Amazing Landscapes
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Our co-founder & CEO Catherine Heald lived in China for 7 years and returns often. She loves trekking in the rice terraces of Ping An, and hugging baby pandas in Chengdu!
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Price is based on double or twin hotel room occupancy and includes accommodation, transfers, car/driver, English-speaking guide, activities and entrance fees, breakfasts and some casual lunches while touring. Flights and optional special activities will be quoted separately. Most personal expenses, including dinners, alcoholic beverages, spa treatments and gratuities can be paid on the spot while traveling. Prices may vary depending on season, choice of accommodation and other factors.
A wonder that’s managed to stay well-hidden from the rest of the world, Zhangye Danxia is an incredible natural escape ideal for those looking for a unique adventure. Get to know the multi-colored cliffs, lush valleys and shallow little caves as you explore this remote area of Northwestern China. Once a stop on the Silk Road, the area has been around for an estimated 66 million years. See what this exotic space has to offer as you take off on our five-day Exploring China’s Wild Northwest Itinerary.
Your adventure begins in bustling Beijing as you catch a flight to Jiayuguan, a relatively small city in northwestern Gansu Province. Here, you will visit the incredible Jiayuguan Fortress. Built in the 1500’s at the height of the Ming Dynasty, the fortress has stood the test of time and much of the structure is in its original condition. Spend the evening relaxing at a hotel of your choice in Jiayuguan.
Begin the day by travelling by road for 3 hours to Zhangye Danxia and leap off the beaten path as opposed to stepping there. Check into the Hua Chen International Hotel and spend the day hiking the picturesque, colorful mountains and cliffs at the Danxia landform. Continue exploring the area on foot, looking for the small, shallow caves hidden along the mountainside. Check out the Bingguo Rock area, a highly-unknown rare rock formation with the landform. Enjoy a stunning hike through the rolling hills and valleys in the region as you walk across the countryside. Retire to your hotel for the evening.
See the temple containing China’s largest reclining Buddha when you visit the Giant Buddha Temple. Look at the only known relic revering a heavenly horse’s footprint inside the Horse Hoof Temple. Travel on to Jiayuguan and check in to the Holiday Plaza Hotel for the evening.
See the First Beacon Tower of the Ming Dynasty Great Wall just a short drive from the fortress visited earlier in the trip. The fire tower shows the wear of the hundreds of years withstanding the elements of nature, but the original structure is still in decent shape. Here, you’ll view an incredible stretch of the Great Wall without all the crowds that typically line the fortress. Later that evening, fly into Beijing to begin your journey back home.
by Bloomberg Pursuits 
by Departures Online 
