A 10-day Silk Road trip can cover most of the highlights along China's Silk Road. But how to make the most of your 10 days might be a difficult task. In this article, we provide four itinerary ideas covering the best parts of China's Silk Road for mainstream/cultural/natural/photography interests as possible starting points for your Silk Road journey.
Content Preview
- 10-Day China Classical Silk Road Tour
- 10-Day Ethnic Minority and Tibetan Culture Exploration Tour
- 10-Day Miraculous Qinghai and Legendary Silk Road Tour
- 10-Day Silk Road with Ejina Qi Photography Tour
- How Much Is a 10-Day Trip on the Silk Road?
The main tourist destinations along China's Silk RoadItinerary 1) 10-Day China Classical Silk Road Tour
Are you a lover of China's Silk Road culture? If so, this itinerary is designed for you! From east to west, delve into the important cities on China's ancient Silk Road to get an in-depth understanding of its history and culture with this 10-day journey.
- Days 1–3: Xi'an
- Day 4: Zhangye
- Days 5–7: Dunhuang and Jiayuguan
- Day 8: Turpan
- Days 9–10: Urumqi
Han Chinese Clothing and Customs Experience for Couples in Xi'anDuring the first stage of the trip, you would spend about 1 week on Xi'an, Zhangye, and Dunhuang. Deeply explore the culture of China's Silk Road, with precious human heritage and wonders of nature. Highlights include the Terracotta Army in Xi'an, Mogao Caves in Dunhuang, and Rainbow Mountains of Zhangye.
The second stage of the trip moves on to exotic Xinjiang. Xinjiang holds an important section of routes on the ancient Silk Road. Explore cultural relics of the Silk Road and experience exotic Uighur charm in Turpan and Urumqi.
This well-planned itinerary is for your inspiration. Let us know your interests and we'll tailor-make a tour uniquely suited to you.
Itinerary 2) 10-Day Ethnic Minority and Tibetan Culture Exploration Tour
This itinerary offers a diverse exploration of China's Silk Road. There are many ethnic minorities living along the Silk Road, and they live in harmony even despite their different customs, cultures, and languages. With this itinerary, you would explore the differences of Hui, Tibetan, and Uyghur cultures.
- Days 1–2: Lanzhou
- Days 3: Xiahe
- Days 4–5: Zhangye
- Day 6–7: Dunhuang
- Day 8: Turpan
- Day 9–10: Urumqi
Labrang MonasteryXiahe is located in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, and it is famous for having a similar feel to Tibet. Labrang Monastery in Xiahe is the biggest Tibetan Monastery in Gansu Province, and you would have the opportunity to chat with a monk there, which would allow you to make a personal exploration of Tibetan Buddhist culture.
Gannan has vast grassland scenery and plateau landscapes, which are different from the scenery of Gobi and Danxia desert landforms in the northwest of Gansu Province. The special upland topography gives Gannan cold-to-mild weather in summer (from June to August), so Gannan is an ideal summer destination for escaping China's heat.
The carefully-crafted itinerary above is just for your inspiration. Contact us for a personalized journey.
Itinerary 3) 10-Day Miraculous Qinghai and Legendary Silk Road Tour
This itinerary includes Qinghai and Gansu, which were two important regions in China's Silk Road, extending trade onto the Tibetan Plateau. Qinghai is famous for high plateau lakes, while Gansu features Gobi Desert landscapes, Danxia landforms, and Buddhist grottoes.
- Days 1–2: Xining
- Days 3–5: Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake
- Days 6–7: Zhangye
- Days 8–10: Dunhuang
Qinghai Lake and Chaka Salt Lake are the most famous tourist attractions in Qinghai Province. Qinghai Lake is the largest lake in China and routinely on "Most Beautiful Lakes in China" lists. Every summer, the lake is decorated with golden clothing, as thousands of rape flowers spread from the shores of Qinghai Lake. So, summer is its most beautiful season.
Chaka Lake is famous for its crystal-blue water, covered with a thick crust of salt, which reflects the world around: the blue sky, white clouds, and green mountains — all making up some amazing salt flat scenery.
Chaka Lake The itinerary above is a suggestion for those who want to see both Tibetan-plateau and desert-corridor scenery and cultures. Please feel free to contact us for a worry-free private travel experience that's tailored to your interests.
Itinerary 4) 10-Day Silk Road with Ejina Qi Photography Tour
This itinerary is recommended in autumn when the splendid golden poplar forests scenery draws photography enthusiasts.
In addition to the must-see cultural sites along China's Silk Road, two highlights are highly recommended for photographers: Zhangye with its colorful Danxia mountains and Ejina's golden poplar forest.
- Days 1–2: Zhangye
- Days 3–4: Ejina Qi
- Days 5–7: Dunhuang and Jiayuguan
- Day 8: Turpan
- Day 9–10: Urumqi
Ejina Qi is located in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is famous for its scenery of charming and endless poplar forests. Usually the poplar trees' leaves take on their golden yellow color from mid-September to late October, when there is a fairytale world of stillness — stark-desert twisted poplars and mirror-like blue lakes!
Above itinerary is just for your inspiration. Contact us to start your worry-free trip design and travel experience.
Insider tip: The temperature rise and fall between morning and evening is large throughout the northwest China, so warm clothing is needed even when traveling in the summer (from June to August).
How Much Is a 10-Day Trip on the Silk Road?
The more people traveling in your group, the cheaper the price. For a private tour based on two travelers and 4–5-star hotels, the travel cost is US$300–400 per person per day. So, the whole trip would be from around US$3,000 each.
Read more information about China Silk Road trip cost.
Our private tour prices include domestic airfares and/or bullet trains, accommodation, entrance fees, tour guides, and transfers.
Early booking for transport, accommodation, and tours could result in savings. For peak vacation times, such as Christmas and New Year, make your reservations at least 3 months in advance to avoid disappointment. Contact us for a tailor-made private tour that makes the most of your travel opportunities.
More itinerary insperations: