9-Day Impression China Silk Road Tour

Route: Xi’an – Dunhuang – Turpan – Urumqi – Kashgar

Activities: This 9 days Impression China Silk Road Tour is one of the common popular tours among our first time visitors to the ancient Silk Road. It allows them to live present but learn about past by visiting historical and culturally significant sites along the route.

Day 01

Place & Transport:Flight from Beijing to Xi’an then Xi’an Tour

Today’s Activities: Muslim quarter, Ancient Wild Goose Pagoda, City Wall

Place to stay: Xi’an

We will take a morning flight From Beijing to Xi’an.

On arrival we will visit the Muslim quarter of the city.

After lunch we will visit the Ancient Wild Goose Pagoda built in 648A.D. To finish the day we will visit the City wall of Xi’an.
 

Day 02

Place & Transport:Xi’an Tour

Today’s Activities: Terracotta Army, Shanxi Regional Museum

Place to stay: Xi’an

After Breakfast we will take an hour drive out to visit the amazing Terracotta Army. Here we will have the chance to see 8,000 life sized terracotta warriors and horses that were unearthed in 1974. On returning to Xi’an city we will visit the Shanxi regional Museum.
 

Day 03

Place & Transport:Flight from Xi’an to DunHuang then DunHunag Tour

Today’s Activities: Crescent Moon lake, singing sand dunes

Place to stay: Dunhuang

After Breakfast we will take a morning flight from Xi’an to Dunhuang.

After lunch we will take a trip to the Crescent Moon Lake, a small oasis found on the edge of the city surrounded by Taklimakan Desert and high sand dunes. We will visit the singing sand dunes and you will have the opportunity to sledge down the dunes, to ride a camel, or walk around at your will.
 

Day 04

Place & Transport:Dunhuang Tour, Evening train to Turpan

Today’s Activities: Mogao Grotto’s, Han Dynasty Great Wall

Place to stay: On Train (soft sleeper)

We will spend the morning visiting the impressive cave system of the Mogao Grotto’s.  These are the most famous caves in China containing thousands of drawings and statues from the Tang Dynasty and sheltering one of the most significant treasures of early Buddhist art in China.  In the afternoon we will visit the Han Dynasty Great Wall dating from the from the 1st Century BC

Following dinner we will head to the Dunhuang (LiuYuan) railway station and take the night express, comfortable air conditioned sleeper train to Turpan.
 

Day 05

Place & Transport:Turpan Tour

Today’s Activities: Ancient city of Gaochang, Astana Ancient Tombs, Tuyuk Valley

Place to stay: Turpan

We will arrive to Turpan in the morning and transfer to your hotel where we will have breakfast waiting for us. In the morning we will visit the ancient city of Gaochang ancient city dating from the 1st Century AD. Following this we will see the Astana Ancient tombs, also known as capital tombs and underground museum of Xinjiang where many important writings, paintings and mummies have been discovered.

We will have lunch in the beautiful Tuyuk Valley.  Here the most traditional Uyghur life can be seen with the people living in traditional homes made of mud.
 

Day 06

Place & Transport:Turpan Tour, Flight from Urumqi to Kashgar

Today’s Activities: Jiao he City, Karez Underground Water System, Emin Minaret

Place to stay: Kashgar

In the morning we will visit China’s third most important ancient engineering feat the Karez underground water system, with a total length of 3100 miles and dating back more than 2000 years. Following this we will visit Jiao he ancient City, the oldest, largest, highest ancient city built of mud in the World. Emin Minaret was built in 1777, it is the largest extant old tower in Xinjiang and it is the   only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China).

We will then drive to Urumqi where we will take a evening flight to Kashgar.
 

Day 07

Place & Transport:Kashgar to Karakul Lake to Kashgar

Today’s Activities:  Karakoram Highway，Oytagh colorful mountain，Corner lake，Mt. Muztagh Ata (7546m)  Mt. Konger  (7719),

Place to stay: Kashgar

We will leave Kashgar in the morning and travel down the infamous “Karakoram Highway” one of these most beautiful roads in the World.  We will make stops at Opal village, Oytagh red mountain and Corner Lake.  Karakul Lake is a breathtaking high altitude lake at 3600 meters above sea level. It is located between the towering Muztagh Ata and Konger Mountains, both rising over 7000 meters and permanently snowcapped.  The lake is inhabited during the summer months by nomadic Kyrgyz people who live inside Yurts.  We will visit the Yurts going inside one to drink some local yak milk tea whilst listening to stories about traditional ways of nomadic mountain life. We will enjoy a picnic lunch beside the lake. In the afternoon there will be time to walk around the lake or ride horses, donkeys or camels along its shores.

We will return to Kashgar in the late afternoon
 

Day 08

Place & Transport:Kashgar City Tour

Today’s Activities: Sunday Market, Idkah Mosque, Apak Hoja Tomb, Old Town, Handcraft Street.

Place to stay: Urumqi

We will begin our tour of Kashgar City by visiting the Apak Hoja tomb which is a very tranquil place and a beautiful example of Uyghur Islamic architecture.

Next we will head to the Infamous lively Sunday market renowned as the biggest market in Central Asia. It is said you can buy anything you want from the Sunday market except chicken milk and Cow eggs.

After lunch we will wander through the narrow winding streets of the historic Old town brushing shoulders with the friendly Uyghur residents. Located at the spiritual heart of old town is Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China.  We will go inside and have the chance to understand a bit more about the Islamic life of the Uyghur people. We will pass down Handicraft Street where we can view pots being hammered, wood craftsmen at work and traditional musical instrument workshops.

Note: For entering the Mosque visitors should dress respectfully, no shorts or short sleeved shirts and women should cover their heads with a scarf

Take an evening flight to Uurmqi
 

Day 09

Place & Transport:Urumqi Tour & Fly out

Today’s Activities: Xinjiang Museum

Place to stay:

After breakfast we will visit the extensive Xinjiang Museum. It is a large integrated museum, holding all key artifacts and cultural relics central to Xinjiang region and the Silk Road. The museum is famous for its rich collections of silk artifacts dating from many periods throughout history. The museum also contains several mummies some of them dating back 4000 years, which can easily rival those found in Egypt.  After lunch we will take you to the airport for your respective onward journeys.