China Silk Road: Beijing to Kashgar 16D
China Silk Road: Beijing to Kashgar 16D
China Silk Road: Beijing to Kashgar 16D
16 Days Starting in Beijing and ending in Kashgar
Visiting: Beijing Arrival, Beijing, Xi'an, Lanzhou, Xiahe County, Jiayuguan City, Dunhuang, Turpan, Ürümqi, Kashgar, Kashgar Prefecture
Tour operator:
Tour code:
CSR
Guide Type:
Partially Guided
Group size:
2 - 16
Age range:
0-99
Special diets catered:
Vegetarians
Tour operated in:
EnglishTour Overview
This tour will let you explore all the must-see attractions from Beijing to Kashgar on the ancient Silk Road, to learn the profound history and enjoy the stunning scenery. You will travel to Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou, Labrang, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi, and Kashgar for 16 days with local guide. You will view the historical route, and explore the amazing culture in the western China.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1 : Beijing
Location: Beijing Arrival
Accommodation: Hotel
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.
Day 2 : Beijing Sightseeing
Location: Beijing
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 3 : Beijing To Xi'an By Bullet Train After The Forbidden City Tour
Location: Xi'an
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 4 : Xi'an: Terra Cotta Warriors, Muslim Quarter And Grand Mosque
Location: Xi'an
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 5 : Xian To Lanzhou By Bullet Train
Location: Lanzhou
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 6 : Lanzhou To Bingling Temple, Then To Xiahe By Car
Location: Xiahe County
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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).
Day 7 : Labrang To Lanzhou, Overnight Train To Jiayuguan
Location: Jiayuguan City
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 8 : Jiayuguan: Visit Jiayuguan Fortress, Overhanging Great Wall And Wei & Jin Tomb Painting
Location: Jiayuguan City
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 9 : Jiayuguan To Dunhuang By Car
Location: Dunhuang
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 10 : Dunhuang To Turpan By Bullet Train
Location: Turpan
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 11 : Turpan City Day Tour
Location: Turpan
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 12 : Turpan To Urumqi By Car
Location: Ürümqi
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 13 : Urumqi To Tianchi, Fly To Kashgar
Location: Kashgar
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 14 : Kashgar City Tour
Location: Kashgar Prefecture
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 15 : Kashgar To Karakul Day Tour
Location: Kashgar Prefecture
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
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.
Day 16 : Departing From Kashgar
Location: Kashgar Prefecture
Accommodation: Hotel
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch
Transferred to Kashagr airport to catch your flight heading for your next destination, where the wonderful Silk Road tour concludes.
What's Included
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1 bottle of Mineral Water per person per day
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Accommodation
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All Domestic Transportation (including internal flights)
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Airport Transfers at Destination
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Free Wi-Fi at Accommodation
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Meals – Half Board
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Train Tickets
second class
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Entrance Fees
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Local guide
What's Not Included
Check out our Q&As
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Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
Yes
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Is the tour coach air conditioned?
Yes.
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Will I know the names and details of all the accommodation before I depart?
Yes.
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Company Instant Book
Yes.
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Tipping in China
If you're happy with the services provided then a tip - though not compulsory - is appropriate. Tipping is of great significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels, inspires excellent service, and is an entrenched feature of the tourism industry across China and other Asian countries. We recommend that any tips are given to the intended recipient by a member of your group, rather than collected and passed on by the group leader. The following amounts are based on local considerations and feedback from our past travellers: Restaurants: Tipping is not common practice at restaurants in China or Tibet. Tour guides: Throughout your tour you may at times have local guides or national guide. We suggest CNY20-50 per person per day for guides. Porters: In some hotels a porter may offer to carry your bag to your room. We suggest CNY10 per bag for porters. Drivers: You may have a range of drivers on your trip. Some may be with you for a short journey while others may be with you for several days. We would suggest that you tip only those more involved with the group (for example those that help you with your bags etc). CNY10-30 per person per day is generally appropriate.
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Can I travel to China without a visa?
US/UK/Australia/New Zealand/Canada citizens(actually most western country citizens) planning to visit China's mainland must apply for an entry visa through the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General. ... WithUS/UK/Australia/New Zealand/Canadapassport, citizens do not need a visa to enter Hong Kong, but travelers who plan to visit China's mainland while in the region will need a visa to travel from Hong Kong to China. However, some cities including Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Xian, Chengdu, Chongqing etc. that allow 24-hour/72-hour direct transit in China, also called the 24-hour/72-hour transit without visa, regulates that visa is not required for air, train, and ship passengers transiting in mainland China for a stay of no more than 24 hours/72 hours before heading for a third country or region formost western country citizens.
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
All of our tours are planned and operated on a twin-share basis, meaning that the standard cost is based either on individual travellers sharing accommodation with another group member of the same sex, or people who book together sharing accommodation. Silkroadtrips are pleased to offer travellers the option of pre-booking a guaranteed single room. Kindly note our single supplement do not include sharing cabins on the overnight trains or cruises.
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Trains
Aboard the overnight sleeper train, berths are usually in 1st class ‘soft sleeper’ lockable compartments for 4 which have 2 sets of bunks with clean bedding provided. WC and washbasins are provided for shared use at the end of each carriage. Hot meals and snacks are sold to your berth on all overnight journeys. In times of large demand we may have to travel in 2nd class ‘hard sleeper’ which consists of sectioned off compartments for 6,leading off an open plan carriage. Bullet trains are getting popular, it is very modern with a high velocity of 300km per hour. There are western toilets, dinning car on the bullet trains, and normally for short distance running 1—8 hours.
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Low Deposit
Silk Road Trips requires a minimum deposit of 25% or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 7 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of silk road trips charges.
Up to 31 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 30 days before tour starts: Forfeit 30% of booking price.
At 15 days before tour starts: Forfeit 50% of booking price.
At 7 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.