For more than a thousand years, Muslim traders travelled the Silk Road between Central Asia and China, and many settled along the way. Their descendants, the Hui people, still live in north-west China, and their mosques look like Chinese temples, with curved tiled roofs and wooden pavilions. In Xian, the Great Mosque stands in the middle of a busy Muslim Quarter full of halal food stalls, and further west, Linxia is known as China's "Little Mecca".

This 8-day tour follows part of that old route by high-speed train. In Xian you see the City Wall, the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Mosque. In Lanzhou you eat the city's famous beef noodles, a Hui Muslim dish, and walk by the Yellow River. Linxia shows you the mosques and old lanes of a Muslim town. Then the land opens out: the striped red and yellow hills of the Zhangye Rainbow Mountains, a camel ride in the desert, and the grasslands of the Qilian Mountains on the way to Xining.

It is a long, rich trip with several train rides and coach drives, made for Malaysian Muslim travellers. Lunches and dinners are at local halal restaurants, there is time for prayer each day, and a private English-speaking guide is with you throughout.

Quick facts

Duration: 8 days, 6 nights (with overnight flights on Day 1 and Day 7)
Route: Xian, Lanzhou, Linxia, Zhangye, Xining, Xian
Tour type: Private Muslim group tour, from 4 people
Flights: Not included.
Transport: Private air-conditioned coach, and high-speed trains Xian to Lanzhou, Lanzhou to Zhangye, and Xining to Xian
Hotels: 4-star, twin sharing, with daily breakfast
Guide: Private English-speaking guide
Meals: Lunches and dinners at local halal restaurants, as listed

Highlights

The Terracotta Warriors and the Xian City Wall
The Great Mosque of Xian and the Muslim Quarter
Linxia, China's "Little Mecca"
The Zhangye Rainbow Mountains
Lanzhou beef noodles and the Yellow River
A camel ride and the Qilian Mountain grasslands

Itinerary

Day 1: Fly to Xian

Take an overnight flight from Kuala Lumpur to Xian, the old capital of China. Your guide meets you at the airport and takes you to your hotel.

Day 2: Xian City Wall, Terracotta Warriors and the Tang city

Cycle or walk on the Ancient City Wall, one of the most complete old city walls in China. Visit a local mosque. Then see the Terracotta Warriors, the clay army made more than 2,000 years ago for China's first emperor, with a buggy ride and audio guide included. Watch craftsmen at a three-colour ceramic workshop, and spend the evening at the Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, a lit-up street of Tang-style buildings.

Overnight: Xian.

Day 3: Bullet train to Lanzhou

Take the high-speed train to Lanzhou, about 3 hours. Lunch is Lanzhou beef noodles, the city's famous halal dish. Visit Xiguan Mosque and walk by the Yellow River, then ride the cable car up to White Pagoda Hill Park for a view of the city. In the evening, explore the Muslim food night market (dinner at your own cost).

Overnight: Lanzhou.

Day 4: Linxia, China's "Little Mecca"

Drive about 3 hours to Linxia, home to a large Hui Muslim community and many mosques. Visit local mosques and the Liujiaxia Reservoir, and walk through the old lanes of Eight Lanes and Thirteen Alleys. Return to Lanzhou for the night.

Overnight: Lanzhou.

Day 5: Zhangye and the Rainbow Mountains

Take the high-speed train to Zhangye, about 2.5 hours. Visit Zhangye Mosque, then take the park shuttle bus through the Zhangye Danxia Geopark, where the hills are striped in red, orange and yellow rock.

Overnight: Zhangye.

Day 6: Desert, camels and the Qilian grasslands

Ride a camel at the desert sport park. After lunch and prayers, drive about 4 hours to Xining, through the open grasslands of the Qilian Mountains.

Overnight: Xining.

Day 7: Back to Xian, Great Mosque and Muslim Quarter

Take the high-speed train back to Xian, about 4 hours. Shop at the Northwest Wholesale Market, then visit the Great Mosque of Xian, one of the oldest mosques in China, and walk through the Muslim Quarter. Transfer to the airport for your overnight flight.

Day 8: Arrive home

Arrive in Kuala Lumpur in the early morning. Alhamdulillah, a safe journey home.

What's included

Hotels with daily breakfast
Lunches and dinners at local halal restaurants, as listed
One bottle of mineral water per person per day
Private air-conditioned coach and private English-speaking guide
High-speed train tickets: Xian to Lanzhou, Lanzhou to Zhangye, and Xining to Xian
Entrance fees for the places in the itinerary, including the Terracotta Warriors buggy and audio guide, and the Zhangye shuttle bus

Not included

International and domestic flights
Compulsory tipping for guide and driver: RM 30 per person per day for 7 days
Dinner at the Lanzhou night market
Travel insurance
Optional shows: "The Legend of Camel Bells" or "The Empress of the Great Tang", RMB 298 per person each
Single room supplement

Good to know

From November to March, the Zhangye to Xining road may close because of snow. If so, a second-class high-speed train replaces the coach and the Qilian grassland stop is skipped.
Your guide may change the order of visits on the day, but all the places stay in the tour.
The tour is not available during China's National Day holiday (1 to 7 October 2026) or Chinese New Year (5 to 12 February 2027).
Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from your travel date.
Child rates (2 to 12 years): 100% of the adult rate with a bed, 85% without a bed. Infants under 2 travel free.

FAQ

Is the food halal?

Yes. Lunches and dinners are at local halal restaurants, and there is time for prayer every day.

Do I need to be fit?

A normal level of fitness is enough. There is some walking at the City Wall, the Terracotta Warriors and the Rainbow Mountains, and several long train and coach journeys.