Cornelius Amann
October 06, 2026
5/5
China's Silk Road: Xi'an to Dunhuang through Gansu
A proposed 9-day small-group route by high-speed train from Xi'an to Dunhuang: the Terracotta Warriors, Lanzhou, Bingling Si, the Zhangye Danxia, Jiayuguan Pass and three nights for the Mogao Caves and the dunes.
9 days · Xi'an to Dunhuang · up to 12 guests
Banded hills at the Zhangye Danxia, photographed in October 2010 in low-angled light Photo: iamangela9, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Danxia-landform-1562852.jpg)
The facts
At a glance
- Length
- 9 days, 8 nights
- Start and end
- Xi'an to Dunhuang
- Group size
- 7 to 12 guests
- Longest drive
- 5 h on day 8
- Activity level
Moderate
Two to four hours a day on foot on paving, boardwalks and some steep steps (Bingling Si walkways, the Overhanging Great Wall), a flat 13.7 km bike ride on the Xi'an wall, a camel ride and a short sand climb at the dunes. Air is dry and the sun strong. Every climb can be sat out.
- Meals included
- 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 3 dinners
- Season
- May to October
Highlights
Why this trip
- The Terracotta Warriors, then the Xi'an city wall by bike in the late light
- A bowl of Lanzhou beef noodles and the Yellow River from the hillside above the Zhongshan Bridge
- Bingling Si by boat up the Yellow River gorge, where the water allows
- The striped hills of the Zhangye Danxia in the morning
- Jiayuguan Pass, the Ming fortress at the western end of the Great Wall
- A timed visit to the painted Mogao Caves, on a ticket booked in your name
- Camels over the Mingsha Shan dunes towards the Crescent Spring, timed for the evening
- Yumen Pass, the Han Great Wall and the wind-carved Yadan Geopark
What makes this trip different
Short drives, all published
Every drive is listed day by day. The longest is 5 h, on day 8.
Free time is part of the plan
Free time and choices are marked on the days they fall.
Day by day
Itinerary
The longest drive is 5 h, on day 8.
Tap any stop on the map to open that dayClick any stop on the map to open that day
Arrive in Xi'an
Xi'an Xianyang International Airport to your hotel in Xi'an, then the Muslim Quarter
- Dinner
- Stay in Xi'an
- Drive about 1 h
Fly into Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY), about 40 km northwest of the city, where a driver is proposed to meet you in arrivals for the drive to a central hotel, where we would stay two nights. Plan to land by about 4 pm. Xi'an was Chang'an, capital of the Han and Tang dynasties and the eastern end of the caravan routes this trip follows west to Dunhuang. At about 6 pm your See Sight Tours guide would meet the group for a short briefing on the week: the train legs, how luggage moves between stations, the desert heat and how the Mogao tickets work. Then we walk into the Muslim Quarter, the lanes north of the Drum Tower where the Hui community has lived for centuries.
Evening
The welcome dinner is planned as a food walk through its stalls, roujiamo flatbread with braised meat, cold liangpi noodles and persimmon cakes from the griddle, finished with yangrou paomo, mutton soup with torn bread, at a sit-down table.
Included
- Pick-up at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY)
- Welcome briefing with your guide
- Welcome food walk and dinner in the Muslim Quarter
Free time: Free until the evening briefing
Activity: Land by about 4 pm to make the briefing; later arrivals are met and join the group at dinner.
The Terracotta Warriors and the wall by bike
Xi'an to the Terracotta Warriors at Lintong and back, then the city wall
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Xi'an
- Drive about 2 h
We would leave at about 8 am for the drive of about an hour east to the mausoleum of Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor to unify China, to reach Pit 1 soon after opening, ahead of most tour coaches; opening hours are confirmed at quoting. Farmers digging a well found the first fragments here in 1974. A licensed site guide joins your own guide where the site requires one, through Pits 1, 2 and 3 and the bronze chariots in the museum: rank on rank of life-size infantry, archers and cavalry, every face modelled differently.
Afternoon
Lunch is a sit-down bowl of hand-pulled noodles near the site, and we are back in Xi'an by early afternoon to rest through the heat. Around 5 pm we climb onto the city wall at the South Gate, begun in the Ming dynasty on the line of the Tang city, and cycle its whole loop, about 13.7 km on a flat brick top, past gate towers and corner bastions as the light turns warm, subject to the wall's bike hire being open that day.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- The Terracotta Warriors with a licensed site guide where required: Pits 1, 2 and 3 and the bronze chariots
- Noodle lunch near the site
- The Xi'an City Wall by bike, about 13.7 km
Easier option: Walk a section of the wall instead of cycling, or ride the electric cart around it.
Free time: Afternoon rest and the evening free
Activity: About 2 to 3 hours on foot at the Terracotta Warriors, then a flat 13.7 km ride on the wall.
High-speed train to Lanzhou and the Yellow River
Xi'an North to Lanzhou West by high-speed train, then the Gansu Provincial Museum and the Yellow River
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Lanzhou
- Drive about 45 min
Morning
After breakfast we would take a high-speed train from Xi'an North to Lanzhou West, about two and a half to four hours depending on the train, west through the loess hills of Shaanxi and eastern Gansu. Your guide handles the tickets, the passport checks at the gates and the luggage, and a vehicle meets us at Lanzhou West.
Afternoon
Lunch is the city's own dish, Lanzhou beef noodles, pulled to order and served in a clear broth with sliced beef, radish, chilli oil and coriander. In the afternoon we plan to visit the Gansu Provincial Museum, whose Silk Road galleries hold the bronze Galloping Horse of Gansu, the Flying Horse, found in a Han dynasty tomb at Wuwei, if it is on display that day. Entry is reported to be free but by timed, real-name reservation with a passport, and the museum is reported closed on Mondays, so the visit depends on a slot. Late in the day we walk across the Zhongshan Bridge, an iron truss bridge opened in 1909 as the first permanent bridge over the Yellow River, and climb the hillside above the river for the view over the brown river and the city.
Evening
Dinner is on your own; your guide points out the night market.
Included
- Seats on the high-speed train from Xi'an North to Lanzhou West
- Lanzhou beef noodle lunch
- The Gansu Provincial Museum, subject to a reservation slot
- The Zhongshan Bridge and the hillside above the Yellow River
Easier option: Stay by the river at the foot of the hill while the group climbs.
Free time: Evening free in Lanzhou
Activity: The hillside above the river is a climb of a few hundred steps on a paved path.
Bingling Si by boat, then the train to Zhangye
Lanzhou to Liujiaxia and Bingling Si by boat, then the train to Zhangye
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Zhangye
- Drive about 4.5 h
This is the heaviest travel day of the trip, because it links the Yellow River to the Hexi Corridor. We would leave at about 7 am for the drive of roughly two hours to the Liujiaxia reservoir, where a speedboat runs about an hour up the flooded gorge to Bingling Si. In a side canyon of sandstone pinnacles, Buddhist sculptors cut caves and niches from about the year 420 onward; a seated Maitreya more than 27 m tall fills the cliff above the water. The site is part of the Silk Roads World Heritage listing.
Afternoon
After about an hour and a half on its walkways we take the boat back and sit down to lunch at Liujiaxia. Boats are reported to run in summer and autumn and only when the water allows; when they cannot, we spend the morning by the river in Lanzhou instead and take an earlier train.
Evening
After the roughly two-hour drive back to Lanzhou West we would take an afternoon high-speed train to Zhangye West, about three hours, so we arrive in the evening for a late dinner together. There is little slack in this day, which is why the easy option exists.
Included
- Speedboat from Liujiaxia to Bingling Si and back, where the water allows
- Bingling Si caves and the great seated Maitreya with your guide
- Sit-down lunch at Liujiaxia
- Seats on the high-speed train from Lanzhou West to Zhangye West
- Dinner in Zhangye
Easier option: Skip Bingling Si: a slow morning in Lanzhou, lunch with your guide's suggestions and an earlier train to Zhangye, for a relaxed evening before the Danxia on day 5.
Activity: A very long day: about 4.5 hours in the vehicle, 2 hours on the boat and 2 to 3 hours on the train. The easy option removes most of it.
The Zhangye Danxia, the Great Buddha Temple and Jiayuguan Pass
Zhangye Danxia Geopark and the Great Buddha Temple, then the train to Jiayuguan and Jiayuguan Pass
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Jiayuguan
- Drive about 2 h
An early start for the Zhangye Danxia, about 40 km and 50 minutes from Zhangye West station.
Morning
The park publishes early opening hours in the warm months, so we plan to be inside for the soft light of the morning, when the red, orange and cream stripes of the hills stand out, using the park shuttle between viewpoints; hours, last entry and bus times are as published and confirmed at quoting. Back in town we visit the Great Buddha Temple, founded in 1098 under the Western Xia, whose wooden hall shelters a painted clay reclining Buddha reported to be about 35 m long.
Afternoon
After lunch a high-speed train takes about an hour and a quarter west along the Hexi Corridor to Jiayuguan South, with the Qilian Mountains to the south and the Gobi to the north. In the late afternoon we go to Jiayuguan Pass, the fortress begun around 1372 in the Ming dynasty at the narrowest point of the corridor, where travellers heading west left the empire; walk the inner and outer walls and the gate towers before closing time. The Great Wall Museum next door is visited if it is open.
Evening
The evening is free.
Included
- Zhangye Danxia Geopark in the morning, with the park shuttle
- The Great Buddha Temple in Zhangye
- Lunch in Zhangye
- Seats on the high-speed train from Zhangye West to Jiayuguan South
- Jiayuguan Pass
Easier option: Skip the longer viewpoint walks at the Danxia; take the shuttle between the main platforms only.
More active option: A longer Danxia viewpoint walk, if the park allows one.
Free time: Evening free in Jiayuguan
Activity: About 3 hours on foot, with boardwalk steps at the Danxia viewpoints. Park hours vary by month and are confirmed at quoting; the morning visit is the plan.
The Overhanging Great Wall and the train to Dunhuang
Jiayuguan: the Overhanging Great Wall and the First Beacon Tower, then the train to Dunhuang
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dunhuang
- Drive about 1 h
Morning
A slower morning. We drive a few kilometres north of Jiayuguan to the Overhanging Great Wall, a restored stretch that climbs a steep ridge, and finish at the First Beacon Tower on the cliff above the Taolai River gorge; both sit within the Jiayuguan scenic area; opening hours are confirmed at quoting.
Afternoon
After a sit-down lunch in Jiayuguan we take the train west to Dunhuang.
Evening
Published listings show two direct high-speed trains a day from Jiayuguan South, leaving in the late afternoon or early evening and taking about two and a half to three hours, so the plan is built around one of them, arriving in the evening; the timetable is confirmed at quoting. Watch for the oasis towns of Yumen and Guazhou, where lines of poplars and green fields follow the irrigation channels through an otherwise stony plain. A vehicle meets the train and takes us to the hotel in Dunhuang, where we stay three nights. If the timetable does not suit on your date, we would drive instead, a road transfer of roughly four to five hours, to be confirmed at quoting. Dinner is on your own; the Shazhou night market is a short walk from the centre.
Included
- The Overhanging Great Wall
- The First Beacon Tower above the Taolai River gorge
- Lunch in Jiayuguan
- Seats on the train from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang
Easier option: Stay at the foot of the Overhanging Great Wall while the group climbs.
More active option: Climb the Overhanging Great Wall to its top watchtower for the view over the Gobi.
Free time: Evening free in Dunhuang
Activity: About 2 hours on foot, with steep, uneven steps on the Overhanging Great Wall. The train leg is proposed as an afternoon departure because of the published timetable; road fallback about 4 to 5 hours.
The Mogao Caves and the singing sands
Dunhuang to the Mogao Caves, then Mingsha Shan and the Crescent Spring
- Breakfast and lunch
- Stay in Dunhuang
- Drive about 1.5 h
Mogao tickets are timed and capped each day, so the plan is an early slot booked in each guest's name once dates are confirmed, through the Dunhuang Academy's own booking channel, with passports checked at entry. As published, the regular ticket covers digital films at the Digital Exhibition Centre and eight caves in the peak season (April to November), the Academy states a daily limit of 6,000 regular tickets, and a shorter four-cave visit may be sold when regular tickets run out; all of this is confirmed at quoting. A shuttle runs to the cliff, where a Mogao guide leads small groups through caves chosen on the day from more than 700 cut into the cliff between the 4th and 14th centuries; photography is not allowed inside. Your own guide fills in the story of the Library Cave, sealed in the early 11th century and opened in 1900, which held tens of thousands of manuscripts, among them a printed Diamond Sutra dated 868.
Afternoon
After lunch we visit Dunhuang Museum through the hottest hours, which is reported to be free with a passport and closed on Mondays.
Evening
About two hours before sunset we go to Mingsha Shan, the Echoing Sand Mountains, to ride camels in a line across the dunes, subject to the operator's calendar, and walk to Yueyaquan, the Crescent Spring, a small lake held in a curve of sand.
Included
- The Mogao Caves on an early timed ticket, with the Digital Exhibition Centre films and a Mogao cave guide
- Lunch in Dunhuang
- Dunhuang Museum with your guide
- Mingsha Shan and the Crescent Spring, with a camel ride across the dunes at sunset
Optional experiences
- Sand sledding or a microlight flight over the dunes at Mingsha Shan, if offered and paid locally
Easier option: Skip the camel and the dune climb: walk the boardwalk to the Crescent Spring and watch the light change from the pavilion.
More active option: Climb the highest dune ridge above the spring on foot, with ladders laid on the steepest part.
Free time: Dunhuang Museum through the hottest hours
Activity: Climbing a dune is hard work in soft sand. Sunset here comes after 9 pm in midsummer, because all of China keeps Beijing time.
Yumen Pass, the Han Great Wall and the Yadan Geopark
Dunhuang to Yumen Pass, the Han Great Wall and the Yadan National Geopark, and back
- Breakfast, lunch and dinner
- Stay in Dunhuang
- Drive about 5 h
Today is the longest drive of the trip, a round trip of roughly 340 to 380 km, and, like day 4, runs past our usual four hours on the road, because there is nowhere to stay in this part of the Gobi.
Afternoon
We would break it with a stop every hour or so and a sit-down lunch. We leave at about 8 am and drive about 90 km northwest to Yumen Pass, the Jade Gate of Han dynasty poems, where a square rammed-earth fort, Xiaofangpan, stands alone on the gravel plain. Nearby a section of the Han Great Wall, built about 2,000 years ago, still runs across the desert, reached by the scenic area's shuttle. The Yumen Pass sites are reported to be part of the Silk Roads World Heritage listing. Then about 70 to 80 km further west to the Yadan National Geopark, where wind has carved an old lake bed into long clay ridges and towers; park shuttle buses stop at viewpoints along a set route, with a short stop at each.
Evening
We are back in Dunhuang by late afternoon, and the farewell dinner is tonight.
Included
- Yumen Pass and the Xiaofangpan fort
- The Han dynasty Great Wall ruins
- The Yadan National Geopark with the park shuttle
- Sit-down lunch on the way
- Farewell dinner in Dunhuang
Easier option: Stay in Dunhuang for a free day, with the farewell dinner in the evening.
Activity: About 5 hours in the vehicle in all, broken by stops; short walks on gravel and boardwalks at each site. Bring a hat and water: there is little shade. Shuttle and entry rules are as published and confirmed at quoting.
A free morning and depart from Dunhuang
Dunhuang to Dunhuang Airport (DNH)
- Breakfast
- Drive about 30 min
Morning
The last morning is yours, so the trip ends without an early alarm unless you want one. Early risers can go back to Mingsha Shan for sunrise, when the dunes are usually cooler and quieter; your guide would arrange the ride out, and any entry fee for a second visit is confirmed in advance. Others sleep in, walk the riverside park along the Dang River, or browse the market for apricots, dried fruit and painted copies of the cave murals. Check-out is at the usual hotel time, and a driver takes you the short drive to Dunhuang airport (DNH), with your guide there to see you off. Flight connections from Dunhuang depend on the timetable for your month, so we check them when we quote and suggest a flight leaving after about 12 pm so the morning is not rushed. If you want to stay on, we can quote extra nights in Dunhuang or help with your onward connection.
Included
- Drop-off at Dunhuang airport (DNH)
Optional experiences
- Sunrise on the Mingsha Shan dunes
Free time: Morning free
Activity: Book a flight out of Dunhuang leaving after about 12 pm.
- Xi'an2 nights
- Lanzhou1 night
- Zhangye1 night
- Jiayuguan1 night
- Dunhuang3 nights
- Overnight stop
- Day trip
- By boat or train
Wildlife and weather: May, June, September and early October are usually the most comfortable months. July and August days in Dunhuang can be very hot, so the plan puts walking early and the dunes in the evening. The Dunhuang Academy's visitor page says the Mogao caves close in heavy rain or strong sandstorms. Bingling Si is reached by boat in summer and autumn, depending on the reservoir.
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Before you book
Right for you?
Good for you if you want
- Travellers who have seen Beijing and want China's Silk Road next
- Anyone drawn to Buddhist cave art, frontier forts and desert landscapes
- Those who prefer daytime trains to sleepers and long coach days
- Small-group travellers who want a guide with them the whole way
Not for you if you want
- Travellers who want Xinjiang, Turpan or Kashgar: this trip stays in Gansu
- Step-free access: Bingling Si, the Overhanging Great Wall and the dunes involve steps and sand
- Anyone who dislikes heat: summer afternoons in Dunhuang can be very hot
- A first trip to China that must include Beijing and Shanghai
Book flights after we confirm your seat.
8 nights
Where you'll stay
Your hotels are named in your trip confirmation.
- Xi'an2 nights
- Lanzhou1 night
- Zhangye1 night
- Jiayuguan1 night
- Dunhuang3 nights
One price
What's in the price
Included
Accommodation
- 8 nights in central hotels, proposed as a 3-star-plus standard: 2 in Xi'an, 1 in Lanzhou, 1 in Zhangye, 1 in Jiayuguan, 3 in Dunhuang
- Rooms shared, or your own for a supplement
- Hotels and standard confirmed in the written quote
Transport
- Pick-up at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (XIY) and drop-off at Dunhuang airport (DNH)
- A private vehicle and driver for the group in each city, proposed to be arranged through local partners, including station transfers
- Seats on the proposed high-speed trains: Xi'an North to Lanzhou West, Lanzhou West to Zhangye West and Zhangye West to Jiayuguan South
- The train from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang (or the vehicle if the timetable does not suit)
- The speedboat to Bingling Si and back, where the water allows
- Bikes on the Xi'an City Wall, a camel ride at Mingsha Shan, and park shuttles at the Zhangye Danxia, Mogao, Yumen Pass and Yadan, where the sites require them
Your guide
- A See Sight Tours trip leader planned for day 1 to day 9, including on every train; named when assigned
- Licensed local site guides where a site requires them, such as at the Terracotta Warriors and inside the Mogao Caves
- No shopping stops planned
Activities
- Xi'an: the Terracotta Warriors, the City Wall by bike and a Muslim Quarter food walk
- Lanzhou: the Gansu Provincial Museum, subject to a reservation slot, the Zhongshan Bridge and the hillside above the Yellow River
- Bingling Si caves by boat from Liujiaxia
- Zhangye: the Danxia Geopark in the morning and the Great Buddha Temple
- Jiayuguan: Jiayuguan Pass, the Overhanging Great Wall and the First Beacon Tower
- Dunhuang: the Mogao Caves on an early timed ticket, Dunhuang Museum, Mingsha Shan and the Crescent Spring, Yumen Pass, the Han Great Wall and the Yadan National Geopark
- Entrance fees for the sights above, to be confirmed in the quote
Meals
- 8 breakfasts
- 7 lunches: noodles near the Terracotta Warriors, Lanzhou beef noodles, lunch at Liujiaxia, in Zhangye on day 5, in Jiayuguan on day 6, in Dunhuang on day 7 and on the road on day 8
- 3 dinners: a welcome food walk in the Muslim Quarter, a late dinner in Zhangye on arrival, and a farewell dinner in Dunhuang
Not included
- International flights to Xi'an and home from Dunhuang, including the domestic flight out of Dunhuang (we can quote it for you)
- China visa, where your passport needs one
- Travel insurance
- Meals not listed above: dinner on days 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, and lunch on day 9, with your guide's suggestions
- Drinks
- Tips for your guide and drivers
- Optional activities, such as sand sledding or a sunrise return to the dunes
- Personal expenses
Extras
- Room of your own
- Price on request
When you can go
Dates and prices
Pick your start date when you request to book. We check that date and confirm it in your quote.
Prefer to travel without a group or guide? Ask us about arranging hotels, transport and city tours for you to travel independently.
Before you book
Booking terms
Nothing is charged now. Full terms and the cancellation schedule come with your quote, before you accept.
Business addresses
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What guests say
Reviews from guests on our day tours.
Jane
October 06, 2026
5/5
Susan
October 06, 2026
5/5
Tom L
October 05, 2026
5/5
MandL83
October 05, 2026
5/5
Darren O
October 05, 2026
5/5
Good to know
Questions
How does an enquiry work?
Send an enquiry from the page. It takes no payment and confirms no booking. We reply with a written quote that sets the final price, taxes, inclusions, hotels, operator and terms, and you decide after reading it. The itinerary shown is a proposal: there are no confirmed departures, and no hotel, guide or supplier is named until the quote.
What would the quote include?
The proposed plan is eight nights in central hotels, 8 breakfasts, 7 lunches and 3 dinners, airport transfers at both ends, seats on four train legs, the Bingling Si boat, a See Sight Tours guide throughout, and the entries in the day plan, including the Terracotta Warriors, the Mogao Caves and the camel ride. The written quote lists exactly what is included.
Are there shopping stops on this tour?
None are planned. If you want to shop, your guide can point you to markets in your free time, and the written quote would say whether any stops are included.
How big is the group?
The small-group trip is planned for 7 to 12 guests, never more. That keeps everyone close to the guide inside the caves, lets the group board trains quickly with its luggage, and means meals at one table in local restaurants rather than in a banquet hall. A private version is quoted for your party only.
Who leads the trip?
A See Sight Tours trip leader is planned for the whole route, from the Xi'an airport pick-up to the Dunhuang drop-off, including on the trains; the person is named when assigned. Licensed local guides would join where a site requires them, such as the Terracotta Warriors and inside the Mogao Caves, where only Mogao guides lead groups.
How fit do I need to be?
Moderate fitness is enough. Expect two to four hours a day on foot, a flat 13.7 km bike ride on the Xi'an wall, steep steps at Bingling Si and the Overhanging Great Wall, and a sandy dune climb at Mingsha Shan. Every climb has an easier alternative, and day 4 has an option to skip Bingling Si altogether.
I'm travelling solo. Is there a single supplement?
Yes. A room of your own costs more than twin share, and the supplement is set out in the written quote. Solo travellers would join the same group, sit at the same tables and get the same time with the guide as everyone else.
When should I travel?
May to October. May, June, September and early October are usually the most comfortable; July and August are very hot by day in Dunhuang, so the plan walks early and goes to the dunes in the evening. We would avoid the 1 to 7 October national holiday, when travel in China is typically very busy. Bingling Si boats are reported to run in summer and autumn only.
Do I need a visa for China?
It depends on your passport and your dates. The Government of Canada's China page, read on 9 November 2026, says Canadian passport holders are included in China's visa waiver scheme for stays of up to 30 days, for travellers eligible for visa-free entry between 17 February and 31 December 2026. We found no announced rule for 2027, so we check your passport and dates when we quote.
What does the Government of Canada say about travel to China?
The page read on 9 November 2026 (last updated 3 November 2026) gives China the level "Exercise a high degree of caution (with regional advisories)". The regional advisory it lists is for parts of Gyirong County, The page does not list Gansu among its regional advisories. It also describes a risk of arbitrary enforcement of local laws and exit bans. Read the page yourself before you decide, as it changes.
How do the Mogao Caves tickets work?
As published by the Dunhuang Academy in its 2026 notice, tickets are real-name, bought in advance through its official channel with a passport, with a daily limit of 6,000 regular tickets. A regular ticket covers digital films and eight caves in the peak season. We would check the current rules at quoting and plan the slot once dates are agreed; nothing is booked at enquiry. The Academy warns against unofficial resellers.
Why doesn't this trip go to Turpan or Kashgar?
Distance. Beyond Dunhuang the Silk Road towns of Xinjiang are hundreds of kilometres apart, which means overnight trains or very long drives and at least another week. We keep this route to Gansu, with daytime trains and three nights in Dunhuang. For Silk Road cities further west, see our Uzbekistan trip to Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva.
Are there overnight sleeper trains?
None are planned. The proposal uses high-speed trains from Xi'an to Lanzhou, Zhangye and Jiayuguan, then a late-afternoon train to Dunhuang, with reserved seats. Published listings show only two direct trains a day on that last leg, so the day is built around them. Timetables are confirmed at quoting. Your guide would handle tickets and passport checks.
Can I combine this with the Beijing, Xi'an and Shanghai trip?
Yes, in principle. Both trips include Xi'an, so the easiest way is to take the classic China trip first and join this one in Xi'an, or to travel this one privately and add Beijing. Mention it in your enquiry and we will match the dates and quote any extra nights.
See Sight Tours has been providing travel services across North America since 2006. Operating in 20 cities across Canada and the USA, the company specializes in small group tours that offer personalized, high-quality experiences for travelers.
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