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This 12 days connects the vast areas of China northern land and covers the most essential parts of China Silk Road. Departing from Xian, you will go through Lanzhou, Xiahe, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan and Urumqi to learn the special scenery, history an culture of each city. The selected pick-up guides and drivers, included accommodations and bullet trains will give you an impressive journey alone the old mysterious Silk Road route!
Xian
Urumqi
Day 1 Xian arrival: Airport/Train Station Transfer
Day 2 Xian: Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses,Ancient City Wall, Great Mosque, Muslim Quarter
Day 3 Xian: Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Small Wild Goose Pagoda, Xian Museum, Shuyuanmen Culture Street
Day 4 Xian – Lanzhou by 2nd Class Bullet Train: Yellow River Mother Sculpture, Water Wheel Park
Day 5 Lanzhou – Xiahe by Car: Binglingsi Grottoes
Day 6 Xiahe – Lanzhou by Car: Labrang Monastery
Day 7 Lanzhou-Jiayuguan by 2nd Class Bullet Train: Jiayuguan Pass, Great Wall Museum, Wejin Art Gallery
Day 8 Jiayuguan – Dunhuang by Car: Echoing-Sand Mountain, Crescent Lake, Shazhou Night Market
Day 9 Dunhuang – Turpan by 2nd Class Bullet Train: Mogao Grottoes
Day 10 Turpan: Gaochang Ruins, Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Cave, Flaming Hill, Sugong Pagoda
Day 11 Turpan – Urumqi by Car: Heavenly Lake
Day 12 Urumqi departure
Upon your arrival at Xi’an Xianyang International Airport, our driver will pick you up on time with holding a sign with your name on it and then transfer to hotel. Check in your hotel and then it is free and easy on your own arrangement.
Accommodation: 3* Xian local hotel
First, we’ll visit today’s highlight –Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses, which was praised as “the eighth major miracle of the world”. It’s one of the top ten places of historical interest in China, which listed as the world heritage by the UNESCO about a decade ago including Vault 1, 2 ,3. You will have a chance to visit the Mausoleum of the first emperor Qin. Next, we’ll visit Xi’an Ancient City Wall, which is the most complete city wall that has survived in China. It is one of the largest and most complete ancient military systems of defense in the world, and also the largest and the most intact City Wall of the Ming Dynasty. Therefore, it provides invaluable and substantial material for the study of the history, military science, and architecture of the Ming Dynasty. Afterwards, go head to the very city center located to have an outer look of Bell Tower and Drum Tower. Close to it, you will visit the Great Mosque where you can learn the history that how Muslim culture combined with local. Besides, you can stroll on the Muslim Quarter to find the most authentic local snacks to feast your stomach.
After the tour, you will be transferred back to your hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Xian local hotel
After the breakfast at hotel, you will meet your guide at hotel lobby. Today you will visit the two famous pagodas in Xi’an downtown: Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The first stop is the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which was originally built to hold sutras and figurines of the Buddha that Xuanzang brought back to China from India. Now, the Big Wild Goose Pagoda is surrounded by a big garden, and people can have a retreat at there. Next, we will come to Small Wild Goose Pagoda, and it is also a relics that monks learned and translated the Buddhist sutras. Inside the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, you will have a chance to visit Xian Museum which tells you the profound past of this ancient city. Lastly, you will visit the Shuyuanmen Culture Street where many Chinese traditional stationeries collected like writing brushes, inkstand and rice paper.
Finally, you will be sent back to your hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Xian local hotel
Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at 10:30am, drive to Xi’an North Train Station for bullet train G2023/12:12-15:23 to Lanzhou. Upon arrival, our guide and driver will pick you up on time and transfer to hotel. After having a short rest. Then, we will visit the Yellow River Mother Sculpture and Water Wheel Park. It will be a special enjoy when you appreciate the sunset of Yellow River while walking along it and visit the sculpture and water wheel. After the tour, go to have dinner at local restaurant, then transfer back to the hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Lanzhou local hotel
Our driver pick you up from your hotel lobby at 8am, and drive for 3 hours to the Binglingsi Grottoes. You will board a boat ship at Liujiaxia Gorge to Binglingsi Grottoes. There are 776 Buddha statues, over 1,076 square yards murals and 6 stones sculptures from 1,600 years ago waiting for your exploring(2.5-3hours). Then, you will have a lunch and drive for about 2 hours to Xiahe. Check in your hotel in Xiahe.
Accommodation: 3* Xiahe local hotel
In the morning, we will go to visit Labrang Monastery, the largest Buddhist Institute of Tibetan Buddhism. Where tourists will also appreciate thousands of statues of Buddha made of various materials. Then drive back to Lanzhou and check in hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Lanzhou local hotel
Take the early morning bullet train D2741/07:25-12:00 to Jiayuguan Pass. After having a lunch, we will go to the Jiayuguan Pass, the very west starting point of the Chinese Great Wall. Here, you will see the Great Wall constructed on cliff and also you will have a chance to visit the Great Wall Museum where you will get a comprehensive knowledge of Great Wall as a military defensive system in ancient China. Then, move to the Wei-Jin Art Gallery. It is located at the 20km northeast of Jiayuguan, in a barren section on the outer limits of the Gobi desert.
Finally, go to local hotel and check in.
Accommodation: 3* Jiayuguan local hotel
After breakfast, met by your guide and driver at 8:00am, drive for about 5 hours to Dunhuang. Have a lunch, then check in the hotel. After a short rest, start the tour at about 3.30 pm. We will go to visit the Echoing-Sand Mountain. When you slide down the slope, you can hear the roaring echo of sands, hence the name Echoing-Sand Mountain. A short Camel Ride will leave you an 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 go to the Shazhou Night Market to have dinner. After the tour finished, transfer back to your hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Dunhuang local hotel
Our guide and driver pick you up from hotel at 8:00am. First, we will go to visit the Mogao Grottoes, which displays a very colorful and descriptive world in the paintings. And, it is known as one of the four most famous caves in China. After the tour finished, drive for about 2 hours to Liuyuan Train Station for late afternoon bullet train D2711/17:34-21:08 to Turpan. Upon arrival, our local driver will pick you up and transfer to hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Turpan local hotel
Our English speaking guide and the driver will pick you up from your hotel at 8:30 am. The first stop is Gaochang Ruins: The Ancient City located at the east of Turpan, the city-state that ruled the area from the 9th century to the 13th. Actually, the city was founded a few hundred years earlier than that, and gradually became known as a trading post on the Silk Road.
Next, we will go to Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Cave, which is located at 50 kilometers to the east of Turpan City. And “Bezeklik” means “a place with beautiful decoration”. There are 83 numbered caves; among them 40 preserved murals totaling 1200 square meters. These caves are first excavated in Qu`s Gaochang period. The existing caves were reconstructed or newly extended by Uighurian people. In some cave, you can find that Buddhist murals are painted on Manichean murals. Themes of the murals are mainly the stories about causes. On front walls flanking the door of the cave are generally painted Uighurian donors and written in Chinese and Uighurian inscriptions. The Bezeklik Caves now is a major cultural site under state protection.
Then, we will visit Flaming Hill, and it is a legendary mountain, running from Shanshan County on the west, 98 kilometers in length and 9 kilometers across, with a relative height of 500 meters and the highest peak 831.7 meters. The mountain is a branch range of the Bogda Mountain , formed in the organic movements of the Himalayas. Its highest air temperature in summer is 47.8 degrees centigrade, and the ground is over 70 degrees centigrade in summer. For this reason and its natural geographical features, people vividly call it “ Flaming Mountain ”. Through the well-known story about this mountain in the novel “Journey to the West”, the mountain has enjoyed great popularity and became an ideal place for tour.
Besides, we will go to Sugong Pagoda, which is one of the most popular Islamic constructions and the only Islamic style pagoda. After the tour finished, transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Turpan local hotel
Our English speaking guide and the driver will pick you up from your hotel in the morning, drive for about 2.5 hours to Urumqi. First, we will visit the Heavenly Lake. Then if time permit, take a city tour in Urumqi, which gives you a glimpse of the major sights of this north-western city populated by the Han people and thirteen ethnic minorities. Quite different from the usual Chinese street scene, Urumqi features nomadic Khazakhs is a Middle Eastern bazaar, a jade-carving center and more.
After the tour, transfer to your hotel.
Accommodation: 3* Urumqi local hotel
Our driver will pick you up from your hotel at confirmed time (usually 2.5 hours ahead of your flying time for domestic flight and 3.5 for international flight), transfer to the airport for your departure flight.
