Private day tour to Zhangye Danxia: Rainbow Mountain

Colored rock formations, an ancient Silk Road city, and five hours on the road to the rainbow mountains

A private day tour to Zhangye Danxia Landform, known as the Rainbow Mountain, with English-speaking guide, hotel pickup and air-conditioned vehicle. You visit the Binggou Danxia Landform and Zhangye Danxia Geo-park, two sites of layered, multicolored hills in northwest Gansu province. The tour runs five hours and includes entrance fees and bottled water. Book at least a week ahead so the operator can arrange an English guide.

Step-by-step itinerary

Visit Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountain

• Hotel pick up
• Travel to Binggou Danxia Landform
• Explore Zhangye Danxia Geo-park

The experience

The Rainbow Mountain sits in the middle of the Hexi Corridor, the ancient trade and military route that once connected China's northwest to the Silk Road. The Danxia landforms, an area of 529 square kilometers, are known for their striped, colored rock formations that shift from red to yellow to green depending on the light and the angle you stand at. The site is ranked among China's top seven most beautiful Danxia formations and draws photographers, painters and geology students as much as tourists.

Your guide and driver pick you up from your hotel in an air-conditioned vehicle and take you to both the Binggou Danxia Landform and the Zhangye Danxia Geo-park. The five-hour tour includes entrance to both sites, so you walk the hills and viewpoints without stopping to buy tickets. You get one bottle of water per person. The guide speaks English and can answer questions about the geology and the history of the region as a Silk Road outpost.

Zhangye is a small city, so the operator asks that you book at least a week in advance to confirm an English-speaking guide. The tour suits anyone who can walk and stand for periods across the day. The terrain is uneven but the pace is set by the group, and families with children are welcome.

What’s included

• English-speaking guide.
• private hotel pickup and drop-off.
• air-conditioned vehicle.
• entrance fees to both Binggou Danxia Landform and Zhangye Danxia Geo-park.
• one bottle of water per person.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 08:30, 09:00, 10:00 and 13:00

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (12 and older) · Child (4 to 11 years) · Infant (under 4): free

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated yesterday

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by China Kongfu Panda tour

Is this one for you?Five hours on the road and at the sites leaves the rest of your day free in Zhangye, so this works if you want to see the Rainbow Mountain without committing a full day or combining it with other activities in the city.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (4 to 11 years); Infant (under 4): free.

What exactly is the Rainbow Mountain and why is it called that?

The Rainbow Mountain is the Zhangye Danxia Landform, a geological site of layered, multicolored rock formations that display stripes of red, yellow, green and other hues across the hillsides. The colors come from mineral deposits in the rock layers and shift in appearance depending on the time of day and where you stand. It is one of China's top seven most beautiful Danxia formations.

How much walking is involved in this tour?

The tour lasts five hours total and includes visits to two sites (Binggou Danxia Landform and Zhangye Danxia Geo-park), where you walk the hills and viewpoints. The terrain is uneven, but the pace is set by the group and the tour suits all fitness levels.

What's included in the five-hour tour?

The tour includes private hotel pickup and drop-off, an air-conditioned vehicle, an English-speaking guide, entrance fees to both the Binggou Danxia Landform and Zhangye Danxia Geo-park, and one bottle of water per person.

Why does the operator ask me to book a week ahead?

Zhangye is a small city and English-speaking guides are not always immediately available. Booking at least a week in advance gives the operator time to arrange a guide who speaks English for your departure.