(B=breakfast, L=lunch, D=dinner)
DAY 01 ARRIVE XI'AN (BL, by air)
After picking up at the airport, our Silk Road journey will begin! We will start the trip off with a visit to the magnificent
Qin Terra-Cotta Army. It was built in about 2500 years ago and contains more than 6000 warriors, soldiers and horses. It was listed by UNESCO in 1987 as one of the world cultural heritages. In the afternoon, drive back to Xian city, visit
Forest of Stone Steles Museum.
Stay in 4-star hotel in Xi'an
DAY 02 XI'AN / LANZHOU (BL, by air)
In the morning, visit
Shaanxi History Museum and the
Old City Wall. The Shaanxi History Museum's permanent exhibition primarily displays Shaanxi's ancient history. Representative pieces from all periods have been selected to show the development of civilization in this region. This afternoon we will visit
Gao's Grand Courtyard, the Great Mosque and the old street. We'll take the evening flight from Xi'an to Lanzhou where we'll stay at a lovely 4 star hotel.
Stay in 4-star hotel in Lanzhou
DAY 03 LANZHOU (BL)
Today's highlights are
Gansu Provincial Museum and an excursion to
Bingling Temple Grottoes, 75km southwest of Lanzhou. Listed as part of the ancient Silk Road for the World Heritage candidate, Bingling Temple Grottoes, filled with stupas, murals and Buddhist sculpture carved into natural caves, were a work in progress between the 4th and 10th centuries. Taste traditional and local foods at the local market.
Stay in 4-star hotel in Lanzhou
DAY 04 LANZHOU / WUWEI / ZHANGYE (BL)
Day 4 of our Silk Road Tour lets us cross the great Yellow River and head up the Hexi Corridor towards the ancient city of Wuwei. Here we'll visit
Lai Tai Han Tomb, which has become a fantastic tourist attraction in Wuwei city. Then drive to visit the
Giant Buddha Temple in Zhangye where the biggest indoor sleeping Buddha in China is preserved. Further on to
Zhangye Danxia Geopark, the Rainbow Mountains. It enjoys the honors of "The world's top ten magical geographical wonders". Upon arrival, start hiking along the north part of Danxia Landform, enjoying the great view of Qilian Shan and memorable sunset. China Rainbow Mountains are magnificent with gorgeous colors, which developed at about 200 million years ago. We will see lots of precipitous red cliffs, most of which are several hundred meters high, and multicolored ridges of weathered strata, sometimes stretching to the horizon. It is the best place for photography. After a great day we'll stay in a nice 4-star Huachen International Hotel or similar.
Stay in 4-star Huachen International Hotel in Zhangye
DAY 05 ZHANGYE / JIAYU GUAN (BL)
As we continue on our silk road journey, the snow-capped Qilian Mountain ranges wind its way westward and accompany us all the way (about 250km). We'll visit "The Strategic Pass under Heaven" - the most west point of the present Great Wall. And visit
Wei & Jin Ancient Tomb to explore the ground floor of its murals and brick Graves known as "the world's largest underground gallery".
Stay in 4-star Huayuan Hotel
DAY 06 JIAYU GUAN / DUNHUANG (BL)
Today we'll drive about 385 km there the
Great Gobi Desert. Along the way we'll also ride camels to visit the Singing Sand Mountains. The Crescent Spring, which forms a lake between two huge sand dunes. It is like seeing a mirage - but it's real!
Stay in 4-star Hotel in Dunhuang
DAY 07 DUNHUANG (BL)
Today we get to sleep in a bit later and have a nice rest. Afterwards, we'll drive towards the northwest of the city for the
Yumen Pass. Situated in the Gobi Desert 80 kilometers northwest of Dunhuang City, it was once one of the two critical defensive passes protecting Dunhuang from invasion about two thousand years ago. Drive onwards to visit
Yadan National Geologic Park. Yadan landforms rise above the flat Gobi Desert and cover a vast area. Due to its eccentric landforms, the hard-to-spot roads, low-lying terrain, strong magnetism and howling sounds made by the wind, the area is also called "Ghost City" by local people. Yadan Landforms is the largest in scale, fully developed in geology and most valuable for ornament in the world. The scenery sites have an infinite variety of fantastic phenomena and the superlative craftsmanship of nature.
Stay in 4-star Hotel in Dunhuang
DAY 08 DUNHUANG / TAKE THE TRAIN TO TURPAN (BL, by train)
After a relaxing morning we'll then visit the world famous
Mogao Grottoes which is called "the World Famous Treasure House of Arts", also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddha. After dinner, we'll take evening soft sleeper train from Dunhuang to Turpan.
Overnight on the train
DAY 09 TURPAN (BL)
After early arrival in Turpan we'll be taken to our hotel and later picked up to see some of the ancient sights:
Gaochang Ancient City shining like a resplendent precious stone inlaid in the boundless desolate Gobi desert and the Silk Road, and the
Astana Graves which are a group of underground tombs.
Following a lunch in an authentic Uygur restaurant we get to see the vineyards for ourself. The
Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves is another rock-cut building with the most caves and frescos contents at most in Turpan area. It is located on the west cliffs of the Wood Valley of the Flame Mountain, 45 kilometers away from Turpan city. The history of the Caves is more early than Dunhuang but unfortunately that most murals were damaged by nature or by man-made. Then visit the
Flaming Mountains, overshadow the cradle of the Turpan ancient civilization and oasis agriculture. They provide a spectacular backdrop to the oases and scenery of the Turpan area.
Stay in 3-star Silk Road Turpan Oasis Hotel
DAY 10 TURPAN / URUMQI / FLY TO KASHGAR (BL, by air)
In the morning, we will drive to the west part of Turpan for the
Suleiman Minaret, the only ancient Islamic minaret left in China, and the
Karez Wells, one of the three great ancient projects' in China. The Karez Wells Folk Garden and Museum explains how the well system makes it possible for the famous orchards and vineyards to exist in these hot, dry desert communities. After that, we will drive all the way to Urumqi. It's about 300km highway. Take night flight to Kashgar.
Stay in 3-star hotel in Kashigar
DAY 11 KASHGAR / TASHKURGAN (BL)
Today we will drive about 4-5 hours to Tashkurgan County which is located at the south of Kashgar for the ancient stone city. We could take an easy hiking visit to the
Ruins of the Stone City which is in the back of Tashkurgan County.
Stay in Tashkurgan Crown Inn (The best hotel in Tashkurgan)
DAY 12 TASHKURGAN / KARAKURI LAKE (3,770m) / KASHGAR (BL)
Today we start our tour from the
Tashkurgan Museum. We'll drive about 2 hours to the famous
Karakuri Lake and
Muztagh Mountain, enjoying breathtaking scenery of high mountain pastures and snow-capped peaks. Karakuri Lake, known as "the father of glaciers", is located at the foot of Mount Muztaga-Ata, sitting at 3,600m above sea level. We will have enough time for deep exploration of the famous lake and the holy Mountain. Take a leisure walking around the majestic blue lake. Then back to Kashgar.
Stay in 3-star hotel in Kashigar
DAY 13 KASHGAR / URUMQI (BL, by air)
Spend the day experiencing its Islamic culture in Kashgar. A must visit place is
Id Kah Mosque, built in the 15th century, where 10,000 people gather at midday on Fridays to pray, and a restaurant nearby which provides authentic Muslim food.
Kashgar Bazaar is festooned with traditions and ancient history and has become famous throughout Asia, attracting merchants from as far as Pakistan and Kirghizstan; some tourists come especially to see it.
Zhiren Street is an old street where craftsmen still produce their fare. It's easy to lose our sense of time and direction as we wonder this bazaar, but don't worry our guide will lead us through the maze. We'll take a night flight back to Urumqi, and stay in Xinjiang Grand hotel or similar.
Stay in Xinjiang Grand Hotel in Urumqi
DAY 14 URUMQI (BL)
After breakfast we will head for
Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi), which lies on the north side of Bogda Peak of Tian Shan (Heavenly Mountains), about 110 km east of Urumqi. We will be amazed by the snowy peaks of the Heavenly Mountains reflecting on the dazzlingly blue lake surface. Then drive back to Urumqi, we will also pay a visit to the
National Museum. The display of ancient mummies is fantastic, for it was in this region that a great number of ancient and well preserved remains were discovered.
Stay in Xinjiang Grand Hotel in Urumqi
DAY 15 URUMQI / HOME (BL, by air)
Transfer to the airport and fly back home. It has been great and our CAT look forward to seeing you on another adventure trip.
End of Tour.
Necessities
Enough films and batteries, Sun-cream with the protection index of 40-60, sunglasses with a sun protection factor of 15, the lip creams and balms with SPF rating, towel, toothpaste, electric torch, Snack foods.
Cloth that you bring must be warm enough and can be removed easy enough according to the weather, including Jacket, hat, Cotton underwear, Socks, Long-sleeve Shirts, T-shirts and Pants (Shorts are not appropriate at any time while hiking), comfortable shoes, rain gear (long rain coat is better).
Medicine
In addition to the normal medications for traveling, just like the Aspirin and medicine for diarrhea, siriasis，sunstroke and carsickness.
Currency to use
US$ is acceptable only in a very limited range, e.g. tips. However, for convenience, Chinese currency is the best choice. If you want to change US$ to Chinese currency in the tour, you can change it in the Hotel you stay or in the Bank of China. You could draw cash only from Bank of China in the big city, the ATM there doesn't always work properly and the bank is not easy to find. Please bring some cash at hand to use.
Food and drink
a) Eating is an important part of your China experience. Generally breakfasts are included in the itinerary and offered by hotels. China Highlights recommends local Chinese restaurants that are popular with local people for lunch. You can order dishes with the help of your guide. We usually leave dinner for your own choice — Western food can be found in most large cities.
b) We have tried to arrange various food in different cities. But you may still think the food is simple and not as delicious as in the big cities especially while trekking in the mountains and villages. If you have any priority of the food (eg. If you are vegetarian or you are allergic to MSG, peanut oil, fish and peanut, etc) please inform us early, we will try to alternate the food accordingly. At the same time please prepare some of your favorite snacks and substitution food in case of need.
c) Meals in the home stays will be different from the cities but clean, which leave you a good chance to experience the ethnic minority culture. We will pack a breakfast for you of cold cereal, milk, toast, fruit, and jam for the home stay.
d) It is very important to drink a lot of water and eat enough fruit in your tour especially while trekking in the mountains and villages. You are advised not to drink tap water.
Accommodation
Hotels in China are bound by Government laws which mean that air conditioning is switched on nationally in May and the central heating in November (this may vary slightly depending on the region).
In some remote areas, sometimes shower maybe not available in the home stay. A married couple is not allowed to share a room in the Miao's home-stay due to the local customs.
Tipping
It is customary to tip service providers in the travel industry in Asia, depending on the service. Tipping is expected — though not compulsory — and shows an expression of satisfaction with the people who have assisted you on your tour. Recommendations for tipping drivers (3 USD per person per day as a guideline) and local guides (8 USD per person per day as a guideline) would depend on the quality and length of the service.
Vehicles
We use comfortable sedans or vans with air-conditioning. The comfort and safety of our customers is of utmost importance, so we ensure that all of the vehicles we use are well maintained and always very clean. Our drivers take pride in their vehicles.
Tourist insurance
It is a must before going, please provide us the confirmation of insurance company when sign up.
Customs
In some provinces with many minorities (like Guizhou, Guangxi, Tibet, Xinjiang and etc.), the customs and habits of local people are different from place to place. The local guide will inform you what should care. Respect the local customs and religions. The people are very kind and hospitable. You can feel free to talk with them. But there are some rulers you should go by!
a. Do not photo them without getting the permit, please show the respect to them!
b. Don't talk the sensitive topics like the political and the religion matters!
Conditions
When you sign up for the trekking tour, you acknowledge that there are risks involved in trekking in high altitude and confirm that you are fully aware of and accept these risks. It is customer's responsibility to determine whether the tour he/she choose is suited to his/her physical condition. Customers are responsible for the cost of any medicines or medical care they may require during the trip for any reason. Please make sure you have adequate personal medical insurance to meet any medical emergency which might arise. In some cases, if you need medical care during the tour, you may be required to pay for it at the time it is rendered and seek reimbursement from your insurer after you return home. Please check with your medical insurer for details. In the event of a medical emergency, we will make every effort to assist you in obtaining necessary care. Also, please tell us in writing if you suffer from any allergies or other physical conditions which might affect you during the tour (if you hasn't tell us in writing before going, you are supposed to be healthy enough to take the tour). Finally, please check with your doctor to find out what inoculation may be recommended for the areas you will be visiting. It is your responsibility to obtain all necessary inoculations. We reserve the right to decline to accept any person as a member of the tour, or to decline to retain any person, if such person's physical condition, mental well-being or behavior interferes with the operation of the tour. There will be no refund in such cases.
Always take good care of your belongings.
