[2025 Zhangye Stay] Travel Guide for Runhu Holiday Hotel (Updated May)

🌄In the flow of time, travel is a romantic encounter with the world. Each journey into the unknown adds a unique color to life. This May, I packed my bags and headed to Zhangye for an adventure full of surprises and excitement. Now, I'm sharing this carefully curated 3-day, 2-night travel guide to Zhangye in May with you!✨ 🗺3-Day, 2-Night Itinerary: Day 1: Arrival in Zhangye - Great Buddha Temple - Ganzhou Market Morning: After arriving in Zhangye, head to your hotel to check in and rest. The Great Buddha Temple is a must-see, home to the largest indoor reclining Buddha in Asia. Its solemnity inspires awe and allows you to experience the fusion of history and Buddhist culture. Noon: Enjoy local delicacies at a restaurant near the Great Buddha Temple. Afternoon: Head to Ganzhou Market, a lively place filled with various local snacks and handicrafts. Stroll around, eat, and experience the local life of Zhangye. Day 2: Rainbow Danxia - Binggou Danxia Morning: Head to the Rainbow Danxia scenic area and take a sightseeing bus to visit the four viewing platforms. Admire the wonders of nature. This is a paradise for photography enthusiasts, where every view is breathtaking. We recommend the No. 2 viewing platform for a panoramic view and the No. 4 viewing platform for the best sunset views. Noon: Have lunch at the restaurant in the scenic area, or bring your own snacks and water. Afternoon: Head to Binggou Danxia. Unlike the colorful Rainbow Danxia, this area is known for its majestic shapes, resembling a natural sculpture museum. Day 3: Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon - Return to the City Morning: Head to Pingshan Lake Grand Canyon, hike deep into the valley, and experience the thrilling trails such as "A Thread of Sky" and "Cloud Ladder" to feel the awe-inspiring power of nature. Noon: Have lunch near the scenic area. Afternoon: Return to the city and prepare for your return trip, ending your pleasant journey in Zhangye. 🍱Must-Try Foods: - Beef Xiaofan: Noodles cut into the size of rice grains, served with delicious beef broth and tofu. The unique taste warms the stomach with every bite. We recommend "Wu Ji Beef Xiaofan." - Braised Pork Fried Pao: Noodles shaped like firecrackers, stir-fried with braised pork, green peppers, and other ingredients. The aroma is rich, and the texture is chewy. "Sun Ji Fried Pao" is worth a try. - Cuo Yu Zi: Handmade small fish-shaped noodles that can be mixed or served in soup. The stir-fried Cuo Yu at "Miao Shi Juan Zi Ji" is very unique. - Mutton Dianguanzi: Mutton stewed until tender and flavorful, with the noodles fully absorbing the mutton broth. The dish is fresh and delicious. This dish at "Tianyu Luerjia Hotel" is widely praised. - Sugar Oil Cake: Glutinous rice fried and wrapped in brown sugar. The outer skin is crispy, and the inside is soft and glutinous, sweet and delicious. You can buy it at street stalls. - Gray Bean Soup: Black beans cooked until soft, with brown sugar and red dates added. It's a sweet and refreshing local drink perfect for beating the summer heat. 🏠Accommodation Recommendations: - City Area: - High-End: Huachen International Hotel (4-star, No. 162, East Street), Runhu Holiday Hotel (4-star, No. 109, Renzong Road), with complete facilities and attentive service. - Cost-Effective: Quanji Hotel (West Railway Station Branch), Pinzun International Hotel (near West Railway Station), moderately priced and convenient for travel, approx. CNY 300–500/night. It is recommended to book 1 month in advance for holidays such as Labor Day. - Around Scenic Areas: - Rainbow Danxia: Homestays in Danxiakou Cultural Tourism Town (such as Danxia Mingzhu Inn), with excellent locations for watching the sunrise and sunset. - Shandan Army Horse Ranch: Huaixi Town Wooden Villas, where you can experience the romance of the stars on the prairie. 💡Travel Tips: - In Zhangye in May, the temperature is around 10–25℃, with a large temperature difference between day and night. Remember to bring warm clothes such as windproof jackets and thin sweaters🧥. - The ultraviolet rays in Zhangye are strong, so be sure to bring sunglasses🕶, sunscreen, hats, and other sun protection products. - The attractions in Zhangye are scattered, so it is recommended to choose a chartered car for convenient and fast travel. You can also take the scenic area shuttle bus. Check the bus schedule and times online in advance. - Some scenic spots are at high altitudes, so be careful to avoid strenuous exercise to prevent altitude sickness. 🎈Zhangye, a charming city, has magnificent natural scenery, profound historical culture, and mouth-watering food. Every landscape and every taste is intoxicating and unforgettable. I hope you can also set foot on this magical land, start your own wonderful journey, and gain many beautiful memories💕

I was overwhelmed with choices when looking for a hotel in Zhangye online for my trip with my child. Finally, I chose the Zhangye Runhu Holiday Hotel, and it turned out to be a brilliant decision!👏​ 🌟Incredibly warm and welcoming service​ As soon as we entered the lobby, the lobby manager and staff greeted us and guided us through the check-in process. After completing the formalities, they escorted us directly to our room. The floor staff even brought us welcome fruits, a foot bath, and herbal soak. The treatment was simply amazing!👍​ 🛏️Spacious rooms, comfortable and thoughtful​ The first impression upon entering the room was its spaciousness and brightness. The room was much larger than I expected, providing ample space for my child to play. The bed was incredibly soft and comfortable, ensuring a good night's sleep.💤 To my surprise, there was a foot bath in the room. Soaking my feet after a long day of sightseeing was a great way to relieve fatigue. What thoughtful service! They provided four bottles of mineral water, and we could also get free mineral water from the tea and beverage stand in the stairwell. Super convenient! The quality of the disposable toiletries was also excellent. The room was equipped with a humidifier, neck pillows, and even clean neck pillowcases. The attention to detail was impressive. 🍱Delicious and diverse dining options​ We could order meals on the 4th floor of the hotel for lunch and dinner. The menu offered a wide variety of dishes, and the food was delicious. Breakfast was served on the first floor, and the selection was dazzling. There were all sorts of local snacks, turtle soup, coffee, and more. The beef noodles for breakfast were especially amazing; my child and I couldn't get enough of them.🍜​ 💖Excellent value for money, highly recommended​ We initially planned to stay for only one day, but we extended our stay because it was so comfortable. This hotel offers exceptional value for money. The price is reasonable, but the service and facilities far exceeded our expectations. It was truly fortunate to find such a thoughtful and comfortable hotel for a trip with elderly family members and children. If you're planning a trip to Zhangye, trust me, choosing the Runhu Holiday Hotel won't disappoint. Highly recommended!

Words can't describe how good this hotel is! The service is truly exceptional. They offer a complimentary airport shuttle service, which you can book one day in advance. Every staff member greets you warmly. Upon check-in, the front desk provides hot towels and apricot juice, while the lobby offers red date tea and coffee. In the evening, they provide complimentary hot milk, prepare a foot bath for you, and even offer homemade facial masks. The environment is excellent. The lobby is clean and bright, and the elevators are quite fast. Bottled mineral water and direct drinking water are available in public areas. Spotlessly clean, with daily housekeeping. The facilities are top-notch. The kids absolutely loved the family room. It's spacious and well-designed, with details like themed children's phones, cartoon tissue boxes, and toiletries. We ended up extending our stay for two more days. The breakfast buffet offers a wide variety of options, including many freshly prepared dishes like beef ramen, cornbread, and pancakes. There's something for everyone! The hotel's Chinese restaurant is also quite good, with reliable quality, reasonable prices, and excellent service.

✅ I really want to praise Zhangye Runhu Holiday Hotel! Especially compared with Dunhuang Manor in Dunhuang, it is really cost-effective, with spacious rooms and excellent service! ✅ From the pick-up driver, to the front desk, to the room service staff, they are all very enthusiastic and considerate. ✅ Snacks and fruits are delivered every day, and a foot bath bucket is prepared. Milk and juice are delivered to the room every night! ✅ The location is not in the downtown area, and it seems to be less than 3 kilometers away from the Giant Buddha Temple. There are some small supermarkets and restaurants around the hotel. You can also order food in the guest room, and the delicious food is irresistible. It is so enjoyable to eat.

Day 3: From Dunhuang to Zhangye via Jiayuguan, the westernmost end of the Great Wall On one side is the snow-capped Qilian Mountains, and on the other is the indestructible Black Mountain. Jiayuguan is located at the throat of the Hexi Corridor. Bad weather made Jiayuguan feel even more towering, lonely, and heavy. Seeing Jiayuguan, you can feel the lonely courage of the soldiers in the frontier poems of the past! We didn't choose to enter the scenic area because it is a joint ticket for four key scenic spots. Time is limited, and standing on high ground, you can feel the unique scenery of Jiayuguan! From 30°C in Dunhuang to 6°C in Zhangye, we had to warm up with some copper pot hot pot and Sanpao tea. Hotel: Zhangye Runhu Holiday Hotel The room was clean and tidy, and the service was excellent! Exceeded expectations! Very suitable for families with elderly and children. Day 4 Zhangye Mati Temple In the documentary Hexi Corridor, Guo Yu and his disciples taught in seclusion in "Linsong Xiegu", where the ideals of a generation of Hexi scholars to help the world in times of war are buried. The weather was bad, and when we arrived, the clouds were still in the distant mountains. When we climbed to the 33rd cave, we were already in the clouds. How devout must one be to carve so many deep caves to support the faith in their hearts! Indeed, the best way to preserve information is to carve it on stone! Jinta Temple was not open, but we still walked the most beautiful section of the Qilian Mountains from Mati Temple to Jinta Temple. The clouds were low, and we couldn't see the distant snow-capped mountains. Jinta Temple and this road will be left for next time! After a tiring day, we chose to have dinner at the hotel. The local food was delicious, and the spicy hot pot is a must-try. 👍 🌟🌟🌟 Historically, Emperor Wu of Han established four counties in the Hexi Corridor: Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiuquan, and Dunhuang. Wuwei: Meaning military power, to show that the military power of the Han Empire reached the Hexi Corridor. Zhangye: To cut off the arm of the Xiongnu and extend the arm of the Han Dynasty. Jiuquan: Guarding the northwest of the Hexi Corridor, named after a spring under the city, whose water is like wine. Dunhuang: Meaning grand and glorious.

1. For traveling within the Zhangye area, it's best to drive or rent a car. Whether you're visiting the Danxia landforms or heading to the grasslands, just follow the navigation. Joining a tour group is only suitable for small private charters, as the scenery here is ideal for self-driving tours. 2. Within Zhangye city, for short walking tours: the Giant Buddha Temple. Worth it. A thousand-year-old colossal relic. Right across from the Giant Buddha Temple is the museum, where you can see artifacts from the Han, Sui, and Tang dynasties. In the evening, it's nice to visit the Water Sky Convergence and the Wetland Park (super large and deep). 3. If you don't want to self-drive, you can follow a local short-distance travel agency, and chartering a car is also convenient and well-established. Stay in a downtown hotel, and the chartered car can make a round trip from early morning to late evening. The driver will pick you up and drop you off right at the hotel entrance. One scenic spot per day. Destinations like: Matisi Scenic Area, Danxia and the Grand Canyon, Shandan Army Horse Farm, etc. (But self-driving offers the most freedom in terms of experience). 4. If you're self-driving, it's recommended to definitely take this route: a. Drive from Zhangye on National Highway 227, setting your destination to: Zhuo'er Mountain in Qinghai, or Arou in Qinghai. You'll be amazed along the way. b. Drive from Matisi Scenic Area towards Jinta Temple! Winding mountain roads, traveling through the Qilian Mountains, with snow-capped mountains, grasslands, pine forests, herds of cattle and sheep... The scenery is stunning. This is the main highlight of the tour, highly recommended. 5. Very niche, exceptionally good tourist spots with few people: (1) Wangshi Village in Xintian Town, Minle County, Zhangye City, drive along a road inside the village, keep going deep inside, to a place called 'Huangcaogou'. The mountain scenery is dreamlike and fantastic, suitable for hiking (last picture). But don't stay at night, as there are bears around 🐻. (2) Anywhere near E'bao Ridge on National Highway 227, close to Qinghai direction, you can stop the car, climb mountains, pick wild mushrooms, watch pikas or marmots. Set up a canopy and outdoor tables and chairs (pictures 1, 2, 3). (3) Sudu in Sunan (picture 6), uninhabited mountain forests, grasslands, and streams, only known to locals, not to outsiders. On the way from Matisi to Jinta Temple, suitable for small groups to hike. Northern forest, no mosquitoes or snakes. Finally, a reminder: Zhangye is a city with distinct seasons, and the best months to visit are June, July, and August. Do not come in March or April, as those are the least suitable months for tourism due to strong winds that will make you question life. Regarding booking hotels: Zhangye is small, so with a car, you can book any hotel. If you want to enjoy the scenery, stay at Zhangye Hotel, next to the big lake. If you want a nice environment, the Runquan Lake Holiday Hotel is good.