21-Day Silk Road & Grand China Tour
Beijing · Xi'an · Gansu · Chengdu · Zhangjiajie · Guilin · Shanghai — three weeks. Start in the capital, follow the Silk Road west into the desert, then come back through Sichuan and the south, finishing in Shanghai. Tour code: SR-21.
Suggested itinerary at a glance
| Days 1–3 | Beijing — Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, Great Wall at Mutianyu, hutongs |
|---|---|
| Days 4–5 | Xi'an — Terracotta Warriors, Ming city wall, Muslim Quarter |
| Days 6–10 | Gansu — the Silk Road — Lanzhou and the Yellow River, Zhangye's Danxia hills, Jiayuguan Fort, then Dunhuang: Mogao Caves, the singing dunes and Crescent Lake |
| Days 11–13 | Chengdu — pandas at opening time, teahouses, hotpot, optional Leshan Giant Buddha |
| Days 14–16 | Zhangjiajie — Avatar pillars, Bailong Elevator, Tianmen Mountain |
| Days 17–19 | Guilin & Yangshuo — Li River cruise, Yulong River raft, countryside cycling |
| Days 20–21 | Shanghai — the Bund, Yu Garden, French Concession, depart |
Why 21 days changes the trip
Fourteen days covers the famous sights well. What it doesn't leave room for is the west. The Silk Road section is the difference: five days moving town to town along the Hexi Corridor, the way caravans did, with the landscape getting drier and emptier as you go — until Dunhuang, where the caves and the dunes are waiting at the edge of the Gobi.
Tour highlights
Mogao Caves, booked properly
Timed tickets are capped and sell out in busy months, so we reserve them early as part of the plan. Nearly 500 caves of murals and painted statues, with a guide who knows which ones to linger in.
Sunset on the dunes
Mingsha Shan late in the day — camel trek, sand sledding if you want it, then the ridges turning gold above Crescent Lake.
Zhangye's rainbow hills
The Danxia landforms on the way through Gansu: banded red, orange and yellow hills that look best after rain or in low evening light.
Still ending properly
The south and Shanghai are not squeezed to make room. You still get the Li River at raft pace and a last evening on the Bund.
Day-by-day itinerary
This is a sample itinerary, so you can see what each day actually looks like — the scenery, the meals and where you sleep. On a private trip the order and pace are adjusted to your dates; your confirmed day-by-day plan, with named hotels, comes with your quote. Small-group departures follow this route.
- Day 1
Arrive in Beijing
Airport pickup, hotel check-in, and an evening to land gently — a stroll near the hotel and an early night before the sightseeing starts.
- Day 2
Forbidden City & hutongs
Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City in the morning — golden roofs, red walls and 600 years of emperors. Hutong lanes and a courtyard-home visit in the afternoon.
- Day 3
Temple of Heaven & the Great Wall
Tai-chi hour at the Temple of Heaven, then out to Mutianyu for the Wall's watchtowers and ridge lines. Peking duck back in the city.
- Day 4
High-speed train to Xi'an
Bullet train west (about 4.5 hours) — the Silk Road starts here. Sunset on the Ming city wall and a first taste of the Muslim Quarter.
- Day 5
Terracotta Warriors
The Warriors with time in the smaller pits, where restoration happens in front of you. Evening grazing through the Muslim Quarter — lamb skewers, biangbiang noodles, pomegranate juice.
- Day 6
Train west to Lanzhou
Along the corridor to Lanzhou, Gansu's capital on the Yellow River. The riverfront in the afternoon — the Mother River sculpture, the old iron bridge — and a bowl of the original beef noodles where they were invented.
- Day 7
Zhangye & the Danxia hills
West along the Hexi Corridor to Zhangye. The Danxia landforms in the late afternoon, when low light sets the banded red, orange and yellow ridges glowing — they look best now, or just after rain.
- Day 8
Jiayuguan — where the Wall ends
The desert road to Jiayuguan, the Ming dynasty's last great fort, where the Great Wall gives up at the edge of the Gobi. Climb the gate towers and see the overhanging Wall section before the night here.
- Day 9
To Dunhuang — the singing dunes
On to Dunhuang, the oasis at the corridor's end. Late in the day, Mingsha Shan: a camel trek over the ridges, sand sledding if you want it, and the sun going down over Crescent Lake.
- Day 10
The Mogao Caves
A full day for the Mogao Caves — nearly 500 caves of murals and painted statues spanning a thousand years. Tickets are timed and capped, so yours were reserved well ahead, and your guide knows which caves to linger in.
- Day 11
South to Chengdu
Fly or train south (routing via Lanzhou, confirmed at quoting) — desert to green Sichuan in a day. An evening walk by the Jin River once you've settled, bridges and teahouses lit up over the water.
- Day 12
Pandas at opening time
The panda base first thing, while the bears are awake and demolishing bamboo. A People's Park teahouse afternoon afterwards — Chengdu does slow like nowhere else.
- Day 13
Slow Chengdu — or Leshan
A deliberately slower day: teahouses, food streets, and hotpot tonight. Or take the optional day trip to Leshan, where a 71-metre Buddha is carved into the river cliff.
- Day 14
To Zhangjiajie
Travel day east (flight or train, confirmed at quoting). Evening in Wulingyuan town, by the park gate — tomorrow you wake up next to the pillars.
- Day 15
The Avatar mountains
Yuanjiajie and Tianzi Mountain: pillar forests rising through the mist, natural bridges, and the Bailong Elevator back down. Early starts here are worth it — the mist is the whole point.
- Day 16
Tianmen Mountain
The 7.5 km cable car up Tianmen Mountain, its cliff-edge walkways and the 999 steps beneath the great natural arch. The Grand Canyon glass bridge too, if the weather plays along — and only if you fancy it.
- Day 17
To Guilin
South to Guilin (flight via a hub or train, confirmed at quoting). Evening around the Two Rivers and Four Lakes, as the pagodas light up and reflect in the water.
- Day 18
Li River cruise to Yangshuo
The classic four-hour cruise down to Yangshuo, past the ¥20-note bend, then check in among the peaks.
- Day 19
Yangshuo countryside
A bamboo raft on the Yulong River, cycling between the peaks and the paddies, and an evening on West Street.
- Day 20
Fly to Shanghai
Flight to Shanghai. First skyline at the right moment: the Bund at dusk, colonial stone on your side, Pudong lighting up across the Huangpu.
- Day 21
Shanghai & departure
Yu Garden and the old city in the morning, the French Concession on foot after lunch. Free time before your airport transfer — or the Suzhou gardens trip if your flight leaves late.
What's included
✓ Included
- Car, driver and English-speaking guide in each city and along the Gansu corridor (your own car on a private trip)
- 20 nights' hotels at your chosen tier
- All intercity trains and flights listed in the itinerary
- Mogao Caves timed tickets, reserved in advance
- Li River cruise, park entry and entrance fees for listed sights; meals as quoted
- WhatsApp support before and during the trip
✕ Not included
- International flights to/from China
- China visa, if your passport needs one
- Travel insurance (please arrange your own)
- Personal expenses, optional activities, guide/driver gratuities
Deposit & cancellation policy
Deposit & payment: a 10% deposit confirms your booking once you approve the itinerary. The balance is due 30 days before departure; bookings made within 30 days of departure require full payment to confirm.
- 30 or more days before departure: full refund, minus costs already incurred.
- 15–29 days before departure: 70% refund.
- 8–14 days before departure: 50% refund.
- 0–7 days before departure, or no-show: no refund.
- Issued flight, train and cruise tickets are refunded per supplier rules.
If we have to cancel your trip, you receive a full refund. Full terms are sent with your booking confirmation — see also the Booking & Refund Policy page.
Hotels & price
From US$4,490 per person
Starting price per person, based on 2 travelers. Final quote depends on dates and hotel level. Includes 4-star hotels, private guide & driver, entrance fees and intercity trains; international flights not included.
Includes first-timer support: visa-free check, payment setup help and WhatsApp support during your trip.
Your exact figure is quoted per trip — dates, hotel tier and group size move it over three weeks. This route also runs as small-group departures — just ask. Send your dates on WhatsApp and you'll get one itemised quote for your exact trip.
Tour FAQ
Do I need a visa for 21 days?
Depends on your passport. Canadian, UK, Australian and many European passport holders can currently enter visa-free for up to 30 days, which covers this route. US travellers need a visa for 21 days — and the exact entry rules for your passport still need checking before you book flights. See the visa guide and let us check your case.
When is the Gansu section best?
May–June and September–October — warm days, cool nights, clear desert light. Midsummer is hot at midday in Dunhuang, so dunes move to dawn or dusk; winter is cold but the caves are quiet.
Can this run in reverse, or start in Shanghai?
Yes. Starting in Shanghai and finishing in Beijing works just as well and sometimes suits flight prices better. Tell us which end fits.
Can I drop Zhangjiajie or add a day somewhere?
Of course — on a private trip. (Group departures follow the set route, but extra days can usually be added at either end.) The most common tweaks are an extra night in Dunhuang or a slower Chengdu. Ask and we'll re-work the days.