Grand China Silk Road Tour

Day 01 Beijing

Arrive in Beijing, the capital of China. You will be greeted by your guide at the airport and transferred to the hotel

Day 02 Beijing (B)

Get up early today and meet our guide at your hotel lobby. Your first visit is the Temple of Heaven Park, which is the largest ancient imperial worship architecture group in the world where most Emperors of Ming and Qing Dynasties prayed for peace and harvest.Then stroll the Tian'anmen Square, the largest public square in the world, and then enter the Forbidden City, which is the residence of Chinese emperors for more than 500 years.

Day 03 Beijing (B)

Meet your guide at your hotel and then take private tour to Badaling Section of the Great Wall.  Upon arriving at the Badaling Great Wall, you can either take cable car (optional cost) uphill or hike along the stairs on the wall. You may spend 2-3 hours on the symbol of the Chinese ancient civilization. Then you will visit the Summer Palace, one of the China's largest and best-preserved imperial gardens. It is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design, integrating the natural landscape of hills and open water with man-made features into a harmonious and aesthetically exceptional whole.

Day 04 Beijing / Urumqi (B)

Transfer to the airport for your flight to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uigur Autonomous Region. Check into the hotel.

Day 05 Urumqi / Kashgar (B)

The highlight of our visit to Urumqi is an excursion to Heavenly Lake. Only one hour and a half drive from the city, it lies on snow-capped Mount Bogda at almost 2000 meters above sea level. The sapphire-blue lake is set in deep slope of pine forests and meadows of wild flowers where Kazak nomads camp. The views from the cruise boat are breathtaking. After lunch at carefully-selected restaurant, you will drive back to Urumqi. Proceed to visit the Regional Museum and excursion to Erdaoqiao International Grand Bazaar. Board a short flight to Kashigar this evening. Check in the hotel.

Day 06 Kashgar (B)

No visitors to Kashigar should miss the Sunday Bazaar. In this teeming market, you can buy anything from herbal medicines to carpets, from a cradle to a camel. In the afternoon you may enjoy an exploration to the downtown. A tour will bring you to visit the vast Id Kah Mosque and the tomb of Abakh Khoja in the country lanes.

Day 07 Kashgar / Urumqi (B)

Kashgar is a fabled city with a rich mix of people and cultures. Mosques and veiled women feature strong Middle Eastern characteristics. In the morning, you will visit the old city district - a typical Uygur nationality houses with local building material and a workshop where traditional carpets are made, a warren of twisting alleys and whitewashed walls, in a donkey cart taxi, at last you will have a chance to visit the Uygur family. Fly back to Urumqi this evening. Enjoy a good rest at the hotel.

Day 08 Urumqi / Turpan (B)

Today's highlight is the Nanshan Pastures where nomadic tribesmen herd their yaks and sheep. You will have the opportunity to visit a family in their tent for a taste of traditional nomadic hospitality. A short coach journey takes you through the desert to the Oasis town of Turpan, famous for its melons and vineyards.

Day 09 Turpan / Dunhuang (B)

Today's tour includes visits to the ruined city of Gaochang by donkey cart, and the underground tombs of Astana, the legendary Flaming Mountains, and Bezeklik Caves whose walls are adorned with Buddhists frescoes. You will also see the Emin Minaret, one of the finest buildings on the Silk Road, and Karez Well - an underground irrigation system. Board the overnight train to Dunhuang. Overnight on the train.

Day 10 Dunhuang (B)

Arrive in Dunhuang in the morning. Enjoy breakfast in the hotel. Dunhuang was a strategic post on the Silk Road and frontier town of the ancient. A leisurely day includes visits to Singing Sand Dune and Crescent Moon Lake set in an amphitheater of sand dunes and has a camel ride.

Day 11 Dunhuang / Lanzhou (B)

You will visit the most famous monument of Dunhuang-the Mogao Caves, popularly known as "Thousand Buddha Caves". An art gallery in the desert, the walls of the caves are lined with Buddhist frescoes and sculpted figures, is said to be the finest examples of Buddhist art in the world. Mixing Indian and Chinese styles, they are a remarkable record of Silk Road civilization. You will enjoy delicious local flavor fro today's lunch. Afternoon program will take you to visit the Dunhuang Museum and White Horse Pagoda. Travel to Lanzhou by overnight train.

Day 12 Dunhuang / Lanzhou (B)

In the morning arrive in Lanzhou, which is located on the banks of the Yellow River. A city tour takes you to the White Pagoda Hill with its many pavilions offer views of the Yellow River and the city below. You will also visit Gansu Provincial Museum with the world-famous Galloping horse, the Five Spring Park, Yellow River Bridge and watermills along the Yellow River.

Day 13 Lanzhou / Xian (B)

Take highspeed train to Xian. Upon arrival, meet and visit the City Wall built in the Ming dynasty, one of the oldest and best preserved ancient Chinese city walls. The wall is 14 kilometers long. Walk on the top of it, you can have an idea of medieval defense system composed of by watchtowers, ramparts and a moat. Contrasting the old from its inside are the modern high-rises and bustling traffic of Xian. Cross the street and walk to the Muslim quarter. You will visit the mosque at Daxuexixiang. After that, enjoy your shopping time at the Muslim Street which is lined with shops selling souvenirs and local snacks.

Day 14 Xian (B)

Arrive in Xian in the morning, meet your guide at the railway station and transfer back to hotel for rest. After refresh, you will take an express bus to Lintong, the place where The Terracotta Army and the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor was discovered. The Terracotta Warriors are the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. There are more than 8,000 life-size Terra-cotta soldiers and horses excavated from this area which all displayed in the practical battle formation in 3 pits respectively.

Day 15 Xian / Shanghai (B)

After breakfast, you will fly to Shanghai. Upon arrival, start the city tour to Yu Garden, the best preserved ancient Chinese garden. There are many small-commodities like handicrafts and clothes, and you can explore the sale market around all by yourself and enjoy the fun of shopping. Then travel to the Bund, appreciating the splendid Bund western buildings and the Lujiazui skylines on the other side of the Huangpu River. At the end of the tour, spend some time on the No. 1 shopping street in the country-East Nanjing Road. Transfer back to your hotel for rest.

Day 16 Shanghai (B)

After breakfast, drive to Suzhou to visit the beautiful traditional Chinese gardens. You will first drive to Lingering Garden, praised as one of the nation's four famous gardens.  Continue to visit the Master of the Fishing Net Garden, built in 1140, is one of the most exquisite gardens in all China and is best known for its famed peony courtyard. Drive back to Shanghai in the late afternoon. Enjoy a good rest today.

Day 17 Shanghai (B)

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the next destination. The whole tour ends with a memorable experience.