Highlights

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

  • Walk Along the magnificent man-made Great Wall. Visit Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City

  • Walk around the intact city walls and fascinating Muslim Chinese district and ponder your trip at the Wild Goose pagodas

  • Explore the splendid Danxia Rainbow Mountain in Zhangye 

  • Discover the historic city of Dunhuang that is on the edge of the Gobi Desert

  • Visit the Local Uyghur Family in the ancient Tuyoq village in Turpan

  • Explore the west most city Kashgar of its most interesting corners

  • Picturesque Heavenly Lake and Tianshan Mountain chains

ITINERARY Close All

Day 1Beijing Arrival

Arrival in Beijing, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. Beijing, the capital of People' s Republic of China, is a fascinating place for tourists home and abroad. As one of China's four ancient capitals, with its profound history of 3000 years, Beijing is the cultural, political, and historical center of China. It is widely considered to be one of the most magnificent cities in the world.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Beijing
Altitude: 44m

Day 2Beijing City Tour

Start our heritage tours today. This morning, you will take a short stroll on Tiananmen Square, is the spiritual heart of the world's most populous country, stretching a vast 440,000 square metres.

Continue to visit, you can discover the splendid Forbidden City with its palace complex of 9,999 rooms across 72 hectares, surrounded by a six-meter deep moat and a ten-meter wall. It gives new meaning to the word “epic”.

In the afternoon, our tour guide will bring you to visit the Summer Palace, it is an imperial garden consisting of a vast ensemble of lakes, gardens and palaces in China. You can take the boat across the island and then walk over to the temple on the hill. The climb up the stairs might be a bit tired but so worth to enjoy the incredible view from the top.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Beijing
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 44m
  • Tiananmen Square

  • Forbidden City

Day 3Visit Mutianyu Great Wall and Changling Tomb

There is an old saying: 'Who has never been to the Great Wall is not a hero'. The Great Wall is too awesome to miss when you travel in China. Today, it will take about 2 hours to the Mutianyu Great Wall, which is comparatively fewer crowds. Here is quite steep, so a round-way cable car is included for you to go up and down easily and safely. On the wall, you can do moderate hiking further up to enjoy the spectacular landscape. After that, you will visit Changling Tomb and a jade shop on your way back to the city.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Beijing
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 44m
  • Changling Tomb

  • Mutianyu Great Wall

Day 4Visit Temple of Heaven, then train to Pingyao

Let's start the local exploration, today you are going to appreciate the stupendous Temple of Heaven - a vast sacred place to perform ceremonial rites on behalf of the Chinese nation, and now is a refreshment place for the locals to enjoy their free time. Then you can stroll along the narrow Hutongs to get a glimpse of local life,.

After visiting,transfer you to train station to take the train to Pingyao.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Pingyao
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 756m
  • Temple Of Heaven

  • Hutongs

Day 5Pingyao City Tour

Drive out of the town to visit Wang Family Courtyard House, the castle-like grand residence of distinctive Shanxi architecture. Wang Family Courtyard House has a nickname — the Forbidden City in Folk. Different from the famous Qiao's Family Compound, the Wang family was an official family, which had a higher social status. The family's generations lasted for over 300 years and built the compound that is approximately 250,000 square meters in size, among which 45,000 square meters (one fifth) is open to tourists. There are 123 courtyards and 1,118 rooms. You will spend about two hours there.

Afterwards, you will back to Pingyao Ancient Town and visit some cultural sites, such as the Ancient City Wall, Rishengchang Exchange Shop and Ming and Qing Street. Rest of the day is yours to explore.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Pingyao
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 756
  • Wang Family Courtyard House

  • Rishengchang Exchange Shop

Day 6Visit Pingyao Ancient City then Train to Xi'an

After breakfass,you will be free to walk along the Pingyao Ancient City.

After visiting, say goodbye to Pingyao, and then your driver will take you to the train station to Xian.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Xian
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 400m
  • Pingyao Ancient City

  • Pingyao Ancient City

Day 7Xi'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
  • Terracotta Warriors

  • Ancient City Wall

Day 8Visit Shaanxi Province Museum, then flight to Zhangye

After breakfast, head to visit the Shaanxi Province Museum, one of the major museums in China. It is home to numerous unearthed cultural artifacts and represents the imposing image of a 13-dynasties capital.

Then take the flight to Zhangye. Be transferred to the hotel. Relax and prepare for your Natural wonders and Culture Adventure.

Traffic: Car+Flight
Hotel: Overnight in Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1400m
  • Shaanxi Museum

  • Shaanxi Museum

Day 9Visit Zhangye Danxia National Geological Park

Morning we will visit Matisi Temple ( Horseshoe Temple ), The temple was named by the court as "Puguang Temple" in the 14th year of yongle Period in Ming Dynasty. It houses a saddle and one dragon gown given by some emperor in Qing Dynasty. 

After lunch, 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.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1400m
  • Matisi Temple

  • Zhangye Danxia

Day 10Visit Grand Buddha Temple, then drive to Jiayuguan (223 kms)

After breakfast at the hotel, our professional tour guide will bring you to visit the Grand Buddha Temple, which is one of the important travel destinations of the Silk Road, where you can visit the largest indoor clay statue of Buddha in China and the exquisite mural sculptures plus the ancient buildings.


Then drive all the way to Jiayuguan,we are going to visit 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". 

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Jiayuguan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1462m
  • Grand Buddha Temple

  • The Great Wall On The Cliff

Day 11Jianyuguan City Tour

Today we begin our journey to the Jiayuguan Fortress. Standing among vast desert and surrounded by rolling mountains,it looks like a dignified general guarding the grand land. It was constructed with the most integrated defensive system: an inner city, an outer city, and a moat. Besides functioning as a frontier military fortress, it was also an important traffic hub along the Silk Road, the oldest worldwide trading route.


After that, you will explore the Great Wall Museum, which was opened to the public in October 1989 and it is the first one to exhibit the Great Wall culture in a comprehensive and systematic way.


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, economics, culture, military affairs, folk customs, and science and technology during the Wei and Jin periods (4AD)

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Jiayuguan
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1462m
  • Jiayuguan Pass

  • The Great Wall Museum

Day 12Drive to Dunhuang, then Visit Echoing-Sand Mountain (350 kms)

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


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
  • Echoing Sand Mountain

  • Shazhou Night Market

Day 13Visit 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
  • Mogao Grottoes

  • Mogao Grottoes

Day 14Turpan City Tour then Drive to Urumqi (200 kms)

Our first stop is Bezkilik Thousand Buddha Caves located in the center of Flaming Mountains.Then continue to Tuyoq Valley, an ancient oasis-village. We will have lunch in the local Uighur family before exploring this traditional village surrounded by the impressive grape trellis and the stories of the adventurers all of the world.

About 3pm, head up to the 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.

Today's tour end up with the 2hrs's exploration of Jiaohe Ruins, resembles Pompei, but 300 years older, a Chinese archaeological site found in the Yarnaz Valley, 10 km west of the city of Turpan and a natural fortress located atop a steep cliff on a leaf-shaped plateau between two deep river valleys where you can experience the way of life of the Uygur ancestors.

Drive to the capital city of Xinjiang- Urumqi. Relax with free time for the rest of the day. If the group is less than 4 persons, we may use high-speed train for transfer.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 918m
  • Tuyoq Village

  • Jiaohe Ruins

Day 15Flight to Kashgar

Morning enjoy your breakfast at the hotel and then we will drive you to the airport and take the flight to the next stop Kashgar

Upon arrival, we will bring you to downtown hotel and check in.

Traffic: Car+Flight
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1289m

Day 16Kashgar 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.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1289m
  • Id Kah Mosque

  • Handicrafts Street

Day 17Drive to Taxkorgan (320 kms), Visit Karakul Lake

Today we will adventure to Taxkorgan, a town in the far west of Xinjiang Province in China, bordering Pakistani, Tajik, and Afghani.This region is commonly known as the main road of the "old Silk Road" the main route leading from China to West Asia.


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 Kashgar.


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
  • Karakul Lake

  • Karakul Lake

Day 18Drive back to Kashgar (320 kms)

Today say farewell to Taxkorgan and return to Kashgar. On the way, you will have stunning views of the great Pamir Plateau and pass by sand dunes, mountains and sandstone valleys.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 1289m
  • Taxkorgan

  • Taxkorgan

Day 19Visit Sunday Bazaar, then flight to Urumqi

Today, you will drive to 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 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 bargin.


In the afternoon, catch the flight to the capital city of Xinjiang- Urumqi. Met and greeted in airport be transferred to hotel. Relax with free time for the rest of the day.

Traffic: Car+Flight
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 918m
  • Sunday Bazaar

  • Sunday Bazaar

Day 20Visit Heavenly Lake (120 kms) and Xinjiang Regional Museum

We will drive 1.5 hours to entrance of the Heavenly Lake about 08:30, following is the 40-minutes shuttle bus twisting through the picturesque Tianshan mountains to the edge of the Lake. Either Trek around the lake, enjoy the boating cruise, or even take the cable car to the explore the Maya Mountain for the incredible view of Bogoda Peak. Lunch will be arranged in the Yurt of the local Kazakhs. 


Back to Urumqi and 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. If time allowed, you will visit Grand International Bazaar and have dinner there.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast
Altitude: 918m
  • Heavenly Lake

  • Xinjiang Regional Museum

Day 21End of Tour

Today our journey comes to a halt after a good breakfast. You will be transferred to the airport or train station based on your schedule.

Traffic: Car+Flight
Hotel: No accommodation
Meals: Breakfast

INCLUDES

  • 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 flights from Xi'an to Zhangye, Urumqi to Kashgar, Kashgar to Urumqi

  • 2nd class express train from Beijing to Pingyao, Pingyao to Xi'an, 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.

EXCLUDES

  • International flight arrive in Beijing and leave from Urumqi 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

TRIP NOTES

  • We will upgrade trains to 1st class where available if book the tour 5 months in advance of departure.

  • There is no problem to travel Silk Road during Ramadan.

  • Complimentary 2 bottles of water each person on daily use.

Transportation

We will use business MPV to luxurious coaches and trains.

Accommodation

All the hotels we selected are 4-5star well-located in the city center with good and proper breakfast for our clients.

Guides

Our guides are very friendly, knowledgeable, helpful. And our group tours will be escorted from SRT.

Climate and Altitude

Generally speaking Mid March—End Oct are the best time to visit Silk Road. And we strongly suggest you come in May, June, October to avoid the heat and crowd. No need to worry about high altitude along the Silk Road. We will prepare Oxygen bags if the package includes Xiahe, Qinghai Lake and Taxkorgan County.

We offer beneficial Cancellation Policy to our customers.