2-Day Lanzhou: the Yellow River, the Zhongshan Bridge & the Bingling Temple Grottoes

Lanzhou is the only provincial capital in China that the Yellow River runs through, and this two-day private tour takes it as the subject rather than a stopover. The first day is the city waterfront - the Zhongshan Bridge of 1909, the river mother sculpture, the waterwheel park and the provincial museum with its flying horse - and White Pagoda Mountain above the river. The second day goes out to the Liujiaxia reservoir and crosses it by boat to the Bingling Temple, a grotto site begun in the fourth century whose earliest dated inscription is from 420 AD, and which was inscribed with the Silk Roads World Heritage listing in 2014.

• The Zhongshan Bridge, the first permanent bridge across the Yellow River at Lanzhou
• The Yellow River Mother sculpture and the Ming-dynasty waterwheel park
• The Gansu Provincial Museum, home of the Bronze Flying Horse of Wuwei
• White Pagoda Mountain, looking down on the river and the city
• A boat across the Liujiaxia reservoir to the Bingling Temple grottoes
• The 169th cave, with China's earliest dated inscription, from 420 AD

• Accommodation for 1 night at a 4-star or equivalent hotel, twin share, with daily breakfast
• Meals as listed in the daily itinerary (breakfasts and lunches as shown)
• Private air-conditioned vehicle with professional driver throughout
• English-speaking local guide (Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian or Japanese on request)
• All entrance fees for the sites listed, including shuttle buses, eco-buses and cable cars where the site requires them
• Local handling and coordination service throughout the programme
• Bottled water (2 bottles per person per day) and audio headsets where group size requires them
• Travel accident insurance for the duration of the tour

• International air tickets and any domestic flights not listed in the itinerary
• China visa or visa-free entry documentation fees
• Meals not specified in the daily itinerary and all beverages/alcohol
• Tips for guides, drivers and hotel staff (suggested USD 8-12 per person per day)
• Personal expenses: laundry, telephone, minibar, shopping
• Optional activities and any item not listed under Price Includes
• Single-room supplement if a traveller requires a room alone
• Entry to the Bingling Temple grottoes and the boat across the Liujiaxia reservoir are payable locally and are not included in the price shown
• A ride on a Yellow River sheepskin raft, which is offered at the waterfront, is payable locally if you choose to take one

Please read the notes below before you book. Gansu is a long, thin province and the driving days between towns are long - three to five hours on the corridor, more on the mountain roads. Spring brings dust and wind; the best months are May to October, when the Danxia hills and the Zhangye grasslands are at their clearest and the desert sites are workable in the middle of the day. Mornings in the Hexi Corridor are cold even in summer.

Q: Is this tour private or shared?
A: It is a private tour for your own party, with a dedicated English-speaking guide and vehicle.

Q: Are airport transfers included?
A: Yes. Arrival and departure transfers in Gansu are included, and your guide meets you with a name sign at the airport or rail station.

Q: Can the itinerary be customised?
A: Yes. Days can be added, removed or swapped, hotel categories upgraded, and business or school visits arranged, all before you confirm.

Q: How do we book and pay?
A: Send us your dates and group size for a same-day quotation. A deposit confirms the booking, the balance is due before arrival, and prices are guaranteed for 7 days.