Silk Road Photography Tour
Zhangye has become a new star destination for photography in recent years, with people traveling there from all over the world to see its marvelous landscapes and colors. In this photography tour, you will have sufficient time to take photos of the Rainbow Mountains, rocky landscapes, desert wonders, and cultural relics.
Highlights
- Take photos of the Rainbow Mountains, one of world's 25 dream travel destinations as described by many well-known websites.
- Grasp the opportunity to see the Mogao Caves, which might disappear in 50 years.
- Witness the desert wonder — Crescent Moon Spring — and shoot the desert sunset.
- Visit the unique Devil City to capture the shapes and shadows of the Yadan landforms.
- Take photos on the Rainbow Mountains, one of world's 25 dream travel destinations by many well-known websites in the world in 2015.
Discover real reviews of Highlights Travel Family's best-rated service across trusted platforms.
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Beeindruckende Tage in Lijiang
Wir waren 3 N?chte in Lijiang, organisiert durch China Highlights. Wir haben den Jadedrachenschneeberg besucht, wurden in Baisha durch einen Naxi-Schamanen in die Bilderschrift der Naxi eingeführt, waren in der Tigersprungschlucht und sind durch die Altstadt von Lijiang gebummelt. Unser Guide Alice hat uns super geführt (englisch), ist auf unsere Wünsche eingegangen und wir hatten viel Spass und tolle Gespr?che miteinander. Ein tolles Erlebnis. more
Oct 2025, Ulrich
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A Very Memorable Visit to Shanghai.
We arrived in Shanghai on 30 Oct 2024 to the announcement that Shanghai would be hit by a severe typhoon on 1 Nov. But that did not faze our wonderful guide, Winnie! She reorganised our itinerary to max the time we had before the typhoon arrive which would have stopped all activities. Meeting us at 8.30am, she whisked us to Shanghai Tower - so that we could beat the morning crowd to get up to the observation deck on the 118th floor and take in the breath-taking view before the rolling fog reduced all visibility! Lunch was a v delicious meal of local treats at a famous local bistro after a tour of the Shanghai Museum. Winnie was so thoughtful, she even bought us a green bean soup each for us old folks to hydrate ourselves through the afternoon. Plus - a very pretty pumpkin pastry to celebrate Halloween! We spent the afternoon walking along the Bund with Winnie explaining the history and significance of the different buildings and a tour of the French Quarter after that. All these could not have been done the next day when the typhoon brought gusty wind and heavy rain. Because of Winnie's initiative and hard work on 31 Oct, we got to see the Shanghai we came to visit! Kudos to you, Winnie! more
Nov 2024, Navigate14411878263
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Great day in Suchzou and Tongli
Thanks to our guide Kenny! She was very welcoming and nice! Showed us Suchzhou in a very nice way. We visited the park, had a nice dinner in a restaurant that she chose for us (the food was great and atmosphere very warm) and visited Tongli water village. Her English is great, we understood her very well, and she was also very knowledgeable. Would totally recommend more
Nov 2024, Nidia
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Suggested Itinerary
When you arrive in Zhangye, your private tour guide will be waiting for you at the airport/ train station. A comfortable vehicle will be ready to transfer you to your hotel.
Hotel options:
Tianyu International Hotel (4-star)
Zhangye Hotel (5-star)
breakfast and lunch
After breakfast, start your photography tour at the most popular site — the Rainbow Mountains. As the name suggests, the Rainbow Mountains have several belts of color. It looks as though colors have been spilled over the mountains, hence its nickname: 'Color Palette Overturned by God'.
You will spend the whole day there so try different angles at different times of the day. In the morning, the weather is cool and the coloring tends to be blue, whereas in the afternoon the coloring tends to be red under the sun.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
If you like, you can stay in the Rainbow Mountains area from the time it opens until the time it closes (7am–6pm in summer, 7:30am–5pm in winter). If you don't get satisfactory photos while you're there, you can add another day!
Danxia National Geological Parkbreakfast, lunch and dinner
People go to the Rainbow Mountains for their colors and visit Binggou Danxia Landforms area for its rock formations. You will spend the whole day in the Binggou Danxia Landforms area, which is also part of Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park. Different from the colorful Rainbow Mountains, the Binggou Danxia Landforms display more normal colors but more peculiar shapes.
After you have seen the landforms, you will be driven back to the city to enjoy a local dinner.
Afterward, your guide and driver will take you to the station for your train to Dunhuang. You Dunhuang guide will pick you up at the train station and send you to the hotel.
Hotel options:
Dunhuang Hotel (4-star)
The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel (5-star)
Optional evening ideas:
Ganzhou Market is the busiest place in the evening in Zhangye. You can enjoy trying various types of local food there. People love to gather there to enjoy barbecues, sweetmeats, noodles, and beer.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
We know that photography needs suitable weather. If the weather is poor, we can help you to revise the itinerary at the last minute.
Danxia Landformsbreakfast & lunch
Your Dunhuang tour guide will be waiting for you at the train station, ready to transfer you to your hotel.
After breakfast in your hotel, you will visit the Mogao Caves , which were built at the edge of the desert between the 4th and 14th centuries. Although you can't take photos in the caves, it's good to have the opportunity to see the original items inside them, and you will have the chance to take photos of murals in another location the following day.
After lunch, go to the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring . Climb to the top of a sand dune to enjoy the marvelous spectacle of the crescent moon-shaped spring lying in the desert. Ride a camel in the desert and imagine how caravans crossed the desert over 1,000 years ago. You can also take photos of a desert sunset.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
The ticket for the Singing Sand Mountains and Crescent Moon Spring allows for a second entry into the area. Therefore, if you want to, you can go back to this site again the following day.
Mogao Cavesbreakfast & lunch
In the morning, you will visit Dunhuang Museum, where you can take photos of exquisite murals copied from those in the Mogao Caves.
After lunch, you will be driven to Devil City — Yadan National Geological Park. Devil City is famous for its nighttime sounds and vivid rocks in various shapes that look like animals or world-famous attractions. If you want to, you can stay there until sunset.
Tip to Tailor-Make Your Tour:
The sunset in the Devil City is highly recommended, witness the sun going down above the vast Gobi Desert, you might feel like you are on another planet.
When you are in the Devil City, you can rent a jeep instead of the official shuttle bus, which will give you more flexibility to explore the corners.
Yadan National Geological Parkbreakfast
Your guide and driver will take you to the airport to catch your flight and will make sure that your check-in goes smoothly.
Trip Notes
Transportation to and from Zhangye and Dunhuang
Domestic airlines and trains can access Zhangye and Dunhuang easily. There are daily flights between Zhangye/Dunhuang and the main cities in China, such as Xi'an, Shanghai, Chengdu, and Lanzhou. Please tell us your previous/next destination, and we will help you to arrange the transportation.
Overnight Train
This tour includes an overnight train experience. We have arranged a deluxe soft sleeper for you, which means you will have a private compartment with a door and two soft sleepers (bunks) in it. The bunks are each equipped with a pillow and a blanket. All the bedding is clean and sterilized.
If you are traveling in a group with more than two people, we can also arrange normal soft sleepers for you. This is a compartment with four soft sleepers (bunks) to make sure that your group is in one compartment.
Tour Price
Price includes: