Classic China Silk Road Cultural Adventure

Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrival, Xi’an

  Your personal guide will wait for you at Xi'an airport and hold a pick-up card with your name and the logo of My Odyssey Tours on it, and then escort you to the hotel. The rest of the day is available for your own arrangement.

  • Xi'an

• Day 2: Xi’an

  This morning, drive to the underground Terracotta Warriors consisting of over 8,000 soldiers and horses buried as sacrificial objects for China's first emperor 2,000 years ago. Later, visit a jade gallery and drive back to the city after lunch. Have a leisure stroll on the Ancient City Wall and try some local food when wandering along Muslim Street.

  • B L
  • Xi'an

• Day 3: Xi'an - Jiayuguan

  After breakfast, you will first tour the Big Wild Goose Pagoda regarded as a symbol of Xi'an City. Stop to visit Hanyang Tomb en route to the airport for your flight to Jiayuguan City. Upon arrival, be picked up and transferred to the hotel by your local tour guide.

  • B L
  • Jiayuguan

• Day 4: Jiayuguan

  Many important sites of the ancient Silk Road scattering around the city of Jiayuguan. You will explore the Great Wall at Jiayuguan, Great Wall Museum, and Jiayuguan Pass which was the traffic hub of ancient Silk Road. Continue to the First Pier of Great Wall and the Hanging Great Wall afterwards. Take in the spectacular landscape at the westernmost point of the Great Wall of Ming Dynasty.

  • B L
  • Jiayuguan

• Day 5: Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

  Today, you will visit Wei Jin Tomb Art Gallery, the largest underground art gallery housing numerous colourful murals on its stone bricks, showing the miniature society, diet custom, music, economic information and artistry of Wei and Jin Dynasties. After that, drive about 5 hours to Dunhuang City.

  • B L
  • Dunhuang

• Day 6: Dunhuang

  Dunhuang has always been an important city on the Silk Road. Among its famous grottoes and murals, the best-known one is Mogao Grottoes, which is also known as the Thousand Buddha Grottoes or Dunhuang Caves. Mogao Grottoes is the world's largest and most abundant Buddhist art, containing 735 caverns, 45,000 square meters of murals and 2,415 colored sculptures. En route to the Singing Sand Dune and Crescent Moon Spring, stop by a local family, where you can do some simple farm work, try to make noodles, and then enjoy lunch there.

  • B L
  • Dunhuang

• Day 7: Dunhuang - Turpan

  Drive to visit Yulin Cave, a Buddhist cave temple site, and then continue to Liuyuan Railway Station for high-speed train to Turpan (about 3.5 hours). After arrival, get picked up and be transferred to your hotel.

  • B L
  • Turpan

• Day 8: Turpan

  Today's tour around the city of Turpan includes Gaochang Ruins, Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, and the Flaming Mountains whose extremely high summer temperatures make it the hottest spot in China, frequently reaching 50 °C (122 °F) or higher. Finally visit Tuyoq Village, where you can have a fascinating glimpse of traditional Uyghur life and architecture.

  • B L
  • Turpan

• Day 9: Turpan - Urumqi - Kashgar

  Explore Turpan by touring the Emin Minaret (Sugong Tower), Karez Irrigation Site and Jiaohe Ruins, the ancient remains of natural fortress dating back 2,300 years. Drive approximately 3 hours to Urumqi airport and then fly to Kashgar. After landing, your guide in Kashgar will meet you and send you to the hotel for check-in.

  • B L
  • Kashgar

• Day 10: Kashgar

  Today, discover the city of Kashgar by visiting Id Kah Mosque, the largest mosque in China, which can house 20,000 worshippers. Later, move to the Abakh Khoja Tomb & Xiangfei Tomb and Sunday Bazaar for further exploration.

  • B L
  • Kashgar

• Day 11: Kashgar - Urumqi

  Enjoy some leisure time until being transferred to the airport for the flight to Urumqi. After landing at Urumqi airport, you will be picked up and sent to the hotel by your guide. Take a short rest before heading for Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum and Erdaoqiao Bazaar.

  • B L
  • Urumqi

• Day 12: Urumqi

  Drive about 2 hours to Heavenly Lake to enjoy a boat cruise in the natural lake formed by mountain snowmelt. Take delight in the beautiful scenic surroundings integrated from forest, grassland, snow mountain, and cultural landscape.

  • B L
  • Urumqi

• Day 13: Urumqi, Departure

  Today, your China Silk Road adventure comes to an end. Your private guide and driver will escort you to the airport for your departure flight back home.

  • B