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May Day Reverse Tour | The most comprehensive guide to Dunhuang for 6 days from Xi'an

|The most comprehensive guide to a 6-day trip to Dunhuang from Xi'an. 🚩General route: Xi'an→🚝Zhangye (D1)→🚗Jiayuguan (D2)→🚗Guazhou (D3)→🚗Dunhuang (D4-5)→🚝Xi'an (D6) 🟩DAY1: Xi'an - Zhangye - Dafo Temple - Zhangye 🔸In the morning, take Xi'an to Zhangye West, and arrive in about 6 hours. 🔸Afternoon: Visit the Big Buddha Temple (about 2 hours). The 34.5-meter reclining Buddha in the Xixia Buddhist complex is a must-see. It must be explained! ! ‌ 🔸‌Evening‌: If you live in downtown Zhangye, you can go to Ganzhou Market or Drum Tower to taste fish noodles, fried cannonballs, etc. ———————— 🟩DAY2: Zhangye-Mati Temple-Colorful Danxia-Jiayuguan 🔸Drive along Zhangsu Highway and arrive at Mati Temple before 9 am. Tour route three is more cost-effective, including the first gate ticket, and visiting Thousand Buddha Caves - Special Cave - North Temple in sequence. 🔸At noon, taste the special food of Yugu people near Mati Temple, such as fat-wrapped liver, hand-pulled lamb, fried firecrackers, butter tea and fried noodles, etc. 🔸Depart for Danxia before 13:00. The colorful Danxia is known as "one of the seven most beautiful Danxia landforms in China." It is recommended to enter the park after 16:00, enter from the west entrance, and focus on visiting the No. 2 (Colorful Screen) and No. 4 Observation Deck (best for sunset). Wear bright-colored clothes (red/yellow) for better photos; 🔸 Leave after 20:30 and go to Jiayuguan to check in; recommend "Yanjing BBQ" (local time-honored brand, yellow noodles + BBQ), hand-pulled lamb can choose "Zhou Ji" or "Axia" ———————— 🟩‌D3: Jiayuguan→Jiayuguan Pass→The First Tower of the Great Wall→Guazhou‌ 🔸In the morning, head to Jiayuguan Pass: the western starting point of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty, known as "the most majestic pass in the world". After the Guancheng was renovated, it was very photogenic to take photos here. 🔸At noon, visit the first tower of the Great Wall (about 1 hour) 🔸Depart for Guazhou at 14:00 (3 hours’ drive), where you can enjoy the Gobi scenery from afar; stay in Guazhou County. You can try the donkey meat yellow noodles. ———————— 🟩D4: Guazhou → Son of the Earth → Yadan Ghost City → Dunhuang 🔸Morning: 8:00 Visit the "Son of the Earth" sculpture (free, 0.5 hours) 🔸‌Noon‌: Drive to Dunhuang (2 hours), and make a brief stop at the Suoyang City Ruins. 🔸Afternoon: After arriving in Dunhuang at 14:00, head to Yadan Ghost City (Dunhuang West Line, 2h drive) and enter 2 hours before sunset. 🔸Then return to Dunhuang city to check in. Go to Shazhou Night Market to taste donkey meat yellow noodles, mutton stewed cakes, stuffed skin and other delicacies. ———————— 🟩D5: Dunhuang → Mogao Grottoes → Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake 🔸Morning: Mogao Grottoes (normal tickets must be booked 30 days in advance). It is recommended to choose the 8:00 show, watch the movie first and then visit the caves. You can choose to visit the special caves by yourself. 🔸Afternoon: Enter Mingsha Mountain after 16:00 to avoid the high temperature period; ride a camel to Crescent Lake (about 1 hour), and climb to the top of the sand mountain to watch the sunset. Overnight in Dunhuang. ———————— 🟩D6: Dunhuang 🚝Xi'an If you still have time, you can buy cultural and creative souvenirs or visit the Dunhuang Museum (free). Then return.
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Posted: Apr 11, 2025
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Mogao Caves

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