Tour Code:BJH-SRT-10BDuration:10 days & 9 nightsDeparture:You Choose!Pickup:about 8:30am at your hotelFinish:about 5:30pm at your hotelService:Entrance fees + flavor meals + private tour guide, driver & vehicle
Trip at a Glance
Day 1:Beijing flight to Urumqi;Day 2 - 4:Turpan;Day 5 - 6:Dunhuang;Day 7:Lanzhou;Day 8:Xiahe;Day 9 - 10:Xining
Trip Overview
The golden route tour of Silk Road leads you to fly from Beijing to Urumqi, and then travel the highlights of Turpan, Dunhuang, Lanzhou, Xiahe and Xiniang.
Itinerary Details Day by Day
Day 1 Beijing flight to Urumqi
Today, you will be transferred to the airport for your flight to Urumqi from Beijing. Upon you arrival, met by your local tour guide and escorted to your hotel in Urumqi for check-in. The rest of day is your time to explore this city.
Day 2 Urumqi; drive to Turpan ( B, L )
After breakfast at hotel, drive to visit the Red Hill Park in the midtown. It is a symbol of Urumqi and called as “the eyes of Urumqi”. The whole mountain is made up of aubergine rock. When the sunlight hits the hill, the rocks reflected a bright red color. Then move to Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region Museum, which has collections of silver works of art, stone steles, coins and currency, ceramics, wooden articles and paintings.
In the afternoon, you will drive to Turpan, known as “Oasis in the Gobi Desert”. Check in your hotel.
Red Hill Park
Day 3 Turpan ( B, L )
Today, you will be picked up and then visit the Jiaohe Ancient City; the sites reveals traces of a prosperous ancient trading center. Then head to the Karez Wells; an underground irrigation system. Its main function is to deliver water from nearby snow capped mountains to Turpan and its agricultural fields.
In the afternoon, take a visit to the Emin Minaret, also named as Sugong Tower, which is one of the most famous Islamic constructions and the only Islamic tower in China.
Jiaohe Ancient City
Day 4 Turpan; train to Liuyuan ( B, L )
After breakfast at hotel, drive to visit Bazelik Thousand Buddha Caves, where there are 77 caves and inside each cave is a mural of the Buddha painted on the ceiling along with hundreds of Buddhist sculptures and figures. Then move to Astana Tombs, known as “the Underground Museum”, which is famous for its terracotta figurines and tomb paintings.
In the afternoon, you will visit Gaochang Ancient City; one of the best-preserved ruins of the ancient cities in China. It was also an important section of the Silk Road and a great trade rout of the past. After that, take the overnight train to Liuyuan.
Bazelik Thousand Buddha Caves
Day 5 Liuyuan drive to Dunhuang ( B, L )
In the morning, met by the local tour guide. After breakfast, drive to Dunhuang. You will visit the Mogao Grottoes which is the world’s most important site of ancient Buddhist Culture. The treasure house contains hundreds of sandstone caves holding more than 2,000 statues and 45,000 brilliantly bright paintings of Buddha and Chinese mythological figures.
Mogao Grottoes2
Day 6 Dunhuang; flight to Lanzhou ( B, L )
Today, you will be transferred to visit Echoing-Sand Dune. Along the way, there are splendid sights: golden sand, the rolling desert, a tranquil lake and the beautiful sunset. Also, you’ll never miss the Crescent Lake; a crescent-shaped lake in an oasis, around 6km south of the city of Dunhuang.
In the afternoon, you will visit Dunhuang Museum which boasts a rich collection of over 4000 pieces of precious cultural and historical relics. It reflects the cultural exchange between China and the West during the time when Dunhuang was a major center along the Silk Road. In night, take a flight to Lanzhou. Met and transferred to your hotel for check-in.
Crescent Lake
Day 7 Lanzhou ( B, L )
After breakfast, picked up and transferred to visit Five Springs Park, which stands in the northwest part of Gaolan Mountain, south Lanzhou city. Then move on to White Pagoda Park, named from the White Pagoda on the top of the hill. The pagoda had been attacked by several strong earthquakes, but it is still in perfect condition.
In the afternoon, visit Gansu Museum where there are a rich collections of historical relics, such as fossils, color-painted pottery, bamboo medication slips, wooden sculptures, paintings and silk products.
White Pagoda Park
Day 8 Lanzhou drive to Xiahe ( B, L )
After breakfast at hotel, drive 260km to Xiahe, known as “the Little Tibet in Gansu Province”. You will visit the Labrang Monastery, the biggest Lama Temple outside Tibet. This monastery boasts tens of thousands of statues of Buddha made of various materials. You will also watch the devotion there.
Labrang Monastery
Day 9 Xiahe drive to Xining ( B, L )
Today, you will drive to Xining. En route, you will visit Ta’er Monastery where is the birthplace of the founder of the Gelugpa sect of Tibetan Buddhism – Tsongkhapa. Continue to Xining and check in your hotel there.
Ta’er Monastery
Day 10 Xining Departure ( B )
Today is free until you are escorted to the airport for your flight to your next destination.