Silk Road Exploration Tour

Day 1 ARRIVE IN BEIJING

Upon arrival in Beijing; our tour guide will meet you at the customs exit of Beijing airport holding a welcome sign board with your name on it. The guide will assist your transfer to the hotel and help you check in. The rest of the day is on your own and can be used for relaxing or exploring the city.

Day 2  BEIJING / URUMQI (AB, L, -) 

Today you will take a flight to Urumqi. After arriving, you will visit the Xinjiang Museum, Erdaoqiao International Bazaar, and explore the night market.

	The spring of the Heavenly Lake

Day 3 HEAVENLY LAKE (AB, L, -)

After breakfast, you will visit Heavenly Lake, cruising down the deep-blue lake surrounded by hills covered with fir trees and grazed by horses. In the afternoon, feel free to visit the city by yourself. Later you will fly to Kashgar.

Day 4 KASHGAR / TASHKORGAN COUNTY / KASHGAR  (AB, L, -)

After breakfast, you will drive to Tashkorgan County, which includes a stop at Karakuli Lake. The lake is located at 3,800 meters, close to two great snowcapped mountains. The Tajiks who graze camels and yaks live in the high mountain pastureland. Tashkorgan County has been the home of the Tajik people since ancient times. This area has served as both a gateway to China's western frontier and a key communications center between the West and inland China. Later visit Stone City. 

Day 5 KASHGAR(AB, L, -) 

After breakfast, you will drive to the Dawakun desert where will experience a magnificent oasis. After arriving, you may be interested in taking a ride on a horse or camel. In the afternoon, you will tour the beautiful Dawakun Lake. Later you will visit Idgar Mosque, the largest mosque in Xinjiang, as well as Abakh-hoja Tombs, the burial place of a Muslim missionary and saint, and his 72 descendants. You will also tour Craft Street and Old Town. Here you can experience a traditional Uighur living place and customs. Then visit Sunday Bazaar, a massive gathering of farmers and merchants from across the area. This colorful and lively market provides a great opportunity to pick up some of the Silk Road's most interesting souvenirs, from hand made leather boots to traditional musical instruments and bags of fresh spices.

Day 6 KASHGAR / YARKAND COUNTY (AB, L, -)

After breakfast, visit Yarkand County. This small trading town retains its quaint atmosphere, which at one time had a bazaar larger than Kashgar. If you're up for a bit of a culinary adventure, you can sample some of the traditional specialties such as laghman, a kind of noodle, poluo, a tasty fried rice pilaf, or even goat's head soup! Of course, the most popular food, lamb kebab seasoned with Xinjiang spices, is everywhere. Visit the tomb of Shache King.

	Idgar Mosque

Day 7 YARKAND COUNTY / HOTAN (AB, L, -)

After breakfast, drive from Yarkand County to Hotan. For centuries, Hotan was an important supplier of jade, silk, and carpets on the Silk Road. These goods, such as the traditional hand woven Aidelaixi silk and intricately embroidered wool carpets, were treasured in China and Central Asia for their outstanding craftsmanship. We visit Hotan Silk Factory and Hotan Carpet Factory, learn how the carpets, silk, and other handicrafts are traditionally made, and have the opportunity to purchase some of these treasures. Later visit Rawak ruins.

Day 8 HOTAN / KUCHA (AB, L, -)

Today you will take the bus to Kucha. During the long journey, you will cross the Taklimakan Desert, the world's second largest wandering desert. On the road, you will enjoy the desert scene, sun rise and sunset. Visit the Tarim Basin with its famous Tarim River, immortal tree, poplar forest and the star point of West-East natural gas transmission project.

Day 9 KUCHA / KIZIL / KUCHA (AB, L, -)

After breakfast, you will drive to Kizil to explore the famous Thousand Buddha Caves. The grottos hold some of the most impressive Buddhist art in Central Asia and date to the third century. Unfortunately, many of the finer frescoes were removed by foreign archeologists in the early twentieth century; what remains is truly worth the visit. The surrounding countryside is a pretty area landscaped with mulberry and poplar trees and streams. On our way to visit the Kizilya Valley, we can view the rocks in the red mountain which appear to be the result of a huge explosion. We'll visit the ruins of the ancient city of Subashi, also known at old Kucha. Then continue on to visit the Kizilgaha Fort.

Day 10  KUCHA / TURFAN (AB, L, -)

After breakfast, drive to the kingdom of the Ancient Qiuci - Kuhcha. Here you will visit the biggest Jin Dynasty temple in Wei, Zhokuli Temple (or Subash Ancient City).  Also visit the wall of the Ancient Qiuci and the Kucha Museum. Then drive to the town of Pear - Korle. This evening you will take the train to Turpan.

	Riding on the desert

Day 11  TURFAN (AB, L, -)

Today morning you will tour to Beziklik Thousand Buddha Caves, the most valuable Buddhist caves found in Turpan, then you will visit Flaming Mountains which look like they are on fire in the midday sun. Later tour Gaochang Ancient City, which used to be a garrison town and later became a major staging post along the ancient Silk Road. After that drive to visit Grape Gully, with its shady vineyards and fruit-laden trees, provides you with a welcome place of relaxation amidst hundreds of square miles of sand. In the evening enjoy the Uighur performance of singing and dancing.

Day 12 TURFAN / DUNHUANG (AB, L, -)

Today you will visit Sugong Tower, the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang and the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. Then you will tour a local bazaar and visit the Jiaohe Ancient City, the largest, oldest and best-preserved earthen city in the world. After that you will vist the Karez system of irrigation, the life source of Turpan, it is the underground irrigation wells connected by underground channels, which have been sunk at various points to collect ground water. At the end of the day, take a night train to Dunhuang.

Day 13 DUNHUANG (AB, L, -)

Arrive in Dunhuang in the early morning and drive to the hotel for a time to refresh. Visit the Mogao Caves; the most impressive and best-preserved examples of Buddhist cave art consisting of over 2000 statues and over 45,000 separate murals. This afternoon, travel to Minsha Mountains or Silk Road Sand Dunes, journey (camel ride) to the Crescent Moon Lake at Minsha Mountains where the oasis meets with desert.

Day 14 DUNHUANG / XI’AN (AB, L, SD)

After breakfast, fly to Xi'an, an ancient city renowned for its wealth of antiquities. Upon arrival in Xi'an airport, you will be met and transported to hotel. You’ll begin the visit with a tour of the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, built in 652 AD to house Buddhist scriptures from India. You’ll stroll through Xi'an’s bustling markets and visit the Provincial Museum of History where you’ll see artifacts from the Paleolithic period, priceless Tang Dynasty bronzes and treasures from the Silk Road caravans. Tonight you will be served a delicious dumpling dinner banquet.
Optional program: Enjoy the on-stage performance of Tang Dynasty dance and music in the evening.

Day 15 XI’AN / BEIJING (AB, L, -)

Today you’ll visit the excavation site of the Terra-Cotta Warriors, which many people consider the high point of their trip to China. More than 6000 soldiers, ministers and horses, each individually sculpted from a real life model, stand guarding Emperor Qin Shi Huang’s still unopened tomb. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the site, get a good look at the warriors from various vantage points and visit the excellent museum. You will then take a tour of the well-preserved ancient City Wall and the Bell Tower, the emblem of Xi'an City. Fly to Beijing in the afternoon.

Day 16 BEIJING (AB, L, SD)

The excursion today includes a visit to Tiananmen Square, the heart of Beijing and the largest public space in the world and the Forbidden City. Step back in time as you pass through the Gate of Heavenly Peace and enter the Forbidden City, home to the Imperial Courts of the Ming and Qing Dynasty for more than 500 years. The Forbidden City is an enormous complex of perfectly preserved palaces, temples, magnificent squares and formal gardens. You’ll stroll along cobblestone paths once known only to the Emperor’s most intimate advisors, visit the private apartments of Imperial concubines and see stunning collections of priceless art, furnishings, and jewelry. After lunch there will be a tour of the Summer Palace, a fairyland of pagodas, pavilions and stone bridges on the outskirts of the city. There you can visit Longevity Hill and Kunming Lake and take a leisurely walk down the Long Corridor. Tonight's special dinner will be Beijing Duck, served at an original century-old restaurant.
Optional program: A lively Peking Opera performance at the Liyuan Theatre.

Day 17 BEIJING (AB, L, SD)

This morning you will leave the bustle and traffic of Beijing behind and journey through the countryside to see The Great Wall in Badaling where you will experience at first hand one of the Wonders of the World. There will be plenty of time to walk along a portion of this 3700-mile long marvel or to simply sit and contemplate the wonders of China’s past. Compared with the other normal tours having lunch at the shopping site restaurant, we specially arrange your lunch to be served at a local popular Sichuan food restaurant. Later the journey will take you to the Ming Tomb in the peaceful shadow of Longevity Mountain, where you’ll walk along the “Sacred Way” passing between pairs of huge stone sculptures. We arrange a special a la carte dinner at a famous restaurant in the Wangfujing area, so bring you a good appetite.

Day 18 DEPART FROM BEIJING (AB)

You will be free on this day until the time for your personal guide to escort you to the airport for your flight home.

Itinerary: AB: American Breakfast   L: Lunch   D: Dinner   SD: Special Dinner