[Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop] 8-Day 7-Night Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop Travel Guide

When Dunhuang is mentioned, most people envision deserts, gobi, and desolate landscapes, and many ancient poems have given Dunhuang a sense of desolation. Following the ancient Silk Road westward, the magnificent Great Wall, scattered cultural relics, vast historical documents, exquisite grotto art, mysterious unique landscapes... make this ancient road still radiant. Itinerary

Day 1: Arrive in Xining

Day 2: Xining - Heiquan Reservoir - Daban Mountain - Menyuan Rapeseed Fields (July) - Qilian Grassland - Danxiakou Tourism Resort Town - "New Hexi Corridor" - Zhangye

Day 3: Zhangye - Rainbow Danxia - Jiayuguan Fortress - Overhanging Great Wall - Jiayuguan

Day 4: Jiayuguan - Mogao Caves - Dunhuang (Desert Camping)

Day 5: Dunhuang - Yumen Pass - Yadan Devil City - Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring - "See Dunhuang Again" - Dunhuang

Day 6: Dunhuang - Dangjin Mountain - Emerald Lake - Delingha

Day 7: Delingha - Chaka Salt Lake - Qinghai Lake

Day 8: Qinghai Lake - Kumbum Monastery - Xining

This route combines various natural landscapes such as grasslands, Danxia, deserts, gobi, lakes, and snowy mountains, as well as cultural attractions like fortresses, the Great Wall, murals, and butter sculptures, allowing you to fully appreciate the beauty of Northwest China. The entire journey avoids backtracking, with a relaxed and reasonable arrangement to ensure a regret-free trip.

Danxiakou Tourism Resort Town

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Danxiakou Tourism Resort Town is a large-scale tourist resort town integrating local cuisine, themed commerce, folk culture, conferences, boutique guesthouses, and themed performances. The town has a 480-meter-long food street.

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Here you can not only taste traditional Hexi cuisine but also experience the hearty and simple folk customs of Northwesterners. The town, combined with local folk features and the design of Zhang Yimou's exclusive scene designer Hu Zhongquan, has created a folk culture film studio integrating film shooting, folk customs, and Huizhou architectural style.

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In the town, you'll enjoy an all-day, multi-dimensional visual feast and encounter various street performances and themed parades.

Disaster Experience Museum

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(Disaster Emergency Experience Hall, Earthquake Life Experience Hall, Fire Life Experience Hall, and Super Typhoon Life Experience Hall), holographic experience listening room, haunted house, slanting house, maze house, upside-down house, Persian carpet exhibition hall, Hu Ji Tavern, children's carnival... offering you a different travel experience.

Desert Camping in Dunhuang

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When you're reluctant to leave the vast Northwest, have a unique accommodation experience! Arriving at the desert camping base in the heart of the desert, the first thing is to climb up the sand dunes. Everyone can pose for photos, enjoy the sunset, freely sandboard, and experience a desert motorcycle ride. As night falls, enjoy a unique desert picnic and participate in a desert bonfire party. Finally, set up colorful tents with the help of staff, sit outside and count the stars, enjoying the peaceful desert night. Wake up early, climb the dunes to admire the dreamy desert sunrise—it will surely make you linger.

"New Hexi Corridor"

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The large epic drama "New Hexi Corridor" premiered on June 30, 2019. The play begins with Nüwa mending the sky, leaving behind colorful stones that formed the magnificent Danxia landforms. Through four acts, it tells the story of Emperor Yang of Sui's western tour to Zhangye, defeating the Tuyuhun who repeatedly harassed Zhangye, and reopening the Silk Road. Zhangye thus prospered again, with merchants from various countries trading continuously and Eastern and Western cultures merging here. Emperor Yang of Sui, comparable to Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han, established a vast empire. On his western tour, he faced difficulties and obstacles. When the Western Regions heard that the Sui emperor was in Zhangye, they were impressed by his spirit and sent envoys with treasures to pay homage. Emperor Yang held a grand banquet at Yanzhi Mountain with envoys from 27 Western Regions countries.

"See Dunhuang Again"

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The world's first indoor immersive experiential drama "See Dunhuang Again" will reinterpret the mystery and exquisite art of Dunhuang dance and music, reviving and restoring the exquisite and natural Eastern classical beauty of Dunhuang murals, presenting the profound and vast Oriental charm of Dunhuang art on stage after thousands of years. In 90 minutes, "See Dunhuang Again" will take you through the Library Cave of over 1,000 years ago, the Mogao Caves of over 2,000 years ago, the 7,000-kilometer Silk Road, and the vast Dunhuang studies. It selects five typical scenes and six clue figures from Dunhuang's long history and culture, linking the storylines, allowing you to experience the Tang Dynasty warriors' galloping horses, the Song Dynasty lady's dignified grace, the common people's struggles in troubled times, and the comfort and bitterness that Dunhuang studies bring to Chinese feelings. After watching "See Dunhuang Again," you'll feel that every figure in the Mogao Caves murals and statues comes alive, living, existing, lonely, and guarding through history, trying to tell visitors of their past beauty and vibrancy. We seem to see them walking along the ancient Silk Road again, thanking every audience with Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasty ceremonial bows. And the Silk Road, which once connected Asia, Africa, and Europe in trade, continues unbroken after a thousand years, still connecting us with our ancestors, culture, the world, and the enduring Chinese civilization.

Day 1

Arrive in Xining

You can choose to fly or take the train to Xining. Gather in Xining on this day, arriving anytime that day. After arrival, check into the pre-booked hotel.

Day 2

Xining - Heiquan Reservoir - Daban Mountain - Menyuan Rapeseed Fields (July) - Qilian Grassland - Danxiakou Tourism Resort Town - "New Hexi Corridor" - Zhangye

After breakfast, drive via Heiquan Reservoir, cross Daban Mountain, and head to Menyuan. In July, enjoy the vast, golden sea of rapeseed flowers. Then continue along the eastern Qilian Mountains, admire the Qilian Grassland scenery, and arrive at Danxiakou Tourism Resort Town. In the evening, you can watch the performance "New Hexi Corridor" at your own expense.

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop

Day 3

Zhangye - Rainbow Danxia - Jiayuguan Fortress - Overhanging Great Wall - Jiayuguan

After breakfast, visit the Zhangye Danxia Geological Park, the only area combining Danxia landforms and colorful hills. Then drive to Jiayuguan Fortress, the first important pass at the western end of the Ming Great Wall and a key point on the ancient Silk Road. After visiting the fortress, head to the Overhanging Great Wall. After the tour, check into the hotel in Jiayuguan. In the evening, you can go to Jiayuguan Datang Night Market for lamb and beer.

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop

Day 4

Jiayuguan - Mogao Caves - Dunhuang (Desert Camping)

After breakfast, drive and arrive in Dunhuang at noon. After a short rest, visit the Mogao Caves according to the scheduled time. At the Digital Exhibition Center, first watch the themed film "Millennium Mogao" and the dome film "Dreamy Buddha Palace," then take a shuttle bus to the cave area for an on-site visit (8 actual caves and the ruins museum complex). If participating in camping, you will be taken to the designated meeting point, and an experienced guide will lead you to the desert camping base. If not camping, you will be arranged to check into the hotel.

Day 5

Dunhuang - Yumen Pass - Yadan Devil City - Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring - "See Dunhuang Again" - Dunhuang

After breakfast, visit Yumen Pass, the strategic pass on the northern route of the Silk Road to the Western Regions. Then explore the Yadan National Geopark (commonly known as Yadan Devil City). In the evening, drive to the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring scenic area. Inside, you can rent a camel to experience walking on the dunes, try sandboarding, or sit quietly on the dunes waiting for the sunset. In the evening, you can choose to watch the performance "See Dunhuang Again" or visit the Shazhou Night Market.

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop

Day 6

Dunhuang - Dangjin Mountain - Emerald Lake - Delingha

After breakfast, cross Dangjin Mountain at an altitude of 4,200 meters, traverse the vast gobi and endless desert. Along the way, you can see underground forests, Yadan landforms, mirages, and desert whirlwinds. Depending on time and tourist numbers, arrange a visit to Emerald Lake as appropriate. After sunset, arrive in Delingha and check into the hotel.

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop

Day 7

Delingha - Chaka Salt Lake - Qinghai Lake

After breakfast, drive to the "Sky Mirror" Chaka Salt Lake. You can take a small train deep into the lake for sightseeing. Then leave for Qinghai Lake, the largest inland lake in China. Arrive at Erlangjian Scenic Area and check into the hotel. Then you can freely explore the area and enjoy the sunset.

Day 8

Qinghai Lake - Kumbum Monastery - Xining

If the weather is good, you can get up early to watch the sunrise at the lake. After breakfast, leave Erlangjian Scenic Area and head to Kumbum Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism's Gelug sect. Then return to Xining to end the trip.

Qinghai Gansu Grand Loop