Destinations: Xi'an, Xining, Lanzhou, Zhangye, Jiuquan, Dunhuang
This 12-day immersive Silk Road camp starts in ancient Chang'an (Xi'an), the eastern starting point of the Silk Road, then travels west across Qinghai and Gansu along the famous Hexi Corridor. Students will trace 2000 years of cross-continental trade, religion and cultural fusion across diverse landscapes: ancient capital, Qinghai-Tibet plateau edge, Yellow River basin, colorful Danxia mountains, Great Wall frontier forts and desert oasis. The program blends on-site lectures, hands-on workshops, field journaling and group research projects. All transfers, high-speed trains and long-distance ground transport are pre-arranged. Welcome & departure service at Xi'an XIY airport.
Ages 14–19, international high school students. Best fit for students taking World History, Geography, Art, Anthropology or Global Studies. Requires moderate physical stamina for plateau walking and desert activities. We provide altitude sickness & heat safety training before entering high elevation and desert zones. No Mandarin prerequisite. Ideal for school groups & academic summer cohorts.
✅ Airport pick-up & drop-off (Xi'an XIY)
✅ Pre-booked domestic high-speed trains & private ground transport across all cities
✅ Twin-share hotel accommodation throughout the route
✅ All scheduled meals: Chinese local food + western backup options
✅ All attraction entry tickets, English-speaking educational guides (historian / geologist / art specialist)
✅ All workshop supplies: mural painting kit, archaeological model set, noodle-making materials
✅ Travel insurance, 24/7 camp supervisors & first-aid kit
✅ Camp completion certificate, printed field journal for every student
❌ International airfare, personal shopping, optional extra activities, single room supplement
Statement
PandaStudyTour fully customizes each route according to your group's "actual inbound arrival city, outbound departure airport, group size, age range, study focus and available travel duration". We can adjust entry/exit points, rework transportation sequences, add or remove stops, and revise daily schedules to match your international students' flight plans, avoiding unnecessary long backtracking and complicated transfers. All airport pick-up, drop-off and domestic travel arrangements will be tailored to your group's real international flight tickets.
Day1 Arrival Xi'an Welcome & meet at XIY airport, hotel check-in. Opening camp briefing, safety training, Silk Road orientation & ice-breaking activities. Overnight Xi'an.
Day2 Xi'an: Terracotta Army & Qin Archaeology Full-day visit to Terracotta Army Museum. Archaeology workshop, learn about Qin dynasty empire. Return to Xi'an. Overnight Xi'an.
Day3 Xi'an Ancient Capital & Tang Culture Morning: Bike on Xi'an Ancient City Wall. Afternoon: Big Wild Goose Pagoda & Shaanxi History Museum. Evening: Tang culture activity. Overnight Xi'an.
Day4 Xi'an → Xining by high-speed train Travel to Xining. City orientation & introduction to Amdo Tibetan culture. Safety briefing for plateau environment. Overnight Xining.
Day5 Xining & Qinghai Lake Field Study Day trip to Qinghai Lake. Plateau ecology & lake geography lesson. Local Tibetan village cultural exchange. Overnight Xining.
Day6 Xining → Lanzhou by high-speed train Transfer to Lanzhou. Visit Yellow River Mother Statue & Zhongshan Iron Bridge. Explore Gansu Provincial Museum, study the Flying Horse bronze relic. Overnight Lanzhou.
Day7 Lanzhou Culture & Food Workshop Morning: Museum follow-up discussion. Afternoon: Hand-pulled Lamian noodle making workshop, local market study. Overnight Lanzhou.
Day8 Lanzhou → Zhangye by high-speed train Travel to Zhangye. Visit Zhangye Colorful Danxia Geopark, study sedimentary rock & landform evolution, watch Danxia sunset. Overnight Zhangye.
Day9 Zhangye → Jiuquan / Jiayuguan Travel to Jiayuguan (Jiuquan area). Tour Jiayuguan Pass, the western end of Ming Great Wall. Study frontier military & Silk Road security. Overnight Jiayuguan.
Day10 Jiayuguan → Dunhuang Cross the Gobi desert to Dunhuang. City briefing & desert safety training. Evening visit Dunhuang night market. Overnight Dunhuang.
Day11 Dunhuang: Mogao Grottoes & Mingsha Mountain Morning: UNESCO Mogao Grottoes guided tour & mural art lecture, simulated mural restoration workshop. Late afternoon: Mingsha Mountain & Crescent Moon Spring, camel riding & desert sunset observation. Overnight Dunhuang.
Day12 Dunhuang → Xi'an, Closing Ceremony & Departure Morning: Student group presentation on Silk Road research projects. Closing ceremony, certi
