11-day Silk Road Adventure Tour
Tour Description
Day 1 Arrive in Xi`an
Morning:Arrive in Xi`an.After accomodating at your hotel,have a city tour to the Ancient City Wall,which is the best-kept and biggest city walls in China.
Day 2 Xi`an
Morning:The highlight of your tour today is the 'Eighth Wonder' of the world, Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, which is a huge underground military museum constructed as an accessory pit of Qin Shi Huang Mausoleum.A English-speaking guide is necessary for you to understand the greatness of the Terracotta Warriors.
Afternoon：In the afternoon, visit the Bell Tower and one of the landmarks of Xi`an, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Originally built to collect Buddhist scriptures, now the pagoda has been a symbol of this ancient capital city.
Evening:Enjoy a marvelous Tang Dynasty Dinner Show at the Tang Dynasty Palace.
Day 3 Lanzhou,Xiahe
Take a flight in the morning from Xi`an to Lanzhou,which takes only one hour.After arriving in Lanzhou,drive to Xiahe County (the county is very beautiful and is nicknamed the "small Tibet"), where you will visit the Songke Grasslands (aka Sanke Grasslands) and theLabrang Lamasery. It takes about three and half hours from Lanzhou to Xiahe.
The Mogao Grottoes
Day 4 Dunhuang
Return to Lanzhou and take a flight from Lanzhou to Dunhuang at around 1:40 pm,after one and 40 mins you will arrive in Dunhuang.In the afternoon,pay a visit to the Mogao Grottoes.There are about 30 caves open to the public, and a English-speaking guide is quite necessary for you to understand the history behind the murals.
Day 5 Dunhuang
Ride camel to the Echoing-Sand Mountain and the Crescent Lake.Crescent Spring (Yueya Quan) is in theEchoing-Sand Mountain (Mingsha Shan), 6 km (4 mi) south of Dunhuang. It is an oasis in the desert. Riding a camel on the desert of the Echoing-Sand Mountain is a great experience. You can enjoy the beautiful wavy shapes of the smooth yellow dunes against the deep blue sky, and imagine you are traveling the ancient Silk Road.
After the day sightseeing, be transferred to the Liuyuan Railway Station for the overnight train to Turpan.The train from Dunhuang to Turpan takes around 11 hours.(Train No. 1043 Dep 20:15 - Arr 04:46)
Day 6 Turpan
Explore the unique irrigation project -Karez Wells.This irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects in China.
Then come to visit the Ruins of the Ancient City of Jiaohe, which is a good vantage point for seeing the surrounding landscape of vineyards and orchards followed by desert and mountains.Later come to the Grape Valley. Lastly, pass through the Flaming Mountain, the temperature of the surface of the mountain can reach as high as 70 degree celsius.
The Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi)
Day 7 Urumqi
Take a train from Turpan to Urumqi,which takes about 2 and half hours.Take a bus from the People`s Park to the Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi),a beautiful blue mountain lake finely contrasted with steep forested hills, high meadows and snowy Heavenly Mountain peaks behind.There you can walk, take electric carts, cable cars and a boat cruise on the lake.
Day 8 Urumqi
Visit the beautiful Nanshan Pasture (aka the Nanshan Grassland),
Return to the downtown of Urumqi in the afternoon and go shopping in the International Grand Bazaar.There are a mind-boggling array of international and Chinese goods including Uyghur hand-made carpets,Russian woodcarvings,silverware from the United Arab Emirates, various dried fruits and nuts,etc.
Day 9 Kashgar
Morning transfer to the airport for the flight to Kashgar. Be met and checked into the hotel. Then visit the Sunday Bazaar and the Id Kah Mosque( (艾提尕尔 or aiti gaer in Chinese),which is regarded as the biggest mosque in China. Then visit the Apak Hoja Tomb - a tomb of the descendants of an Islamic sage
The Id Kah Mosque (艾提尕尔 or aiti gaer in Chinese)
Day 10 Kashgar
After breakfast, take a visit to the beautiful Lake Karakuli,a sparking glacial lake located at the foot of "the Father of Glaciers" – Muztagata Mountains. A railway connnecting China with Pakistan goes by the lake. The lake is famous for its beautiful scenery and clarity. Colors of its water range from light to dark under reflection.
Return to the downtown of Kashgar and visit the old town of the city.
Day 11 Urumqi Departure
Take a train from Kashgar to Urumqi and take a flight from Urumqi to your next destination.
Attractions Visited in This Tour
