Luxury Silk Road Tour: Xi'an Dunhuang Turpan and Kashgar
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Luxury Silk Road Tour: Xi'an Dunhuang Turpan and Kashgar Map
Day 1   Xi'an 

You will arrange for your international flight to Xi’an, and our tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel and check you in. After that, you will have free time for the remainder of the day to do a little exploration at your leisure.
Accommodation: In Xi'an

Day 2   Xi'an 

Morning enjoy your nice buffet breakfast at the hotel. then drive to the countryside of the Xi'an city about 1hrs, we will visit the most impressive historic site Terracotta Warriors which are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. Work is ongoing at this site, which is around 1.5 kilometers east of Emperor Qin Shi Huang's Mausoleum in Lintong, It is a sight not to be missed by any visitor to China. Believe you will be amazed by the culture and history to get a feeling back to Qing Dynasty during the 3hrs experience. (No flash when take photos)
Lunch will be in the local restaurant, we will continue the sightseeing to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda built to house Buddhist scriptures collected by a Chinese Monk. Big Wild Goose Pagoda has 7 floors in total. Architecture is traditional Chinese style decorating with some Buddha statues. Tourists can see variety of Buddha statues and see the whole Xi’an city at the top floor. thereafter, travel to the emblem of Xian city Bell Tower, Atop the Bell Towet you will have a panoramic view of Xi'an city.
In the evening, you will have a time to enjoy the famous Tang Dynasty Show, the show presents the palace dances and songs from the Tang Dynasty (618AD-907AD) when Xian was the capital of China.
Accommodation: In Xi'an

Terracotta Warriors   Bell Tower
Terracotta Warriors                                                                Bell Tower

Day 3   Xi'an 

Today we will spend a whole day exploring culture and customer in Xi'an. we will go to the Shaanxi Province Museum, This provincial museum is one of the major museums in China. It holds numerous unearthed cultural artifacts from within the Shaanxi province as well as the rest of China. The newly built modern building recreates Tang-dynasty architecture and successfully symbolizes the great extent of Shaanxi history and its remarkable culture. Afterwards, drive you to the Ancient City Wall, This is the most complete city wall that has survived in China as well being one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. you will enter the city wall through the ticket gate. Standing on the wall, you can't use your eyes to judge how long the wall is. you can walk around the city wall or experience the cycling. the final site we will visit today is a Chinese traditional Alhambresque architecture Grand Mosque (and Old Muslim Quarter) with a long history and grand scale, and is a great combination of Islamic and Chinese culture.Besides the style peculiar to Islamic mosques, this Mosque Also holds characteristics of Chinese pavilions with painted beams and engraved ridgepoles. The Grand Mosque and the Muslim Quarter are now an important ecological preservation of Shanxi Provinc e and a national-level historical/cultural preservation site.
Accommodation: In Xi'an

Ancient City wall   Grand Mosque
Ancient City Wall                                                              Grand Mosque

Day 4   Xi'an  Dunhuang

This morning you will be transferred to the airport to catch the flight to Dunhuang. Upon your arrival and after checking into the hotel, 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.
In the evening, you will enjoy the walking tour to the Shazhou Night Market, the most bustling place of Dunhuang at night. It's easy to lose our sense of time wonder the market while enjoy your leisure time and taste some local cuisine.
Accommodation: In Dunhuang

Mogao Grottoes   Shazhou Night Market
Mogao Grottoes                                                                Shazhou Night Market

Day 5   Dunhuang  Turpan by soft sleeper train

In the early morning, we will start our journey from Yumenguan PassIt got the name because the famous Khotan jade entered the Dunhuang from here. Yumenguan pass and Yangguan pass were the two critical defensive passes protecting Dunhuang from invasion from the West about thousands of year ago. From here you can not only learn more history and culture about the ancient Silk Road, but also learn many famous poems of Tang Dynasty. Following a lunch in a local restaurant, we will travel to the 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 the visiting, bus transfer to the train station and take the overnight train to Turpan.

Accommodation: On the soft sleeper train

Yumenguan Pass   Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake
                    Yumenguan Pass                                      Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake

Day 6   Turpan 

Morning we will meet you at the train station and transfer you to the hotel check in. After a short break, 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.
Accommodation: In Turpan

Tuyoq Village   Astana Tomb
Tuyoq Village                                                                        Astana Tomb

Day 7   Turpan  Urumqi   (200kms, 3hrs driving)

After the breakfast, we will do an exploration of Turpan city. we are going to the first stop 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. and then 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.  The tour today end up to enjoy the scenery of 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.
After the visiting, we will drive back to Urumqi and 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, you will have a chance to visit the Xinjiang International Bazaar, the largest bazaar in Urumqi. You'll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine. (Option: The Culture Show with Banqute,fr $45/pp)
Accommodation: In Urumqi

Sugong Minaret   Xinjiang International Bazaar
                   Sugong Minaret                                                 Xinjiang International Bazaar

Day 8   Urumqi  Kashgar

In the morning your guide will meet you at the hotel lobby and then tour at the Xinjiang regional museum to see archaeological treasures from the Silk Road and Xinjiang's minority cultures. It is a large integrated museum and a centre for the collection and study of cultural relics in Xinjiang. There are more than 50,000 pieces of various kinds of cultural relics stored in the museum, among them are the ancient mummies represented by the “Loulan Beauty”, manuscripts in Chinese, Karosthi, Qiuci, Yanji, Tibetan, Uighurian and other characters prevailing in ancient western regions of China, as well as silk, wool, cotton and hemp fabrics and folk raiment, etc., all items of great intrigue. Coming out from the museum, you will be transferred to the airport to catch your flight to Kashgar, a city full of folk customs. Upon your arrival, we will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel check in.
Accommodation: In Kashgar

Xinjiang Regional Museum   Xinjiang Regional Museum
Xinjiang Regional Museum                                         Xinjiang Regional Museum

Day 9   Kashgar  Karakul Lake (260kms, 3hrs driving)

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

Karakul Lake   Karakul Lake
Karakul Lake                                                        Karakul Lake

Day 10   Kashgar  

Today is Sunday and we will do full day Kashgar city excursion. around 09:00 we will visit the Id-kah Mosque, the largest Mosque in China and the most sacred mosque for the locals to practise their Islamic activities. around 10:30 we have to visit the Old Town when the open ceremony ready to greeting all the tourists with the culture show, further exploration to the special culture and experience the lifestyle with the arrangements of the visiting to the local Uighur Family. Lunch arranged in the local Restaurant. Today's highlights is the Sunday bazaar that is combined two section. The covered bazaar sells the clothing, nuts, household goods and many things out of your imagination.The outdoor Animal Bazar 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 bargin. After the visiting to Cenral Asia Market, continue to the  Apak Hoja Tomb, which is the holiest place in Xinjiang and an architectural treasure. Kashgar city tour ends with the wandering to the bustling Handicraft street, dazzling jewelry, primitive pottery,unique musical instrument, daily resources of the locals. The spare time in the teahouse is our special arrangement for you to relax and get a feel for the local culture and traditions.
Accommodation: In Kashgar

Apak Hoja Tomb   Idigar Mosque
Apak Hoja Tomb                                                       Idigar Mosque

Day 11   Kashgar  Your destination

In the morning you will leave Kashgar for your next destination. (The airfare and tax is on your own, but we can help you book the ticket, and the service is free).


Price: per person
Travel in party of Superior Class
★★★★★
Deluxe Class
★★★★
Tourist Class
★★★
2-5 persons N
6-9 persons N
10 persons & above N
Single room Supplement N

Service included:

1 Entrance fees/
2 Breakfast in the hotel
3 Personal Guide & Driver + Private car / van for Private Transfers & sightseeing
4 Hotels with breakfast(twin share bases) as listed in the itinerary .
5 Domestic flights or trains as listed in the itinerary
6 Airport Taxes: US$30for domestic,
7 Service Charge & Government Taxes .
8 Luggage Transfers between airports and hotels
9 Goverment letter for visa support

Service excluded:

1 All lunches and dinners, and breakfast on the train
2 Personal expenses, tips to the guide and driver.
3 Other activities such as boating, camel riding ect.

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