12 Days China Silk Road Tour from Beijing to Kashgar

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

   So glad to see you on our 12-day China Silk Road tour, which would start at the capital city - Beijing! Your private local driver will greet you at the exit of the Arrival Hall by holding a welcome sign with your name on it. Then, you will be escorted to your selected hotel in Beijing downtown.

   The rest of the day is at your leisure. If you need any suggestions in your free time, your exclusive travel consultant will be very happy to help you.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: in Beijing

2. Day 2: Beijing City Tour
   View Magnificent Royal Palaces & Feel the Charm of Chinese Kung Fu

   After breakfast, your Silk Road tour in China begins at the iconic landmark and heart of Beijing - Tiananmen Square. It is one of the largest public squares in the world. You will admire the magnificent buildings surrounding the square, such as the Monument to the People's Heroes and the Chairman Mao Memorial Hall and learn the stories of some historical events.

   Next, you will be guided to the Forbidden City, aka the Palace Museum. As one of the largest and best-preserved wooden palace complexes, it served as an imperial palace during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1616-1912) dynasties. Twenty-four emperors from both dynasties lived here.

   You can also choose to climb up to the pavilion at the top of Jingshan Park for a breathtaking panoramic view of the Forbidden City and the Beijing skyline.

   

   After lunch, you will visit Summer Palace. With an area of 2.9 square kilometers, this palace was the best place where the emperors of the Qing Dynasty spent their summers. Here, you will enjoy the amazing lake view, explore the exquisite long corridor, appreciate precious cultural relics, step on the elegant stone bridge, etc. In addition, you can take the option of a boat ride to enjoy Kunming Lake (optional, at an additional cost).

   Evening activity: if you are interested in Chinese Kungfu, you are suggested to pay extra to watch a mesmerizing Kungfu Show at the Red Theater. Your guide will help you arrange it for you.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Beijing

3. Day 3: Beijing Great Wall Tour
   The Great Wall Hiking & A Chance to Sample Beijing Roast Duck

   Today, you will spend the whole day at the spectacular Great Wall. We will take you to visit Mutianyu Great Wall, which is located in Huairou County in the northeast corner of Beijing, 73 kilometers away from the city. This section of the Great Wall is connected to Juyongguan Pass in the west and Gubeikou in the east, and has been a military stronghold guarding Beijing since ancient times.

   With a total length of 5,400 meters (3355.5 miles), the Mutianyu Great Wall is the longest section of the Great Wall in China and also the most beautiful section.

   Note: If pure hiking is too much for you, there are also options for cable car and toboggan to see the spectacular scenery from different angles (pay extra, optional).

   

   After your Great Wall tour, transfer you to the Scared Way, where you will see many stone sculptures and learn the story. On the way back to Beijing downtown, you can pay a visit to the marvelous Bird's Nest and Water Cube from the outside, both of which were built for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

   For dinner, we recommend you to sample Beijing Roast Duck, a famous palace dish, cooked with charcoal fire, crispy on the outside and tender inside. You will learn the proper way to eat it.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Beijing

4. Day 4: Beijing to Xian Tour by High-speed Train
   Learn about Ancient Chinese Royal Rituals & Beijing Hutong Culture

   After breakfast, your tour guide will take you to visit a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Temple of Heaven. It is a royal architectural complex. The emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties once offered sacrifices to the heavens, asked for rain and prayed for a good year here.

   In the afternoon, you will experience the charm of Beijing's Hutongs. These narrow alleyways are lined with traditional courtyard houses. You can catch a glimpse into the city's cultural heritage. We will take you to visit a local family, and you can learn more about the Beijinger lifestyle. If you are interested, you can even participate in making dumplings with the hosts (optional).

   

   After the visit, it's time to say goodbye to Beijing! Your driver will then escort you to the train station for a high-speed train to Xi'an. Upon arrival, your private Xian driver will be waiting for you at the exit gate and then transfer you to the hotel in downtown area.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

5. Day 5: Xian Terracotta Army Tour
   Experience China's Ancient History, Rich Cuisine & Unique Cultural Fusion

   Your China Silk Road tour package takes you to visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses. Known as the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Warriors slept under the ground for 2,200 years before the accidental discovery by local farmers who were digging wells. The life-size terracotta warriors differ from one another in clothing, hairstyle, posture, and facial expression. Since opening to the public in 1979, it has attracted millions of people from all over the world each year.
   It has become one of the things that represent China in the world.

   Optional activity: you can create your own mini terracotta warrior under the expert guidance of a skilled craftsman (pay extra). It is enjoyed by the children.

   

   In the afternoon, take a walk on Bell Tower & Drum Tower Square, a landmark building in Xian. Then, walk around 5 minutes to the famous Muslim Street, a paradise for food lovers. Here, you can find many kinds of delicious local snacks such as Biang Biang Noodle, Roujiamo (Chinese Hamburger), and Yangrou Paomo (Mutton and Bread Pieces in Soup). Later, visit the Great Mosque, a complex of ancient Chinese temple buildings with the perfect combination of Chinese classical architecture and Islamic architectural style. After all visits, your guide escort you back to your hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

6. Day 6: Xi'an City Tour
   Walk or Bike the City Wall and Tour the Shaanxi History Museum's Extensive Collection

   After breakfast, you will be transferred to the Ancient City Wall, a military defensive system in old times. It is one of the largest and most well-preserved city walls in China. You can take a leisure walk or rent a bike (optional) on the top of the wall and enjoy panoramic views of the city.

   

   Next, we head to the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. It was built to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that were brought to China from India by the Buddhist translator and traveler Xuanzang in the Tang Dynasty (618-907). If you’re interested, you can experience trying on Hanfu clothing, traditional attire from the Tang Dynasty.

   Last, take a guided tour of Shaanxi History Museum. The museum houses over 380,000 cultural relics including simple stone tools used in prehistoric times, bronze ware from the Shang and Zhou dynasties, terracotta warriors from various dynasties, gold and silver utensils from the Han and Tang dynasties, and tomb murals from Tang Dynasty. It is an excellent place to learn about the history and culture of Shaanxi and ancient Chinese civilization.

   At the end of the tour, escort you to a downtown hotel to have a good rest.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Xi'an

   

7. Day 7: Xian to Dunhuang Tour
   Experience Dunhuang's Desert Landscapes and Explore Its Vibrant Night Market

   After breakfast, take a morning flight to Dunhuang, an important city along the Silk Road of China, famous for "grottoes" and "murals". Upon your arrival at Dunhuang Airport, you will find the local English-speaking tour guide and driver waiting for you at the exit gate holding a welcome board with your name. Then, your China Silk Road tour in Dunhuang starts at the Crescent Spring and Echo Sand Mountain.

   Echo Sand Mountain and Crescent Spring are harmonious mates of miracles created by nature, glittering like a pearl along the Silk Road for thousands of years. Here you can experience many desert activities, such as camel ride. If you would like to try it, please pay in cash on your own (around CNY100~150/pax ). Of course, your tour guide will help you purchase tickets.

   Later in the afternoon, go to Shazhou Night Market for further exploration. Though you might have visited many night markets or food streets, Shazhou Night Market still brings you something different. Stroll leisurely and you'll discover the unique vibrancy of this northwestern city, far from the rural center.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Dunhuang

   

8. Day 8: Dunhuang to Turpan Tour by High-speed Train
   Explore a Vast Collection of Ancient Buddhist Art

   This morning, you will head to the amazing Mogao Grottoes. As the existing anthology of Buddhist art with the biggest scale and the best preservation in the world, Mogao Caves wins fame as "the pearls of oriental art".

   It keeps about 45,000 square kilometers of frescoes, 2,415 painted sculptures, more than 4,000 flying Apsaras (the beautiful Bodhisattva in Buddhism who does well in dancing and music), and 5 wooden constructions of Tang and Song Dynasty as well as thousands of Stone pillars and flagstones with lotus carving on them. Just delve into the fascinating world of Buddhist art!

   After that, take a high-speed train to Turpan. The train ride will last around 3.5 hours, and you can have a nap on the train or enjoy the scenery on the way. When you arrive at Turpan train station, there will be a local driver picking you up and transferring you to a local hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Turpan

   

9. Day 9: Turpan to Urumqi Tour
   Discover Ancient Villages, Extreme Landscapes, and Innovative Irrigation Systems

   Your Silk Road tour in China comes Turpan today. The tour guide will lead you to Tuyugou, located about 55 kilometers southeast of Turpan. It is the oldest surviving Uyghur village in Xinjiang, with a history of more than 1,700 years, and still preserves the oldest Uyghur folklore.

   Continue your journey to explore the Flaming Mountains, the hottest place in China, with a maximum temperature of 47.8℃ in summer. The main peak of the Flaming Mountain is covered with pines and cypresses, which are evergreen in all seasons. You will also be impressed by the unique red geological formations here.

   

   Next, transfter you to the Karez Well, a specialized irrigation system for desert regions.You will take a guided tour deep into the intricate underground channels to see how they distribute water efficiently. Finally, end your Turpan tour with a 2-hour tour of Jiaohai Ruins, the ruins of an ancient city that has been preserved for more than 2,000 years. The buildings of this ancient city are built with rammed earth, making them very distinctive. After the tour, drive to Urumqi.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: in Urumqi

   

10. Day 10: Urumqi Tour
    Enjoy the Serene Beauty of Heavenly Lake in Tianshan Mountain

    Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang, was an important town on the ancient Silk Road, It was also a center of economic and cultural exchange between the East and the West. Today, you will start your Silk Road tour at Xinjiang Regional Museum. It showcases the history of Xinjiang and the folklore of various ethnic groups through numerous artifacts. You can see ancient corpses, rare in China, as well as artifacts such as Han Dynasty brocade.

    After that, we drive around 1 hour to the amazing Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountain. Heavenly Lake, read Tianchi in Mandarin Chinese, is an alpine lake nestled against the slope of the snow-covered Mt. Bodga. Looking at the scenic area, you can see the white snowy mountains mirroring the green lake and colorful flowers spotted on the green grassland along the lake. With the guide's explanation of the story of the Queen Mother of the West, it adds a touch of mystery to the place.

    Optional Activities:You can take a boat tour on the lake for an additional fee to get a unique perspective.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: in Urumqi

    

11. Day 11: Urumqi to Kashgar Tour
    Experience Rich Islamic Heritage & Discover Vibrant Local Markets

    After breakfast at hotel, your driver will escort you to the airport for a flight to Kashgar. Upon arrival, your China Silk Road tour begins with the exploration of the ancient city of Kashgar.

    First, you will visit the Abakh Hoja Tomb, aka Xiang Fei Park. Here, you will delve deeper into the love story of Princess Xiang Fei. Experience Kashgar's unique customs and folk culture. Next, take a visit to Id Kah Mosque, a construction complex with a magnificent chapel, pagoda, garden, and scripture hall in Islamic style.

    Then, we move to Kashgar Old Town. Enjoy leisurely wandering in this Islamic-style city block, which highlights the centuries-old mud-brick architecture and twisting alleys through workshops. Afterwards, explore a local bazaar to discover some of your favorite snacks and interesting souvenirs.

    

    After that, you can explore the vibrant Handicrafts Market. Spending some time in the market is also a top thing to do in Kashgar. Follow the local crowd to walk leisurely and stop at a stall interesting you or talking with those hawkers with ethnic faces. Do not forget to bargain when you are picking some as souvenirs.Last, you can savor a cup of tea at a Century-old Tea House.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: in Kashgar

12. Day 12: Departure from Kashgar
    Explore the Bustling Sunday Livestock Market

    Today, you will be guided to visit the Sunday Livestock Market, where you can find and buy various things such as handicrafts, livestock, local specialties, and vegetables, as well as many other kinds of things from second-hand items to needles and thread.

    Note: If the day is not Sunday when you are in Kashgar, there won't be a Sunday Livestock Market there, or it might get closed randomly by local policy.

    Your 12-day Silk Road tour of China ends here. Then your tour guide and driver will escort you to the airport for your departure flight. Hope you had a good time in China with us and wish you all the best in the future.

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation: N/A