10 Days in Lanzhou
Ten river-and-county days, plus two honestly labelled neighbour days — the Yellow River Stone Forest in Baiyin and the Maijishan grottoes in Tianshui by HSR.
Quick Answer
Is 10 days enough for Lanzhou?
10 days lets you go beyond Lanzhou's core into neighborhoods, food markets, and one or two day trips at a relaxed pace.
Source: NihaoVisit Lanzhou guide
10-day Lanzhou itinerary at a glance
Use our full Lanzhou travel guide as the base and adapt it to 10 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 & the river line
Dusk on the 1909 bridge, the Yuan-era pagoda above, Ming-style waterwheels below; first-morning beef noodles follow the 1915 Ma Baozi standard.
- Zhongshan Bridge
- lanzhou white pagoda hill
- lanzhou waterwheel garden
Provincial museum & riverside statues
The 34.5-centimetre Bronze Galloping Horse unearthed in 1969, the 1986 Mother sculpture, and laozao at the night market made famous by a 2012 TV feature.
- lanzhou gansu provincial museum
- lanzhou yellow river mother sculpture
- lanzhou zhengning road night market
Xinglong Mountain day
About 45 kilometres southeast in Yuzhong County — twin peaks near 2,500 metres and halls that sheltered the relics of Genghis Khan from 1939 until 1954.
- lanzhou xinglong mountain
Qingcheng old town day
Downstream about 100 kilometres, a river town of courtyards, an academy and water-flue-tobacco merchants' houses; the slow ferry and gully walks suit a market lunch.
- lanzhou qingcheng ancient town
Liancheng — Lutusi yamen
Northwest into Yongdeng County for the early-Ming hereditary magistrate's compound, one of the best-preserved tusi offices in the northwest.
- lanzhou lutusi yamen
Tulugou forest park
A canyon day in the same Yongdeng direction — spruce slopes, granite walls and boardwalks, a green contrast to the ochre ridges seen later.
- lanzhou tulugou forest park
Hekou old town & ink Danxia
The old ferry lanes where the Zhuanglang River joins the Yellow River, then low afternoon light on the Danxia ridges northwest of the city.
- lanzhou hekou ancient town
- lanzhou ink danxia
Yellow River Stone Forest (Baiyin day)
Honestly labelled neighbouring-prefecture day — the stone forest sits in Jingtai County under Baiyin, roughly 150 kilometres out; sand towers shaped over about four million years, jeep tracks and a river bend.
- baiyin yellow river stone forest
Maijishan grottoes (Tianshui day)
Honestly labelled neighbouring-city day — about 90 minutes east by HSR to Tianshui for 221 caves and more than 10,000 clay sculptures begun under the Later Qin (384-417), part of the Silk Roads World Heritage listing since 2014.
- lanzhou maijishan grottoes
Five Springs, Lanshan & departure
A last city morning under the Huo Qubing legend, the 2,129-metre Lanshan lookout, Reader Avenue named for the magazine founded in 1981, and one more beef-noodle bowl before the train.
- lanzhou wuquan mountain park
- lanzhou lanshan park
- lanzhou yellow river style line
Budget for 10 days in Lanzhou
| Tier | Per day | 10 days total |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | USD $50–$80 | USD $500–$800 |
| Mid-range | USD $100–$200 | USD $1,000–$2,000 |
| Luxury | USD $300+ | USD $3,000+ |
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Frequently asked questions
What is the daily budget for Lanzhou?
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See also: Lanzhou travel guide, China visa 2026, China trip cost.