“THE SILK ROAD”
“The Silk Road” Tour is a 15 or 17-day tour will show you China from 2000 years ago. It reflects all the ruins along the ancient trade pass between Europe & China. This trip offers deep insight into the ancient Chinese culture, art and history. It is a good trip for those who have a passion for China’s political and economic history of 1800 years ago.
We recommend this tour especially for second-time travelers to China, for academic professionals and Chinese history lovers.
The trip covers all of the major cities along the ancient Silk Road, including Xi’an, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan [Jiayu Pass – the ultimate end of the Great Wall in the west desert], Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumuqi, Beijing and Shanghai.
Detailed Itinerary
*ABF - American Buffet Breakfast; B – Breakfast; L – Lunch; D –Dinner; SD –Banquet;
** Time – All times listed in the itinerary are in local time;
*** Based on your agenda, the whole itinerary could be reversed;
**** You may skip Day 3 – 4, and change this trip to a 15 days “the Silk Road” Tour
Day 01 International Gateway / Pacific Ocean
Depart from any city in USA / Canada today. You will fly across the Pacific Ocean today.
Day 02 Beijing PRIME HOTEL (5 star)
You will cross the International Date Line and arrive in Beijing today. With an extensive history, rich cultural heritage, Beijing has long been regarded as one of the world’s famous historical and cultural cities. Upon arrival, you will be greeted at the airport and transferred to the Prime Hotel (5 stars – within 15-minutes walking distance to Royal Palace and Tiananmen Square). You will be at leisure for rest of the day.
Day 3 Beijing (ABF, L, SD)
Your one-day tour in the capital city will start from Tiananmen Square, which is regarded as the largest public square in the world. Then enter the Forbidden City, home of Chinese emperors for more than 500 years. In the afternoon, you will visit the Temple of Heaven, one of the best examples of Ming Dynasty architecture in China and also an ornate sanctuary where Chinese Emperors worshiped the Gods. Tonight, feast on the emperor’s cuisine - a Beijing roast duck banquet will be arranged at a leading city restaurant.
Day 4 Beijing (AFB, L, D)
An unforgettable outing includes a walking to the wondrous Great Wall, Badaling part, where you will have a chance to climb a portion of this 3,700-mile marvel. Its dramatic steep ridges and narrow valleys will offer a varied landscape for your camera. In the afternoon, you will travel through the valley of the Ming tombs with its bold avenue of animals, where 13 emperors, empresses as well as their concubines from the Ming Dynasty are buried. Reserve the evening time for a night time entertainment featuring the Peking Opera.
Day 5 Beijing / Xi’an (ABF, L, D) SHERATON HOTEL (5 star)
Enjoy an once-in-a-lifetime rickshaw tour through the narrow alley of ancient Beijing before visiting the majestic Summer Palace, the Royal Summer Resort of 100 years ago. An evening flight will bring you to Xi’an, a city of unsurpassed importance in China’s history. It is filled with archeological wonders and served as the capital for eleven dynasties. Accommodations will be at the Sheraton Hotel (5 star or equivalent).
Day 6 Xi’an (ABF, L, SD)
Explore Xi’an’s extraordinary antiquities on today’s tour, highlighted by the great archaeological find of our time: the ancient lifelike Terra Cotta soldiers guarding the tomb of China’s first emperor. Also trace the beginnings of Chinese civilization at the Provincial Museum and tour the City Gate and Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the most famous Buddhist Temple in the world. A Tang Dynasty banquet and stage show will complete the day.
Day 7 Xi'an / Lanzhou (ABF, SL, D) INTERNATIONAL HOTEL (4 star)
During your last day in the ancient city, you will visit the Great Mosque, a haven of tranquility tucked amidst the bustling market areas of Xi’an. For lunch you will savor a local specialty, Xi’an Dumplings Banquet. Then fly to Lanzhou. Visit the Baita Temple, which reflects the architecture of Yuan Dynasty. Following, you may visit the Provincial museum, where you will find several exhibits about related to the Silk Road. Your accommodations will be in the International Hotel (4 star or equivalent).
Day 8 Lanzhou – Liujiaxia Hydro Power Station – Yellow River – Jiayuguan (ABF, L, D)
Today you will visit the Liujiaxia Hydro Power Station that provides power to three provinces. Then have a boat tour to the Bingling Gorge – the original birthplace of the Chinese People. By an overnight train, you will travel to the westernmost point of the Great Wall – Jiayuguan.
Day 9 Jiayuguan (B, L, D) GREAT WALL HOTEL (3 star)
Arrive in Jiayuguan and visit the old fortress standing at the westernmost point of the Great Wall. Climb up this historic “Last Guard House” which serving the pass between two mountain ranges. This famous pass has been the subject of poems and ballads for centuries. Tonight, your accommodations will be at the Great Wall Hotel (3 star or equivalent).
Day 10 Jiayuguan / Dunhuang (B, L, D) INTERNATIONAL HOTEL (3 star)
Begin with a four-hour drive to Dunhuang, an important ancient town on the Silk Road. It was a pivotal point of the interchange on the Silk Road, a major staying-post for both incoming and outgoing caravans. You will pass the Gobi Desert and grassland en route. You will have the chance to enjoy beautiful landscape along the ancient Silk Road. Your accommodations will be at the International Hotel (3 star).
Day 11 Dunhuang (BF, L, D)
Begin with an excursion to the Mogao Grottoes, the world richest treasure trove of Buddhist manuscripts and art. Mogao Grottoes has been listed in the UN’s Catalogue of World Heritage. Begun in 221 B.C. and accumulated over the next 9 centuries, the grottoes total over 45,000 square meters of frescoes, 2415 colored sculptures and more than 400 flying Aspirers.
Day 12 Dunhuang – Mingsha Mount – Crescent Spring – Turpan (B, L, D) OVERNIGHT TRAIN
You will continue your sightseeing in Dunhuang for a visit to Minsha Mountain andCrescent Spring. You may also enjoy a camel ride into the dunes in the magnificent desert. An overnight train will bring you to Turpan.
Day 13 Turpan (B, L, D) OASIS HOTEL (3 star)
Upon arrival, you will check into the Oasis Hotel. Sightseeing features Gaochang, the ancient walled capital of the Uighurs, which flourished between the 7th and 14th centuries, and the ruins of Jiaohe City, where large fragments of actual streets and buildings still remain. You will also visit Grape Valley, in lush contrast to the desert surrounding it, and the amazing 2000-year-old Karez Irrigation Tunnels, which carried water from melting snow on the mountains to this parched city. Enjoy a local singing & dancing show in the evening.
Day 14 Turpan / Urumuqi (B, L, D) HOLIDAY INN HOTEL (4 star)
A morning tour includes the Flaming Mountains, named for their vibrant color, Suliman’s Minaret and a local village. Then continue your trip to the capital city of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. In ancient times, it used to be an important town on the northern route of the Silk Road and today is a key city in China’s northwestern border areas. Today’s excursion takes you to the pasture by the Southern Mountains where you will visit local herds. Your accommodations will be at Holiday Inn Hotel (4 stars).
Day 15 Urumuqi (ABF, L, D)
After breakfast, enjoy an excursion to Tianchi Lake, nestled in the Tianshan Mountain range. Return to Urumuqi after lunch and take a city tour, which gives you a glimpse of the major sights of this northwestern city. Populated by Han people and 13 ethnic minorities, Urumuqi is quite different from the usual Chinese street scene. Here you can see nomadic Khazakhs, a Middle Eastern bazaar, a jade-carving center and more.
Day 16 Urumuqi / Shanghai (ABF, L, D) JIAN GUO HOTEL (4 star)
Take an early morning flight to Shanghai. As the largest city in China, Shanghai is now undergoing a rebirth but manages to maintain some of the style and charm of the 1920’s when it was known as the “Paris of the Orient.” Your one-day tour in this metropolis will include a walk along the Bund, a pedestrian walkway along the Yangtze River, a visit to the old town, Yu Garden; and the Shanghai Museum. There you will find artifacts that span the length of China’s history, and reveal its cultural traditions. Your accommodations will be at the Jian Guo Hotel (4 star or equivalent).
Day 17 Shanghai / USA or Canada (ABF)
Bid farewell to China as you fly aboard your selected airline home, you will arrive in USA / Canada on the same day.
General Tour - Silk Road
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General Tours
Oct 21, 2007 - 1:13:13 AM
Oct 21, 2007 - 1:13:13 AM