As the key trading route between the west and the east, Silk Road was busy among traders 2000 years ago. With the great contribution through the trading business, the west communicated the east and left a big treasure of culture and art. To explore that, we invite you to follow Marco Polo’s footsteps: begin your journey in Beijing, visiting the Great Wall and the Forbidden City, then travel to Xian – hometown of the Terracotta Warriors. Your last stop will be Dunhuang. Buddhist caves, wall paintings countless sculptures and Buddhists scriptures may dazzle your eyes.
Itinerary
Day 1 Beijing
Arrive at Beijing International Airport. Meet your guide and driver and check in your hotel. The rest of today is free for you.
Meals: Not included
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 2 Beijing
Today you will first visit the Tian’anmen Square and Forbidden City. Here is the capital city centre. Many key events affecting the whole country even the world happened here. Then, you will take a Tricycle to start Hutong tour experiencing the daily life of Beijing residents, seeing the children in a kindergarten and climbing on the Bell Tower. You will have Chinese Dumpling Lunch with other local dishes cooked by the housewife at a quadrangle.
Tonight, you will enjoy the most famous local cuisine—Beijing Duck Dinner. Enjoy the exciting Acrobatic Show in the most popular theater in Beijing.
Meals: lunch & special dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 3 Beijing
In the morning, your local guide and private driver will meet you in the hotel lobby, and take you to the Great Wall at Mutianyu. 2 hours’ driving will take you to this comparatively quiet section.
At this location the Great Wall was built on steep mountains, yet don’t worry, there is a cable car running up the wall directly. If you walk more than half hour on the Wall, you will arrive at the part named "Wild Wall" that haven’t been restored for more than 500 years.
On the way back to the city, you will have a chance to take a short visit of the Olympic Stadium, nicknamed “Bird’s Nest” and the National Swimming Centre, also known as the "Water Cube".
Meals: lunch
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 4 Beijing/Xian
Fly to Xian. When you arrive at Xian Airport, your local guide and driver will meet you there and take you to downtown City.
Xian is claimed to be “Museum City”. You will be able to visit the Shannxi Historic Museum, one of the best museums in China, with collections from 1.7 million years ago.
Your next stop will be at the symbol of Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda. It is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists.
As for the dinner, you will be able to enjoy the Special dumplings dinner --to taste more than10 types of different dumplings. After the dinner, you can enjoy a Tang Dynasty Performance, a veritable Tang dynasty show, reminding you the most prosperous empire 1400 year ago.
Meals: lunch & special dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 5 Xian
In the morning you will visit a prehistoric settlement at Banpo, to see the early settlements’ life. Then you will visit the highlight of Xian trip-- the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages.
In the afternoon you will be driven to the Great Mosque, established in AD742 for Muslim traders from Central Asia who settled in Xian, which is still an active place of worship in the present.
Tonight, you will enjoy a special treatment—Chinese herbs feet massage (optional, RMB150/p/60min), to relax your sore feet from a whole day walk, and give you a good sleep. Try it! You will be indulged in it!
Meals: lunch
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 6 Xian/Urumqi
Today the tour guide will take you to Xian City Wall, the best preserved city wall in China. Then you will fly to Urumqi. When arrival, your local guide and driver will pick you up at the airport and you will be driven to hotel. The rest time of the day is on your own.
Meals: lunch
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 7 Urumqi
In the morning, you will be taken to Nan Shan Pasture. You can enjoy the breath-taking view of unique, graceful peaks with all year round snow on tops. You can ride on horse or camel through the valleys, walk across the woods picking mushrooms and smell the magical wild flowers and climb up the mountain.
Afternoon you will go around the Erdaoqiao Bazaar, which is the largest Uygur bazaar in Urumqi, where you’ll find a bustling market full of fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and so on, just like kaleidoscope of scenes from the pages of ‘A Thousand and One Nights!
Meals: lunch & dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 8 Urmqi/Turpan
With 2 hours’ driving you will be driven to Turpan, an ancient Silk Road trading post city.
One of the most interesting stops here is Karez Irrigation Site. It is like a museum showing how the wells were built and maintained. A sample channel and well are built for exploring.
The rest of the time of the day is for you to explore the oasis lying in the Turpan Desert, 154m below sea level at its lowest point. The bazaar is a great place to shop for souvenirs or just while away a few hours.
Meals: lunch & dinner
Accommodation: 3-star hotel
Day 9 Turpan/Dunhuang
Today will be a full day of Turpan Desert Tour. To avoid being out at the hot midday, you will be starting at the crack of dawn.
First stop is Gaochang Ruins, the original capital of a local ruler in the 7th century. You could walk around the mud-brick structures ruins where the whispering desert wind evokes a sense of endless time. Then you will go to Flaming Mountains, a great photo-taking attraction.
The next stop is the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, where you may sense the importance of Buddhism to Silk Road travelers, many of whom stopped here to prey for a successful journey.
To escape the noon sun’s tirade, you will stop for lunch at the Grape Valley. The beautiful trellised valley provides a necessary respite from the heat. Tonight you will take an overnight soft sleeper train to Dunhuang.
Meals: lunch & dinner
Accommodation: on the train
Day 10 Dunhuang
Your local guide will pick you up at the Dunhuang railway station and drive you to the hotel. Dunhuang was the last stop for Chinese Buddhist pilgrims on the road to India and the first stop for foreign missionaries arriving China.
After breakfast, you will be able to visit the Mogao Caves, which was added to the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites. Among the 492 caves, 60 are open to visitors.
If you are looking for some excitement after the solemn caves, the flowing trip will do. You will experience a short camel-riding along the Echoing-Sand Dune to reach the Crescent Lake. A peculiar natural phenomenon occurs when standing on the top of the sand dune forming Echoing-sand Dune. The Crescent Lake forms an oasis at the desert’s edge.
At night, you will be able to enjoy a Uygur dancing and singing performance named "Summer of Dunhuang” after the Dunhuang Banquets, which will delivers great food and rousing entertainment.
Meals: lunch & special dinner
Accommodation: 4-star hotel
Day 11 Dunhuang/Beijing
You will take a flight to Beijing and depart.
Meals: Not included
Accommodation: Not included
Accommodation:
-4 star hotels arranged (in some remote areas, best hotels offered like 2 or 3 star hotels)
-Hotels standard changes acceptable
Independent Group Price (2-5 Persons)
USD2,546 /per/ person
Single Room Supply: USD 444 /per/person
Group Discount
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Group Size
(Adults Only)
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The Discount You Will Get
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6
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50% of your tour cost
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7
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60% of your tour cost
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8
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70% of your tour cost
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9
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80% of your tour cost
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10
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90% of your tour cost
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11
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Your tour free!
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