Top Things to Know

When is the best time to visit Zhangye?

The best time to visit Zhangye is from June to September, as the plateau climate makes the summer season cool and pleasant, making it an ideal time for a summer vacation. During these months, visitors can witness the most spectacular sunrise and sunset views and capture the stunning rainbow mountains after a rainfall, which is the most photogenic moment.

It is advisable to avoid visiting Zhangye from November to March due to its extremely dry, cold, and windy winter weather.

For photography enthusiasts, the late afternoon is the perfect time to capture the breathtaking beauty of Zhangye Danxia landform. The rainbow mountains display an ever-changing array of colors, including yellow, red, and blue, creating mesmerizing rock formations.

How to Get to Zhangye?

Zhangye is situated in the northwest of China, approximately 1100 km away from Xi'an. A small airport in Zhangye, which provides connections to major cities such as Shanghai, Xi'an, and Lanzhou.

Additionally, due to the expansion of China's high-speed train network, Zhangye is now linked to many other large cities such as Xi'an, Lanzhou, and Xining.

  • Xian - Zhangye | 3 trains per day, first train starts at 07:42, and last starts at 13:40, it takes 6.5 hours.
  • Lanzhou - Zhangye | over 10 trains per day, first train starts at 07:25, and last starts at 18:27, it takes 3.5 hours
  • Xining - Zhangye | over 10 trains per day, first train starts at 08:43, and last starts at 20:03, it takes almost 2 hours

Camera and Lenses Suggestions for Zhangye Photography Tour

1 main body, wide/medium zoom covers 24 – 70, tele photo lens covers 70 – 200.

Additionally, it is recommended to carry a spare battery, a shutter release cable, a GND filter, a CPL filter, microfiber lens cloths, and a spare SD/CF card.

To ensure the safety of your images, it is advisable to bring a hard drive to back up your photos every day if you do not have enough memory cards.