou Night Market
D4 Dunhuang: Echoing Sand Mountains, Crescent Lake, Mogao Grottoes
D5 Dunhuang Departure: Dunhuang Museum, transfer to Dunhuang airport or train station

Day 1 Arrive in Zhangye

Make your own arrival arrangement to Zhangye. Pick up service can be arranged at Zhangye train station or Zhangye airport by our local guide, you will find a welcome board "Zhangye Private Tour". Transfer to your hotel in Zhangye for check in and take a short break.

Your adventure begins with Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple, it is named after a statue worshiped inside the temple. It also known as Sleeping Buddha Temple, is very famous because it contains the biggest indoor sleeping Buddha all around China. The buddha is 34.5 meter long and its shoulder spans across a width of 7.5 meters. Up to eight people can stand on the ear of the reclining Buddha. Established in 1098 (Western Xia Dynasty) and rebuilt during the Qing Dynasty. Due to its extensive history, it is listed as an immovable cultural relic under state protection.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Zhangye.

Day 2 Zhangye

After breakfast, drive you to visit the Zhangye Danxia Geopark. It is located about 40KM from Zhangye city.The national park encompasses an area of 510 square kilometers. The Geopark is well-known for its spectacular, colorful rock formations. it is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in China. This site is popular among photographers, many popular movies and TV shows such as "A Woman, A Gun And A Noodle Shop" & "The Sun Also Rises", were filmed in Zhangye Danxia Geopark. It attracts thousands of both domestic and international tourists visit here every year.

When you in the park, you will have chance to enjoy the amazing Danxia landscape from different viewing platfoms. There are 5 platforms where you can take some photos. You will take the shuttle buses which starting from the main entrance and travels to the different stops (viewpoints) along the way.

When you finish the sightseeing at Danxia Geopark, our guide will take you to your hotel in Zhangye

Day 3 Zhangye to Dunhuang by bullet train

After breakfast, you will visit the Wooden Pagoda Temple. The present Wooden Pagoda is located in the south street of Zhangye County Government, it is regarded as one of Zhangye City's 'Five Elements' Pagodas. The Wooden Pagoda Temple was built in early 557-588 A.D.. Records show that the pagoda had been renovated several times from 581A.D. to 1911 A.D..

After the tour, transfer to Zhangye train station to take train to Dunhuang. It takes around 4 hours by bullet train. Once you arrive in Dunhuang train station, our local guide will meet at the exit with a sign "Dunhuang Private Tour" and take you to your hotel in Dunhuang.

In the evening, you will have chance to explore the Shazhou Night Market, the Market here is the biggest night market of the whole city and offering you a great opportunity for an evening walk and a souvenir shopping chance!

Day 4 Dunhuang

After breakfast, drive you to visit the famous Echoing Sand Mountains & Crescent Lake in Dunhuang. The city of Dunhuang is located at the borders of the Gobi desert and from here there are views of the Echoing Sand Mountain, a name that derives from the sweet sound that is made by the sand being caressed by the wind or rapidly sliding down from the dunes. The legend says that in this area in the foothills of the mountain there once lived a lively village surrounded by sacred temples. One year, during a celebration at one of the temples, the songs of the opera and the noise of the celebration was so deafening that it bothered the Yellow Dragon Prince that slept in a nearby desert.

Then, you will visit the Crescent Lake which is considered a natural wonder of the Gobi Desert, the lake is something of an enigma as it has existed for thousands of years and was considered a special place during the Han Dynasty (202BC to 220AD). Because the lake is dwarfed by the surrounding sand dunes, it’s a wonder it hasn’t filled up and been covered over many times, but due to a natural depression, the winds blow the sand across the nearby singing sand dunes and away from the spring.

In the afternoon, you will visit the Mogao Grottoes, known also as the Mogao Caves are a network of Buddhist cave temples in China. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites in China. This ancient city was once located in an oasis on a strategic point of the ancient Silk Road. Thus, Dunhuang was a center where not only trade, but also cultural, religious, and intellectual exchanges took place. The Mogao Grottoes serve as a testimony to the high level of sophistication that was achieved by Dunhuang during its heyday.

After the tour, you will be taken back to your hotel in Dunhuang.

Day 5 Dunhuang Departure

After breakfast, our guide will take you to visit the Dunhuang Musuem. In front of the museum stand a group of carved figures depicting people leading their camels as they travel along the Silk Road. All of the exhibits in the museum are displayed in three sections. In the first section the written sutras from the No.17 cave of the Mogao Caves in Dunhuang are shown. The written sutras are real evidence of Buddhist activities in Chinese history.

After the tour, transfer to Dunhuang train station or Dunhuang airport for your next place.

Price Per Person in US Dollars