Begin in Beijing with palaces, hutong visits, an acrobatics show and Huanghuacheng’s waterside Great Wall. Fly to Dunhuang for the Mogao Caves, Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake, then follow the Hexi Corridor through Jiayuguan, Zhangye, Jinchang, Wuwei and Lanzhou. Desert art, colourful landforms and the Mars Base experience shape the western stretch. Hangzhou and Suzhou bring lakes and classical gardens before the final transfer to Shanghai, completing a fifteen-day journey across contrasting regions.
What makes this route special
Explore Beijing’s palaces and Huanghuacheng’s waterside Great Wall.
See the Mogao Caves, Crescent Lake and a Dunhuang performance.
Visit Gobi art installations and Jiayuguan Fort.
Explore Zhangye’s Rainbow Mountains and Mati Temple Grottoes.
Travel through Jinchang’s Mars Base and Wuwei to Lanzhou.
Finish with West Lake, Longjing tea country and Suzhou’s gardens.
Your day-by-day itinerary
Arrive in Beijing
Meet your Beijing airport transfer and check in to your hotel.
- Transport
- Beijing airport pickup.
Parks, Dashilar and an acrobatics show
Visit Beihai Park, Olympic Park with the Bird’s Nest and Water Cube, and Dashilar. A Beijing acrobatics show is planned.
Palaces and a hutong home visit
Visit the Forbidden City, take a hutong home visit and continue to Tiananmen Square and the Summer Palace.
Huanghuacheng Great Wall and Summer Palace
Visit Huanghuacheng’s waterside section of the Great Wall and the Summer Palace. The palace appears on both days in the planned schedule.
A free day in Beijing
Spend the day at your own pace in Beijing.
- Free time
- No scheduled sightseeing.
Fly from Beijing to Dunhuang
Fly to Dunhuang, meet your airport transfer and check in to your hotel.
- Transport
- Beijing–Dunhuang flight; Dunhuang airport pickup.
Mogao Caves, dunes and a Dunhuang show
Visit the Mogao Caves, Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. Attend the planned Rhythm of Dunhuang performance.
Gobi art and Jiayuguan Fort
Visit the Son of Earth sculpture and Gobi Sculpture Park, the Infinite City installation and Jiayuguan Fort.
Zhangye’s Rainbow Mountains and grottoes
Visit Zhangye’s Rainbow Mountains, known for their Danxia landforms, and Mati Temple Grottoes.
Jinchang’s Mars Base and onward to Wuwei
Travel from Zhangye to Jinchang for Mars Base 1, then continue to Wuwei.
Wuwei and Lanzhou’s Yellow River landscape
Visit Wuwei’s Han-Tang Heavenly Horse City, then continue to the Yellow River Scenic Line in Lanzhou.
Fly from Lanzhou to Hangzhou
Fly from Lanzhou to Hangzhou to begin the eastern part of the journey.
- Transport
- Lanzhou–Hangzhou flight.
West Lake, Lingyin Temple and Longjing tea
Visit West Lake, Lingyin Temple and a Longjing tea plantation.
Drive to Suzhou’s gardens and gates
Drive to Suzhou for Lingering Garden and Panmen Gate.
- Transport
- Hangzhou–Suzhou road transfer.
Continue to Shanghai and depart
Drive to Shanghai for your airport transfer. The planned departure is from Pudong International Airport Terminal 2; confirm this against your flight.
- Transport
- Suzhou–Shanghai road transfer; Shanghai Pudong airport drop-off.
Payment & cancellation
| Payment due | Share of trip price |
|---|---|
| On trip confirmation | 30% deposit |
| One month before the trip | 70% balance |
| Time before arrival | Cancellation fee |
|---|---|
| More than 45 days | Only costs incurred for flights, cruises and other exceptional services. |
| 45–30 days | 25% |
| 29–16 days | 50% |
| 15–7 days | 80% |
| Less than 7 days | 100% |
| Percentage fees are based on the total trip price. | |
Questions and answers
VISAS
For the latest information on visa procedures, processing times and requirements, please kindly refer to website https://consular.mfa.gov.cn/VISA/
INSURANCE
We will arrange essential insurance coverage for your trip to Mainland China. Meanwhile, we strongly recommend you purchase separate comprehensive travel insurance to cover trip cancellation, medical expenses, luggage loss, repatriation and other associated additional costs. As a minimum requirement, the insurance policy must include medical coverage, which including medical evacuation and repatriation. For this part, you are free to select your preferred insurance provider.
PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
If you are traveling during a Chinese public holiday, please note that while tourist attractions remain open, they may be crowded with domestic visitors. Festivities often span several days, during which some businesses may close, and coach, air, and train services could be impacted. The major Golden Week holidays occur annually around 1 to 5 May and 1 to 7 October.
ACCOMMODATION
Your accommodation is chosen for its convenience, comfort, or character. Hotels are generally of a four-star standard in major cities. Please note, there is no international classification system, so facilities and quality may differ from those in your home country.
LUGGAGE
Each traveller is permitted a maximum of two pieces of luggage: one suitcase with a maximum weight of 20kg and one piece of hand luggage with a maximum weight of 5kg. This requirement applies to domestic trains and flights. We recommend packing only what you can carry independently, as you will be responsible for handling your luggage on and off trains or air-checked. Please note: If your luggage exceed the limits, kindly inform your travel designer in advance, and we will arrange a suitable vehicle for you.
TRAVEL MONEY IN CHINA
We recommend having access to multiple sources of money while traveling. A combination of payment methods, including mobile payment apps, cash, and cards, will offer the most security and flexibility. Mobile payment apps like WeChat and Alipay are often more widely accepted than international cards or cash in China. You will need an internet connection when in China to use the apps.
