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Best Things to Do
Top 10 Best Things to Do in Zhangye [2025]
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Zhangye Colorful Danxia Scenic Spot
4.7
/5
29158 reviews
8.7
From £9.65
Based on 321 reviews
32.2 km from downtown
Phone +8609365623666
Address: BuildingNo.8, Danxia Road,Linze County, Zhangye City
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-5 hours
No.1 of Night Attractions in Zhangye
Highlights:
World Geopark-level Colorful Zhangye Danxia landform
Danxia landform's seven scenic wonders
Saved by 1058 users23421 positive reviews
Verified user reviews
After seeing so many pictures online, seeing it in person was a bit of a letdown. Some of the mountains were very pale, and there was quite a climb, so once you got to the top you were essentially looking at the same view from a different angle. There wasn't much to do in the area besides enjoying the scenery, and the sun was still very strong at 4 p.m.
The beauty of the Colorful Danxia is beyond words. Under the sunlight, the rocks on the mountain become colorful, some striped, some taro-colored, truly breathtaking. The scenic bus in the scenic area will take passengers to different viewing platforms. Personally, I think the fourth viewing platform is the most beautiful and the most popular.
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Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon
4.7
/5
2697 reviews
7.6
From £13.49
Based on 28 reviews
36.7 km from downtown
Phone +8609368830066
Address: Pingshanhu Township Government, Ganzhou District, Zhangye City
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-5 hours
No.1 of Family-Friendly Attractions in Zhangye
Highlights:
Panoramic view of stunning canyon
2.5-mile glass walkway overlooks canyon
Saved by 207 users2075 positive reviews
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I highly recommend this scenic spot! Come early to experience the deserted Grand Canyon! The narrow strip of sky is fascinating! The camel ride is just for the experience; it's not too hot and much more comfortable than the Mingsha Mountain tour. The wilderness vehicle ride was a bit bumpy. The experience is what matters. The scenic spot seems to have an artificial intelligence climbing platform; we only saw a sign advertising the machine when we reached the end.
The scenery is really amazing, and drones are allowed to fly. However, for people who are not physically fit, an in-depth tour is still necessary. It is recommended that the scenic area should not be so rigid when returning without climbing the One-Line Sky and Lingzhi Valley. Tourists are not allowed to ride camels on the return trip even if they pay. Tourists must walk more than a kilometer back to the camel starting point to take a bus, which is not very friendly to the elderly with poor legs and feet.
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Zhangye Buddha Temple
4.7
/5
3894 reviews
7.3
From £3.95
Based on 136 reviews
Dafo Temple | 757m from downtown
Phone +8609368222048
Address: Dafosi Pedestrian Street, Ganzhou District, Zhangye City
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 hours
Highlights:
Majestic & sacred winter snow景。
Buddha statues & cave carvings
Saved by 102 users2867 positive reviews
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It's a great place to visit when you have free time. It's famous for its reclining Buddha statue. While the palace's architecture is in disrepair, it still retains its unique character.
It's very quiet. There are also many delicious restaurants nearby. It's a good idea to visit before dinner.
The fame of Zhangye Grand Buddha Temple lies in the thousand-year-old (built in the early Western Xia Dynasty) resting place of the three-meter reclining Buddha (the Buddha's body is 34.5 meters long), immersed in the ink fragrance of tens of thousands of Buddhist scriptures (more than 6,000 volumes of "The Great Ming Tripitaka Northern Collection"), condensed in the mottled colors of ancient walls, and even blended into the years of interweaving of the flying eaves of the temples and the chanting of Buddhist scriptures - every place is its mark on the world.
No.
4
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Mati Grottoes Tourism Area
4.6
/5
2066 reviews
7.3
From £5.40
Based on 49 reviews
49.2 km from downtown
Phone +8609368891646
Address: Dadu Ma Town, Sunan County, Zhangye City
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
No.2 of Fall Viewing Attractions in Zhangye
Highlights:
360° glass deck overlooking mountains
Qilian Mountains & Hexi Corridor
Saved by 107 users1303 positive reviews
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A scenic spot that perfectly blends natural beauty and cultural history! It's home to the ancient Linsong Xie Valley! We climbed the Beisi Grottoes, walked the plank roads, picked mushrooms, and even rode horses to see a waterfall!
The scenery here is superb, but the open grottoes (Golden Pagoda Temple and Special Grottoes are not open to the public) no longer exist. They are all later statues. It is painful and sad to see them. I can only imagine the scriptures of that time by relying on the shrines. The regret is beyond words. Fortunately, the weather was good and the rain quickly cleared up. The rainbow, snow-capped mountains, green grass and the beautiful Lama Temple made people feel much more relaxed.
No.
5
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Binggou Danxia
4.6
/5
1041 reviews
6.1
Based on 22 reviews
47.8 km from downtown
Phone +8609366280019
Address: Zhangye Sunan Yugu Autonomous County Kangle Township
Recommended sightseeing time: 3-4 hours
Highlights:
Cable car to scenic viewpoint
World-class geographic & natural wonders
Saved by 103 users562 positive reviews
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Aside from the inconvenience of transportation, the value for money was excellent. We were even allowed in even though it was a little after the latest entry time.
This area is part of the same National Forest Park as the Colorful Danxia, but they have different landforms. The Colorful Danxia is actually a series of multicolored hills, while this area is a genuine Danxia landform ("red castle in the desert").
The bus runs every 15 minutes between the entrance and each viewpoint, making it quite convenient.
Although there are few tourists visiting this attraction, the service quality of the attraction has not been reduced. The sightseeing bus departs on time and picks up people on time. The air conditioning is also turned on very well. The mountains in the attraction are spectacular. Very good.
No.
6
Shandan Army Horse Breeding Farm
4.2
/5
234 reviews
6.1
From £6.75
>100 km from downtown
Phone +8609362881818
Address: Shandan County, Zhangye City
Recommended sightseeing time: 1-2 days
No.2 of Family-Friendly Attractions in Zhangye
108 positive reviewsRecently viewed by 1,000+ people
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The environment here is really good. It is more vast and comfortable than the Qilian Mountain Prairie.
Driving in is the Qilian Mountain National Park. I got up the next day and had breakfast and went horseback riding. It was a satisfying trip.
The hotel owner was very nice. He upgraded our room. We stayed on the second floor. We hadn't arranged for customers on the second floor yet. Our family stayed very quietly.
When we left, we were given a bottle of honey🍯, which made us very happy.
It was very comfortable to stay here.
Maybe it's because I love history very much. When I traveled to Gansu, I specifically searched for Shandan Military Horse Farm.
When you know that Shandan Military Horse Farm is one of the largest and oldest military horse bases in the world, it was once the royal horse farm established by Huo Qubing in the Western Han Dynasty to fight against the Xiongnu. It has continued the horse-raising tradition of more than 2,000 years. Today, it still retains the magnificent grassland scenery and unique military horse culture. When you yearn for it in your heart, it is not only out of love for natural beauty, but more of a historical sentiment.
In 121 BC, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty sent Huo Qubing to the west to fight against the Xiongnu. He established an official horse farm here to breed war horses, laying the foundation for an important source of ancient Chinese military horses. It was a royal horse farm in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. At its peak, the number of horses in stock exceeded 100,000. Now it is a state-owned ranch with both animal husbandry and tourism functions, and is known as the "Emerald of the Silk Road".
Shandan Military Horse Farm is a perfect fusion of history and nature. Whether it is to pursue the relics of the Silk Road or yearn for the freedom of the grassland, it can make people linger here.
No.
7
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Bars Snow Mountain
4.2
/5
62 reviews
5.9
89.7 km from downtown
Phone +8615293600085
Address: Xichahe Village, Dahe Township, Sunan Yugu Autonomous County, Zhangye City
Recommended sightseeing time: 0.5-1 day
Highlights:
Majestic & grand at 16,790 ft
Snow-capped peaks up close
55% positive reviewsRecently viewed by 1,000+ people
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The scenic spot is still under renovation and excavation, so there are relatively few people. Parking is very convenient, and you can take the scenic bus to go along the mountain road. The driver is very good. The price of the glass house rest area is also moderate, and hot water is always provided. The weather on the top of the mountain is changeable. We are very lucky. We saw sunny days and clouds. The marmot is really super big hahaha
There was no snow when we went there, so it wasn't very fun, but there wasn't much point in going there either. Once you get on the bus, there's not much distance you can walk on your own. There's no paved road behind, so it's inconvenient and dangerous to walk.
No.
8
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Zhangye Alien Valley Scenic Area
4.6
/5
101 reviews
5.8
From £10.38
45.4 km from downtown
Phone +8609365928181
Address: 甘肃省张掖市肃南裕固族自治县白银村60正东方向190米
Recommended sightseeing time: 2-3 hours
Highlights:
Guided stargazing tours in season
360° panoramic alien valley view
60% positive reviewsRecently viewed by 1,000+ people
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This fun attraction is surprisingly ranked #8 on Ctrip. I think second or third is a no-brainer! It's a must-do on a road trip! Few people, beautiful scenery, and quiet. Take as many photos as you want. Plus, you can fly a drone! A truly amazing view!
1. Core attraction: the perfect combination of rare landforms and interstellar themes
1. The concentrated presentation of geological wonders. Alien Valley is an important part of Zhangye World Geopark, covering multiple landforms such as Danxia, rock pillars, canyons, stone forests, snow-capped mountains, and hills. Many of the rock formations have rare "Morandi colors" or mixed tones (such as white, pink, and red interweaving), which are also scarce resources in the country.
2. Strong themed experience design: The scenic area is divided into areas such as "Mars Valley", "Mercury Valley", and "Jupiter Valley". Combined with the vast and desolate surface morphology, it can indeed bring an immersive feeling of "interstellar travel". Many tourists come here specifically to take pictures of the sunset and the starry sky🌌, and some even bring their own space suit props to enhance this alien atmosphere.
3. Key attractions not to be missed: Among the currently open "Jupiter Valley", "Ten Thousand Buddha Mountain" (rock peaks look like ten thousand Buddhas sitting in meditation), "Heavenly Book Gorge" (rock walls are embedded with mineral patterns like scriptures), "Colorful Welcoming Guest Mountain" and other attractions are repeatedly mentioned, especially "One Pillar Supporting the Sky" and "Prayer Wheel" and other micro landscapes need to pay attention to details to appreciate their beauty.
2. Tourist experience: primitive and mysterious coexistence
1. Few people and wild scenery, suitable for in-depth exploration: Due to its late development (gradually open after 2020), compared with popular places such as Zhangye Colorful Danxia, Alien Valley has fewer tourists and can get a "private" experience. Many tourists describe it as "primitive, wild, and adventurous", and self-driving in the canyon without signal coverage is particularly exciting.
2. A favorite place for photography and self-driving enthusiasts, the gravel road conditions are a little challenging for ordinary cars, but those who love off-road think this is the fun. The sense of lines and light and shadow layers of the landform are particularly suitable for filming, especially the desolate feeling of the canyon under the sunset is highly praised.
3. Extension of cultural connotation: Attractions such as "World Granary" and "Tianshu Gorge" incorporate Tibetan and Mongolian cultural symbols, endow natural landscapes with humanistic narratives, and increase the depth of exploration.
III. Current shortcomings: supporting facilities and accessibility need to be improved
1. Limited open areas, self-driving required for sightseeing: Currently, only Jupiter Valley is officially open, and other scenic spots (Mars Valley and Mercury Valley) have not yet been built. In addition, the distance between scenic spots is large, and there is no public transportation connection. You must drive or charter a car to enter. Some sections of the road are bumpy and there is no mobile phone signal, so you need to download offline maps in advance.
2. Service facilities are relatively simple: The functions of the visitor center are basic, and the supporting facilities such as catering, accommodation, and toilets are not yet complete. It is more suitable for a one-day tour with self-supplied supplies.
3. The cost and time investment of the tour are high: Although the ticket is not expensive (about 100 yuan), it needs to be combined with the cost of chartering/renting a car; a detailed tour takes 3-4 hours, and it is easy to miss the essence if you rush to see the flowers.
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