China Silk Road: Beijing to Kashgar 16D

Welcome to Beijing. Upon arrival, you will be met and transferred to Beijing hotel, and take a break to get ready for the wonderful Silk Road tour.

Today you will take 2-hour ride to the Mutianyu section of the Great Wall, which was built 600 years ago in early Ming Dynasty. You can choose walk up or take cable car up, and view the imposing ancient Chinese military construction.

Lunch is included at local restaurant before moving back to Beijing hotel.

You will visit the biggest city square in the world, the Tian'anmen Square. Then walk to the Forbidden City, the biggest palace in the world. Explore the main buildings with a local guide in the palace. Then you will catch 5-hour bullet train to Xi'an after included lunch. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to hotel.

Today you will take one-hour car ride to The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Museum that is one of the highlights of the Silk Road.

Afternoon, you will visit Muslim Quarter, particularly the Grand Mosque that is a traditional Chinese mosque.

Visit the old city wall in Xi'an, which was built in Ming Dynasty with a length of nearly 14km. You can walk or ride a bike on the city wall.

Then you will be transferred to catch 3-hour bullet train to Lanzhou. Upon arrival, met and transferred to hotel.

Today you will visit Gansu Provincial Museum firstly(closed on Mondays), which exhibits the relics and antiques from Silk Road, particularly the Galloping Horse Statue in the museum is a must-see. Afterwards you will take a 2-hour car ride to Linxia where we will take ferry to view the Binglingsi Grottos that was built beside Yellow River, and various Buddha Statues and the scenery around the Grottos are incredible.

Afterwards, you will be transferred to the hotel in Xiahe (Labrang).

Today you will walk up to a spot where you can have bird view of the entire monastery, then you will visit the Temple with a local Lama guide. Labrang Monastery is one of the six biggest Tibetan monasteries presenting typical Tibetan Buddhism culture.

Later you will take 4-hour car ride back to Lanzhou where you will catch the overnight train to Jiayuguan.

Today you will visit the western end of the Great Wall, Jiayuguan Fortress, which was built on the narrowest area in the Hexi Corridor between Qilian Mountain and Black Mountain. Afterwards you will climb up the Overhanging Wall to enjoy the amazing mountain view.

Later, you will be transferred to visit the tomb brick painting in the Wei and Jin Ancient Cemetery, where the fresh colors painted on the brick are very impressive.

Take 5-hour ride to Dunhuang in the morning, and view the stunning snow-capped Qilian Mountains, Gobi Desert and Oasis towns on the way. Then wander around the Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring in the afternoon. You have opportunity to ride camel at the sand dunes.

You can explore the night market or watch Dunhuang performance copied from Mogao Caves this evening.

In the morning, you will visit Mogao Caves, the gem of the ancient Silk Road. The early history of Mogao can be track back to the 4th century, and built many times in the histoty. The colorful fresco, statues in Mogao Caves display various stories about Buddhism.
After lunch, you will take 2-hour car ride to Liuyuan station where you will catch 3-hour bullet train to Turpan. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to hotel. Turpan is a basin in Xinjiang province, and renown for its hottest weather in China.

Turpan is a hub on the ancient Silk Road, and there are lots of historical sites that are renown for its well-preserved conditions. Today you will visit Bezklik Grottos, Astana Ancient Tombs, the Ancient City of Jiaohe and Gaochang, Karez Irrigation System, and Emin Minaret with a local guide. You will taste some dried fruits and eat Uyghur food.

You will take a 3-hour ride to Urumqi where you will visit Xinjiang Museum (closed on Mondays ), mummies are a must-see in it, particularly Loulan Beauty and Xiaohe Beauty.

Lunch is included at local restaurant. Afterwards you will visit the renown Erdaoqiao International Bazaar where you can purchase all sorts of souvenirs.

Later, you will be transferred to the hotel in Urumqi for a rest.

This morning you will take 1-hour ride to Heavenly Lake, or Tianchi in Chinese, which is a high mountain lake with stunning scenery in the Tianshan Mountains, a world natural heritage.

Then you will catch 2-hour flight to Kashgar. Upon arrival, you will be transferred to hotel.

Today is a busy day to explore Kashgar with a local guide. You will take the city tour by the first stop to visit the Apa Hoja Mausoleum which was built in 1640 by local Imam for his father, and later it became a family graveyard to bury 72 people for 5 generations. The mausoleum is impressive for its delicate Uyghur architectural style including the blue tiles, the dome and the minaret.

Next, you will visit Kashgar old town to explore the interesting area where there are old houses for shops, workshops, restaurants, bakery, and tea houses, etc. It displays the long history and vivid lifestyle in Kashgar from ancient Silk Road period to today. Handicraft Street is a must-see section in the old town, where the huge music instruments and bronze vessels are very impressive. You might taste some local snacks here, such as Nang Bread, grilled eggs, dried fruits etc. before visiting the old Id Ghar Mosque, the biggest mosque in Xinjiang. Enter the mosque at non-praying time to appreciate its architecture and decor, please wear long pants and cover the shoulders for ladies while visiting this mosque.

Lunch is arranged at a local Uyghur's house for you to taste the authentic and traditional Uyghur food including nang bread, hand-stretched noodles, and pilau...etc.

In the afternoon, you will wander around the Grand Bazaar in Kashgar, which is well known in Central Asia for its colorful and lively market. As a Uyghur saying goes that you can buy everything except for your parents. There are more people in the afternoon, because the farmers will drive to here from different area in the morning and buy things in the afternoon at the market. Actually the bazaar opens every day, and more people on Sunday. The animal bazaar is relocated near Kashgar Airport and opens only on Sundays. So if it is Sunday, you will also visit the Animal Bazaar as well.

When your tour is finished, you will be transferred back to your hotel.

Today you will take about 4 hours by a private vehicle departing from Kashgar to Karakul Lake. You will drive along the renown friendship highway to Pamir Plateau. On the way, you will stop at Upar Uyghur town to buy some snacks and fruits before heading to the mountains. Then you will view the pretty White Sand Lake that looks like a mirror reflecting the snow-capped mountains on the lake water. After lunch, you will wander around the stunning Karakul Lake(3600 meter), which is situated beside Muztagh Summit. The mountain, the lake and the yurt around the lake create a picture of paradise. Later, you will be transferred back to Kashgar.

Transferred to Kashagr airport to catch your flight heading for your next destination, where the wonderful Silk Road tour concludes.