Compare China – Panda Conservation Adventure by Discover Corps vs Gansu: Origins of the Silk Road Tour by WildChina
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| Trip |
5 | Excellent
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5 | Excellent
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| Duration | 6 days | 7 days |
| Price From | $ 2,995 | $ 2,550 |
| Price Per Day | $ 499 | $ 364 |
| Highlights |
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| Trip Style | Small group tour | Private guided tour |
| Lodging Level | Standard | Standard |
| Physical Level |
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| Travel Themes |
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| Countries Visited | ||
| Cities and Attractions |
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| Flights & Transport | Ground transport included | Ground transport included |
| Activities |
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| Meals Included |
5 Breakfasts, 4 Lunches and 5 Dinners |
N/A |
| Description |
China’s 1.3 billion people have witnessed an extraordinary change of pace as the face of their country has seen rapid economic expansion. However, the pull of tradition remains strong. We’ll bring you together with residents of the bustling capital city of Beijing and go beyond the city boundaries to share a homemade meal with a welcoming local family. You'll also see China from two completely different points of view - the bustling metropolis of Chengdu and the conservation hub of Dujiangyan. |
Situated along the legendary Silk Road, Gansu served as a crossroads for China and Central Asia. The temples, Buddhist art, and tombs left behind by travelers, merchants, and artists make Gansu one of the most culturally rich provinces in China. On this trip you'll stop for a bowl of famous Lanzhou noodle soup and show your satisfaction by slurping it down like a local. Float down the Yellow River in a traditional goatskin raft, explore mysterious grottoes filled with medieval Buddhist art, marvel at the iridescent Rainbow Mountains, and wander along the western edge of the Great Wall. |
Day 1: Arrive and Enjoy a Sichuan Hotpot
Meals: Dinner
A warm welcome awaits at Chengdu International Airport where we’ll introduce you to your Discover Corps group. We’ll then whisk you away to your four-star hotel in Dujiangyan for a traditional welcome dinner. Enjoy a free evening to recharge before the morning's activities.
Day 2: Visit the Dujiangyan Panda Breeding Research Center to Begin Volunteering
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Your hands-on experience with the pandas begins today! We’ll introduce you to the conservationists at the Dujiangyan Panda Research Center who will introduce you to the pandas before your work begins. Your first task will be to help feed the pandas their bamboo breakfasts – an incredible way to start the day. After your own lunch, you will clean the fencing of the pandas gardens, clean their enclosures, break bamboo shoots for the pandas, and more to help the center. After volunteering, walk around the neighborhood before a local meal for dinner.
Day 3: Continue Lending a Hand at the Dujiangyan Panda Research Center
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
On your second day of volunteering, you’ll have the choice to help clean the enclosures before experiencing the magic of hand-feeding the pandas for a second time. These friendly animals will be familiar faces by now as you learn how to make special cakes for them and continue to provide the special care they need. Today, you’ll receive a certificate of recognition of your efforts.
In the late afternoon, head to the bustling city of Chengdu and enjoy dinner before a free night to explore the lively atmosphere of the city or relax in your hotel.
Day 4: Experience a Cooking Class with a Local Family
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Spend today joining a local family in the nearby markets gathering ingredients before a cooking class in their home. Learn how to make a number of Sichuan favorites before enjoying your lunch together. In the evening, watch a performance of a traditional Sichuan act of face changing, as well as other local performances.
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Day 5: Visit the Unforgettable Terracotta Warriors
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
Hit the road this morning for the 1.5 hour drive to the Terracotta Warriors. Marvel at the over 6,000 warrior sculptures, each with a different face, and learn more about their importance in teaching us about ancient China. For lunch, sample the unique flavores of Hui Muslim food before a bike ride around the top of Xi'an's ancient city walls.
Day 6: Depart from Xi'an or Continue on to The Great Wall of China Optional Extension
Meals: Breakfast
It's time for those on the six-day trip to say their goodbyes before being transfered to the airport for their flight home. If you're staying with us for The Great Wall of China extension, you'll hop on a flight to Beijing for your first adventure.
Day 1: Lanzhou
Meet your local WildChina guide at Lanzhou airport and transfer to your hotel in a private vehicle • If there's time, cruise down the Yellow River (the second longest river in China) on a traditional goat skin raft. This was the major form of transportation along the river until the first steel bridge was built in 1907
Day 2: Lanzhou – Zhangye
After breakfast, visit a local cooking school and learn the history behind the region's famous beef noodle soup
Learn the art of pulling noodles as thin as thread and then enjoy your own bowl of noodle soup for lunch
Take the high-speed train to Zhangye (3 hours) and drive to the Danxia land formation, more popularly known as the 'Rainbow Mountains'
Hike through five different "platforms" of height and explore the changing views
Get your camera ready for a sunset view over the colorful mountains.
Day 3: Zhangye
Start the day early and visit the 12th century Giant Buddha Temple, home to the largest clay Buddha in Asia and the only well-preserved Western Xia Royal Temple in China
Before entering the temple, practice water calligraphy or Chinese Kungfu (weather permitting) from a local master in the temple grounds
Continue your exploration of Zhangye's unique landscapes when you hike in Pingshanhu Grand Canyon
Day 4: Jiayuguan
Meet a local Yugu Minority family and learn about their way of life over a cup of tea. Visit the Matisi Grottoes (1-hour drive) one of the three most important Buddhist Grottoes in Gansu. The legend of Matisi (Horse Hoof Temple) can be traced back to the 4th century. Here you'll find Tibetan and Chinese cave art and the hoof print of the legendary flying horse who chose the mountains as a holy site
Hike or ride a horse through the surrounding pine forest to Linsong Waterfall (1 hour) • Enjoy a picnic lunch on the way
In the afternoon, drive to Jiayuguan City (3 hours)
Your guide will help you check into your hotel and the evening will be spent at your leisure
Day 5: Jiayuguan – Dunhuang
Visit Jiayuguan, the first pass on the western end of the Great Wall. The Jiayuguan Pass has been fully restored and is now the wall's best preserved fortress
Continue your drive to the Wei-Jin Dynasty Tombs and see underground murals dating back 1700 years
If Try your hand at stone painting - a traditional local craft that uses stones from the Gobi Desert
After lunch, drive to Dunhuang (4 hours), a fertile outpost close to where the Silk Road split into its southern and northern routes either side of the impassable Taklamakan Desert
Spend the evening exploring local night markets or enjoy dinner on the roof of your hotel
Day 6: Dunhuang
Start the day in the 'singing' Minsha Sand Dunes, named for the way they 'rumble' in the wind • Stop by Crescent Moon Lake, an oasis nestled in the desert • Enjoy a local lunch in the city's most famous food street
Visit the Mogao Grottoes, a complex of 492 grottoes representing the pinnacle of Chinese Buddhist art
The caves were created over the course of 1,000 years and were named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987
OPTIONAL: We'll arrange an expert in Chinese Buddhism to accompany you through caves not open to the general public
In the evening, visit a local artist's studio or head out on a foodie's adventure with your guide to Yue Quan Xiao Zhen Market.
Day 7: Departure
Watch the sunrise in the desert from the roof of your hotel • Enjoy a leisurely breakfast before transferring to the airport for your departure flight
