17-Day Guided Tour in Silk Road China

Xi'an

Ni Hao! Welcome to Xi'an - the capital city of the Shanxi Province. There will be a welcome briefing in the evening, in which we meet our leader and the rest of the group. We'll have a group meal afterwards. If you arrive earlier, there are some recommended attractions: ·Little Wild Goose Pagoda (approximately 2 hours; CNY50) ·Great Mosque （approximately 2 hours; CNY25）

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Small Goose Pagoda

As a part of the artistic heritage of Buddhist architectures of the Tang Dynasty, it witnessed how Buddhism was introduced to China and integrated with the culture of Han nationality. Although it is not as famous as the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, it is more peaceful and tranquil. (entrance fee-CNY 50)

2 Hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

The Great Mosque in Xi'an is one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China. In Xi'an, it is really well worth a trip to see the Great Mosque, not only for its centuries' old history but also for its particular design of mixed architecture - traditional Muslim and Chinese styles. (entrance fee-CNY 25)

2 Hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Terracotta Warriors Museum

Xi'an is the eastern end of the Silk Road. The Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an is a super large collection of life-size terra cotta sculptures in battle formations, reproducing the mega imperial guard troops of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (259 - 210BC), the first emperor of the first unified dynasty of Imperial China. This afternoon is your free time. There is a recommended attraction: · Wild Goose Pagoda (approximately 3 hours; CNY40)

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Big Wild Goose Pagoda (Dayanta)

Originally built over one thousand years ago in the Tang Dynasty, Giant Wild Goose Pagoda functions to collect Buddhist materials taken from India by the hierarch Xuanzang. It is a good place to feel the Buddhist Culture and enjoy the prosperity of Tang Dynasty. Especially in the evenings, nightly lights and music show around the many fountains can bring you back to the prosperous Tang Dynasty. (entrance fee-CNY80)

3 Hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Xiahe County

Catch the bullet train to Lanzhou (approximately 3 hours) and take the private vehicle to Xiahe (approximately 4 hours). Lanzhou is the capital city of Gansu Province in northwest China. The Yellow River, the Chinese Mother River, runs through the city, ensuring the good harvest of juicy and fragrant fruits. The city is the transportation and telecommunication center of the region. Covering an area of 1631.6 square kilometers (629.96 square miles), it was once a key point on the ancient Silk Road. 

8 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Xiahe County

The profound Tibetan Buddhism and various custom activities are highlights of Xiahe. In the morning, a Lama will show us around the Labrang Monastery, one of the six main temples of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. The afternoon is free. You can climb to the hilltop and enjoy the panorama of the town. In addition, you can follow the steps of the local pilgrims to turn the pray-wheels, praying for happiness and enjoying the Tibetan Culture in depth.

7 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Sangke Grassland

Sangke Grassland is located about ten kilometers west of the county. It enjoys a good reputation in the northwest Tibetan district for its excellent pasture and frequent magnificent Buddhist ceremonies. Sangke Grassland is an ideal place to experience the nomadic life, spend summers and return to the nature. It is also a nice place to appreciate the Tibetan folk culture to the full by wearing Tibetan costumes and riding horses or yaks across the land.

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Bingling Temple Grottoes

On the way to Lanzhou, we will see the Bingling Temple, blessed with a series of grottoes filled with Buddhist sculpture carved into natural caves and caverns in a canyon along the Yellow River. Afterwards, let's go to Lanzhou and find nice food in the night fair.

8 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Lanzhou

This morning is free for you to explore in urban Lanzhou. You can join the locals to have a nice walk along the Yellow River, where you can find many locals doing morning exercises here-playing Tai Chi, dancing, singing, playing Chinese Chess, etc. In addition, you can visit the Provincial Museum, the biggest comprehensive museum in the province. The world-famous bronze Galloping Horse's Hoof Stepped on a Flying Swallow, also named as Galloping Horse, is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum. It is one of the best sights in the city and a visit is well worthwhile. Then catch the train to Zhangye (approximately 5 hours).

7 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Zhangye Danxia Geopark

This morning, we will drive one hour to Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, the best representative of China's colorful Danxia landform with a wide variety of landforms. Undulating fiery-red ridges together with amazing multicolored mountain folds transform the park into an immense sea of fire with rolling waves, earning it the reputation of China's Rainbow Mountains and also one of the "Top 10 Geographical Wonders of the World" selected by the National Geographic. In the late afternoon, we will take bullet train to the next destination.

8 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Jiayuguan Fortress

Today is all for Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass), the western end of the Great Wall built in the Ming Dynasty. It is known as "the First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven", and is the best-preserved and most magnificent military fort in China. In the afternoon, we will take the bullet train to Dunhuang. It will take you about 3 hours.

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Mogao Caves

Visit the Mogao Caves, which house some of the most stunning Buddhist murals in the world and are perhaps the greatest store of Buddhist art in the world. Return to your hotel in Dunhuang for the night and perhaps enjoy a drink at the unique beer gardens off the nearby night market.

8 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

Turpan

In the morning, we will visit the Echoing-Sand Mountain, where you can hear echoes to the sound of sand as you slide down its slopes. Besides, you can also enjoy the limpid Crescent Lake in the further desert sand area. Travel by private car this afternoon to Liuyuan train station and board a fast train to Turpan （approximately 3.5 hours）. A transfer will be waiting in Turpan to take you to the hotel. 

8 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Turpan

Turpan, once an important staging post on the Silk Road, is an attractive oasis town famous for its vineyards, stone fruits, melons and the nearby Flaming Mountains.  You will see some of the ancient sights in Turpan: Karez Well System, one of the three great ancient projects in China and the ancient city of Jiaohe. Karez Systems are known as "the underground Great Wall". They are very delicate irrigation systems made up of vertical wells, underground canals, above-ground canals and small reservoirs. They are the life source of Turpan. In a sense, without them, there would be no Turpan culture. Instead of being built from the ground up, Jiaohe was constructed by digging down into the ground. The ruins of the ancient city of Jiaohe, built by the ancient Cheshi people on a river island, provide a good vantage point from which to see the surrounding area.

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Urumqi

The morning is for a visit to Turpan Museum, and we will head to Urumqi by train (approximately 2 hours). Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in northwest China, is just like a piece of emerald embedded at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains. As home to 49 minority ethnic groups, this graceful prairie city is an important stop along the ancient Silk Road, leading to Central Asia and even as far as Europe.

4 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Turpan Museum

Being on the route of the famous "Silk Road", Turpan assembled traders and monks from western and eastern countries. Therefore, this place is left with abundant multi-cultural relics, which is also due to its special natural conditions: torrid, dry and rainless. Turpan Museum houses more than 5,000 artifacts displaying the charming history of Turpan. In the new three-storey building, nearly half of the exhibits are new archaeological discoveries in recent years and never displayed before. Apart from the closely watched archaic mummies, the museum is also famous for many old documents in different languages.

3 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Tianshan Tianchi Lake

We are going to have one daytrip around the Heavenly Lake. walking along the lake, you can enjoy the splendid view of the lakes and the snow-capped mountains without being bothered by crowded tourists.

7 Hours • Admission Ticket Included

We'll fly to kashgar this morning (approximately 2 hours) and start the tour of the westernmost corner of China. For more than two millennias, Kashgar has been the center of regional trade and cultural exchange. we have a city walk in Karshgar Old Town this afternoon.

3 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Kashgar Old City is located downtown Kashgar. It reflects Islamic culture in architecture and Uygur customs and gives a feeling of being in the Middle East. Kashgar Old Town is the unique maze city in China with over two hundred narrow alleys crisscrossing each other.

3 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Kashgar's main attraction is undoubtedly its markets, which you’ll visit today. It’s said to have some of the biggest markets in Central Asia. On Sundays, the main trading day, it can feel like everyone from hundreds of miles around has converged on the city. We first take private transport to just outside the city to the Livestock Market (only happen on Sunday), one of the best known markets of it's kind in the region. It is considered as a "must see" sight in Xinjiang. Watch the bargaining and bustle of local herdsmen and farmers as they buy and trade sheep, goats, cows and donkeys. It's a big social occasion for the local community too, as rural families gather to share a meal and a chat. Then return to the city to visit the Grand Sunday Bazaar, open every day but most alive today with traders selling all kinds of wares – rugs, hats, spices, boots, dates, ingredients for traditional medicines.

6 Hours • Admission Ticket Free

Kashgar

There are no activities planned for today and you are able to depart the accommodation at any time. If you want to extend your stay in China, we are willing to make customized tour plans for you.

1 Hours • Admission Ticket Free