Embark on a overland journey that weaves through the fabric of history and nature, as we traverse a landscape dotted with two of the world’s most remarkable wonders: the Terracotta Army and the Great Wall. This overland odyssey, a border-crossing spectacle, will lead you through not just these iconic landmarks, but also four UNESCO World Heritage sites and lots of other old towns besides Terracotta Army and the Great Wall that whisper tales of ages past of China.
The itinerary is a grand narrative of China’s rich cultural heritage, with stops in the ancient capital of thirteen dynasties—Xi’an, where the echoes of imperial grandeur resonate through its ancient walls. From there, we’ll indulge in the gastronomic delights and leisurely pace of life in Chengdu, a city renowned as the culinary and relaxation hub of China.
As we travel from the north to the south, the landscape transforms before your eyes, taking you through sweeping deserts, vibrant grasslands, and majestic mountains that tower over rivers that have shaped the land for millennia. This border-crossing overland route is a vivid tapestry of experiences that will undoubtedly fill your journey with delightful surprises and unforgettable memories.
ChinaRoadtrips meticulously plans each day’s itinerary, including driving distances, sightseeing spots, overnight stays, and stopover durations, ensuring ample time to savor the tranquility of rural roads, the speed and grandeur of Chinese highways, and the local cultural experiences.
Itinerary
- Exit Mongolia (Zamiin Uud Port) at the earliest opportunity and then drive to the China’s border gate (don’t drive though). Park the vehicle near by the Gate. Your guide will meet there.
- Then the driver and passengers take their carry-on luggage and follow the guide to the adjacent immigration hall window to handle the entry procedures for individuals. This takes about 20 minutes. After completion, passengers can pass through security with their luggage. The driver needs to return to the nearby border gate to wait for the confirmation of the vehicle’s customs procedures, which takes 30-60 minutes. Once the procedures are completed, the border inspection personnel will check the vehicle and luggage. If everything is in order, the driver can then drive the vehicle through the border gate and meet up with the passengers at other side of China.Subsequently, Then, follow the guide’s vehicle to the Vehicle Administration Office to process temporary driver’s licenses and vehicle temporary licenses. Since the travel agency has submitted all the necessary documents in advance you can get them soon when you arrive there. After that, our guide will take guests to the Telecom shop to get a local SIM card .
- Today, our guide will instruct guests on how to use the universal QR code payment system throughout China, so that guests will not need to visit ATMs frequently. This makes shopping and paying for fuel, tolls, and parking fees more convenient. Overnight at China border city-Erenhot, 8 km away from the border.
Head to Datong via grassland highway.
China is home to three of the most famous grottoes, among which the Yungang Grottoes in Datong is one of them. The grottoes contain 51,000 stone carvings of Buddhas of all sizes, with a history of over 1,500 years. The Datong Grottoes were inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2001 and are a national 5A tourist attraction in China.
Notes: ChinaRoadtrips carefully books hotels with high cost-performance ratios, good locations, convenient for sightseeing and parking, and ensures the safety of our guests.
- Visit Yungang Grottoes in the morning. After lunch, drive to Yizhou via highway by passing Yanmenguan Great Wall. Visit and climb it.
- Continue driving to Yizhou, overnight here.
- Drive to Pingyao via highway, 2 -3 hours driving.
- The entire Pingyao Ancient City is a World Cultural Heritage site and is one of the most completely preserved ancient cities in China. There are many places to visit and experience, so our itinerary has specially allocated a full day for everyone to rest and experience the city.
Pingyao Ancient City is a city with a long history and rich cultural heritage. Here are some brief recommendations:
1. **Ancient City Wall**: The city wall of Pingyao Ancient City is one of the best-preserved walls in China, offering a chance to walk atop and admire the city’s vista.
2. **County Office**: The ancient county office in Pingyao is one of the most intact ancient government offices in the country, providing insight into the ancient bureaucratic system and culture.
3. **Rishengchang Draft Bank**: As the first draft bank in China, Rishengchang showcases the splendor of the ancient financial industry.
4. **Xieyiqing Draft Bank**: Visit the ancient underground vault to experience the commercial wisdom of the Jin merchants.
5. **Chinese Escort Agency Museum**: Learn about the history and culture of the escort agency, a unique industry in ancient times.
6. **City God Temple**: Integrating Confucianism, Taoism, and folk culture, the architecture and carvings are worth seeing and reflect the crystallization of the ancient Chinese laborers’ wisdom.
7. **Ming and Qing Streets**: Known as “China’s Ancient Wall Street,” this area allows you to experience the commercial culture of the ancient city.
8. **Shuanglin Temple**: The temple houses a collection of colorful sculptures from various dynasties, earning it the title of “Oriental Plastic Art Treasury.”
9. **Zhenguo Temple**: With its unique architectural style and historical value, it’s a great place to understand ancient religious culture.
10. **”Yi Jian Pingyao” Performance**: This is an indoor theatrical performance not to be missed, showcasing the history and culture of the ancient city through modern artistic methods.
In Pingyao Ancient City, you can experience a wealth of cultural activities and traditional festivals, such as the “Pingyao Chinese New Year,” which not only demonstrates the historical charm of the ancient city but also reflects the local folk customs.
This is a 25-day itinerary, and we also offer a 12-day rapid crossing option (available for guests with a 15-day visa-free entry and limited time).
ChinaRoadtrips meticulously plans each day’s itinerary, including driving distances, sightseeing spots, overnight stays, and stopover durations, ensuring ample time to savor the tranquility of rural roads, the speed and grandeur of Chinese highways, and the local cultural experiences.
Considering that the webpage should not be too long, we have only listed the detailed itinerary for the first 5 days. However, I believe that the detailed plans and introductions for these initial five days are sufficient to demonstrate our professionalism, as well as our high standards of service and content.
- If guests need to know more about the itinerary or want a tailor-made tour, please contact us or leave a message below. We will respond to you promptly.
Quotation
– Tour Booking 2025 –
Group Quote for a standard 25-day itinerary.
Our prices are highly competitive among overland tour companies, and our service terms are unmatched. Depending on the itinerary, our prices are generally 10%-40% lower than our competitors. What’s more, we also offer the following discount strategies to ease the financial burden on guests:
Itinerary Discount – For the rapid crossing within 15 days, prices drop by 15%-20% based on the number of vehicles.
Vehicle Discount – If your vehicle is over 5 years old and has an engine displacement of ≤2000cc, you will enjoy a 5% discount; for vehicles over 10 years, the discount is 10%.
Referral Discount – Share our Overland itineraries and quotes on social media, and each customer will receive a 2% discount. If a new vehicle joins the team through your referral, you will receive a 5% discount per vehicle, while the new customer gets a 3% discount, with a maximum discount of up to 30%.
The cost per vehicle (car or motorcycle) with a driver in a single-vehicle group is $ 4,299 USD, with NO charges for accompanying passenger.
1. If there are no available seats in the group for the tour guide, we will arrange a separate vehicle for the guide. An additional charge of $1,500-2,500 for vehicle usage, fuel, and toll fees for the entire group to share. The fees for arranging a separate vehicle charged by other travel agencies are at least $3000.If you wish to avoid incurring this cost, you will need to find a car that has extra seat available to join your group.
2. If all team members prefer a cheaper price regardless of the group size, we also offer a quote for ten vehicles, with an additional discount of $600 per vehicle comparing 5 vehicles in the group.
The cost per vehicle (car or motorcycle) with a driver in a single-vehicle group is $ 2,799 USD, with NO charges for accompanying passenger.
1. If there are no available seats in the group for the tour guide, we will arrange a separate vehicle for the guide. An additional charge of $1,500-2,500 for vehicle usage, fuel, and toll fees for the entire group to share. The fees for arranging a separate vehicle charged by other travel agencies are at least $3000.If you wish to avoid incurring this cost, you will need to find a car that has extra seat available to join your group.
2. If all team members prefer a cheaper price regardless of the group size, we also offer a quote for ten vehicles, with an additional discount of $600 per vehicle comparing 5 vehicles in the group.
The cost per vehicle (car or motorcycle) with a driver in a single-vehicle group is $ 2,399 USD, with NO charges for accompanying passenger.
1. If there are no available seats in the group for the tour guide, we will arrange a separate vehicle for the guide. An additional charge of $1,500-2,500 for vehicle usage, fuel, and toll fees for the entire group to share. The fees for arranging a separate vehicle charged by other travel agencies are at least $3000.If you wish to avoid incurring this cost, you will need to find a car that has extra seat available to join your group.
2. If all team members prefer a cheaper price regardless of the group size, we also offer a quote for ten vehicles, with an additional discount of $600 per vehicle comparing 5 vehicles in the group.
The cost per vehicle (car or motorcycle) with a driver in a single-vehicle group is $ 2,099 USD, with NO charges for accompanying passenger.
1. If there are no available seats in the group for the tour guide, we will arrange a separate vehicle for the guide. An additional charge of $1,500-2,500 for vehicle usage, fuel, and toll fees for the entire group to share. The fees for arranging a separate vehicle charged by other travel agencies are at least $3000.If you wish to avoid incurring this cost, you will need to find a car that has extra seat available to join your group.
2. If all team members prefer a cheaper price regardless of the group size, we also offer a quote for ten vehicles, with an additional discount of $600 per vehicle comparing 5 vehicles in the group.
The cost per vehicle (car or motorcycle) with a driver in a single-vehicle group is $1,899 USD, with NO charges for accompanying passenger.
1. If there are no available seats in the group for the tour guide, we will arrange a separate vehicle for the guide. An additional charge of $1,500-2,500 for vehicle usage, fuel, and toll fees for the entire group to share. The fees for arranging a separate vehicle charged by other travel agencies are at least $3000.If you wish to avoid incurring this cost, you will need to find a car that has extra seat available to join your group.
2. If all team members prefer a cheaper price regardless of the group size, we also offer a quote for ten vehicles, with an additional discount of $600 per vehicle comparing 5 vehicles in the group.
The cost per vehicle (car or motorcycle) with a driver in a single-vehicle group is $1,299 USD, with NO charges for accompanying passenger.
1. If there are no available seats in the group for the tour guide, we will arrange a separate vehicle for the guide. An additional charge of $1,500-2,500 for vehicle usage, fuel, and toll fees for the entire group to share. The fees for arranging a separate vehicle charged by other travel agencies are at least $3000.If you wish to avoid incurring this cost, you will need to find a car that has extra seat available to join your group.
2. If all team members prefer a cheaper price regardless of the group size, we also offer a quote for ten vehicles, with an additional discount of $600 per vehicle comparing 5 vehicles in the group.
- Costs for Vehicles Services
- Full Customs Deposit
- Customs Clearance
- Temporary Plate No.
- CLIVTA
- Costs for Guests Services
- Temporary Driver’s License
- Travel Accident Insurance
- Costs for Other Services
- Guide Service
- Paperwork and Permits.
- Organization and Coordination Expenses
- Extra Services (1)
- Welcome Dinners (2-3)
- Massage Experience (once)
- Bears in the Bar (once)
- Chinese KTV Experience
- Extra Services (2)
- SIM Card and Data (Usefull)
- VPN Service (Surf Internet freely)
- Can pay after entry (Safe Money)
- Refunds if dissatisfied (5%-20%)
- Exclude Services
- Meals/Accoms/Gas/Toll/Visa
- Costs for temporary adjustments to the fixed schedule caused by customer’s reasons.
