Gansu is a long, narrow province in northwest China that follows the Hexi Corridor, the Silk Road passage between the Qilian Mountains and the Gobi. It joins the Yellow River city of Lanzhou, the Mogao Caves and Mingsha dunes at Dunhuang, the Ming fort at Jiayuguan, the rainbow Danxia hills of Zhangye, and the Tibetan monasteries of Xiahe and Langmusi into one of China's richest cultural and landscape routes.
Luxury hotels
Five-star and palace properties.
Hyatt Regency Lanzhou
Five-star riverside hotel in central Lanzhou with views over the Yellow River, a short taxi ride from the Zhongshan Bridge area and the Zhengning Road night market.
Hilton Lanzhou City Center
Hilton-brand high-rise in the middle of Lanzhou's Chengguan district, rated 9.5/10 on Trip.com from more than 3,800 reviews, within reach of Zhongshan Road, the Gansu Provincial Museum and the night markets.
Sheraton Lanzhou Anning
Marriott-brand five-star in the western Anning district, rated 9.5/10 on Trip.com; quieter than the center and best for travelers using Didi or a car, since the old town is a 25-30 minute drive.
Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel
Fort-style desert hotel on the edge of the Mingsha dunes, close to Crescent Lake; guests rely on the hotel's shuttle bus to reach the town and night market.
Jangala Dunhuang, an SLH Hotel
Resort-style desert hotel in Qili Town, a few kilometers south of central Dunhuang near the Mingsha dunes, listed on Hilton's booking platform as part of the SLH collection.
Fine dining
Michelin-starred and chef-driven restaurants.
Xinhai Restaurant
Lanzhou restaurant serving local specialities such as braised beef and hand-pulled noodles alongside Cantonese and Sichuan dishes, with a Chinese picture menu and a plain English menu.
Hyatt Regency Lanzhou restaurants
Hotel restaurants beside the Yellow River with Chinese and international menus.
Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel restaurants
In-house restaurants at the dune-edge fort hotel, serving mutton, noodles and regional dishes.