Explore “The Good Earth” in Northwest China
“There was only this perfect sympathy of movement, of turning this earth of theirs over and over to the sun, this earth which formed their home and fed their bodies and made their gods”
– The Good Earth, Pearl S. Buck.
Witness the thundering sands atop the world’s highest stationary sand dunes;
Cross the Yellow River on a traditional sheepskin raft;
Bask in the eerie silence of ancient villages on the Loess Plateau;
Gallop across the endless grasslands on horseback;
Experience the beauty of this good earth on one unforgettable journey.
Participants Max: 6
Duration: 11 days and 10 nights
Tour in 2024: 14th of Sep - 24th of Sep
Tour in 2025: 13th of Sep - 23rd of Sep
Highlights
The Yellow River Stone Forest
With a history stretching back over 4 billion years, the Yellow River Stone Forest is a geological marvel that should not be missed. The “trees” of this unusual forest are actually stone stalagmites and stone pillars, which were formed by the rising of the Earth’s crust. After billions of years of wind and water erosion, these stone pillars have been sculpted into a variety of fantastical shapes.
These pillars are generally between 80 to 100 metres (262 to 328 ft.) in height, but the tallest ones can reach towering heights of over 200 metres (656 ft.)!
Highlights
The Badain Jaran Desert
From singing sand dunes to unexplained lakes, the Badain Jaran Desert is marked by its mysterious natural wonders.
It boasts some of the tallest stationary dunes on earth, some of them reaching over 400 metres (1,300 ft.) in height. The desert’s largest stationary sand dune, known as Bilutu Peak, towers in at a height of 500 metres (1,600 ft.) from base to peak, making it the tallest sand dune in Asia and the tallest stationary sand dune in the world.
Between these sand dunes lies another of the desert’s strange secrets: over 140 lakes scattered throughout its sandy expanse. These lakes are typically found in the valleys formed between the larger sand dunes and once provided sustenance to the numerous camels, goats, and horses that were herded through the desert by nomads in the past. Read more about the Badain Jaran Desert.
Highlights
The Zhangye Danxia Landform
With its vibrant colours and delicate ripples, the Zhangye Danxia Landform is about as close as you’ll come to a living watercolour painting. Over a period of more than 24 million years, sandstone and other minerals have been deposited, weathered, and shaped to form brightly coloured outcroppings and hills that are almost beyond belief. Nicknamed the “Rainbow Mountains”, this surreal scenery has been featured in news articles across the globe.
Nowadays the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park is the best place to get to grips with this alien terrain. The Linze Danxia Scenic Area just 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Zhangye forms the core of the park and is the most popular area, exhibiting the famous “layer cake” hills whose perfect stripes of colour resemble a well-made trifle. Just don’t go trying to take a bite out of it! Read more about the Zhangye Rainbow Danxia.
Highlights
Bingou Danxia Landform
Unlike the “Rainbow Mountains” of the Zhangye Danxia Landform Geopark, the Bingou Red Danxia Landform is marked by its fiery red colour, which ripples across the rolling mountains like an endless flame. The Danxia landforms located at Bingou look far more similar to Mount Danxia in Guangdong province, which was the first Danxia landform to be officially identified and was where the name “Danxia” was derived from.
Traditionally, these more typical Danxia landforms were formed from deposits of red sandstone and other minerals by rivers over a period of about 24 million years. These deposits settled into distinct layers and, after another 15 million years, faults in the earth created by tectonic plate movement caused them to become exposed. Over another few millions of years, they were moulded into strange shapes by weathering and erosion, resulting in the unusual landforms that we find today.
Highlights
The Shandan Horse Ranch
Home to a herd of over 10,000 horses, the Shandan Horse Ranch is heralded as the largest of its kind in Asia! The history of this vast ranch stretches back over 2,000 years ago, when it served as a major breeding ground for military and imperial horses during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD).
According to legend, the first horses were discovered here when an envoy named Zhang Qian made his fabled journey to the west, which eventually led to the establishment of the Silk Road in China. When he realised how sturdy and powerful these horses were, he brought a number of them back with him and interbred them with central Chinese military horses to form the special Shandan breed of horse found at the ranch today.
Highlights
The Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon
With a north-south width of about 26 kilometres (16 mi) and an east-west length of around 40 kilometres (25 mi), the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon may be one of the smaller canyons in China, but it is certainly no less magnificent.
As you travel into the canyon, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a labyrinth of flaming red sandstone that twists and undulates over an area of 150 square kilometres (58 sq. mi). About 35 square kilometres (14 sq. mi) of this sprawling maze has been carved out to form the core scenic area, where visitors can wander through rocky passageways and venture deep into the heart of the canyon.
Highlights
Yongtai Ancient Town
Known locally as “Turtle City”, Yongtai Ancient Town acquired its unusual nickname due to its shape, which is said to look like that of a turtle. The gate at its south represents the head and the overall oval-shape of the town bears an uncanny resemblance to the shell of a turtle. Much like its reptilian counterpart, Yongtai Ancient Town was historically protected by defensive structures that once made it practically impenetrable!
During its establishment in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the entire town was surrounded by a 6-metre (20 ft.) wide and approximately 2-metre (7 ft.) deep moat, which was in turn backed by a formidable 12-metre (39 ft.) high wall. Nowadays, while the moat has unfortunately dried up, the imposing city walls and the ancient houses that lie within them have been beautifully well-preserved and offer a stunning insight into China’s history. Read more about Yongtai Ancient Town.
Highlights
The Tiantishan Grottoes
The name “Tiantishan” literally translates to mean “Heavenly Ladder Mountain” and should give some indication as to how sacred these grottoes are. Excavated from the eastern cliffs that line the banks of the Huayang River, this complex of hand-carved Buddhist grottoes dates all the way back to the Sixteen Kingdoms Period (303-439 AD). This magnificent grotto complex was being added to and renovated right up until the Qing Dynasty (1644-1912), meaning it offers an invaluable insight into the progression of Buddhist art throughout Chinese history.
The complex is made up of 17 grottoes that are arranged in three tiers, yet arguably its most iconic feature is a 15-metre (49 ft.) tall and 10-metre (33 ft.) wide statue of Shakyamuni Buddha that rests inside its largest grotto. To put that into perspective, this colossal statue is over three times the height of the average giraffe!
Highlights
Sheepskin rafts
Sheepskin rafts are made by using the whole skin of a sheep, which is first stripped of wool, dried, and treated using a mixture of salt, sesame oil, and tung oil. The treated skin is then skilfully tied into a bag using ropes, leaving only a small opening on the front leg for air to be blown in.
Once the sheepskin bags have been blown up, they are tied together and attached to a wooden frame to form the raft. While small rafts consist of only a dozen sheepskin bags and can carry a few people, larger rafts can be formed using hundreds of bags and are capable of carrying several tonnes of cargo!
Itinerary
Day 1 – Arrive in the Ancient Capital of Xi’an
Meeting point: Xi’an Xianyang International Airport
Please Note: There is a direct flight that leaves from London and arrive in Xi'an every Friday:
London (LHR) to Xi’an: 22:00 - 16:15 (the next day, Saturday)
There are also several connecting flights from London to Xi’an every day that are operated by a number of different airlines. If you decide to take the train from another city in China to Xi’an, please let us know in advance and we can meet you either at the hotel or the railway station. If you need any help making travel arrangements, please don’t hesitate to ask us!
Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Xi’an.
Dinner: Included. We will enjoy a welcome dinner together consisting of signature dishes from traditional Shaanxi-style cuisine.
Itinerary
Day 2 – Welcome to the Yellow River
We will take the high speed train from Xi’an to Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province, where a huge steel bridge was built in 1907 that crosses the Yellow River.
However, we will instead use an old traditional method to cross the river: riding on a sheepskin raft. Riding on this ancient method of transportation while surrounded by modern skyscrapers is sure to give you an uncanny feeling! This will be good practice for our second sheepskin raft journey, which will take place in the Yellow River Stone Forest. Whether you decide to try or just to watch the first time, it will give you a good idea of exactly how this ancient style of raft works.
Please Note: While this activity may seem quite adventurous, it is actually very safe. However, if you are worried about your safety and do not want to try it, you don’t have to. You can instead wait on the bank for the other participants to return, as we will only be doing a trip to the opposite bank and back.
In the late afternoon, we will travel to the city of Baiyin, which is located within the Loess Plateau.
What’s Included: The cost of hiring the sheepskin raft.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in Baiyin.
Dinner: Not included. Guests are free to explore the area and sample the local food themselves, or our guide can accompany you and help make dinner arrangements for you.
Itinerary
Day 3 A Return to Ancient Times
This entire day will be dedicated to visiting the Yellow River Stone Forest. You will have the opportunity to try something we’re sure you will have never done before in your life, such as sitting on a donkey-driven flatbed tricycle while marvelling at the extraordinary landscape.
We hope you’ll still want to try the sheepskin raft once again. It will be a very different experience from doing it in Lanzhou, since now we are surrounded by nature! If you do not want to take the sheepskin raft, there is the option to take the conventional tourist ferry instead.
In the late afternoon, we will arrive in the town of Jingtai, which is the capital of Jingtai County.
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Yellow River Stone Forest; ticket price for the shuttle bus, flatbed tricycle, and sheepskin raft within the Yellow River Stone Forest.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in Jingtai.
Dinner: Included. We will sample a few of the signature dishes from the local cuisine together.
Itinerary
Day 4 Uncovering the Forgotten History of an Ancient Town
On this day, we will focus on enjoying the alien landscape of the Loess Plateau.
In the morning, we will venture further into the Loess Plateau in order to visit the Five Buddha Temple on the bank of the Yellow River. The grottoes in this temple date all the way back to the North Wei Dynasty (386–535).
In the afternoon, we’ll travel to a remote corner of this plateau, where we’ll find an ancient fortress town known as Yongtai. We will spend a couple of hours in this town, and this will also provide you with ample opportunity to explore more of the Loess Plateau.
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Five Buddha Temple.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star in Jingtai.
Dinner: Not included. Guests are free to explore the area and sample the local food themselves, or our guide can accompany you and help make dinner arrangements for you.
Itinerary
Day 5 From the Barren Loess Plateau to Lush Greenery
Along our journey, the landscape will gradually transform from yellow barrenness to lush greenery. As we travel to the Hexi Corridor, one side of the road will be flanked by mountains, while the vast expanse of the desert will spread out before us on the other side.
Before we enter the ancient town of Wuwei, we will make a stop at the Tiantishan Grottoes, which date all the way back to the Sixteen Kingdoms Period (304-439 AD) and may be the oldest grotto complex in China.
If we arrive in Wuwei early, we can take some time to learn more about this ancient city by visiting a few of its old temples and a museum dedicated to the mysterious Western Xia Dynasty (1038-1227).
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Tiantishan Grottoes.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in Wuwei.
Dinner: Included. We will sample a few of the signature dishes from the local cuisine together.
Itinerary
Day 6 Galloping Across the Grassland!
After so many days spent in hostile and barren terrain, we will finally be completely embraced by greenery today as we pay a visit to the expansive Shandan Horse Ranch. If you’ve always dreamt of riding a horse across the grassland, don’t miss this chance!
In the late afternoon, we will travel by private car to the city of Zhangye, which was once a major trading post along the ancient Silk Road.
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Shandan Horse Ranch; and 2 hours of horse-riding.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in Zhangye.
Dinner: Not included. Guests are free to explore the area and sample the local food themselves, or our guide can accompany you and help make dinner arrangements for you.
Itinerary
Day 7 The Ancient History of the Earth
This day will be dedicated to a magnificent type of geological phenomenon known as the Danxia Landform, which is unique to China. We will visit two separate Danxia Landform sites near the city of Zhangye: the Zhangye National Geopark, home of the famous “Rainbow Mountains”; and the Bingou Danxia Geopark, where the mountains are as red as fire. These landforms document the ancient history of the earth itself, which dates back over millions of years. While looking at these gorgeous landscapes, you will be faced with the world as it appeared before the birth of mankind.
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Zhangye National Geopark; and entrance ticket to the Bingou Danxia Geopark.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in Zhangye.
Dinner: Included. We will sample a few of the signature dishes from the local cuisine together.
Itinerary
Day 8 The Silence of the Desert
It will take us about 2 hours to drive by private car to the Badain Jaran Desert. From the entrance of the Badain Jaran National Geopark, we will transfer to a special type of SUV that is designed to drive in the desert.
We will pass by several lakes, and eventually reach the highest stationary sand dune in the world, known as Bilutu Peak! It will take us approximately 1 hour and a half to climb to the top of the peak.
While we are in the desert, there are also some special activities that you can try, such as sand-sliding and archery.
Once we have finished our tour for the day, we will be staying overnight in specially designed en-suite rooms within the desert itself!
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Badain Jaran National Geopark.
Accommodation: En-suite rooms in the desert.
Dinner: Not included. Guests are free to explore the area and sample the local food themselves, or our guide can accompany you and help make dinner arrangements for you. Don’t worry about our remote location! The hotel in the desert has its own restaurant.
Itinerary
Day 9 Conquering the Grand Canyon
In the morning, on our way out of the Badain Jaran Desert, we will pass by the Badain Jaran Temple and two more lakes. It may seem like a leisurely start, but we’ll have a lot more exercise to look forward to in the afternoon!
On the way back to Zhangye, we will stop at the Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, where another climbing challenge is waiting for us. However, it is not as difficult as Bilutu Peak.
In the evening, we will return to Zhangye.
What’s Included: Entrance ticket to the Pinshan Lake Grand Canyon.
Accommodation: 3 or 4 star hotel in Zhangye.
Dinner: Included. We will sample a few of the signature dishes from the local cuisine together.
Itinerary
Day 10 Back to the Ancient City of Xi’an
In the morning, we will take the high-speed train back to Xi’an, which will take about 6 hours.
In the evening, after our long journey, we will bring you to the Muslim Quarter in Xi’an. The atmosphere in this part of the city is electric and it is the most popular dining area in Xi’an, as it is home to several specialty restaurants that serve traditional local cuisine and all manner of delicious snacks.
Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Xi’an.
Dinner: Not included. We recommend you take your time and sample some of the delectable street food in the Muslim Quarter.
Itinerary
Day 11 Your Onward Journey
Depending on what you decide to do, there are two potential options. If you decide you want to go straight back after the tour, we will escort you to the airport or the train station with plenty of time to catch your flight/train.
If this is your first time in Xi’an and you would like to explore more of this historic city, we can arrange an additional one or two day tour focused on the main attractions in Xi’an. For example, we can spend one day visiting the internationally renowned Terracotta Army and then dedicate the second day to a tour of the city itself. The cost will depend on how many people opt to join the additional tour. To give you a rough idea of costs, if there are more than 4 people, the add-on cost will be around £180 per person for a day tour to the Terracotta Army (including one night of accommodation, the services of a private car for the day, the entrance fee, and the services of our tour guide).
Please Note: There is a direct flight from Xi’an Xianyang International Airport to London Heathrow every Friday and Sunday, which departs at 16:05 and arrives at 20:00 local time. If these flights don’t suit your plans, don’t worry! There are other connecting flights that depart from Xi’an every day. For example, a transfer flight from Xi’an to London via Beijing only takes an extra 3 hours. There is also a flight to London that transfers via Helsinki.
If you decide you want to continue traveling in China after the tour has finished and need any help with your onward travel plans, please do not hesitate to let us know.
Prices and What’s Included
Unlike other tours in China, we do not ask you to tip your tour guides and drivers each day. Instead, we pay our tour guides and drivers a fair wage, so they do not need to ask for tips.
Cost pp: £2,750/4-6 people in one group; £3,650/2-3 people in one group.
Single supp: £450 (Please be advised that, if you are the last person joining the tour or if there is no one in the group who you can share with, you may need to pay for the single supplement. We will advise you if this is the case when you enquire about the tour.)
What’s Included: 10 nights of accommodation; all entrance fees to the attractions mentioned in the itinerary; 5 dinners; all breakfasts; all transportation fees during the designated tour times; the services of an English speaking guide; a pdf file with useful information about the places in the itinerary; and any further help or information we can provide if you decide to continue traveling in China after the tour.
Accommodation: We will stay in 4-star and 3-star hotels for the entirety of our trip (excluding the night in the desert).
Food: Breakfast will be provided every day and we will also provide 5 dinners consisting of local cuisine in each city. Aside from this, you are welcome to explore the local restaurants and sample the signature dishes by yourself, although we will always be on hand to translate for you and help you order.
Transportation: The use of a private 7 or 9 seater car as specified in the itinerary; the high-speed train tickets from Xi’an to Lanzhou, and Zhangye to Xi’an; and the use of the SUV in desert.
If you like the look of this tour but would prefer to take it privately, we can tailor it to your specifications and design a bespoke tour for you or your group. Simply contact us on info@asiaculturaltravel.co.uk for a free email consultation with one of our travel experts.
How can I sign up to this tour?
Step 1 ⇒ Contact us directly to talk about the tour in more detail.
Step 2 ⇒ Book online and pay the £100 deposit. If you have an exclusive discount code, please enter it into the Enquiry box.
Step 3 ⇒ We will send you the invoice confirming you have been booked on the tour. Once you receive the invoice, you have 30 days to pay an additional £500, which will secure your place on the tour.
Step 4 ⇒ Please note that the final cost of the tour will be based on the number of participants and will be split into two payments. The first payment must be made within 3 months of the tour’s start date and is based on the minimum price of the tour minus your £600 deposit. After that, you will need to pay the remaining balance one month before the tour is due to leave based on the tour subscription. In the meantime, we will advise you on how to apply for your visa and keep you updated on the subscription of the tour.
Step 5 ⇒ Once you have made the final payment, we will send you our exclusive tour e-book, which contains a detailed itinerary of the tour and in-depth information on the areas we’ll be visiting.
Step 6 ⇒ Prepare yourself for an unforgettable adventure!
We are happy to answer any questions you may have and we will always keep you up to date on the progress of the tour subscription.