Among these landscapes, we must mention the mighty dunes of Badain Jaran and Dunhuang, the Devil’s Marble of Yardang, the stunning Rainbow Mountains in Zhangye Danxia Landform Geological Park, and the Yellow Stone Forest.
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Destination
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Trip duration
10 days, 9 nights
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Availability period
1 Apr. 2022 - 30 Oct. 2022
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Min/Max travelers
Min. 2 | Max. 16
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Transport
Van and Jeep
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Accommodation
Hotels
“Mathias Guillin –
IG: love_what_eye_see”
This unique adventure follows the Xixia Dynasty (Tangut), known for their astounding pyramid tombs, and Khara Khoto, the city conquered by Gengis Khan and now lost in the desert. The trip explores Ningxia, Gansu, and Inner Mongolia, and passes through incredible landscapes far from the city crowds.
As for culture, you will visit the Xixia mausoleum, the Ningxia Mosques, and Mogao Frescos, not to mention other important but lesser-known museums and sites.
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Travel is an emotional experience, cherishing new corners and venture into unknown landscapes. Respecting this and giving back to society has taken an important role in our endeavours in leaving only footprints and taking only memories. ATRAILS committed to improving the conditions of communities we encounter on our journeys whilst safeguarding and protecting nature and wildlife
“Mathias Guillin –
IG: love_what_eye_see”
Ningxia I Gansu I Inner Mongolia
Day 1
ARRIVAL YINCHUAN
We start our 10-day adventure in the city of Yinchuan, a strategic point on the Silk Road where the desert, mountains and plains converge at the Yellow River in the north-west region of the country. At the airport, we will be met by our guide and transferred directly to check-in to the hotel. In the afternoon, we start our exploration by taking a step back in time at the Ningxia Museum which displays the city’s rich cultural melting pot of Han, Hui, Manchu Mongolian and Chaoxian influences. This fascinating facility features a comprehensive collection of over 40,000 cultural relics spread across 12 exhibition rooms and English language audio guides are available. We then return to the hotel in time for a buffet style dinner.
Food
-/-/D
Accommodation
LOCAL 5 STAR HOTEL
Day 2
YINCHUAN
Marvel at the magnificent Western Xia Imperial Tombs and ancient rock carvings ahead of an afternoon of wine tasting. After breakfast, we set off to the tombs which dominate a 50 sq-km space at the foot of the Helan Mountains in the vast Gobi Desert. The tombs served as the mausoleums of Western Xia dynasty emperors and the site comprises nine imperial mausoleums, 254 subordinate tombs, an architectural complex and more than 10 brick-and-tile kiln sites. We then set off in search of the tens of thousands of ancient rock carvings found on the slopes of Helanshan. These date back over 6,000 years and they were left by nomadic tribes who populated the area. We then enjoy a well-deserved lunch and spend the afternoon taking a guided tour of Yuanshi Vineyard Wine Cellar, as local wine production is a highlight of modern Ningxia traditions. This includes three wine tastings served with biscuits. We then return to the hotel, and dinner will be on your own choice.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
LOCAL 5 STAR HOTEL
Day 3
YINCHUAN - ZHONGWEI - ZHANGYE
In the morning, we will head to the bank of Yellow river and experience the interesting rafting on the yellow river. We then continue to Zhongwei, where we explore Gaomiao Temple, a multi-faith shrine which caters to the religions of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. After a local dinner, take the night train to Zhangye in central Gansu( T303 23:16-05:23+1, or similar). Overnight on train with soft sleepers. After a local dinner, take the overnight train to Zhangye in central Gansu.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
TRAIN
Day 4
ZHANGYE - BADAIN JARAN DESERT
Early arrival in Zhangye and transfer to a 4-star hotel, we check in and enjoy the breakfast. Today’s itinerary will bring us in the shadow of the reclining Buddha at Dafo Temple. This is China’s largest reclining Buddha and this 12th century statue stretches an impressive 35 meters. We then drive to Danxia Landform Geopark on a 45-minute, 39 km journey. This destination is home to incredible ‘rainbow mountains,’ layers of different colored sandstone and minerals that rise and fall like waves across the surreal landscape. The colorful rolling hills span about 300 sq-km and they are an incredible natural phenomenon formed over 24 million years. Today, we enjoy a local lunch with Yugu Minority dancing show. Transfer to Badain Jaran Desert (170km/3 hours), check-in to our accommodation, which is located in the desert and then indulge in a well-deserved dinner.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
3 STAR HOTEL, LOCAL BEST
Day 5
BADAIN JARAN DESERT - ALASHANYOUQI
Soak up the dramatic natural landscapes of the vast Badain Desert. After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and start our incredible desert exploration by Jeep. Badan spans 49,000 sq.km, making it China’s third largest desert. It is also home to some of the world’s highest dunes, with some towering over 500 meters. The highest dune, Bilutu, stands as the third highest dune in the world. The desert is also dotted with over 100 picturesque lakes, hence the name of Badan, which translates in Mongolian as ‘mysterious lakes.’ We enjoy lunch with some local families who live on the banks of the lakes and then continue with our desert exploration. Afterward, drive to Alashanyouqi for overnight and taste a Mongolian style dinner at hotel.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
4 STAR HOTEL
Day 6
ALASHANYOUQI - EJINA QI
Today’s road trip is to the ancient city of Khara Khoto. After breakfast, we check-out and hit the road on an 8.5-hour, 460 km road trip. En route, we stop at Haishen Chulu Stone Forest and drive into the park to enjoy a picnic in the shadows of the spectacular stone forest towers that have formed over millions of years. We then continue to Khara Khoto, a ruined Tangut city that dates back to 1032. This was abandoned in the 14th century and it was buried under centuries of sand storms until it was re-discovered in 1907. We check-in to a government four-star (local rating) hotel in this destination, with time to refresh ahead of dinner.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
3 STAR HOTEL, LOCAL BEST
Day 7
EJINA QI - KHARA KHOTO - JIAYUGUAN
After breakfast, we check out of the hotel and start to explore the incredible site of Khara Khoto, which is also known as the Black City. Home to forests and lakes, Khara Khoto was founded in 1032 and it became a thriving center of western Xia commerce in the 11th century. This walled fortress was taken by Genghis Khan, the ruler of the Mongol Empire and it continued to thrive under Mongolian rule until the 14th century when it was abandoned and then discovered by explorers in 1907. The site was excavated between 1927 and 1931 and over 2,000 books, scrolls and manuscripts in the Tangut language were recovered. We can explore the remains inside the nine meter-high walled city, whose outer walls ran about 421 meters east-to-west and 374 meters north-to-south, followed by drive to Jiayuguan (410 kilometers, 6 hours).The Jiayuguan section of the Great Wall dates back to the Ming Dynasty and it took 168 years to build. It served as a fortress to protect vulnerable entry points in a desert valley which is flanked by rugged mountains. The pass marks the end of Imperial China and the start of the Silk Road which connected China with the West. Hotel check-in after arrival. Lunch and dinner will be served at local restaurants.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
4 STAR HOTEL
Day 8
JIAYUGUAN - DUNHUANG
After breakfast, we set off on a four-hour, 375 km drive to Dunhuang. En route we visit Yulin Caves, built since North Wei Dynasty (356AD-534AD), listed as UNESCO Cultural Site. Although the area of murals is not as large as Mogao Caves, many murals are more exquisite and delicate than Mogao Grottoes. Among them, cave 25 is known as the most prominent cave in the middle Tang Dynasty, and it is also one of the most excellent work in Dunhuang frescoes. In addition to cave 25, the mural about the Monk Xuanzang in cave 3 is also a representative work during Xixia Period. Arrive in Dunhuang and check into the hotel for a rest. Dinner will be at leisure, feel free to explore the local cuisine!
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
4 STAR HOTEL
Day 9
DUNHUANG
Prepare to be blown away by two magnificent natural wonders. After breakfast, we spend the morning exploring the Mogao Caves, a Buddhist complex of 492 ornate grottoes carved into cliffs above the Dachuan River. These intricate structures were created from the 4th century onwards. We then return to the hotel for lunch, before driving to Dunhuang Yadan National Geologic Park. This Geopark is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and Global Geopark, awarded in recognition of its importance in history as a major point on the Silk Road, as well as the uniqueness of the landscape. We will explore the park by Jeep and see the collection of Yadan landforms that rise from the Gobi Desert – like a scene from another planet. We then return to our accommodation with time to refresh before being served a feisty farewell dinner.
Food
B/L/-
Accommodation
4 STAR HOTEL
Day 10
DUNHUANG DEPARTURE
At leisure until transfer to airport.
Food
B/-/-
Travel is an emotional experience, cherishing new corners and venture into unknown landscapes.
Respecting this and giving back to society has taken an important role in our endeavours in leaving only footprints and taking only memories.
To Know More
Various Hotel
In the different regions will be provided lodging in 5* to 3* Hotels (Badan Jaran Desert, local best: absolutely decent, what is lacking in premises makes up with the stunning view in the middle of the desert)
Train
One Overnight
Travel is an emotional experience, cherishing new corners and venture into unknown landscapes.
Respecting this and giving back to society has taken an important role in our endeavours in leaving only footprints and taking only memories.
To Know More
Create the experience of your dream with our travel experts
Make your own trailIncluded
- Accommodation with meals as indicated in the programme
- Meals as described in program, (Meal Symbols: B=Breakfast; L=Lunch; D=Dinner)
- Transfers, tours by A/C vehicle and entrance fees as indicated with services of an English-speaking guide in each city
Not Included
- Ticket(s) for international and domestic flights / trains to port of entry/exit
- Meals as not indicated in program
- Single supplement
- Tips for services of local guides and drivers
- Expenditures of a personal nature, such as drinks, souvenirs and laundry etc.
Payment and Cancellations
- Deposit: 25% of total pacakage to confirm the booking.
- Full payment is due 4 weeks before departure. We reserve the right to release all services in case of payment overdue
- Cancellation policy:
• Between 60 and 30 days prior to arrival : 25% of total amount
• Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 50% of total amount
• Less than 15 days : 100% of total amount
Important notes
Few important details to frame the experience:
- Please note that the itinerary and the order of the visits as described above is subject to change depending on local conditions
- Itinerary is subject to change depending on the confirmed flights, road conditions, and rooms availability. We reserve the right to replace above hotels by other hotels of similar or superior category
- Peak season supplements may apply during trade fair, public holiday or special events
- Prices are subject to change in case of VAT or other tax increases
- As of 2020 Asian Trails has introduced a voluntary carbon offsetting initiative for our travellers to compensate for unavoidable emissions during their tours with us. Emissions during multi-day package tours (not including international flights to our destinations) are pegged at a cost of $1.50 per traveller per day. This amount is based on average daily emissions of travellers across our eight destinations. Contributions from clients to our carbon offsetting initiative will go into a destination-specific fund to support climate protection projects certified to Gold Standard in that country. Certification to Gold Standard assures that the projects supported through our carbon offsetting initiative not only reduce harmful emissions but also positively contribute to sustainable development. Our contributions to projects in a country will be relative to the CO2 emitted by our travelers in that destination. To know more about this project: https://marketplace.goldstandard.org/collections/projects/products/more-efficient-cooking-and-heating-china
Prepare for one lifetime experience.
You are booking
Following the Tangut Footsteps
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Destination
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Trip duration
10 days, 9 nights
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Availability period
1 Apr. 2022 - 30 Oct. 2022
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Min/Max travelers
Min. 2 | Max. 16
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Transport
Van and Jeep
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Accommodation
Hotels
About your trip
RESERVATIONS
All tours and services can be booked directly with our office in China
A TRAILS CHINA / DAOCHENG
Beijing Office
Suite 810, SunFlower Tower
#37 Maizidian Street Chaoyang District, Chaoyang District
Beijing 100022, P.R. China
Tel: (86-10) 6515 9259
Fax: (86-10) 6515 9293
Email: info@atrails.cn
CONFIRMATIONS
All reservations are confirmed by return with the up-dated booking status within 2 working days. Due to occasional delays in communication with more remote destinations, it may take a few days longer to get confirmation.
RATES AND AVAILABILITY
All rates are quoted in RMB and are subject to change without prior notice. Inclusions and exclusions in the tour packages are indicated at the end of each itinerary. Commonly our package tour rates include accommodation, transfers, certain meals, and other tour related services. Domestic or international airfares are included where mentioned. Our tour itineraries do not include visa fees and expenses of a personal nature. The validity of our rates is November 01, 2018, until October 31, 2019, unless otherwise specified.
SERVICES
Local English speaking guides are accompanying tours and transfers in each destination. German, French, Italian, Spanish and Russian and Chinese speaking guides are available on request in major cities and subject to confirmation.
DELIVERY FEES
A delivery fee will be charged according to the distance traveled, if any train tickets are required to be delivered to clients’ hotel.
PAYMENT
Full pre-payment by bank transfer is required 30 days before the commencement of services.
Our bank account details are:
Bank Name: Bank of China Beijing JianGuoMen Wai Sub-Branch
开 户 行：中国银行北京建国门外支行
Account Name：ATC TRAVEL SERVICES (BEIJING) LTD.
账 户 名：北京道成国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3259 6908 9747
账 号：3259 6908 9747
Swiftcode : BKCH CN BJ 110
For itineraries operated outside China
Account Name：BEIJING GLORY INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL SERVICE CO, LTD.
账 户 名：北京千乘假期国际旅行社有限公司
Account No.：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
账号：3211 6010 0100 1577 67
Bank Name: Industrial Bank Co., Ltd Sanyuanqiao Sub-Branch
开 户 行：兴业银行三元桥支行
CHILD POLICY
For children aged between 2 and 11 years following rates will apply:
- Child in shared adults’ room with extra bed will pay 80% of the total package price
A maximum of two children per party is granted such a discount. Besides this general policy, specific conditions may apply case by case.
CANCELLATIONS
For cancellation of confirmed reservations, following general cancellation charges apply :
- Between 30 and 15 days prior to arrival : 20% of the total amount
- Between 15 and 7 days prior to arrival : 50% of the total amount
- Less than 7 days prior to arrival : 100% of the total amount.
Special conditions apply for cruises, beach resorts as well as for some of the boutique and landmark hotels. Expeditions and specific products may have different conditions.
Domestic and international air tickets are non-refundable once issued. You are obliged to pay full airfare (inclusive of any tax and fuel surcharge) of any cancelled tickets based on the contract rate.
PROGRAM CHANGES
We reserve the right to re-arrange the order of any tour program, to cancel or substitute elements of any tour itinerary without notice, when local conditions require such changes. All itineraries depending on domestic flight confirmations are subject to changes.
Any increase in taxes or fuel surcharges imposed by the authorities will be advised as soon as we are informed of them, and they will be added to the invoice.
Flight and train details mentioned in our itineraries are for indicative purposes only.
CONFIDENTIALITY
This agreement, its contents and all related documentation sent over to the customer/tour operator are strictly confidential and must not be disclosed to any third parties.
COMPLAINTS AND IRREGULARITIES
We consider complaints as valuable feedback to improve service delivery levels. We request that service delivery failures or customer concerns, be reported during the customer’s stay, to one of our representatives. It is the aim of the company to solve any irregularity on the spot. The company reserves the right to refuse to take action on perceived irregularities submitted to the company 14 days after the customer returns back home.
FORCE MAJEURE
During the term of this agreement, neither party shall be in default of its obligations to the extent that its performance is delayed or prevented by causes beyond its reasonable control, including but not limited to, acts of God, natural disasters, bankruptcy of a vendor, strikes and other labor disturbances, acts of war, or civil disturbances, or other equivalent or comparable events.
INDEMNITY
The client agrees to indemnify and to save A Trails – Daocheng from harm and against all damage or injury (including death) to property or person(s) resulting from intentional or negligent acts or omissions from their respective officers, employees, agents, contractor or subcontractor in connection with the performance of this agreement.
LEGAL NOTE
This agreement is governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of China (and/or applicable in relation to the country it is legally represented) for the time being in force and the parties agree to submit any dispute arising between the parties under this agreement to arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the respectable Arbitration Institute, Office of the Judiciary applicable at the time of submission of the dispute to arbitration and the conduct of the arbitration thereof shall be under the auspices of the specific Arbitration Institute accordingly.
IMAGES
Images displayed on the website have a promotional intent only and are not necessarily reflecting the actual destinations and service conditions. These may belong to ATrails staff, customers, photographers we are collaborating with or retrieved from websites such as Pexel, Pixabay, Unsplash or Originoo. While trying to be the most accurate as possible, is agreed that those images do not necessarily depict the actual services promoted.
LIABILITY
We act as an intermediary between the concerned airlines, hotels, all transport operators and local tourist offices providing the services. The Company is therefore not responsible for any loss, injury or damage sustained by the tourists, including those occurring outside the touring programs. Additional expenses incurred due to delay, accidents, natural and disaster, political actions and unrest must be borne by the tourists. Programs and prices, services and conditions are based on those valid at the time of printing and are therefore subject to change without advance notice before or during the tour. Acknowledgment and confirmation of the above-mentioned conditions is active, once clients participate in one of the provided services via us. The itinerary of the excursion, package and/or tour cannot be altered or changed without prior permission from us. We cannot be held liable if you amend the excursion and its content in your brochures or give wrong descriptions to clients that are travelling.
IMPORTANT NOTE REGARDING AUTONOMOUS REGIONS IN CHINA
The Company is not responsible for any last-minute closure of specific regions or tourism sites caused by decisions taken by local or national authorities to restrict access hereto. We will provide alternative itineraries where necessary and reduce cancellation fees to a minimum, however, such imposed closures are beyond our control and constitute a case of force majeure.
The areas concerned include but are not restricted to : The Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Tibet Autonomous Region, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, minority regions in Qinghai and Gansu provinces.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
Travel breaks down borders and brings people together: The nearly 900 million people who travel every year make the sector one of the biggest in the world, a major employer and a key element in the global economy. But this has its downside, too: increasing pollutant emissions from the tourist traffic, loss of coastlines and other landscapes through excessive building development and sexual exploitation of children are just some of the negative consequences of the growth in global tourist travel. In order to minimize the negative impacts and enhance the positive ones, our Corporate Responsibility Strategy focuses on four prime issues:
- We increase efforts to ensure that children and adolescents in tourist areas are protected against sexual exploitation, one of the worst forms of abuse of young people today.
- We promote fair working conditions and sensibly service provider partners to social and environmental concerns.
- The supply and saving of clean water is a further key issue.
- We develop our own projects to meet the growing threat posed by climate change. Indeed, helping counter the adverse effects of global warming is one of the biggest challenges faced by the world tourist.