Old Town tour; Three Pagodas; Erhai Lake
Our morning begins with a two-hour train ride to alluring Dali, beautifully situated between a lake and mountains. We’ll enjoy a brief walking tour of the historic old town, then a coach excursion to the area’s highlights. We’ll include a photo stop at the Three Pagodas, the titular symbols of Dali. Then we proceed to scenic Erhai Hu with its magical vistas of the Cang Shan mountains, which soar to 13,000 feet. Then its back on the train to continue our journey to charming World Heritage designated Lijiang. The town’s time-locked old town is most delightful at night, so we’ll conclude this busy day with a quick wander and dinner near the Old Market Square.

Tiger Leaping Gorge

Today we enjoy an all-day excursion to Shangri-La and Tiger Leaping Gorge. The gorge, famous for the boiling and roiling “angry Jinsha River”, is a sight not to be missed. Among many photo-worthy view stops we’ll descend to the “howling tiger” viewing platform for up-close views of this stunning natural spectacle.

Blue Moon Valley; Jade Dragon Snow Mountain

This morning we venture to nearby Blue Moon Valley with its terraced pools, unique blue water lakes, and views of the area’s signature mountain - Jade Dragon. A cable car whisks us up to a viewing platform with unparalleled views. We’ll return to Lijiang for a free afternoon.

After breakfast we’ll be transferred to Lijiang’s airport for our flight north to Ganshu Province and our destination of Lanzhou. We’ll be most of the day underway to gain Ganshu. Our reward is arriving in an entirely new travel ecosystem. 

Dafu Temple

After our long travel day we will take a leisurely morning today. We’ll visit Lanzhou’s premier sight, White Pagoda Hill, before taking a midday train to Zhangye. Upon arrival we will visit Dafu Temple with it’s 120 foot long reclining Buddha statue.

Mati Si; Danxia

We have two amazing sights to enjoy on this day. We begin with the Mati Si cliff temples. Built into or clinging to rugged sandstone cliffs, these photogenic monastery structures are accessed by interior passages, winding staircases, and wooden bridges. In the afternoon we’ll foray to Danxia National Geological Park, otherwise known as the Rainbow Hills. The multi-chromatic striations of these remarkable hills have been called “an overturned palette from heaven”.

First Beacon Platform
We begin the second week of our tour with another bullet train. We will sweep along the Hexi Corridor, the ancient Silk Road, flanked by the Qilian Shan mountains and the Hei Shan mountains. Our destination is Jiayuguan, the historical western gateway to Imperial China. After settling into our hotel, we will visit the First Beacon Platform and the western terminus of the Great Wall. 

Jiayuguan Fort; Hanging Great Wall

In the morning we will have a guided tour of mighty Jiayuguan Fort. More than 600 years old, this bastion was called the “Impregnable Defile Under Heaven”. It guarded the pass at “the end of the civilized world”. Next up, the Hanging Great Wall, a section of the wall that snakes up the encroaching mountains, seeming to defy gravity. In the afternoon we’ll continue on to Dunhuang, an oasis on the edge of the great Gobi Desert.

Singing Sands

Our destination today is the iconic Crescent Moon Lake in the midst of the Singing Sand Dunes. Surrounded by towering dunes, the crescent-shaped lake is a tiny photogenic superstar in the midst of a vast desert environment. The vista of undulating dunes stretches to the horizon. Nearby is the remarkable Singing Sands Mountain, a huge sand dune that makes a humming sound when the wind blows.

Mogao Caves

Before embarking for our afternoon Xian flight, we have one last world class sight to explore. The evocative Mogao Caves are one of the greatest repositories of Buddhist art on the planet. Once hosting 18 monasteries and dating back to the fourth century, 492 caves were eventually carved into rock-hewn temples. We’ll spend the morning exploring this exquisite site. Upon arrival in Xian we’ll be transferred to our hotel. Tonight we gather for a last dinner together to celebrate our travel discoveries.

Tour Over

OBT1 officially ends after breakfast today. Imprint will assist with airport transfer arrangements. For those continuing on with OBT2, we will organize an optional excursion to see the famous Terre Cotta Warriors or you have a day at leisure to enjoy Xian.