If you want an adventurous Silk Road tour, you are in the right place. This 17 days tour combines the ancient Silk Road, charming spots along the Yangtze River, and big modern cities like Beijing, Xian and Shanghai. On this tour, you will see more of China, know more about China, and have more fun. Bold tourists must not miss Fengdu Ghost City which has been the filming place of some Chinese costume dramas and films. This tour is sure to be one of your lifelong memories. And you will have nothing to worry about with everything well arranged by us.
Beijing
Shanghai
Day 1 Beijing arrival
Day 2 Beijing: Tiananmen Square, Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven
Day 3 Beijing: Badaling Great Wall, Bird’s Nest, Ming Tomb
Day 4 Beijing – Urumqi by Flight: Summer Palace
Day 5 Urumqi – Kashgar by Flight: Sunday Market
Day 6 Kashgar – Urumqi by Flight – Turpan by Car: Id Kah Mosque, Old Street of Kashgar, Abakh Khoja Tomb
Day 7 Turpan: Jiaohe Ruins, Karez Well, Sugong Pagoda
Day 8 Turpan – Dunhuang by Train: Gaochang Ruins, Bizakilik Thousand Buddha Cave, Flaming Hill
Day 9 Dunhuang: Mogao Grottoes, Dunhuang Museum
Day 10 Dunhuang – Xian by Flight: Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Lake
Day 11 Xian: Terracotta Warriors and Horses, Bell and Drum Tower Square, Tang Dynasty Show
Day 12 Xian – Chongqing by Flight – Yangtze River Cruise Ship: Shaanxi History Museum
Day 13 Yangtze River Cruise Ship: Shibaozhai, Fengdu Ghost City
Day 14 Yangtze River Cruise Ship: Qutang Gorge, Wu Gorge, Shennong Stream, Xiling Gorge
Day 15 Yangtze River Cruise Ship – Yichang – Shanghai by Flight: Three Gorge Dam
Day 16 Shanghai: Shanghai Museum, Yuyuan Garden, Huangpu River, the Bund
Day 17 Shanghai Departure
Our driver and guide will wait for you at the airport terminal exit by holding a welcome sign with your name on it. Then you will be driven to the hotel and have a good rest. The rest of the day is free at your disposal. Accommodation: Beijing
Our guide and driver will pick you up from hotel after breakfast. Then you will visit the famous Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. After a short sightseeing at Tiananmen Square, you will walk across the Golden Water Bridge and come to the splendid Forbidden City built 600 years ago. After lunch, visit the Temple of Heaven in the afternoon. It’s a royal temple in the Qing Dynasty (1616-1912). Tonight, you will enjoy a fantastic Chinese Kung Fu Show. Back to hotel. Accommodation: Beijing
Today we will visit 4 sites. At about 8:30am, our guide and driver will pick you at the hotel and begin the trip to the famous world’s heritage, the Badaling Great Wall. Cable car is available if you want to get to the highest point of the Great Wall. After lunch, after we go through the Sacred Way, come to visit Ming Tomb. On the way back to downtown, we will drive you to Bird’s Nest (Olympic National Stadium), where you can have a short stay to take some photos with the huge nest. Back to hotel. Accommodation: Beijing
In the morning we will visit the Summer Palace, the best preserved and largest imperial gardens in China. After lunch we will head to airport for flight to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Upon your arrival in Urumqi, our guide will wait you by holding welcome sign with your name on it and escort you to the hotel in downtown. Accommodation: Urumqi
In the morning, your driver will pick you up from hotel and transfer to airport for morning flight to Kashgar – the pearl on the ancient Silk Road. Upon your arrival, met by local guide and escort to local hotel for a short rest. Then go to visit the famous Sunday Market, also known as Sunday Bazaar, the largest international trade market on the northwest boundary line of China. Then back to your hotel. Accommodation: Kashgar
Met at hotel by our local guide and starts today’s tour with Id Kah Mosque, a typical Islamic architecture like domes, minarets and arches, as well as pious prayers. It has a 500 years history. Just a few minutes’ walk, you will come to the Old Street of Kashgar, where bring you back to the ancient Kashgar, with narrow alleys and traditional houses built with earth or brick.The last stop in Kashgar will be the Abakh Khoja Tomb, an ancient Islamic building complex and a cemetery where five generations of famous Islamic masters were buried. Then transfer to airport for flight to Urumqi. Our guide in Urumqi will meet you at the Airport upon your arrival and escort you to Turpan by private car. Check in at the downtown hotel in Turpan.
Accommodation: Turpan
Starts today’s tour with Jiaohe Ruins, one of the most important towns along the ancient Silk Road and the largest, oldest and best-preserved earth construction in the world. Then go to visit the Karez Well— an amazing irrigation system which made Turpan a rich oasis. The last stop will be Sugong Pagoda, the largest existed ancient Islamic pagoda in Xinjiang. Then back to hotel.
Accommodation: Turpan
Today you will visit three famous sites all together. The first stop will be Gaochang Ruins, the ruins of capital of ancient Gaochang Kingdom which existed from 500AD to 700AD. Then you will go to the Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Cave, a series of caves with thousands of Buddhism murals that show many Buddhism figures, stories, and the social life about 1,500 years ago in Ancient Gaochang Kingdom. The last stop will be the hottest place along Silk Road in China– the Flaming Hill. The temperature in summer could reach 47.8 ℃. After finished the trip in Turpan , you will be escorted to train station for overnight train to Dunhuang.
Accommodation: Overnight Soft Sleeper Train
Upon your arrival in Dunhuang, our guide and driver will meet you at railway station and drive about 2 hours to the hotel in Dunhuang. After a short rest in the hotel, visit the Mogao Caves, one of the four most famous caves in China.Then continue to visit Dunhuang Museum, where the exhibited historical relics will tell tourists more details things about ancient Silk Road.
Accommodation: Dunhuang
In the morning, we will visit one of the most famous attractions along the Silk Road- the Echoing-Sand Mountain. When you slide down the slope, you can hear the roaring echo of sands, hence the name. A short Camel Ride will leave you a unforgettable memory. Riding along the mountain to reach the Crescent Lake, your eyes will be feasted on the crescent-shaped spring surrounded by the endless Gobi desert. Then transfer to airport to catch the flight to Xian. Our driver and guide in Xian will meet you upon your arrival and escort you to the hotel in downtown.
Accommodation: Xian
In the morning, you will visit the world’s eighth wonder, the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum. In the afternoon, continue to visit the visit Bell and Drum Tower Square to have an out look of Bell Tower and Drum Tower. Then you will visit the City Wall, the best preserved and the largest military defense city wall in China. Tourists could optionally ride bikes on the city wall top. In the evening, you will have the Dumpling Dinner and enjoy the Tang Dynasty Dance and Music Show. After that, back to your hotel at around 9:10pm.
Accommodation: Xian
In the morning, you will visit the Shaanxi History Museum which is one the biggest museums in China housing the cultural heritage of Shaanxi Province and shows the development of the Chinese civilization. After that, transfer to Xian airport to catch the flight to Chongqing. Upon your arrival in Chongqing, your local guide and driver will escort you to aboard a luxury Yangtze River Cruise Ship and begin your memorable Yangtze River cruise.
Accommodation: Yangtze River Cruise Ship
In the morning, you will first learn about the day by day cruise itinerary from the cruise guide. When the ship arrives at Zhongxian, tourists could have a optional shore excursion to Fengdu Ghost City. The city ruins left when Yangtze river submerged the city and where many scaring sculptures and artifacts are waiting for exploring. Then you will visit the Shibaozhai, the most famous island along cruise route. As the excursion ends, return to the ship and enjoy the Welcome Party tonight.
Accommodation: Yangtze River Cruise Ship
Today we will visit the Three Gorges and Shennong Stream. We will first cruise by the short but grand Qutang Gorge, the most majestic one of three Gorges. Then come to the steep Wu Gorge which includes the well know Three Little Gorges. Next we will have a shore excursion to Shennong Stream. Board on a small vessel and sail through the beautiful Shennong Stream which is known for lush pine cliffs and translucent water. At last we will visit the longest one will be Xiling Gorge in turn. In the evening, the ship will pass through the Five Level Ship Lock of China Dam.
Accommodation: Yangtze River Cruise Ship
Today we will have the last shore excursion to Three Gorges Dam. Then disembark cruise hip in Yichang. Our local guide will pick you up on the deck and transfer you to airport for flight to Shanghai. Our guide in Shanghai will meet you at the Airport and then escort you to the downtown hotel.
Accommodation: Shanghai
Today starts from Shanghai Museum, a collection of more than 120,00 rare cultural pieces from the Old Stone Age to modern times. Then you will visit the Yuyuan Garden, a famous classical garden which was originally built for Pan’s parents as a place for them to enjoy a tranquil and happy time in their old age. After lunch, you will take a short cruise tour along the Huangpu River to see the totally different scenes along the banks of Huangpu River. Debark at the Bund area, where you will have a walk on your own. Then back to hotel.
Accommodation: Shanghai
According to the flight time, your guide will pick you up at confirmed time from your hotel and transfer to airport for your homeward flight. Hope the 17 Days China Silk Road & Yangtze River Cruise Tour leaves you an impressive and pleasant memory.