Tour Overview

The Silk Road has long passed into lore and legend.Connecting China with the unknown lands to the west,it once spanned great swathes of Central Asia,crossing nearly 6,500 kilometres of burning deserts and high mountain passes.This exceptional adventure takes us through some of the most culturally and geographically diverse landscapes along the Chinese section of the Silk Road;travelling through the harsh Taklamakan Desert to pick up both the more regularly travelled northern route,as well as the less travelled southern section. 

Tour highlights:

Day 1:Ariival to Xi’an

Day 2:Xi`an

Day 3: Terracotta Army - Bullet train to Lanzhou

Day 4: Lanzhou - Xiahe

Day 5: Xiahe

Day 6: Xiahe - Lanzhou - train to Jiayuguan

Day 7: Arrive to Jiayuguan

Day 8: Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

Day 9: Dunhuang

Day 10: Dunhuang to Turpan

Day 11: Turpan- overnight train to Kucha

Day 12: Kucha

Day 13: Kucha to Aksu

Day 14: Aksu - Makit

Day 15: Makit to Kashgar

Day 16: Kashgar

Day 17:  Kashgar

Day 18: Kashgar to home

Detailed Itinarary:

Day 1: Ariival to Xi’an

After a quick freshen-up, you may wish to explore the local area and have lunch in one of the many restaurants before the tour starts this evening in the fabled city of Xi’an, once considered to be amongst the greatest cities in the world and the easternmost point of the Silk Road.

Day 2: Xi`an

We have the whole day to explore this ancient city today. We will take in the Wild Goose Pagoda, formerly the Temple of Great Maternal Grace, a well- preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. We’ ll also head to the old town where we will be able to see the massive city walls, which are 14km in length and up to 12m high, enclosing the historic centre. We’ ll wander through the narrow streets of the old Quarter and visit the Great Mosque, one of the oldest, largest and best

Day 3: Terracotta Army - Bullet train to Lanzhou

A highlight of any visit to Xi'an is a visit to see the Terracotta Warriors – one of the greatest archaeological finds of the last century. Amazingly nothing was known of the existence of the life-size soldiers of the Terracotta Army until a peasant digging a well in 1974 stumbled upon them. The Emperor Qin Shi Huang Di spent most of his life until his death in 210BC constructing his burial place, conscripting thousands of people to build his tomb and the terracotta army that would guard him in the afterlife. The underground battle formations of life-sized pottery warriors, archers, horses and chariots have been left in situ in three large excavated pits. Pit number one contains over 6000 soldiers, each with its own individual facial features, and pit number two contains almost a thousand warriors and half the number of horses (also life-size). Later in the day we’ ll return to Xi'an to board an early evening bullet train heading west and arriving in Lanzhou where we’ ll overnight.

Day 4: Lanzhou - Xiahe

The center of Gansu Province, Lanzhou was once an important link along the Northern Silk Road and a major crossing point of the Yellow River. Today it provides us with our gateway into the culturally rich landscapes of the Qinghai- Tibetan Plateau. Our first stop is at the Gansu Provincial Museum which exhibits over 350,000 artefacts of Buddisht Art, Fossils, Pottery and Silk Road Civilisation. We then continue on to Xia he by road. Home to the famous Lab rang Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, one of the largest outside Tibet, the town of Xia he sits alongside the Daxia River, amidst a rural mountainous landscape populated largely by ethnic Tibetans.

Day 5: Xiahe

One of the six great monasteries belonging to the Geluk (Yellow Hat) school of Tibetan Buddhism, Lab rang Monastery was founded in 1790 by the first Jamyang Zhaqypa, Ngawang Tsondru. Situated at the intersection of four major Asian cultures - Tibetan, Mongolian, Han Chinese and Hui-Chinese during the 20th century it was one of the largest Buddhist monastic universities in the world. Located at the foot of the Phoenix Mountain, the monastery boasts a collection of Buddha statues that number in their tens of thousands and is still an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists across the region, with the largest number of monks in residence outside the Tibet Region. We’ ll have the whole day to explore this fascinating place as well as the nearby Xia he Nunnery.

Day 6: Xiahe - Lanzhou - train to Jiayuguan 

Returning to Lanzhou today, we catch the onward train to Jiayuguan, where we will find the first pass at the western end of the Great Wall. Before taking our train we will pay a visit to the Binglingshi Caves on the Yellow River, which have Buddhist carvings dating back over 1500 years. The overnight journey will be in soft sleeper class compartments, arriving in the city of Jiayuguan early tomorrow morning.

Day 7: Arrive to Jiayuguan

Arriving in Jiayuguan early this morning, we transfer to the hotel first to check in, after which the rest of the morning is free to relax at leisure. Later we’ ll drive out of the city to visit the Overhanging Wall, located just a short distance to the northwest of the city’s famous fort. Located at the foot of the Black Mountains, this section of wall forms part of the defensive ramparts that once protected the extreme western edge of China. A mix of partially restored fragments and original wall, today it provides an excellent venue for a walk, providing some stunning views out across the barren emptiness of the surrounding countryside. We’ ll also visit the Wei-Jin tombs that date back to 220-420 AD. Inside the tombs we can see some of the original wall paintings, depicting various social activities such as fishing, farming, hunting and drinking, including a very controversial depiction of ancient Chinese using knives and forks.

Day 8: Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

Jiayuguan marked the western end of the Great Wall and today it is still a symbol of the western boundaries of China. It is located at the end of a strip of land known as the Hexi Corridor. In ancient times Jiayuguan was known as the 'mouth' of China while the Hexi Corridor was referred to as the 'throat'. Jiayuguan Fort is one of the quintessential images of western China and was built in 1372 to guard the pass between the snow-capped Qilian Shan and Hei Shan peaks. It is a splendid construction and has been considered the last outpost of the Chinese Empire since the days of the Han Dynasty, when the Great Wall reached as far as the Yumen Pass, about 90km northwest of Dunhuang, our next destination.

Day 9: Dunhuang

Dunhuang was once a very important staging point, and the last stop for the camel caravans before the gruelling journey through the desert. It was from here that the Silk Road divided into its northern and southern routes. Dunhuang's fame, however, is largely due to the Mogao Grottoes, which are one of the world's richest treasure troves of Buddhist manuscripts, wall paintings and statues known as the Thousand Buddha Caves. The site was first carved out of the cliffs in 366 AD, with more caves being hewn out of the rock up until the 14th century. The honeycomb of caves runs along the cliff face and contains some 2,415 coloured clay sculptures and more than 45,000 square metres of mural paintings. Many of these were paid for by pious travellers facing the perilous journey across the vast desert, or as thanks upon their safe return to Dunhuang. The colours have remained lively due to the extremely dry climate, but natural and electric light and the humidity caused by the breath of thousands of visitors is slowly fading the precious art, and some of the caves are periodically closed. About 25-40 caves are open to the public at any one time and although guides carry a torch, it is also a good idea to take your own.

Day 10: Dunhuang to Turpan

Early in the morning we` ll head out to a wonderfully iconic spot – the singing sand dunes of Crescent Moon Lake. Here we can climb to the top of the enormous dunes for amazing views of the crystal-clear spring hidden amongst the sands, and enjoy the stunning views of the sunrise in the desert. We then return to the hotel to freshen up and have a leisurely morning. After having an early lunch in town, we will transfer to nearby Liuyuan to catch a train to Turpan where we stay the night.

Day 11: Turpan- overnight train to Kucha

Turpan is one of the lowest places on earth, where rain never falls and summers can be scorching hot. It was once an important staging post on the Silk Road and its large oasis produces the best grapes in China. Here we can see the ancient karez system of irrigation whereby the melted snow from the surrounding mountains is brought down to the town in underground channels, all dug by hand and stretching some 3000km. We’ ll also visit the 18th Century Emin Minaret built in local style. This is the capital city of Han dynasty, one of the thirty-six cities and states in the Western Regions during the Han Dynasty. It is the political, economic, military, and cultural center of the country. The drought and lack of rainfall in Turpan have preserved the ancient city very well, with all buildings made of rammed earth blocks and a layout similar to that of Chang'an City in the Tang Dynasty.

Day 12: Kucha

This morning we arrive in Kuqa, part of an ancient Buddhist kingdom that was located along a branch of the Silk Route. The "Records of the Western Regions of the Great Tang Dynasty: Quzhi Kingdom" states: "Quzhi Kingdom is more than a thousand miles east and west, more than six hundred miles north and south, with its capital city and a circumference of seventeen or eighteen miles. Qu Zhi, also known as the glans.According to research, the "Dadu City" mentioned in the text refers to the capital city of Kuche County (also known as the ancient city of Pirang), located near Kuche County. It was named Yancheng in the Han Dynasty and Elolu City in the Tang Dynasty, and was the capital of Kuche during both the Han and Tang dynasties.

Day 13: Kucha to Aksu

Leaving Kuqa this morning we head west towards the famous Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves. Dating back to the 5th and 6th Centuries, this remarkable series of caves are said to be the earliest major Buddhist cave complex in China, older even than those at Mogao. Filled with frescoes and sculptures, the caves have been linked to the ancient Tocharian Kingdom and of the original 235 caves, some 135 remain still relatively intact. Aksu City is located in the upper reaches of the Tarim River, named after the water, which means "Baishui City" in local language. It is an important post on the ancient Silk Road and also the birthplace of Kucha culture and Duolang culture.

DAY 14: Aksu- Makit

Leaving early this morning, we take the Taklamakan desert road to Makit County, situated amongst one of the most arid and desolate climates anywhere on earth. The Taklamakan covers an area of some 337,000 square kilometres and translates as ‘The Desert of Death ’ or ‘The Point of no Return ’. One of the highlights of our journey, today’s drive takes us through just a small portion of this incredible landscape, offering a chance to experience for ourselves something of the harsh reality that faced the caravans of old as they made their way towards the markets of Yarkent and Kashgar. We will explore Kumikisa Village and then take our own `ships of the desert’ – the camel – and ride into the desert to enjoy

Day 15: Makit to Kashgar

After breakfast we will continue across the Taklamakan Desert to Kashgar, an oasis city with approximately 700,000 residents. Kashgar’s Old Town is a traditional ancient city. After more than 2000 years of wind, frost, snow, and rain, the ancient city of Kashgar has become a specimen and slice of different historical periods. It is known as a living fossil for studying ancient cities in the Western Regions, and is also the most valuable, influential, and representative historical and cultural city for studying the culture of the ancient Silk Road. The ancient city is an open tourist attraction and a living area for local residents, showcasing their family life, ethnic customs, traditional handicrafts, and delicious cuisine.

Day 16: Kashgar

After breakfast start your a day private trip to Shiton's Arch which is 90kms from kashgar,  called in Uighur is(ToshukTagh) in simplified Chinese(Tian Men ).It is probably the world's tallest natural arch. It was famously visited in 1947 by English mountaineer Eric Shipton during his trip to the kashgar. It was only as recently as May 2000 that an expedition sponsored by national geographic rediscovered the arch for foreigners. Today, several companies operating out of Kashgar offer day trips to the arch for tourists. The arch is about a one- to two-hour drive from Kashgar in addition to another one- to two-hour hike. It used to be that visitors were guided by locals and required to climb shaky ladders on their way to the arch but China has since invested money into a visitor's center, staircases and a viewing deck. The height of the arch is estimated to be 1,500 feet (460 m).

Day 17:  Kashgar

This morning we will visit the famous Yakshambe Bazaar, or the Sunday Market as it’s otherwise known. Here we spend the morning watching the locals trade everything from woodwork and iron wear to sheep, donkeys, cattle, horses and camels. The afternoon will be free to explore the city or maybe take a cup of tea in one of the old local Chayhana, watching the locals going about their everyday lives in the street markets in the evening we will regroup to head out for our final night in China.

Day 18: Kashgar to home

The tour ends after breakfast.