16 Days Silk Road Travel to Uzbekistan and China

Nihao, welcome to Beijing, the capital of China. Be transferred to the hotel. Relax and prepare for your Natural wonders and Culture Adventure.

We have toured some ancient buildings in Beijing, today we are going to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall and some modern landmarks in Beijing. 

After enjoying the delicious breakfast at the hotel, our tour guide will bring you to head to visit the Mutianyu Great Wall, Lies in Huairou County, Mutianyu Section is 73 kilometres away from Beijing City. Commanding the strategic importance, Mutianyu Section is called the Majestic Pass on the Precipitous Mountains. It is one of the well-preserved parts of the Great Wall. Meanwhile, when we back to the urban area, you can also take a photo stop at the 2008 Olympic Site to see the Bird's Nest National Stadium and Water Cube Aquatic Centre.

Beijing is the political and cultural heart of China, and it has a rich history that mirrored in its spectacular palaces, temples and parks. Today after enjoying the delicious breakfast at the hotel, our tour guide will bring you to visit Tian'anmen Square, the largest city square in the world. Later visit The Forbidden City, the largest imperial palace in China during the Ming and Qing dynasties with a history of around 600 years. It was the Chinese royal palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. Then head to The Temple of Heaven which is located in the southern part of Beijing, and has been one of the holiest places for the whole country for more than five centuries. You will be able to enjoy a Beijing Roast Duck Dinner, before a fantastic Kungfu performance.

After visiting, we will take flight to Lanzhou, upon arrival, take to the hotel and check in

Let's start our Lanzhou in-depth tours today. As one of the important cities along the ancient Silk Road, Lanzhou has preserved many cultural heritages. With an early start today, we will visit the Binglings Temple. Taking the 40 mins fast boat to the inside of the park, enjoy the variety of artworks in different styles and observe the social situations and customs in ancient times when seeing the stone sculptures and appreciate the miracle of Buddha caves.

Later, You will be driven to the Liujiaxia Dam and then you will take a fast boat to cross the gorge where you will enter the Bingling Temple Grottoes, which you will discover are above the water. These caves, which stretch for 200 metres, were built during the 3rd and 18th centuries. They are highly valued for their contribution to research into the history of Chinese paintings and the spread of Buddhism during that time.

Today we will arrange the English Speaking Lama guide you through the Labrang monastery, the most populous monks outside of Tibet. You will stay at Thangka Sunning Terrace that is one of a good place to view the monastery and surrounding scenery. Inside the monastery, apart from magnificent Buddha stupas and wall paintings, prayer wheels are also the must-see spot. The whole monastery is surrounded by wheels, walk along the corridor, rotate the wheels and pray for chasing away the troubles.

The view of yaks roaming in the Sangke Grasslands amid green pastures is something to behold. In this area, nomadic people can still be found singing their traditional songs and this is often one of the highlights of any visit to Tibet. Then visit the Tibetan family and wear Tibetan cloth, drink milk tea and sample hand-grabbed mutton.

we will drive back to Lanzhou and then drive to Yellow River, the China's Mother River and the cradle of Chinese civilization.

After enjoying the nice buffet breakfast at the hotel, take the fast train 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. Thereafter, 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". 

Continue our silk road travel, After buffet breakfast in the hotel, we will drive 4-5hs to Dunhuang,
today our professional tour guide will bring you to travel to Dunhuang, it is the best place where you can explore Chinese history and culture. Our first destination is Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves, this UNESCO World Heritage site 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.

In the evening, you can walk around and taste Gansu delicacies at 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 enjoying your leisure time and taste some local cuisine.

After brerakfast, head up to Echoing Sand Mountain & Crescent Lake. When there is wild wind, the sands will be blown up and make a loud sound, while the sound sounds like being produced by some ancient musical instrument when blown by the 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 mask to keep out the dust

Around 13:00, we will drive 2hrs to Liuyuan Station and Take the fast train to Turpan

 After breakfast, the good day begins. First we drive to Tuyoq Village which is an ancient oasis-village in the Taklamakan desert, 70 km east of Turpan in a lush valley cutting into the Flaming Mountains and famous for its seedless grapes and a number of ancient Buddhist meditation caves nearby containing frescos. Then we make our way to Bezekilik Thousand Buddha Caves which are a complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to 14th century between the cities of Turpan and Shanshan (Loulan) at the northeast of the Taklamakan Desert near the ancient ruins of Gaochang in the Mutou Valley. Finally our scenic bus will take you to Astana  Tombs, a complex of an ancient tomb where you can see many well- preserved aretifacts including mummies.

Karez Well,  the greatest irrigation connected by underground channe around the world. 

Then our leader will take you to explore Jiaohe Ruins, 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.

After enjoying breakfast, your fascinating day will start this morning. Today our tour guide will bring you to head to Xinjiang Regional Museum. There 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.

After dinner take the flight to Tashkent.  the capital of Uzbekistan with a history of 2500 years. Tashkent is a commercial pivot in ancient Silk Road, and it is the center of economy and culture as the largest city in Central Asia. Check in the hotel and have a good rest after a long flight.

Accomodation at hotel.

After breakfast, you will start your excurtion at Tashkent with your guide. You will first visit National Historical Museum. It shaps like an unsymmetrical cube in appearance, which is the symbol of permanence in oriental architectural. The museum represents the production of pottery, coin, bronze pot, weapon, etc.  It also displaying the achievements in the field of industry, agriculture, education, culture and art after the independence of Uzbekistan. Then you will visit Museum of Applied Arts if Uzbekistan, which was built in 1930s the heyday of the Soviet Union. This is an optimal place for you to know Uzbekistan-style decoration. 

After lunch, continue on to Chorsu Bazaar where the most famous agricultural trade market in this city.  You can find anything you want here, If you wish, you can pay extra money for some souvenirs with local characteristics. The last spot is Independence Square, stroll through the square and feel how this country's ideal of independece come true.

After dinner take the Afrosiyob train to Samarkand. met our driver and transferred to hotel

Morning drive to the Smarkand. Sarmarkand is one of the oldest cities in Central Asia with more than 2500 years. The whole city is listed the World Cultural Heritage in 2000. You will initially visit Ulugbek Obersvatory, located in the surburb of sourthern Samarkand. It was built by the ruler Ulugh Beg who is the grandson of of Timur, and the observatory is one of the most influential in medieval period. Later explore the antique Shakhi Zinda Necropolis where buries the family members of Samarkand's rulers. In the afternoon, you will come to Registan Square.This is the central square in the old part of Samarkand paved with burnt bricks and cobblestones where three great middle-aged educational universities (madrasahs) are situated that formed one of the main scientific centers of the East in ancient times. Then you will be brought to visit Bibi Khanum Mosque, a magnificent Islanmic architectural treasures.

After dinner take the Afrosiyob train to Bukhara met our driver and transferred to hotel

Morning breakfast, you will Visit the religious shrine Samanids Mausoleum, Poyi-Kalon Ensemble, and Miri-Arab Madrasah (16th c.) in ancient Bukhara. Afterwards, continue to Kukeldash Madrasah (16th c.) which is the biggest  in Central Asia. You will also visit Ark Citadel, Bolo-Hauz Mosque (18th c.) and Summer Palace. Then walk through the bustling local bazaar where sells all kinds of spices, national jewelry and original carpets. If possible, pick up and buy something you like for your family(note: this is not for free). In the evening enjoy a folk show at the courtyard of ancient Nodir Devanbegi madrasah (17th c.) with national song and dancing.

Early in the morning we will have transfer to a fascinating city of Khiva. With its more than 140 architectural monuments, Bukhara is a "town museum" dating back to the Middle Ages. The city consists of narrow streets, green parks and gardens, historical and architectural monuments belong to different epochs, but locate very close to each other. The road from Khiva to Bukhara goes through famous Kizilkum desert. 

On the way we will enjoy the view to Amu Darya river, the deepest river in Central Asia, formed by the confluence of the Panj and Vakhsh in Tajikistan) and flowing into Aral See. Upon arrival in Khiva you will have free time. Night is in a hotel.

 Today you will have a wonderful sightseeing tour in the oldest city of Uzbekistan. It will be inside of Ichan-Qala, the inner city in Khiva rounded with strong walls. Centuries old sound buildings, palaces, mosques, Madrasahs, Mausoleums, Minarets, Caravan-Sarais and Bathhouses transformed Ichan-Qala into unique city-monument. Ichan-Qala consists of over 400 traditional dwelling houses and about 60 architectural monuments. In 1969 Ichan-Qala was designated a historical and architectural conservation area. 

The most remarkable sites in it are the Kunya-Ark Fortress dating back to 17th century, found by Muhammad Arang Khan, Kalta Minor minaret and Tash Khouvli palace, an incredible sample of Khorezm architectural mastership of 1830s. Night is in a hotel.

the driver will transfer you to Urgench airport for flight to Tashkent and arrive in Tashkent before night.

There are no activities this day. After enjoy breakfast, the driver will check out the hotel and send you to airport for your flight. Wish to meet next time!