The best of the west

The northwest part of the loop offers elements of the ancient Silk Road and runs from Gansu province's capital Lanzhou, across the Hexi Corridor, to Xinjiang's Kashgar.

Travelers would see the mountains of Qilian, Tianshan and Kunlun, the Junggar and Tarim basins, and the Taklimakan Desert. The Mogao Grottoes and Jiayu Pass in Gansu, as well as Huoyan (Flaming) Mountain, Tianchi Lake and Grand Bazaar in Xinjiang are all sites on the route that one shouldn't miss. In addition, areas of the Gobi Desert, lakes, danxia (red sandstone characterized by steep cliffs) and yardang (dry areas with wind erosion landscape) landforms can also be seen along the route, which is suitable for travel all year round.

The loop's southern section boasts adventurous experiences. It departs from Kashgar, climbs up nearly 5,000 meters into Ngari prefecture in Tibet, and then leads to Tibet's capital, Lhasa, after traveling across the Himalayas, Gangdise Mountains and the Yarlung Zangbo River.