PreeChina · Route Guide
A sample itinerary from Jiuquan that PreeChina can turn into a custom 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 hotels, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standard hotels | USD 905 | USD 620 | USD 510 | USD 470 | USD 430 | USD 405 | USD 370 | USD 355 |
| Premium hotels | USD 1,105 | USD 770 | USD 640 | USD 595 | USD 550 | USD 520 | USD 480 | USD 465 |
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
Zhangye Danxia is a landscape of coloured sandstone and conglomerate. Uplift and erosion exposed the layers as bands of colour, and the colours run deepest around sunrise and sunset.
The route starts with the Heihe Wetland, a river wetland in the desert and a stopover for migrating birds. It ends at Mati Temple Grottoes, a set of multi-level caves cut into a red sandstone cliff and known for the vertical cave corridor of the Thirty-three Heavens. Tibetan and Han Buddhism sit together there.
The four stops lie between 120 and 217 km from Jiuquan in a straight line, which is why this route takes two days. The Jiuquan city guide covers the starting city.
Itinerary
Zhangye Heihe Wetland (张掖黑河湿地). A river wetland in the desert and a stopover for migrating birds.120 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
Zhangye Danxia (张掖丹霞地质公园). Coloured sandstone and conglomerate layers.49 km from the previous stop, straight line
Zhangye Ganzhou Old Town (张掖甘州老城·大佛寺周边). The historic area around Giant Buddha Temple in the old town of Ganzhou.36 km from the previous stop, straight line
Mati Temple Grottoes (马蹄寺石窟). Multi-level caves cut into a red sandstone cliff, known for the vertical cave corridor of the Thirty-three Heavens.50 km from the previous stop, straight line
The split into two days is a suggestion. 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. Your tailor-made plan decides where you stay overnight.
Route Map
The yellow marker is central Jiuquan. Numbers 1 to 4 follow the route order. The line joins stops in a straight line and does not follow roads.
Stop by Stop
120 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
A river wetland in the desert and a stopover for migrating birds.
158 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
Coloured sandstone and conglomerate layers. Uplift and erosion exposed them as bands of colour. The colours run deepest around sunrise and sunset.
191 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
The historic area around Giant Buddha Temple in the old town of Ganzhou.
217 km from central Jiuquan, straight line
Multi-level caves cut into a red sandstone cliff, known for the vertical cave corridor of the Thirty-three Heavens. Tibetan and Han Buddhism sit together at the site.
Distances
| # | Stop | Type | Straight line |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Zhangye Heihe Wetland | Wetland | 120 km |
| 2 | Zhangye Danxia | Geopark | 158 km |
| 3 | Zhangye Ganzhou Old Town | Old Town | 191 km |
| 4 | Mati Temple Grottoes | Grottoes | 217 km |
Straight-line distances from the centre of Jiuquan. Road distances are longer.
Independent Travel
Arranging these 4 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: 2 days and 4 stops. PreeChina plans it as a private, tailor-made trip and changes the stops, the days and the pace to your group.
Questions
The geopark sits 158 km from central Jiuquan in a straight line. The road distance is longer.
Around sunrise and sunset, when the banded layers show their deepest colour.
Uplift and erosion exposed coloured sandstone and conglomerate layers as bands of colour.
A set of multi-level caves cut into a red sandstone cliff, known for the vertical cave corridor of the Thirty-three Heavens. Tibetan and Han Buddhism sit together there.
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.
Anyone who can spare only one day. The route is planned over 2 days with 1 night on the road, and it does not shrink well.
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.
