Silk Road Photography Tour
Zhangye has become a new star destination for photography in recent years, with people traveling there from all over the world to see its marvelous landscapes and colors. In this photography tour, you will have sufficient time to take photos of the Rainbow Mountains, rocky landscapes, desert wonders, and cultural relics.
Highlights
- Take photos of the Rainbow Mountains, one of world's 25 dream travel destinations as described by many well-known websites.
- Grasp the opportunity to see the Mogao Caves, which might disappear in 50 years.
- Witness the desert wonder — Crescent Moon Spring — and shoot the desert sunset.
- Visit the unique Devil City to capture the shapes and shadows of the Yadan landforms.
- Take photos on the Rainbow Mountains, one of world's 25 dream travel destinations by many well-known websites in the world in 2015.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Perfect 2-Day Xi’an Experience
We arrived in Xi’an in the evening, checked in, and went straight to see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda — beautiful lit up at night — and finished the day with amazing biangbiang noodles for dinner. Day 1: The Terracotta Warriors were the highlight — so impressive and very well organized, even with tens of thousands of other visitors! In the evening we did some relaxed shopping in the city (the girls even got their nails done) and enjoyed the local vibe. Day 2: We started with a tasty dumpling course, then explored the Muslim Quarter and the peaceful Great Mosque, with time for street food and souvenirs. In the afternoon we took the train to Chengdu — everything went smoothly. Perfect transfers, delicious food, so much history and culture — and a good, smooth driver and perfect guide, the twin Lins, made it all easy and fun. Xi’an is absolutely worth it — highly recommend! more
Jul 2025, Cyrill R
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Wonderful Days in Xi'an, Modern City with a long and fascinating History
Jenny from ChinaHighlights showed us, among many other sites, the TerracottaArmy, Citywall, Muslim Quarter, WildGoosePagoda and even local markets and tea houses. We enjoyed our visit to Xi'An very much. One of the Highlights was the light-ride to see the city by night. She was not only funny and charming but can solve any problem and knows her Hometown Xi'An and its history very well. more
Jul 2025, GregorL110
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Zwei Abenteuerinnen in Xi'an
Gemeinsam mit Jenny Yang habe ich drei Tage die wundersch?ne Stadt Xi'an erkundet und bin mit tollen Entdeckungen weitergefahren. Jenny's Wissen der historischen und aktuellen Bedeutung der Region für deren Entwicklung hat mich begeistert. Temperamentvoll und engagiert lie? sie mich auch am authentischen Leben in der Stadt teilnehmen, dadurch hatte ich wundervolle Begegnungen mit interessanten Menschen. Meine Ispiration Xi'an nochmals zu besuchen und wieder mit Jenny Yang Neues zu entdecken, habe ich mit nach Hause genommen. Mein Programm waren, Die gro?e Wildganspagode, die Terrakotta Armee, das muslimische Vietel, die Stadtmauer, die Dynastie Show und viele kleine Begegnungen haben mir bleibende Erinnerungen geschenkt, dafür herzlich Dank Barbara more
Jun 2025, Barbara G
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Suggested Itinerary
When you arrive in Zhangye, your private tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport/ train station. A comfortable vehicle will be ready to transfer you to your hotel.
Hotel options:
Tianyu International Hotel (4-star)
Zhangye Hotel (5-star)
breakfast and lunch
After breakfast, start your photography tour at the most popular site — the Rainbow Mountains. As the name suggests, the Rainbow Mountains have several belts of color. It looks as though colors have been spilled over the mountains, hence its nickname: 'Color Palette Overturned by God'.
You will spend the whole day there so try different angles at different times of the day. In the morning, the weather is cool and the coloring tends to be blue, whereas in the afternoon the coloring tends to be red under the sun.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
If you like, you can stay in the Rainbow Mountains area from the time it opens until the time it closes (7am–6pm in summer, 7:30am–5pm in winter). If you don't get satisfactory photos while you're there, you can add another day!
Danxia National Geological Parkbreakfast, lunch and dinner
People go to the Rainbow Mountains for their colors and visit Binggou Danxia Landforms area for its rock formations. You will spend the whole day in the Binggou Danxia Landforms area, which is also part of Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park. Different from the colorful Rainbow Mountains, the Binggou Danxia Landforms display more normal colors but more peculiar shapes.
After you have seen the landforms, you will be driven back to the city to enjoy a local dinner.
Afterward, your guide and driver will take you to the station for your train to Dunhuang. You Dunhuang guide will pick you up at the train station and send you to the hotel.
Hotel options:
Dunhuang Hotel (4-star)
The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel (5-star)
Optional evening ideas:
Ganzhou Market is the busiest place in the evening in Zhangye. You can enjoy trying various types of local food there. People love to gather there to enjoy barbecues, sweetmeats, noodles, and beer.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
We know that photography needs suitable weather. If the weather is poor, we can help you to revise the itinerary at the last minute.
Danxia Landformsbreakfast & lunch
Your Dunhuang tour guide will be waiting for you at the train station, ready to transfer you to your hotel.
After breakfast in your hotel, you will visit the Mogao Caves , which were built at the edge of the desert between the 4th and 14th centuries. Although you can't take photos in the caves, it's good to have the opportunity to see the original items inside them, and you will have the chance to take photos of murals in another location the following day.
After lunch, go to the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring . Climb to the top of a sand dune to enjoy the marvelous spectacle of the crescent moon-shaped spring lying in the desert. Ride a camel in the desert and imagine how caravans crossed the desert over 1,000 years ago. You can also take photos of a desert sunset.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
The ticket for the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring allows for a second entry into the area. Therefore, if you want to, you can go back to this site again the following day.
Mogao Cavesbreakfast & lunch
In the morning, you will visit Dunhuang Museum, where you can take photos of exquisite murals copied from those in the Mogao Caves.
After lunch, you will be driven to Devil City — Yadan National Geological Park. Devil City is famous for its nighttime sounds and vivid rocks in various shapes that look like animals or world-famous attractions. If you want to, you can stay there until sunset.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
The sunset in the Devil City is highly recommended, witness the sun going down above the vast Gobi Desert, you might feel like you are on another planet.
When you are in the Devil City, you can rent a jeep instead of the official shuttle bus, which will give you more flexibility to explore the corners.
Yadan National Geological Parkbreakfast
Your guide and driver will take you to the airport to catch your flight and will make sure that your check-in goes smoothly.
Trip Notes
Transportation to and from Zhangye and Dunhuang
Domestic airlines and trains can access Zhangye and Dunhuang easily. There are daily flights between Zhangye/Dunhuang and the main cities in China, such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Lanzhou. Please tell us your previous/next destination, and we will help you to arrange the transportation.
Overnight Train
This tour includes an overnight train experience. We have arranged a deluxe soft sleeper for you, which means you will have a private compartment with a door and two soft sleepers (bunks) in it. The bunks are each equipped with a pillow and a blanket. All the bedding is clean and sterilized.
If you are traveling in a group with more than two people, we can also arrange normal soft sleepers for you. This is a compartment with four soft sleepers (bunks) to make sure that your group is in one compartment.
Tour Price
Price includes: