PreeChina · Route Guide
A sample itinerary from Jiuquan that PreeChina can turn into a tailor-made tour, with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant.
At a Glance
Price
Per person, in US dollars. The price covers the guide, the ground service, and the transport, meals and tickets in the itinerary, and it falls as the group grows. What a price includes and leaves out.
| Travelers | 2 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 20 | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day trip | USD 305 | USD 220 | USD 185 | USD 175 | USD 160 | USD 155 | USD 145 | USD 135 |
Premium hotels and first-class rail raise the price: the selectors on Private Tours show by how much. The final price is confirmed in writing before anything is booked.
Why This Route
Jiayuguan is the western end of the Ming Great Wall. Builders started the fort in 1372, and it nests three layers: an inner city, an outer city and a barbican, with three gate towers set in one line.
Beyond the pass lies the Gobi. Travellers going west called it leaving the pass, the counterpart of entering the pass at Shanhaiguan. A legend says the builders finished with one spare brick.
The Overhanging Great Wall climbs the steep slope of Black Mountain, up to about 45 degrees at its steepest. It looks like Badaling, but the builders used only sand and earth. Wenshushan Grottoes, 15 km from Jiuquan, hold early murals. The Jiuquan city guide covers the starting city.
Itinerary
Wenshushan Grottoes (文殊山石窟). Carved from the Northern Liang dynasty to the Western Xia, with early murals that survive.15 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
Jiayuguan Pass (嘉峪关长城). The western end of the Ming Great Wall, begun in 1372.20 km from the previous stop, straight line
Overhanging Great Wall (悬壁长城景区). A rammed-earth section of the Great Wall that climbs the steep slope of Black Mountain, up to about 45 degrees at its steepest.6 km from the previous stop, straight line
Stops follow distance from central Jiuquan. We do not list clock times here: your private itinerary sets the pace, the order and the start time with you.
Route Map
The yellow marker is central Jiuquan. Numbers 1 to 3 follow the route order. The line joins stops in a straight line and does not follow roads.
Stop by Stop
15 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
Carved from the Northern Liang dynasty to the Western Xia, with early murals that survive.
24 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
The western end of the Ming Great Wall, begun in 1372. Three layers nest together: an inner city, an outer city and a barbican, with three gate towers in one line. Beyond the pass lies the Gobi. Travellers called going west leaving the pass, the counterpart of entering the pass at Shanhaiguan. A legend says the builders finished with one spare brick.
30 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
A rammed-earth section of the Great Wall that climbs the steep slope of Black Mountain, up to about 45 degrees at its steepest. It looks like Badaling, but the builders used only sand and earth.
Distances
| # | Stop | Type | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wenshushan Grottoes | Grottoes | 15 km |
| 2 | Jiayuguan Pass | UNESCO Pass | 24 km |
| 3 | Overhanging Great Wall | Great Wall | 30 km |
Straight-line distances from the centre of Jiuquan. Road distances are longer.
Independent Travel
Arranging these 3 stops yourself keeps the budget lower. It also means booking each one and the transfers between them. Compare a private tour with independent travel, or ask PreeChina to plan it.
Custom Tour
This route is a starting point: 1 day and 3 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.
Questions
The pass sits 24 km from central Jiuquan in a straight line. The road distance is longer.
It is the western end of the Ming Great Wall. Builders started the fort in 1372, and beyond it lies the Gobi.
Travellers going west through Jiayuguan called it leaving the pass, the counterpart of entering the pass at Shanhaiguan.
A rammed-earth section that climbs the steep slope of Black Mountain, up to about 45 degrees at its steepest. It looks like Badaling, but the builders used only sand and earth.
Start from the stop order on this page, then tell us your dates, group size and pace through the contact form. We build the route into a private itinerary with an English-speaking guide and personal assistant from arrival to departure.
Yes. PreeChina plans every trip as a private, custom, tailor-made journey. This route is a starting point, and we adjust the stops, the days and the pace.
Anyone who wants a full day at one place. The route moves between 3 stops, so the visit at each is shorter.
Plan More
Explore More
This route is in Gansu. The province page lists its city guides, themes, museums and other routes.
Related
Tell us when you arrive in Jiuquan, who is travelling and how much time you have. We build the route around your group.
