3-Day Private Customized Dunhuang Tour:Mogao Grottoes,Crescent Moon Pool andMore

Notable on the ancient “Silk Road”, Dunhuang is a famous historical city with many ancient sites, and it can be hard for first-time visitors to know where to start. Be greeted by a professional guide who will help you design the perfect itinerary for 3 days, see Dunhuang highlights like: Mogao Grottoes, Crescent Moon Pool, Singing Dunes, Yumen Pass, Han Great Wall Ruins and Yadan National Park, Yulin Grotto and Suoyang City Ruins, visit local markets or museum. Travel at your own pace, and stop to snap photos, grab a souvenir or explore. Dunhuang City is at your fingertips on this private tour! Tour includes entrance fee, lunch, English speaking tour guide and travel by private vehicle. Please book your own hotel in Dunhuang.

Travel Highlights

• Take a guided tour of three spectacular UNESCO World Heritage Sites – Yungang Grottoes, Hanging Temple and Yingxian Wooden Pagoda from Beijing
• Gain valuable insights into Datong’s rich history.
• Round Bullet Train Tickets included 
• A private tour with flexible itinerary

• Make sure everyone brings their passport
• Full name and passport number are required to book attraction tickets

Quick itinerary view

Dunhuang: Mogao Grottoes- Singing Dunes -Crescent Moon Spring(L)

Mogao Caves

Your tour guide will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel by holding your name sign, hop on your private air-conditioned vehicle, discuss with your tour guide on where you want to go, then explore ! Typically, you will heading directly to Mogao Caves. Upon arrival, start your tour with a visit to the Mogao Caves Digital Exhibition Center. Watch two documentary movies, get to know the history, culture and art about Mogao Caves. Afterwards, follow the professional tour guide from Mogao Caves to discover the charms of this UNESCO world culture heritage site. You will explore 7 to 9 caves. As you explore the caves, your guide will point out the meaning of different wall paintings which aspects of medieval politics, economics, culture, arts, religion, ethnic relations, and daily dress in western China. Mogao Caves are the world’s largest, most richly endowed, and longest used treasure house of Buddhist art. They are located at a strategic point along the Silk Road, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences. The carving of the caves started in 366 AD and continued for about 1,000 years. 492 caves are presently preserved, housing about 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2,000 painted sculptures which are well-known for their statues and wall paintings.

Mingsha Shan – Echoing-Sand Mountain

Enjoy lunch in the local restaurant, then heading to Echoing-Sand Mountain. The sand of the mountain has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white. When there is strong wind, the sands will be blown up and make loud sound, hence the name. Stroll around the area to enjoy the surroundings. You can choose to go up to the dune to enjoy amazing view of the desert and Crescent Moon Pool.

Crescent Moon Pool

Move on to Crescent Moon Pool. Just like its name indicates, the Crescent Pool is in a natural shape of half-moon. The pool was surrounded by Echoing Sand Mountain, it was considered as “the first spring in desert”. According to historical record, the lake has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. Your wonderful tour will ends here, your tour guide and driver will take you back to your hotel in Dunhuang.

Dunhuang Museum

If you are note interested in Mogao Grottoes or Singing Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring. You can choose to visit Dunhuang Museum instead. Dunhuang Museum is a perfect place for you to gain some knowledge about Dunhuang and the ancient Silk Road. There are more than 10000 Chinese and Tibetan items for you to appreciate, including some exquisite and vivid replications of the murals and sculptures in Mogao Grottoes. As taking photos is not allowed in Dunhuang Mogao Caves, tourists can take some photos here instead. Follow your tour guide to visit one Preface Hall and five Exhibition Halls. You will visit these halls one by one to know the history of Dunhuang from prehistoric times to the Qing Dynasty.

Dunhuang Night Market Commercial Street

You can also choose to visit Shazhou Night Market during evening, where is on behalf of Dunhuang Nightlife and regarded as a “nightlife landscape”. It is highly popular among the tourists all over the world with its featured local specialties as well as strong flavor of local culture.

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Lunch

Dunhuang: Yumen Pass-Han Great Wall Ruins -Yadan Ghost City(L)

Yumen Pass

Your tour guide will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel by holding your name sign, hop on your private air-conditioned vehicle, heading directly to Yumen Pass (1.5 hours), your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories, feel free to ask questions if you have. The Yumen Pass was a strategic pass on the ancient Silk Road protecting Dunhuang from invasion from the West about two thousand years ago. Follow your tour guide, take attraction’s battery bus to explore the area. Admire thousand years old ruins of Hecang City, Han Dynasty Great Wall Ruins and Yumen Pass. The existing Yumen Pass is a square castle standing in the sandy rocks of Gobi. Climbing up to the tower and overlooking, you will collect in your eyes a long scroll full of scattering mashes, ravines crossbar, winding great wall, tall and straight poplars which create an atmosphere of nostalgia.

Great Wall of Han Dynasty

Continue to explore the ruins of Han Dynasty Great Wall. With a history of over 2000 years, Han Dynasty Great Wall was built during 101 to 121 BC. Stretching as long as over a thousand kilometers in the west land of ancient China, it had taken a crucial role in defending the country against northern invaders and contributed greatly to the prosperity of silk road in the history, as it was under such a security protection, could the merchants passing through this area both from east and west continue their business and exchange goods and information. Adjusting measures to local condition, Han Great Wall was made by branches, reeds, sand gravels and other local materials instead of masonry structure. The existing Han Great Wall Relics in Dunhuang lost its origin style and features because of the weather-bitten of several millennia. However, you can still figure out the outline and admire the wisdom of ancient people.

Yadan National Geological Park

Take a break after finishing your time in Yumen Pass with a tasty lunch, continuing to Yadan National Geological Park. Dunhuang Yadan National Geological Park, also referred as Yadan Devil City for the bleak desert and horrific sound, presents an astonishing scene of Yardang landform. If you care about seeing natural landscape or having an adventurous tip, this is a must-do. Quite spectacular with natural formation of the landscape will give you an unexpected shot. As the largest one of Yardang Landform found so far, you will hear the sound just like the devil screaming when the strong wind goes through the desert. Accompanied by your tour guide, take the battery bus to explore four main sites in the park. You will have free time to watch the great view and take beautiful photos. You can get a view of uniquely-shaped rocks like Mongolian Bao, Stone Bird, Peacock and others. Make full use of your imagination, you may find some rocks with some miniatures similar to famed architectures, like the Potala Palace in Tibet, Heaven Temple in Beijing or something else. Perhaps you have watched sunset numerous time in untold places, but you may never experience such a grand sight in Yadan Geologic Park. If you want to stay longer to experience the unique sunset moment, just let your tour guide know (with extra cost).

Yangguan Historic Sites

If you are not interested in Yumen Pass and Han Dynasty Great Wall, then you can visit Yangguan Pass instead. Dunhuang Yangguan Pass, built in Western Han Dynasty with more than 2,000 years’ history, is an important portal to the western regions and an vital mountain pass on the southern Silk Road as well as a significant bridge linking Northwestern China and the Eurasia. There are plenty of cultural relics inside the present Yangguan Pass scenic area, including the Ancient Yangguan Pass Fortress, Yangguan Beacon Tower, Yangguan Ancient Path, Shouchang City Ruins, Ancient Tombs, Yangguan Pass Museum (the largest scenic museum in Northwestern China covering an area of 100,000 square meters) and many other sites of Han Dynasty. In Yangguan Pass, you can visit historical spots, view exhibitions, climb high and look afar, walk on Yangguan path, make adventure in desert, taste local food, try shooting and riding like soldiers, enjoy amazing and capacious nature and simple, rough local customs and culture both.

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Lunch

Dunhuang

Yulin Grotto

Your tour guide will pick you up from the lobby of your hotel by holding your name sign, hop on your private air-conditioned vehicle, heading directly to Yulin Grotto (2 hours), your tour guide will explain the related histories and stories, feel free to ask questions if you have. Enjoy vast Gobi and desert, villages, grassland and snow mountain on the way, let your tour guide know if you want to stop for photos. Known as the “Gem of Ancient Cultur”. Yulin Grottoes is a branch of the Mogao Grottoes and is similar to the ones found in Dunhuang County. There are 42 caves with complete frescoes, comprising of huge scripture drawings, portraits of Buddha, rare animals and plants, harvests, weddings, banquets, chess, brewing, music and dancing. Follow your tour guide, you will explore 5 to 7 caves. As you explore the caves, your guide will point out the meaning of different wall paintings which aspects of medieval politics, economics, culture, arts, religion, ethnic relations, and daily dress in western China. If you want to explore “special caves” which have extra cost, just let your tour guide know.

Xiqian Buddha Caves

You can also choose to combine the Western Thousand Buddha Caves and Suoyangcheng City Ruins as the day tour. As part of the Mogao Grottoes, the Western Thousand-Buddha Cave is set into a cliff on the northern bank of the Dang River. Because the frescos in this cave are similar in structure and artistic style to those in Mogao Caves, the Western Thousand-Buddha Cave is considered as one of the important components of Dunhuang Buddhist art. Follow the professional tour guide from the attraction to discover the charms of this site. You will explore 5 caves. As you explore the caves, your guide will point out the meaning of different wall paintings which aspects of medieval politics, economics, culture, arts, religion, ethnic relations, and daily dress in western China.

Suoyangchengzhen