12 days Lanzhou to Kashgar Silk Road Tour 

Arrive in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu Province and an important gateway to China's historic Silk Road routes. Your guide and driver will meet you at the airport or train station and transfer you to your hotel.

The rest of the day is free to rest or explore Lanzhou at your own pace.

Travel from Lanzhou to Liujiaxia Reservoir (about 2–2.5 hours). From the reservoir, continue by boat through the Yellow River canyon to Bingling Temple, a remarkable complex of Buddhist grottoes carved into the cliffs.

Explore the grottoes and see Buddhist sculptures and murals created over many centuries, reflecting the spread of Buddhist art along the ancient Silk Road.

After the visit, return by boat to Liujiaxia and drive back to Lanzhou. Visit the Yellow River waterfront and Zhongshan Iron Bridge, one of Lanzhou's best-known landmarks.

In the evening, you may visit Zhengning Road Night Market to sample local snacks, or enjoy a bowl of Lanzhou's famous hand-pulled beef noodles at one of the local noodle restaurants.

Stay overnight in Lanzhou.

Take a morning high-speed train from Lanzhou to Zhangye (about 2–3 hours), an important historic city along the ancient Silk Road’s Hexi Corridor.

Upon arrival, meet your local guide and visit Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple, home to a 34.5-meter-long reclining Buddha and one of the most important surviving Buddhist sites in the region.

Later, drive to visit Zhangye Danxia National Geopark , also known as the Rainbow Mountains. Walk between the main viewing platforms to see the striking layers of red, orange and yellow sandstone. Late afternoon offers some of the best light for viewing the colorful landscape.

Stay overnight in Zhangye.

Morning drive from Zhangye to Jiayuguan (about 2.5 hours) through the landscapes of the Hexi Corridor.

Visit Jiayuguan Pass, the imposing Ming Dynasty fortress traditionally regarded as the western end of the Great Wall. Surrounded by the Gobi landscape, the fortress once guarded an important passage along the Silk Road.

Continue to the Wei-Jin Tombs, where ancient brick murals depict farming, travel, banquets and everyday life more than 1,500 years ago.

Later, transfer to the railway station and take a late afternoon train to Dunhuang (about 3 hours). Upon arrival, meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel.

Begin the morning at the Dunhuang Museum for an introduction to the history of Dunhuang and its role as an important meeting point for cultures traveling along the Silk Road.

In the afternoon, visit Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. Walk among the towering dunes, enjoy an camel ride and see Crescent Lake, a small oasis surrounded by the desert.

In the evening, explore Shazhou Night Market for local food and handicrafts, or enjoy the Ancient Sound of Dunhuang evening show (optional).

Stay overnight in Dunhuang.

Begin at the Mogao Digital Exhibition Center for an introduction to the history and art of the Mogao Grottoes. Then take the official shuttle to the Mogao Grottoes, one of the great artistic treasures of the Silk Road.

Explore a selection of caves with a site guide and see Buddhist murals and sculptures created over many centuries.

Later in the afternoon, drive from Dunhuang to Liuyuan Railway Station (about 1.5 hours) and take a late-afternoon high-speed train to Turpan (about 3.5 hours), continuing west from Gansu into Xinjiang.

Upon arrival in Turpan, meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel.

Spend a full day exploring Turpan, one of the most important oasis regions along China's Silk Road.

Visit the Gaochang Ruins, once a prosperous desert city where merchants, monks and travelers from different cultures crossed paths. Continue to the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, carved into cliffs overlooking the Mutou Valley and known for their surviving Buddhist murals.

Travel into Tuyuk Valley and enjoy a traditional Uyghur lunch in Tuyuk Village, surrounded by mud-brick homes, vineyards and the dry landscape of the Flaming Mountains.

In the afternoon, explore the Jiaohe Ruins, an ancient city built on a natural plateau between two river valleys. Walk through the surviving streets, temples and residential areas of this important Silk Road oasis.

Return to Turpan for the night.

Continue exploring Turpan with a visit to the Karez underground irrigation system, an ingenious network of wells and underground channels developed to bring mountain water into this dry oasis region.

Then visit the Emin Minaret, a distinctive 18th-century tower decorated with intricate brick patterns and an important landmark of Turpan's Uyghur heritage.

Later, transfer to the airport and fly from Turpan to Kashgar (about 2–2.5 hours).

Upon arrival in Kashgar, one of the most important historic trading centers along the Silk Road, meet your local guide and transfer to your hotel.

Spend the day exploring Kashgar, one of the most important trading cities along the ancient Silk Road and a center of Uyghur culture.

Begin in Kashgar Old City, wandering through its lively lanes lined with traditional homes, small shops and artisan workshops. Visit Id Kah Mosque, one of the largest mosques in China, then continue along Handicraft Street, where local craftsmen produce copperware, woodwork and other traditional items.

Take a break at the Century-old Tea House to enjoy local tea and nang bread while experiencing the relaxed atmosphere of the Old City.

Later, explore Kashgar Bazaar, filled with spices, dried fruits, clothing, handicrafts and local products. If your visit falls on a Sunday, you may also visit the lively Sunday Livestock Market.

Stay overnight in Kashgar.

Travel from Kashgar to Tashkorgan along the spectacular Karakoram Highway (about 5–6 hours drive), climbing from the Kashgar oasis into the Pamir Plateau.

Stop at Upal Village for a brief visit before continuing past the dramatic Oytagh Red Mountain to Baisha Lake, where white sand mountains rise beside the turquoise water.

Continue to Karakul Lake (about 3,600 m), surrounded by the snow-covered peaks of the Pamirs. On clear days, enjoy impressive views of Muztagh Ata (7,546 m) and its reflection in the lake.

Continue through the mountain scenery to Tashkorgan. In the evening, you may try the local yak meat hot pot.

Stay overnight in Tashkorgan.

In the morning, visit the Tashkorgan Stone Fortress, an ancient fortified site that once stood at an important crossroads along the Silk Road through the Pamirs. Explore the ruins and enjoy wide views across the Tashkorgan Valley and surrounding mountains.

Continue through the nearby Golden Grassland, walking along the wetland boardwalks with views of the fortress, grasslands and snowcapped Pamir Mountains.

Afterward, drive back to Kashgar along the Karakoram Highway (about 5–6 hours), enjoying the mountain scenery along the way.

Stay overnight in Kashgar.

Your Lanzhou to Kashgar Silk Road tour comes to an end today. Your driver will transfer you to Kashgar airport or train station for your onward journey.