9 Days China Silk Road Tour: Lanzhou, Zhangye, Dunhuang with Kashgar Xinjiang Adventure

Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu. One of the important cities of the Western Region, also the important town on the ancient Silk Road. Today your flight will touch down this historic city and our nice guide will meet you at the Lanzhou airport, arrange to transfer you to the hotel.
After hotel check-in and time permitting, you will come to the famous Yellow River Mother Sculpture, It is well known that the Yellow River is revered by the Chinese as the mother of their civilisation, here you will see a mother and a baby, the mother with long hair, slim figure, lying on the undulating water looking happy and kind. Resting on her breast is a small child smiling naively. The Yellow River Mother Sculpture reflects the long history and culture of Gansu Province. thereafer, we will travel to a Waterwheel Garden, which is comprised of two waterwheels, a cofferdam, the recreation area and a water mill house. It is an ancient irrigation tool.
Accommodation: In Lanzhou

   
 

Day 2

Lanzhou  Xiahe

In the morning we will depart from the hotel with our guide and travel to the amazing Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Temple, take a speedboat from Liujiaxia Reservoir to Binglingsi, On the way, you will see the green water connects to the yellow water while the blue sky connects to the yellow earth. Perhaps this can only be experienced in Liujiaxia. Upon arrival, head to visit the Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Caves which is close to Liujiaxia Reservoir, These caves stretch for 200 meters, were built during the Western Qin, North Wei, Sui, Tang, and Song, Yuan, Ming, Qing dynasties (between the 3rd and 18th centuries). 
Coming out from the Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Temple, we will head to Xiahe with about 3 to 4 hours driving. Upon your arrival, we will enjoy the lonely and beautiful place Songke Grassland in the afternoon. here you will see the Tibetan nomads left on the grasslands, and graze their yak herds.
Accommodation: In Xiahe

   
 

With the rising sun, we will start our new day trip from the one of the six monasteries Tibetan Buddhism Labrang Monastery, The monastery is renowned for its rich Tibetan culture, imposing Buddhist structures, unique Tibetan food, and the long corridor of prayer wheels. It is a holy place where Buddhism followers learn the essence of Buddhism and retains the best Tibetan Buddhist teaching system in the country, Known as the "World Library of Tibet" by the world. In the heyday, the monks reached more than 4,000 people. if you visit the monastery in the morning, you may here the explanation of the local english lama.
Afternoon, drive you back to Lanzhou and transfer to the train station, here you will take a 5 hours express train to the next destination Jiayuguan.
Accommodation: In Jiayuguan

   
 

Enjoy your nice buffet breakfast at the hotel, then we will meet you and accompany you to climb the Jiayuguan pass. This Ming Dynasty fort guards the strategic Jiayuguan pass, at the western end of the Great Wall – this was the last section built by the Ming Dynasty. and visit the The Great Wall Museum, which was opened to visitor in October 1989 and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way. (There are many steps from one tower to the other, please consider if are able to walk and climb about 2hrs). Next, we will pay a visit to the Great Wall on the Cliff, The wall here was built on the ridge with a gradient of 45 degrees. It is high in the air and it looks as if it fell down from the top of the hill. So people refer to this section of the Great Wall as the "Suspended Wall". 
Following a lunch in a local restaurant, we will drive all the way to Dunhuang about 5 hours. On the way, you will see the historical and cultural site Yulin Grottoes,The Grottoes are chiseled into the cliffs on both the east and west sides of the Yulin River. The east cliff has 30 grottoes and the west has 11, with a distance of more than 100 meters between them. It used to be called Ten-Thousand Buddha Gorge. The grottoes began to be chiseled and sculpted during the Northern Wei Dynasty (386-534), and was enlarged in the later dynasties, such as Tang (618-907), Five Dynasties (907-960), Song (960-1279), the Western Xia (1038-1227), Yuan (1271-1368) and so on. More than 1,000 square meters of frescoes, and more than 100 colored sculptures are still extant there. The name Yulin (elm forest) came from the elms in the valley, and as you travel along the valley road you can easily imagine how it must have been to be a poet or brave solder in the distant past.
Accommodation: In Dunhuang

   
 

This morning, we will visit Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes, this UNESCO World Heritage site. It is one of the great artistic and religious wonders of the world and it is famous for its exquisite murals and various sculptures inside the caves, which was built in different dynasties, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art, enjoy the Silk Road Movies in the visitor Center about 40 mins before our exploration into the Grottoes.The professional guide from the Mogao will bring you to 8grottoes with their special torch so that you  have clear view of the murals and paintings. （Note: No photos and Video in the caves). The visiting time is around 4hrs including movie.
and then head up to Echoing Sand Mountain&Crescent Lake. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blew by breeze, There is also a Crescent Lake that  has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. Riding the camel as the Silk Road Caravan in the vast desert is highly recommended (approximately 40mins). Please bring your sunglasses and and mask to keep out the dust.
After a full day of excursions in Dunhuang, bus transfer to Liuyuan station and we will take an express train to Turpan for overnightstay.
Accommodation: In Turpan

   
 

Today we will start our journey from Turpan. A must and first visit is the oldest Uighur village Tuyoq Village located in the very center of Flaming Mountain Canyon. It used to be the holy site of Buddhism and Islam. The village consists of four parts: Canyon scenery, Thousand Buddha Caves, Maza tomb and the old buildings of the ancient village. From here you can enjoy the outlook of Flaming Mountains, the hottest place in China. which is famously described in the classic Chinese mythological novel “Journey to the West”. then we are going to the next stop Astana Tombs, which is the graveyard of the residents who lived in the Gaochang City. a great number of cultural relics had been unearthed, including Chinese documents, textiles, epitaphs, coins, clay sculptures, pottery, wooden wares, silk-paintings, crops and foods, etc. The site is known as the Underground Museum. Finally, we will drive all the way to today's highlights Jiaohe Ruins, with a history of 2,300 years lies between two rivers on a loess plateau atop a cliff of over 30m. It is one of the best preserved ruins of its ancient era in China, it was include in the World Heritage List on June 22, 2014. Evening enjoy the Dinner in the authentic local restaurant.
Accommodation: In Turpan

   
 

After breakfast, we will do an excursions in Turpan city. the first site we will visit today is Sugong Minaret, the largest Islamic minaret in China built in 1778 by Sulaiman that is the ruler and leader of Turpan to commemorate and commend his father's achievements of the reunion of Xinjiang. Afterwards, we will also pay a visit to Karez Well, A special irrigation system that the locals make full use of the topography of Turpan to draw the underground water to irrigate their farmland ingeniously. 
Following a lunch in local restaurant, we will travel to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang with about 3 hours driving. passing by the wind power station which is the largest one in Asia spreading at the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Following glimpse of Salt Lake in Dabancheng. Upon arrival, we will transfer to the Diwopu airport and take the evening flight to Kashgar, a city full of folk customs.
Accommodation: In Kashgar

   
 

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. The following day will be spent exploring the stunning landscape surrounding the Karakul Lake, where the herds of livestock around the lakeside are reflected in lake and is extraordinarily graceful,where Kirghiz herdsmen usually settle down and graze their herds. You will have ample opportunity for leisure walking and enjoy the Magnificant Muztagh Peak. It is highly recommended to visit the local Kirgiz family in their yurt. We take the Karakom highway back to Kashgar in the late afternoon.

Night market suggested today for the food and experience the real life of the locals.
Accommodation: In Kashgar

   
 

After breakfast at the hotel, you will be transferred to the airport and end your pleasant Silk Road tour. Wish you all the best.