Quick answer: yes — 10 days comfortably covers the classic overland Silk Road route from Xi'an to Dunhuang via Lanzhou, Zhangye and Jiayuguan, taking in the Terracotta Army and the Mogao Caves.
Route overview: Xi'an to Dunhuang in 10 days
This itinerary follows the Hexi Corridor, the roughly 1,000 km strip of oases between the Qilian Mountains and the Gobi that Han-dynasty caravans used between Chang'an (today's Xi'an) and Central Asia. The Lanzhou–Xinjiang high-speed railway now covers most of the distance, so you can travel around 2,000 km overland while sleeping in a proper bed every night. HXXC Travel's advisors on the ground in China run this exact route with clients throughout the season, and the day split below is the one that consistently works best for first-time visitors:
- Days 1-3: Xi'an — Terracotta Army, Ming city wall, Shaanxi History Museum
- Day 4: Lanzhou — Yellow River bridges, Gansu Provincial Museum
- Days 5-6: Zhangye — Giant Buddha Temple and the Rainbow Danxia landform
- Day 7: Jiayuguan — the western end of the Ming Great Wall, evening train to Dunhuang
- Days 8-9: Dunhuang — Mogao Caves, Mingsha Shan dunes, Yumen Pass and Yadan
- Day 10: Dunhuang — museum and night market, then fly or rail onward
Travel in May, June, September or early-to-mid October. Avoid the first week of October (Golden Week), when trains and Mogao tickets sell out weeks in advance.
Days 1-3: Xi'an — the Terracotta Army and Tang Chang'an
Land at Xi'an Xianyang airport and take the airport rail link or metro into town. Spend the first evening at the South Gate (Yongningmen) of the Ming city wall: entry is around ¥54 as of November 2026, and renting a bike to ride the full 14 km circuit on top of the wall costs roughly ¥45 for a couple of hours. Finish with dinner in the Muslim Quarter around Beiyuanmen — roujiamo (braised meat in flatbread), biangbiang noodles and yangrou paomo (flatbread soaked in mutton soup).
Day 2 belongs to the Terracotta Army at the Emperor Qinshihuang Mausoleum Site Park in Lintong, about 40 km east of the city. An estimated 8,000 life-sized figures stand across the excavated pits, with Pit 1 holding the largest battle formation. Allow 3-4 hours for Pits 1-3 and the site museum. Tickets cost around ¥120 (about ¥90 in winter) as of November 2026. Reach it by Metro Line 9 to Huaqingchi plus a short taxi, or by bus 5 (also numbered 306) from near Xi'an railway station. Book through the official ticket channel or have your operator arrange it — daily numbers are capped in peak season.
Day 3, visit the Shaanxi History Museum, free but reservation-based and closed Mondays, which holds the Tang-dynasty treasures of Chang'an. In the afternoon, see the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in the Tang era to house scriptures brought from India by the monk Xuanzang, then prepare for the next morning's train.
Day 4: Lanzhou — crossing the Yellow River
A morning G-train from Xi'an North to Lanzhou West takes about 3 hours and costs around ¥180 in second class. Lanzhou is a working city strung along the Yellow River, and it makes a relaxed half-day stop. Walk across Zhongshan Bridge, an iron structure opened in 1909, then climb White Pagoda Hill park on the north bank for river views. The Gansu Provincial Museum (free, reservation required, closed Mondays) displays the Bronze Galloping Horse unearthed at the Leitai Eastern Han tomb in Wuwei — the so-called Flying Horse that has become one of China's best-known archaeological symbols. Lunch should be Lanzhou beef noodle soup: hand-pulled noodles in clear broth, typically ¥10-15 a bowl, though many shops close by mid-afternoon because they only trade through breakfast and lunch. Overnight in Lanzhou.
Days 5-6: Zhangye — the Giant Buddha and the Rainbow Mountains
The high-speed train from Lanzhou West to Zhangye West takes about 3 hours. In town, visit the Giant Buddha Temple (Dafo Si), founded in 1098 under the Western Xia, which houses China's largest indoor reclining clay Buddha at roughly 35 m long. Late afternoon, head 40-50 km west to Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, where iron-oxide banding stripes the eroded hills in reds, oranges and yellows — the so-called Rainbow Mountains. Entry plus the internal shuttle costs around ¥70-80 as of November 2026, and shuttle buses link four viewing platforms; the low evening light is when the colours read strongest. Photographers can return for sunrise on Day 6 before an afternoon train to Jiayuguan South (1.5-2 hours).
Day 7: Jiayuguan — the end of the Ming Great Wall
Jiayuguan Pass, begun in 1372, was the western terminus of the Ming wall and the last major garrison before the Western Regions; it is known as the First Pass Under Heaven. Give the fortress 2-3 hours — walls, gates and a small museum — then continue to the Overhanging Great Wall (Xuanbi Changcheng), a steep restored section climbing a desert ridge about 15-20 minutes away. Entry to the fort runs around ¥100-120, often as a combined ticket with the Overhanging Wall; check the current arrangement. In the late afternoon, take a D train from Jiayuguan South to Dunhuang, typically about 4 hours, or an overnight sleeper from the older Jiayuguan station. Arrive in time for the Shazhou night market: lamb skewers, donkey-meat yellow noodles (lurou huangmian) and chilled apricot-pit water (xingpi shui).
Days 8-9: Dunhuang — Mogao Caves, the dunes and the western desert
Dunhuang was the gateway between the Hexi Corridor and the Silk Road's northern and southern desert branches, and it holds the two best sights on this itinerary.
Day 8 morning is for the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO World Heritage site since 1987, with 735 caves, roughly 45,000 square metres of murals and more than 2,400 painted sculptures spanning a thousand years from the Sixteen Kingdoms period to the Yuan. The standard Class A ticket — about ¥238 as of November 2026 — includes two films at the visitor centre and a guided circuit of eight open caves; the cheaper Class B emergency ticket (around ¥100, four caves) is sold same-day only when capacity remains. Class A tickets sell out days or even weeks ahead between April and October, so reserve through the official Dunhuang Academy booking system, or let an operator such as HXXC Travel secure them the moment they are released. Spend the late afternoon at Mingsha Shan, the dune field on Dunhuang's edge, and Crescent Lake (Yueyaquan), a crescent-shaped spring that has survived ringed by sand for centuries. Entry is around ¥110, a camel loop typically costs ¥100-130, and tickets have in recent years allowed re-entry over several days — confirm at the gate. Stay for sunset on the dune ridge.
Day 9 is the western desert line. Hire a car with driver (typically ¥500-700 per vehicle for the day) for the 90 km run to Yumen Pass, a small Han-dynasty fort of rammed earth, then continue to Yadan National Geological Park about 180 km northwest of Dunhuang, where wind has carved a city of yardang ridges. Entries and the mandatory Yadan shuttle typically total ¥150-200 per person, and most groups time the visit for late-afternoon light. It is a long day, so carry water and sun protection; if you prefer something shorter, the Yangguan Pass museum southwest of Dunhuang is a solid alternative.
Day 10: Leaving Dunhuang — and where to go next
Spend a relaxed morning at the Dunhuang Museum (free, and like most Chinese museums closed on Mondays), which explains the Han garrison system and the cave art you have just seen. Dunhuang Mogao International Airport has direct flights to Lanzhou, Xi'an and several other hubs for onward connections, or you can ride a D train back down the corridor to Lanzhou in roughly 6-7 hours. Two popular extensions: continue west to Turpan, Urumqi and Kashgar in Xinjiang, or loop south to Chengdu for the panda base. HXXC Travel builds both as add-ons to this route.
What 10 days typically costs
Per person, excluding international flights, at mid-range standards (3-4 star hotels, second-class trains, all listed entries), budget roughly:
- Hotels: ¥300-500 per double room per night
- Trains (four legs, second class): ¥550-700 total
- Entries and shuttles: ¥800-1,100 total
- Food: ¥150-250 per day
- Shared car with driver for the Day 9 desert line: ¥500-700 per vehicle
That lands most travellers at ¥4,500-7,000 (roughly US$650-1,000) for the ten days. Adding private guides and a car throughout typically raises the total by 50-80%. Figures are as of November 2026; re-check before booking.
Practical planning: trains, tickets, money and phones
Trains and stations
- Buy tickets on the official 12306 app, which accepts foreign passports; you also board with your passport and use the manual gate at stations.
- Tickets typically go on sale about 15 days before departure; in peak season, book the moment the window opens.
- Xi'an North, Lanzhou West, Zhangye West and Jiayuguan South are high-speed stations, often a metro ride or 20-30 minute taxi from downtown — build in transfer time.
Money and connectivity
- Alipay and WeChat Pay both accept foreign Visa and Mastercard, and cash is rarely needed. Set both up before you fly.
- Google, WhatsApp and Instagram do not work on mainland networks; use an international roaming eSIM or a VPN installed before arrival.
- Book hotels licensed to host foreign guests — nearly all listed hotels are, but small guesthouses sometimes are not.
Weather and packing
- May-June and September-October are the comfortable windows; July-August can top 35°C in Dunhuang; winter nights drop below freezing, though the sites stay open with far smaller crowds.
- Pack layers: late October can swing from 18°C afternoons to near 0°C nights in Dunhuang. The Gobi sun is strong year-round — bring a hat, sunscreen and a refillable water bottle.
Visas for first-time visitors
As of November 2026, passport holders from much of Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Gulf can enter mainland China visa-free for up to 30 days under unilateral schemes, while US passport holders generally use the 240-hour visa-free transit scheme — UK and Canadian passport holders now qualify for 30-day visa-free entry as well. Note that 240 hours is exactly 10 days — this itinerary fits, but with no buffer for flight delays, so use the 30-day route if your nationality qualifies. These lists have changed several times through 2025-2026; confirm the current rules before booking, or ask HXXC Travel's advisors, who track them weekly for clients.
Who this itinerary suits
This route suits first-time visitors who want China's headline sights and its frontier landscapes without internal flights every second day. It works well for families with school-age children — the trains are easy — and it can be compressed to 8 days by dropping Lanzhou or stretched to 14 by adding Turpan and Urumqi. If you would rather not manage Mogao ticket releases, 12306 bookings and driver arrangements in Chinese, HXXC Travel, a licensed inbound operator based in Jiangmen, Guangdong, runs this itinerary with English-speaking guides in Xi'an and Dunhuang and handles the reservations that sell out first.
References & updates
HXXC Travel reviews this guide monthly. Last reviewed: 23 October 2026. Prices, train times, ticket quotas and visa rules above were checked as of that date. Anything flagged as of November 2026 is time-sensitive — particularly Mogao Caves quotas, 12306 pre-sale windows and visa-free entry lists — and should be re-verified before you travel.
Frequently asked questions
Is 10 days enough for Xi'an to Dunhuang?
Yes. The high-speed rail spine makes the overland route practical: no leg exceeds about 4 hours, and the day split above leaves two full days in Dunhuang, which is the minimum needed for the Mogao Caves plus the western desert line.
How do you get from Xi'an to Dunhuang?
Two ways: a direct flight of roughly 2.5-3 hours, or the overland route described here — high-speed trains via Lanzhou, Zhangye and Jiayuguan, then a D train of about 4 hours into Dunhuang. The overland option is slower but adds three destinations worth stopping for.
Do I need a visa for this Silk Road itinerary?
It depends on your passport. Many nationalities qualify for 30-day visa-free entry as of November 2026; others use 240-hour visa-free transit, which exactly matches this 10-day trip with no slack. Verify the current rules before booking.
What is the best month for the Chinese Silk Road?
May, June, September and the second half of October. Early October coincides with Golden Week, when domestic travel peaks; July and August are hot and crowded.
Can you buy Mogao Caves tickets on the day?
Usually not in season. Class A tickets (eight caves plus films) sell out in advance, sometimes weeks ahead; the same-day Class B ticket (four caves) exists but is not guaranteed. Reserve ahead or have your operator do it.
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