Upon arrival in Yinchuan, transfer to your hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Ningxia Museum, which has a collection of 40,000 cultural relics, showing the unique charm of Western Xia Dynasty (1038-1227); a dynasty which most of its written records and architectures were destroyed by the Mongol troops of Genghis Khan.

This morning, a 1-hour drive takes us to the Western Xia Mausoleums, which is one of the country’s most expansive and best-preserved imperial tombs of the past emperors in the Western Xia Dynasty, often known as the “oriental pyramid”.

Later, drive 1.5-hour to see the Helan Mountain Rock Arts, comprising over 6,000 rock pictographs that paint the life scenes of the past.

We will drive 1.5 hour to Xige Estate Winery to tour the impressive circular structure made of 200,000 Helan Mountain Stones, learn about the modern technology used and enjoy wine tasting.

Next, we will drive about 2 hours to your accommodation in Zhongwei. Thereafter, visit a local village along Yellow River, admire the traditional architectures of the ancient buildings from Ming and Qing dynasties, where some farmers are still staying.

After breakfast, set out on a 4-hour drive to Wuwei. Visit the Leitai Tomb of Han Dynasty, built around the late Eastern Han Dynasty and renowned for the unearthing of a bronze sculpture called the “Flying Horse of Gansu”. Proceed to the Museum of Western Xia Dynasty, which houses more than 3,000 cultural relics of Western Xia, telling the history of the Dynasty’s rise and fall.

Embark on a 4-hour drive to the spectacular Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, its geological structure belongs to red-layer geomorphology formed by the sedimentation of the Mesozoic Jurassic to the Cenozoic Tertiary Era. This leisure hike will take about 2 hours, plus enjoy an afternoon tea specially arranged at the canyon.

Afterwards, we will drive 1.5 hour to hotel in Zhangye.

n the morning, visit the spectacular Horse Hoof Temple, a massive cave temple complex. Keep your eyes peeled for the exquisite grotto artwork of the coloured sculptures of Buddhas and Apsaras in Golden Pagoda Temple of longer history than Dunhuang’s Flying Apsaras.

Later, proceed to Zhangye National Geopark, the only Danxia landform with colorful hilly compound area in China, which is rated as one of the seven most beautiful Danxia landforms in the country by National Geographic of China.

After breakfast, a 2.5-hour drive takes us to Jiayuguan Fort. Head to its impressive watchtower, narrowest part in the middle of the valley, the highest part of Jiayu Mountain, see the walls outside stretching to the Gobi Desert. The Hanging Great Wall, situated 8km in the north, is the western end of the Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty, and the first pass in Hexi historically.

Set out on a 4-hour drive to Yulin Caves, including additional visit to a few of the special caves, built in the late Western Xia period of Guazhou, a vital part of the Dunhuang Grottoes, and known to be the sister cave of the Mogao Caves. Continue 2.5-hour drive to Dunhuang and check-in to your hotel.

Lying on an oasis, Dunhuang was the first trading town reached by merchants arriving in China from the west. Today, join an expert guided tour of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Mogao Caves and a few of its special caves to admire the finest examples of Buddhist art spanning a period of 1,000 years from the Sixteen Kingdoms period to the Yuan Dynasty.

This afternoon, visit Dunhuang Academy China to experience clay painting or sculpture making. Thereafter, visit the famous Crescent Lake, followed by a farewell dinner.

Free at leisure till your transfer to the airport for your flight home.