14 Days in Guyuan
Two weeks covers the loess highlands at walking pace — grottoes, forests, Danxia, terraces, the earthquake lake and the old lanes — closing with honest neighbor days at Kongtong and a Lanzhou finish.
Quick Answer
Is 14 days enough for Guyuan?
14 days lets you go beyond Guyuan's core into neighborhoods, food markets, and one or two day trips at a relaxed pace.
Source: NihaoVisit Guyuan guide
14-day Guyuan itinerary at a glance
Use our full Guyuan travel guide as the base and adapt it to 14 days. Keep the city's three signature attractions as the backbone; fill the rest with neighborhood walks, food markets, and an easy day trip.
Arrival and Xumishan Grottoes
More than 130 caves from the 5th century, a Tang Buddha about 20.6 m, and national protection since 1982 on the old Silk Road's northern route; factual visits at the halls.
- guyuan xumishan grottoes
- guyuan xumishan museum
The Great Wall and the Old City
The rammed-earth wall of the 3rd century BC rides the ridges near town; the old city's surviving gates frame the evening walk.
- guyuan qin great wall
- guyuan old city walls
Liupanshan Forest Day
About 1.5 hours south to Jingyuan County — peaks above 2,900 m, spruce gullies, cold streams. Stay the night on the mountain side.
- guyuan liupanshan forest park
Laolongtan Pools
Stepped pools counted as the source of the Jing River, told plainly; the same road continues through Jingyuan's valleys.
- guyuan laolongtan
Yanzhi Gorge
A red-cliff gorge trail by the water — an easy walking day between forest days.
- guyuan yanzhi canyon
Huoshizhai Danxia
Red sandstone pillars and mesa tops in Xiji County, about 1.5 hours northwest; loess views from the crags.
- guyuan huoshizhai
The Earthquake Lake
A long valley lake formed when the 1920 Haiyuan earthquake, about magnitude 8.5, dammed the slopes — one of the deadliest quakes of the 20th century, presented plainly.
- guyuan xiji earthquake lake
Longde Old Lanes
South on the Liupan road to Longde County — clay courtyards, brick-carving workshops and a slow lunch.
- guyuan longde old lane
Jinjiping Terraces
East into Pengyang County, about an hour — contoured terraces step down the loess ridges, green in summer, gold at harvest.
- guyuan jinjiping terraces
Dongyue Hill and the Museum
The city's east-side walking hill with its hillside shrines (factual visits), then the museum's 6th-century gilt silver ewer from the Northern Zhou tomb dug in 1983.
- guyuan dongyue hill
- guyuan guyuan museum
Markets and a Slow Loop
A recovery day at 1,750 m — market breakfast, the riverside parks and a lamb hotpot at dusk.
- guyuan city markets
Kongtong Mountain Neighbor Day
An honest neighbor day — the massif belongs to Pingliang, Gansu, about 80 km southeast, under two hours by road; stone steps climb toward 2,100 m. Factual visits, back at night.
- pingliang kongtong mountain
Road to Lanzhou
An honest two-neighbor finale — leave early by road, about four hours west to Lanzhou, a separate provincial capital. By afternoon the first iron bridge across the Yellow River, dating to 1909, is underfoot.
- lanzhou zhongshan bridge
Lanzhou Museum and Onward
The provincial museum's Silk Road galleries, a beef-noodle breakfast by the river, then onward rail or the flight home from Lanzhou.
- lanzhou gansu provincial museum
- lanzhou city markets
Budget for 14 days in Guyuan
| Tier | Per day | 14 days total |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | USD $50–$80 | USD $700–$1,120 |
| Mid-range | USD $100–$200 | USD $1,400–$2,800 |
| Luxury | USD $300+ | USD $4,200+ |
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Frequently asked questions
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See also: Guyuan travel guide, China visa 2026, China trip cost.