Discover the wonders of Northwest China on this 8-day Silk Road and Badain Jaran Desert tour! Journey from Lanzhou and Zhangye to Inner Mongolia, exploring the colourful Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountains, ancient Silk Road sites, and the legendary Badain Jaran Desert. Experience an unforgettable 3-day 4WD jeep adventure across towering sand dunes, hidden desert lakes and vast Gobi landscapes, with an overnight stay in a traditional Mongolian yurt. A perfect adventure combining China's history, culture and spectacular desert scenery.

LANZHOU → ZHANGYE → ALASHAN YOUQI → JIUKE SHU → BADAN JARAN DESERT → KHARA KHOTO → EJINA → JIAYUGUAN

🍀 Fully escorted tour with an English-speaking guide

🍀 Tailor-made private tour to fit your plan

🍀 No forced shopping stops

🍀 Comfortable transportation to sites 

🍀 Gourmet food of authentic local cuisine 

D1 | LANZHOU START

D2 | TRAIN: LANZHOU → ZHANGYE 

D3 | ZHANGYE > ALASHAN YOUQI > JIUKE SHU

D4 | BADAN JARAN DESERT CROSSING BY JEEP ❶ 

D5 | BADAN JARAN DESERT CROSSING BY JEEP ❷ 

D6 | BADAN JARAN DESERT CROSSING BY JEEP ❸ > KHARA KHOTO > EJINA 

D7 | EJINA > JIAYUGUAN

D8 | JIAYUGUAN END

☑ ACCOMM: Deluxe hotels, based on twin-sharing

☑ MEAL: Breakfasts at hotels

☑ TRANSP: Air-conditioned private vehicle with an experienced driver

☑ GUIDE: Experienced English-speaking local guide

☑ SIGHTS: Entrance fees for all sights listed   

☑ OTHER: Food & lodgings for guide & driver           

☑ COMP: 2 bottles of mineral water per person per day

☒ Chinese visa

☒ International airfare

☒ Meals (lunch & dinner) at your own expenses

☒ Travel insurance

☒ Optional or additional activities

☒ Personal expenditures

☒ Tips for guide & driver

D1 | LANZHOU START | LANZHOU 4★ | D

● Greeted at Lanzhou Airport, then go sightseeing

● Gansu Provincial Museum (Incl. English-speaking museum docent) - Explore the history and cultural heritage of Gansu, with highlights including Silk Road artefacts, Buddhist art, and the famous Han-dynasty “Flying Horse of Gansu”

D2 | TRAIN: LANZHOU → ZHANGYE (10:12-13:12) | ZHANGYE 4★ | B & D

● Hotel-Railway transfer in Lanzhou 

● Railway Pickup in Zhangye, then go sightseeing

● Zhangye Dafo Temple - Aka. Giant Buddha Temple. Visit this historic Buddhist temple, home to a magnificent Western Xia-era reclining Buddha statue, one of the largest surviving indoor wooden Buddha sculptures in China

● Zhangye Danxia Geopark (Incl. shuttle) - Admire the spectacular rainbow-coloured mountains, shaped by millions of years of geological erosion and known for their striking layered hues and dramatic landscapes

D3 | ZHANGYE > ALASHAN YOUQI > JIUKE SHU | Jiuke Tree Desert Park Camp | B & L & D

● Mati Si Monastery (Incl. shuttle) - Aka. Horse’s Hoof Temple. Explore this remarkable Buddhist grotto complex, built into the cliffs of the Qilian Mountains, featuring ancient cave temples, carvings, and dramatic mountain scenery

● Continue to Alashan Youqi, crossing from Gansu Prov. into the Alxa region of Inner Mongolia Prov.

● Continue towards the Badain Jaran Desert, heading to Jiuke Tree Desert Park Camp, a small oasis near the desert’s southern border. Spend the night in a tourist yurt camp, experiencing the tranquility of the desert under a starlit sky

D4 | BADAN JARAN DESERT CROSSING BY JEEP ❶ | Badan Jaran Desert Mongolian Yurt Camp | B & L & D

● Swap your private vehicle for Jeeps, bringing only essentials while leave your suitcases behind

● Badan Jaran Desert Crossing by JEEP with Mongolian/Chinese Drivers - Venture deep into the vast Alxa Plateau, often known as one of China’s most mysterious and remote landscapes. Famous for its towering sand dunes and a remarkable collection of freshwater and saltwater lakes hidden among the sands, the desert offers a truly otherworldly adventure

D5 | BADAN JARAN DESERT CROSSING BY JEEP ❷ | EDGE OF BADAN JARAN DESERT 3★ | B & L & D

● Badan Jaran Desert Crossing by JEEP with Mongolian/Chinese Drivers - Visit the Towers of Sand and Lakes area, where you’ll witness the extraordinary interaction between the sand dunes and the inter-dunal lake basins

D6 | BADAN JARAN DESERT CROSSING BY JEEP ❸ > KHARA KHOTO > EJINA | EJINA 4★ | B & L & D

● Jeep ride from the hotel to the desert exit, approx. 1 hr

● Rejoin your private vehicle and reunite with your suitcases

● Drive to Ejina Banner, a vast and sparsely populated area in the far west of Inner Mongolia

● Khara Khoto (Incl. shuttle) - Aka. Black City Ruins. Explore the evocative ruins of this ancient Silk Road city, once an important centre of the Western Xia Empire, surrounded by the vast Gobi Desert of Inner Mongolia

● Continue to Ejina, the main town of Ejina Banner

D7 | EJINA > JIAYUGUAN | JIAYUGUAN 4★ | B & D

● Hit the road to Jiayuguan, approx. 6.5 hrs

● Jiayuguan Fort (Incl. shuttle) - Known as the westernmost end of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall, it was an important military stronghold and gateway along the ancient Silk Road

D8 | JIAYUGUAN END | B & D

● Hotel-railway-or-airport transfer in Jiayuguan