15 Days Culture Exploration on the Silk Road

The price is based on 2 persons in a private tour for 4star hotel

  • Explore Terracotta Warriors, which is one of the world’s biggest archaeological discoveries.
  • Mysterious Labrang monastery in Xiahe where also can enjoy the marvel grassland
  • Explore Dunhuang’s markets and soak up a very different culture to that of western China,
  • Explore Mogao Grottoes, the home to the largest, best-preserved, and richest Buddhist art in the world—the first cave was carved here in 366 AD.
  • Visit the Local Uyghur Family in the ancient Tuyoq village in Turpan
  • Explore the west most city Kashgar of its most interesting corners

Included/Excluded

  • Private transportation through out the itinerary. SRT will arrange for all travelers to be met on arrival and seen off on departure based on your flight info
  • Shared accommodations in well located, tourist to superior class hotels include breakfast, service charge and government tax.
  • All entrance fees(shuttle bus) sightseeing; excursions and activities as per the itinerary
  • Domestic flight from Urumqi to Kashgar
  • 2nd class express train from Xi'an to Tianshui, Tianshui to Lanzhou, Dunhuang (Liuyuan Station) to Turpan listed in the itinerary
  • Private friendly and professional English-Speaking guides (French, Italy, Russian, German can be arranged per your request)
  • Visa support letter for you to apply Chinese visa easily.
  • Travel and health insurance when travel with us.
  • 8, A 24/7 helpline while you are traveling.
  • International flight arrive in Xi'an and leave from Kashgar not indicated.
  • Food, Lunch or dinner not specified
  • Tips or gratuities for guides and drivers
  • Personal expenses and the other tours or activities not mentioned

Tour Plan

Day 1 Xi'an Arrival

Arrival in Xi' an, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. Xi' an is a city with over 3000 years history and it is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Xi'an
Altitude: 400m
Day 2 Xi'an City Tour

Tour starts at 08:00 and then drive 1 hour to get close to the incredible Terracotta Warriors in China’s first Emperor’s Tomb built 2300 years ago,the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century.

 

After lunch in the local restaurant, head to ancient architecture and a holy place for Buddhists.- Big Goose Pagoda,The restored Buddha and building are beautiful with spectacular timber work and gilded features are recently built by donors, they make a fine job of explaining the role of Buddhism in China’s history.

Afterwards, drive to the Ancient City Wall, the most well-preserved city wall and the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. You will have a bird's-eye view of panorama of Xi'an city when wandering along the city wall

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Xi'an
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 400m
Day 3 Train to Tianshui, then Visit Maiji Mountain and Fuxi Temple

Our day trip will start with taking the Bullet Train to Tianshui, it is one of the significant silk road cities located along the Wei River. It's about a 1.5 hours train ride into the city. When you arrive at the Tianshui, our professional tour guide will bring you to visit the Maiji Mountain Grottoes, a network of caves and walkways carved into the cliffside, adorned in colourful Buddhist artwork within. It is famous for its exquisite clay sculpture art. Thereafter, continue our journey, we are going to visit the Fuxi Temple, also known as Taihao Palace, as well as Renzhong Temple, it is one of the famous ancient buildings in Northwest China. Meanwhile, there are ten historic buildings in the temple including the theatrical stage, archways, the main gate, the instrumental gate, Congenital Temple, Taiji Temple, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Laihe Hall. Here is the best place to learn the Fuxi culture. then bus transfer to the hotel, you will spend the night in Tianshui and depart in the morning.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Tianshui
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1100m
Day 4 Visti Bingling Temple then Drive to Xiahe (233 kms)

After breakfast,drive to Lanzhou to visit Bingling Temple where you will see the air trestle road and various grottoes. Then the train will take you to explore Xiahe, home to the famed Labrang Tibetan Buddhist monastery, one of the largest Tibetan Buddhist monasteries outside the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Xiahe
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 2800m
Day 5 Visit Labrang Monastery, Back to Lanzhou, then Train to Zhangye

Today we will arrange the English Speaking Lama guide you through the Labrang monastery from 10am to 12:30pm, the most populous monks outside of Tibet. You will stay at Thangka Sunning Terrace that is one of a good place to view the monastery and surrounding scenery. Inside the monastery, apart from magnificent Buddha stupas and wall paintings, prayer wheels is also the must-see spot. The whole monastery is surrounded by wheels, walk along the corridor, rotate the wheels and pray for chasing away the troubles.

Thereafter, drive back to Lanzhou and take an express train to Zhangye.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1400m
Day 6 Zhangye City Tour, then Drive to Jiayuguan (223 kms)

After 1hr's visiting to the 900-years old Grand Buddha Temple, experiencing the impressive Buddha culture and architectural treasures.

We will drive 3hrs to the masterpiece of nature Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park, which is situated in the north of Qilian mountains with a distance of 40 km from east Zhangye city. You will be marveled by the colorful layers of mountain ridges in the 4hr's adventure to the different platforms.

Afterwards, 3hrs driving to Jiayuguan for a refreshing dinner and a good rest.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Jiayuguan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1462m
Day 7 Visit Weijin Tombs, then Drive to Dunhuang (350 kms)

Continue the sightseeing to renowned underground gallery Weijin Tombs. There we can enjoy lifelike and succinct wall paintings covering a wide range of subjects including politics, economies, culture, military affairs, folk customs, and science and technology during the Wei and Jin periods (4AD)

After lunch, 4hrs driving to Dunhuang to visit Echoing Sand Mountain, where you can ride the camels for 40mins to experience the beautiful desert scenery in the sunset.

After an extraordinary day, freshen up and enjoy a good dinner, we continue to appreciate the bustling Shazhou Night Market dotted with special commodities and souvenirs.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Dunhuang
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1138m
Day 8 Visit Mogao Grottoes, then Train to Turpan

After breakfast, let's visit the world famous Mogao Grottoes, which was designated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO for its 1600 years accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures. There remains 492 cave temple and 45000 square meters of frescos. According to Tang Dynasty records, a monk had witnessed onsite a vision of thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus inspired, he started the caves construction work that spanned ten dynasties. Mogao Caves are commonly known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. At 17:00hr, we embark the 'China Orient Express' Charter Luxury Train to Turpan.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 819m
Day 9 Visit Karez Well and Sugong Minaret, then Drive to Urumqi (200 kms)

Today you will have a full day to explore this fertile oasis. Pay a visit to Karez Well irrigation system that produce the best melons and grapes in China. Following is the visiting to Sugong Minaret, a conduit for cultural exchange between different ethnic and religious groups.

Drive to the capital city of Xinjiang- Urumqi

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 918m
Day 10 Visit Heavenly Lake (120 kms) and Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar

After breakfast, visit Heavenly Lake on Tianshan (boat tour). The Mountain Lake stands 1980 meters above sea level and features picturesque scenery of snowcapped peaks. It a great pleasure to boat travel Heavenly Lake, with a layer of magical color covering the lake, and hearing many beautiful myths and legends. Then visit International Grand Bazaar.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 918m
Day 11 Visit Xinjiang Regional Museum, then flght to Kashgar

Morning head to Xinjiang Regional Museum, where are many archaeological treasures of the Silk Road and Xinjiang's minority cultures. You will learn about the history of Xinjiang and its peculiar ethnic customs.  Visit Grand International Bazaar where you can watch Uygur dance show and taste local delicacies.

Say goodbye to Urumqi, be transferred to take the flight to Kashgar. Upon arrival, pick up to check in the hotel.

Traffic: Car+Flight
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1289m
Day 12 Drive to Taxkorgan County (320 kms), then Visit Karakul Lake

In the morning, enjoy your nice buffet breakfast. At 09:00 your guide and driver will meet you at hotel lobby to start the adventure. Driving on the China and Pakistan highway about 4hrs to enjoy the landscape of Pamirs Plateau.40mins driving. we stop in the Opal village to visit the traditional bustling bazaar.

On the way, you can experience beautiful Karakul Lake where the herds of livestock around the lakeside are reflected in lake Kirghiz herdsmen usually settle down and graze their herds before shuttling you onward to Taxkorgan.

Stay one night and explore its peculiar folk customs of Tajik nationality. Taste snack and milk tea provided by local herdsman and spend your rest of day at leisure.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Taxkorgan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 3100m
Day 13 Visit Stone Fortress, then drive to Kashgar

Driving back to Kashgar. On the way, you will visit the Stone Fortress. The city is oval in shape and the city walls were built with sun-dried bricks on stone foundation. It is 1285 meters in circumference outside. Walking around the pastureland to see Local Tajiks customs.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1289m
Day 14 Kashgar City Tour

Today you will enjoy a full-day excursion of Kashgar. Pay a visit to Id Kah Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities at 09:00. Continue the visiting to Old Town at 10:30 with the open ceremony of Maxilap show. Come and join the exciting movement in this well-preserved Uighur residential area. Our speciality: Relaxing in the Hundred-years Tea house, taste the local rose tea and nang-bread!

Continue to visit Handicraft street, gathered hundreds of handicraft workshops, which has become a boutique exhibition for handicraft in Kashgar and Central Asia.

Our next stop is the famous Sunday Bazaar drive to Sunday Bazaar that is combined two sections. The covered bazaar sells the clothing, nuts, household goods and many things out of your imagination. The outdoor Animal Bazaar is the first bazaar we visit, where the farmers and buyers arriving by donkey cart, truck, bicycle, horseback, motorbike or on foot, with their animals. It's loud, lively and cheerful as they arrive. It is quite interesting to witness their typical methods of the bargain.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1289m
Day 15 End of Tour

Today you will say goodbye to Kashgar, be transferred based on your flight or train schedule. Wish you a pleasant journey home!

Traffic: Car
Hotel: No accommodation
Meals: Breakfast

Tour Map

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