8 Days Silk Road Bullet Train Tour
Tour Overview
With the improvement of the bullet train system, an increasing number of tourists choose bullet trains as the inter-city transfer method. Especially for the Silk Road tour, the bullet train would help tourists save either time or money. This 8 days Silk Road Bullet train tour provides with you a life-time experience to explore Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, and Urumqi. Encounter the stunning wonders of history, culture and nature in northwest China and learn the hidden knowledge of the legendary Silk Road.
Tour Highlights:
* Visit one of China’s most famous ancient Buddhist grottoes, Bingling Temple, a World Heritage site with more than 180 caves and nearly 700 Buddhist figures.
* Enjoy the most colorful and attractive natural landscape in Zhangye – Rainbow Mountain.
* Ascend the fortress of Jiayuguan Fort, the westernmost end of the Ming Great Wall, and learn some interesting historical facts.
* Experience a short camel ride on the Echoing-Sand Mountain, taking in the view of the crescent-shaped spring surrounded by the endless Gobi desert.
* Get a visual feast of the breathtaking landscape at the Heavenly Lake and Tianshan Mountains.
Day-by-day Itinerary
- Day 1: Lanzhou Arrival (No meal)
Upon your arrival, our guide and driver will greet you at train station / airport by holding the board with your name. Then you will be escorted to check in hotel. Enjoy your free time in the rest of the day.
Accommodation: Lanzhou
- Day 2: Lanzhou – Zhangye by Bullet Train D2753(18:27-21:53)Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Grottoes (Breakfast)
AM: After hotel breakfast, you will be escorted to visit Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Grottoes which is nearby the Liujiaxia Reservoir. It is one of the best known ancient Buddhist grottoes in China. At present there are 183 caves and 694 Buddhist figures in preserved. In 2014, Binglingsi Grottoes was selected as a world cultural heritage site.
Noon: Lunch on your own.
PM: After the visiting you will be escorted to train station for the bullet train to Zhangye. Met by driver in Zhangye and check in hotel.
Accommodation: Zhangye
Bingling Temple Grottoes - Day 3: Zhangye – Jiayuguan by Bullet Train D2749 (17:19-18:28)Giant Buddha Temple, Rainbow Mountain (Breakfast)
AM: In the morning, we will pay a visit to Giant Buddha Temple. Built in 1098, the temple is said to be Kublai Khan’s birthplace. Here you can appreciate the largest indoor clay reclined Buddha in Asia. The rare hand-written classics of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)and thousands of cultural relics.
Noon: Lunch on your own.
Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye PM: Then head to visit the best known natural landscape in Zhangye – the Rainbow Mountain. Within the area of 10km2 visitors could see the rock strips of red, yellow, orange, green, white, steel grey, greyish black, etc. They make the valleys and hills colorful and attractive. Then take the late afternoon bullet train to Jiayuguan. Met by local driver and check in hotel.
Accommodation: Jiayuguan
Zhangye Rainbow Mountains - Day 4: Jiayuguan – Dunhuang by Bullet Train D2711(15:34-17:40)Jiayuguan Pass, Weijin Art Gallery (Breakfast)
AM: Driving westward, we will arrive in Jiangyuguan City and visit the well-known Jiayuanguan Pass. As one of the most grandiose ancient forts on the Silk Road, JIayuguan was named the First Pass under Heaven. Then you will proceed to the First Fire Tower of Great Wall, known as the west end of the Ming-dynasty Great Wall. The 56-meter-high (184 feet) tower stands on the cliff of the Gobi desert, with the Talai River flowing by and the majestic Jiayuguan Pass at a distance. Then the next stop is the Wei-Jin Art Gallery. Named Wei-Jin Mural Brick Tomb, it is a huge tomb group with more than 1,400 tombs. What is the most amazing is that they all were constructed in the 3rd and 5th century during the Wei and Jin dynasties. Regarded as the largest underground gallery in the world, it houses a huge collection of murals, bringing you back to the Wei and Jin dynasties about 1,500 years ago.
Noon: Lunch on your own.
PM: Then take the bullet train to Dunhuang. Met by local driver and check in hotel.
Accommodation: Dunhuang
Jiayuguan Pass - Day 5: Dunhuang – Turpan by Overnight Train K2059 / 21:55-05:34+1Mogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Hill, Crescent Lake, Shazhou Night Market(Breakfast)
AM: Today we will firstly go to visit the Mogao Caves, one of the four most famous caves in China and a rare pearl on the Silk Road.
Noon: Lunch on your own.
PM: Afterwards we will continue to visit Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. When you slide down the slope, you can hear the roaring echo of sands, hence the name. A short camel ride will leave you a unforgettable memory. Riding along the mountain to reach the Crescent Lake, your eyes will be feasted on the crescent-shaped spring surrounded by the endless Gobi desert. It has not dried up over the past one thousand years and still gushes with fresh current.
Afterwards, come to Shazhou Night Market for further exploration. Though you might have visited many night markets or food streets during your weeks of vacation, Shazhou Night Market still brings you something different. You will find the special vitality of this northwest city remoting from the country center during your leisure strolling.
Last, you will be dropped off at train station for overnight train to Turpan ( reference train: K2059 / 21:55-05:34+1 ).
Accommodation: Soft-sleeper Overnight Train
Mogao Grottoes - Day 6: Turpan Arrival & Turpan–Urumqi TourKarez Well, Sugong Pagoda, Jiaohe Ruins (Breakfast)
AM: Upon your arrival, our guide will meet you at the Turpan Railway Station and escort you to the hotel in downtown city. Today we are going to visit three famous places. In the morning, you will have an exploration of Jiaohe Ruins, which is one of the most important towns along the ancient Silk Road. It is also the largest, oldest and best-preserved earth construction in the world. Although 2,000 years have passed, the former brilliants of Jiaohe can still be found from the ruins.
Noon: Lunch on your own.
Jiaohe Ruins PM: Then you will visit the well-known Karez Well, the gigantic underground irrigation system created by ancient Xinjiang people. There are over 1,100 Karez Wells in Turpan, providing precious water source to this dry and hot area during the past 400 years. The last stop of today will be the existed largest ancient pagoda in Xinjiang, Sugong Pagoda. Then you will be transferred to Urumqi.
Accommodation: Urumqi
Sugong Pagoda - Day 7: UrumqiHeavenly Lake, Xinjiang Museum (Breakfast)
AM: After breakfast, you will be invited to visit warm-hearted Kazak People Family, they will offer fried cookies, milk tea dried grapes which are local specialty. Then, we will visit Heavenly Lake. 100 kilometers away from city of Urumqi, Heavenly Lake gives the impression of nobleness, elegance and beauty. Clear lake, snow mountains and soaring pin trees compose the charming scenery of the Heavenly Lake. Come to Heavenly Lake, and you will find words are so weak for the surrounding. It will make you totally relaxed no matter you are sitting in a boat, walking in the mountains, or just standing by the lake.
Noon: Lunch on your own.
PM: Then will drive to Urumqi and pay a visit to Xinjiang Museum. The large numbers of cultural relics collected in the museum will introduce Xinjiang’s past to visitors. And the mummies are the highlight and the must see things in the museum.
Accommodation: Urumqi
Heavenly Lake - Day 8: Urumqi Departure (Breakfast)
At the confirmed time, the guide and driver will meet you in the hotel and transfer you to airport/train station for departure. Your 8-day Silk Road Bullet Train Tour ends here.
Tour Price Per Person
The price varies depending on the activity, number of people, travel date, and selected hotel. Please contact us for a specific price.
Price includes
- Lanzhou-Zhangye, Zhangye-Jiayuguan, Jiayuguan-Dunhuang bullet train (second class seat)
- Dunhuang-Turpan soft-sleeper overnight train (4pax sharing one cabin)
- All entrance tickets as mentioned in the itinerary
- Typical meals as noted in the itinerary
- All private transfers between airports, hotels, and scenic spots
- Air-condition car and driver, English-speaking tour guide
- Hotel with breakfast
- Airport Tax and Fuel Fee
- Luggage Transfers between airports and hotels
- One bottle of mineral water per day
Price excludes
- All personal consumption
- Meals not listed in the itinerary
- China Entry Visa Expense
- Single Room Supplement
- Excess Baggage Charges
- International Airfare or train tickets Arrival and Departure from China
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