The Silk Road: Xi’an, Zhangye and Dunhuang in 8 days
Xi'an · Zhangye · Dunhuang
Photo: N509FZ · CC BY-SA 4.0
8Days
3Cities
May–Jun, Sep–OctBest time
From the old capital to the desert: rainbow mountains, Buddhist cave art and sand dunes around an oasis lake.
Moderate pace
The route
- High-speed train · about 5–6 hVia Lanzhou. Some trips need a change there.
- Train · about 4.5–6 hTrains to Dunhuang station are limited; book early or fly.
Journey times are typical. Check 12306 or Trip.com for trains on your date.
Day by day
- Day 1Xi'an
Arrive. City Wall by bike, Muslim Quarter dinner.
- Day 2Xi'an
Terracotta Army; Shaanxi History Museum if you won a ticket.
- Day 3Zhangye
Train to Zhangye. Giant Buddha Temple in town.
- Day 4Zhangye
Danxia rainbow mountains in the late afternoon light.
- Day 5Dunhuang
Train to Dunhuang. Night market in town.
- Day 6Dunhuang
Mogao Caves. Book the timed ticket well ahead; daily numbers are capped.
- Day 7Dunhuang
Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Lake at sunset, camel ride optional.
- Day 8Dunhuang
Fly out from Dunhuang.
Book before you go
- Terracotta Army Booking requiredReal-name tickets with your passport on the official site bmy.com.cn, its WeChat account, or Trip.com. Timed entry; book several days ahead in summer and holidays.
- Shaanxi History Museum Booking requiredFree timed booking only through the museum’s official WeChat account, released 5 days ahead at 17:00. Slots go in seconds; many foreign visitors fail to get one. Paid guided tours through agencies are the fallback, and the museum’s Qin-Han branch lets passport holders in without booking.
- Xi’an City Wall Booking recommendedBuy online (official WeChat, Trip.com) or at the gate with your passport.
Similar routes
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → ShanghaiFirst trip classic: Beijing, Xi’an and Shanghai in 10 daysThe Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Terracotta Army and the Bund, linked by fast trains. The route most first-timers should start with.
Good first tripBeijing → Xi'an → Chengdu → Guilin → ShanghaiChina highlights in 12 days: palaces, pandas and karst peaksThe classic five: Beijing, Xi’an, Chengdu, Guilin and Shanghai. Busy but doable with trains and two short flights.
Beijing → Datong → Pingyao → Xi'anAncient China: Beijing, Datong, Pingyao and Xi’an in 10 daysBuddhist grottoes, a temple hanging on a cliff, a walled Ming town and the Terracotta Army, for history lovers.