Highlights

The Price Based on 2 Persons in a Private Tour for 4star hotel

  • Ancient capital of China -Xi'an and Terracotta Warriors.

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

  • 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.

  • Drive along the Karakom Highway to enjoy the amazing Pamir Plateau.

ITINERARY Close All

Day 1Xian Arrival

Today your travel begins with a welcome meeting at airport. After checking in the hotel, rest of your time is free to explore the Charming Xi'an, an ancient city with a long history and colourful culture. There are many historical sites worth visiting.


Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Xi'an
Altitude: 400m

Day 2Explore the Terracotta Warriors and Big Wild Goose Pagoda

Today is an another day to explore the history and culture in Xi'an.

Tour starts at 08:00 and then drives about 1 hour to the countryside of the Xi'an city and visits the most imposing historic site Terracotta Warriors, the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century.

After lunch in the local restaurant, head to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda with 7 floors in total. It is the traditional Chinese style decorated with some Buddha statues, where Tourists can see variety of Buddha statues and have panoramic Xi'an city at the top floor.

Continue our sightseeing of the popular Muslim Street, Relax with free wandering along the street when tasting he local delicacies and experiencing the local lifestyle. Then drive to the hotel and have a good rest.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Xi'an
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 400m
  • Terracotta Warriors

  • Muslim Quarter

Day 3Visit Shaanxi Province Museum, City Wall, train to Tianshui

Today is an another day to explore the history and culture in Xi'an.

We will visit Shanxi 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.

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.

Then we will take the express train to Tianshui after a wonderful day in Xi'an. 

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Tianshui
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1100m
  • Shaanxi Provincial History Museum

  • Xi'an City Wall

Day 4World Heritage Maiji Mountain Grottoes, then train to Lanzhou

Tianshui is one of the important birthplaces of Chinese civilization, also the earliest place to establish the city and county in Chinese history. Today we will first explore the World Heritage-Maji Mountain Grottoes, a network of caves and walkways carved into the cliffside, adorned in colorful Buddhist artwork within. It is famous for its exquisite clay sculpture art. 

In the afternoon, continue the visiting to Fuxi Temple, One of the famous ancient buildings in Northwest China, also known as Taihao Palace, as well as Renzhong Temple. Ten historic buildings in the temple include the theatrical stage, archways, the main gate, the instrumental gate, Congenital Temple, Taiji Temple, Bell Tower, Drum Tower, and Laihe Hall. Tianshui is rumored to be the birthplace of Fuxi and N-wa, Here will be the best place to learn the Fuxi culture.

We will take a 2-hour train journey to Lanzhou after an exploration in Fuxi Temple.

Traffic: Car+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Lanzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1500m
  • Maijishan Grottoes

  • Fuxi Temple

Day 5Binglingsi Thousand Buddha Temple, Yellow River's Mother Sculpture

This morning we will drive you to Liujiaxia Reservoir and then transfer a speedboat to our first site 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).

Travel back to downtown in the afternoon, we will come to the Yellow River's Mother Sculpture, 6 meters long, 2.2 meters wide, 2.6 meters high, and weighs more than 40 tons. It is composed of a "mother" and a "baby boy". there are many locals here for walking, dancing and exercising. You can not only explore the long history of Gansu Province, but also experience the local lifestyle.

After a full day trip, you will back to the hotel and have a good night in Lanzhou. 

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Lanzhou
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1500m
  • Binglingsi Temple

  • Yellow River Mother Sculpture

Day 6Bullet Train to Zhangye, visit Giant Buddha Temple, Rainbow Mountain

Take the bullet train to Zhangye. Relax and prepare for your Natural wonders and Culture Adventure. Giant Buddha Temple, it is one of the important temples along 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.

We will drive 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+Train
Hotel: Overnight in Zhangye
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 3633m
  • Zhangye Danxia Landform

  • Zhangye Big Buddha Temple

Day 7Drive to Jiayuguan, Explore the Jiayuguan Pass, Weijin Tombs

3hrs driving to Jiayuguan. Upon arrival, the tour will start from 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. 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, economies, culture, military affairs, folk customs, and science and technology during the Wei and Jin periods (4AD)


Traffic: Car——224km
Hotel: Overnight in Jiayuguan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1450m
  • Jiayuguan Pass

  • Fresco Tombs Of Wei And Jin Dynasty

Day 8Transfer to Dunhuang, Visit Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake

Continue west to Dunhuang, then visit Echoing Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake, where you can ride the camels for 40mins to experience the beautiful desert scenery in the sunset. It is also fun to climb up to the top of the sand dune by the ladders to have the bird-view of the park and slide down to the bottom.

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——375km
Hotel: Overnight in Dunhuang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1200m
  • Echoing Sand Mountain And Crescent Lake

  • Shazhou Night Market

Day 9Visit Mogao Grottoes then Train to Turpan

Today we are going to appreciate the Holy Center of Buddhism Culture and Art-UNESCO of Mogao Grottoes, enjoying the 40mins 4D movie to learn the development of the grottoes and then we will be escorted by the professional guides from Mogao to enjoy the the 8 caves mainly.

Afterwards, say farewell to Dunhuang and we will take high-speed train to Turpan.

Traffic: Car+Train——800km
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 500m
  • Mogao Grottoes

  • Turpan

Day 10Visit Ancient Oasis Tuyoq Village, Enjoy the Sunset of Jiaohe Ruins

With an early start today our first stop Tuyoq Valley, an ancient oasis-village. We will have lunch in the local Uygur 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. 



Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Turpan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 500m
  • Jiaohe Ruins

  • Tuyoq Village

Day 11Travel to Korla, Visit Iron Gate, Walk around the Peacock River

We will leave for Korla in this morning. "Korla" means "overlook" in Uyghur language, which is famous for its "Korla fragrant pear", also known as "Pear City". It is the throat of the ancient Silk Road and one of the birthplaces of Western Region culture.

Visit the Iron Gate upon arrival which was a very important pass in the ancient Silk Road. and then Walking along the Peacock River after dinner to feel the local's city life style.

Afterwards, enjoy a walking tour at The Peacock River, the most beautiful scenery in this city, also the "Mother River" in Korla.

Traffic: Car——400km
Hotel: Overnight in Korla
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 950m
  • Iron Gate

  • The Peacock River

Day 12Drive to Kuqa, City Tour to Kuqa Mosque and Old Town

Say farewell after a wonderful day in Korla. We will drive you to Kuqa, a historical and cultural city, a large number of cultural relics and historic sites such as ancient city walls, ancient temples, caves, ancient smelting sites, and ancient tombs are preserved in the territory.

Arrival in the afteroon, the tour will begin from the Kuqa Mosque, which is a place of worship for the people of Islam. it is the second largest temple in Xinjiang after Kashgar Idigar Mosque.

then stroll around the Kuqa Old Town, to experience the life in the old town, taste the local cuisine. 

Traffic: Car——292km
Hotel: Overnight in Kuqa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1600m
  • Kuqa Mosque

  • Kuqa Old Town

Day 13Full day sightseeing in Kuqa, Visit Kizil Grottoes, Tianshan Great Canyon

Our first stop is  Kizil Grottoes, a typical representative of Qiuci Grottoes, which is located on the northern bank of the Muzat River 65 kilometers west of Kuqa and the earliest major Buddhist cave complex in China. Walk through the caves and enjoy Buddhist cultural feast across centuries.

And then visit the Tianshan Great Canyon, which is the excellent geological park all over the world. It recorded the whole process of crustal movement in Xinjiang during the past 400 million years. The fascination of the "Tianshan Grand Canyon" lies not only in its magnificence and danger, but in its depth, tranquility, and mystery.

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Kuqa
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1600m
  • Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves

  • Mysterious Grand Canyon

Day 14Transfer to Hotan along the Takalmakant Desert Highway

We will pick you up from the hotel lobby and drive to Hotan along the Taklamakan Desert Highway, the largest desert in China. It is the longest and earliest desert highway in the world that runs through the floating desert. It is also the center of the ancient Silk Road. 

For centuries, silk route traders plodded across the desert, taking many days to cross. but now travel through the desert in just a few hours. we will pass through a small part of this breathtaking landscape today. 

Upon arrival, We will spend a night in Hotan.

Traffic: Car——400km
Hotel: Overnight in Hotan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1300m
  • Taklimakan Desert

  • Taklimakan Desert Highway

Day 15Visit Hoten Museum, Malikawat Ruins, Drive to Kashgar

The journey will begin from the Hotan Museum, the main exhibition “Khotan Historical Relics Exhibition” displays potteries, wooden wares, textiles, sculptures and building components from ancient sites and tombs in Khotan area, totaling over 200 specimens. They mirror the important position and role Hotan occupied and played on the Silk Road.

Then continue our tour to Malikawat Ruins, which is located on the western bank of the Yurung-kash River, 25 kilometers to the southwest of Khotan City, with a mountain on the west and the Kunlun Mountains on the south. 

After the visiting, we will travel to Kashgar for overnight stay.

Traffic: Car——503km
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1289m
  • Hotan Museum

  • Mailikawat Ruins

Day 16Visit Karakul Lake

The tour starts with the nice buffet in the hotel, drives about 4hrs to Karakul Lake around 09:00.

After 1hr's driving, we will stop at Opal village for a rest where you may stroll around the local bazaar with the feeling of the traditional local lifestyle.

Continue to enjoy the majestic views of the Sand dunes, mountains, and sandstone valley along the Karakorum Highway, the Hindu Kush Mountains and the Himalayas. It is the world's tallest cross-border roads and most thrilling corridors.Trekking around the Karakul Lake with enjoy the magnificent landscape and the nomadic lifestyle of the local Kirghiz in their yurts.

Back to Kashgar in the afternoon.

Traffic: Car——300km
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 3200m
  • Karakul Lake

  • Karakul Lake

Day 17Visit Livestock Market, Stroll around Kashgar Old Town

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!

After Lunch in the local Restaurant. Continue to visit the Handicraft street, it gathered hundreds of handicraft workshops, which has become a boutique exhibition for handicraft in Kashgar and Central Asia.

Then 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. It is quite interesting to witness their typical methods of bargin.  Return to hotel for the night and have a good rest!

Traffic: Car
Hotel: Overnight in Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Altitude: 1289m
  • Id-kah Mosque

  • Sunday Bazaar

Day 18Kashgar Departure

Today our journey comes to an end after a good breakfast. based on your schedule, you will be transferred to the airport for your onward flight. Bon voyage!

Traffic: Car
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

  • 2nd class express train from Xi'an to Tianshui, Tianshui to Lanzhou, Lanzhou to Zhangye, 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 Xi'an and leave from Kashgar 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.