8-Day Silk Road Culture Tours

travel-route
Daily Tour 8 day
Xi'an

Tour Highlights

  • Enjoy camel ride around the Crescent lake in the Gobi Desert.
  • Admire the most valuable Buddhist Treasure house of Mogao Grottoes in the World.
  • Understand the ancient history of China in Xi’an Museum.
  • Understand the secrets of the longest ancient underground irrigation system Karez.
  • Experience an ancient city by walking or biking on the Ancient Xi’an City Wall.
  • Visit a unique combination Chinese and Islamic architecture of the Great Mosque of Xi’an.
  • Discover the mystery of underground Terracotta Army.
  • Immerse yourself in the streets of the Old City of Kashgar.
  • Enjoy ancient cities perspectives by walking in the streets of Jaohe and Gaochang.
Day 1, Arrive in Xi’an

Activities: Pick up you from airport and transfer to your Hotel
Details:Our professional, friendly local guide will meet you with experienced driver at the airport and transfer to your hotel. It takes about one hour to your hotel from airport. Rest of the day is your time to explore this ancient city by yourself.
It is said, if you want to see 800 years of China’s history, visit Beijing; if you want to see 3000 years of China’s history, go to Xi’an. The root of Chinese history and culture remains there. It used to be the ancient capital of many dynasties and the starting point of Silk Road of China.

Day 2, Explore Xi’an For Whole Day

Activities: Visit Terra-Cotta Warriors; Bell Tower; Wild Goose Pagoda and Hui Mosque
Details:After breakfast, we start our wonderful one day tour with a visit to Terra-Cotta Warriors which is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. This site is about an hour drive from Xi’an city.
After lunch Visit Bell tower which is located in downtown area. it is a Chinese traditional building and geographical center of the ancient capital, best preserved and largest wooden tower in China.
After an hour here we continue our tour to wild goose Pagoda which is a well preserved ancient holy building for Buddhism.
Finally visit Hui grand mosque located in Hui minority area, construction of the mosque has rich Chinese features combined with Arabic style. It is one of the oldest and largest mosque in China.

Day 3, Xi’an to Dunhuang

Activities: Fly to Dunhuang and visit Crescent lake and Sounding Sand mountain
Details:After breakfast at the hotel , drive to Xi’an airport for your flight to Dunhuang and our driver and guide from Dunhuang pick up you from Dunhuang airport and have lunch first.
After lunch, visit Mysterious Crescent lake which its name derives from the crescent moon shaped by the small pool of spring water between two large sand dunes. Here you’ll have chance to ride camels across the sand dunes of Sounding Sand mountain which makes sounds when the wind blows (camel is on your own expenses). If you like enjoy the sunset and back to hotel later

Day 4, Dunhuang to Turpan

Activities: After breakfast Visit Mogao Grottoes; After lunch fast speed train to Turpan
Details:We spend the whole morning at Mogao Grottoes which were constructed over a millennium ago from the 4th to 14th centuries. The caves are also known as the Thousand Buddha Caves with two distinctions of being one of the most notable grottoes in China as well as the best-preserved treasure house of Buddhist art, sutras, murals and sculptures in the world.
After lunch drive Dunhuang fast speed train station for your journey to Turpan which is about 3:30 hours train ride. Our Turpan local driver/guide will pick up you from Turpan railway station and transfer to your hotel

Day 5, Turpan For Whole Day

Activities: Visit Idikut (Gaochang) ancient city, Astana tombs, Toyuq village, Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves and Flaming Mountains
Details:After breakfast We start our exciting day in Turpan with a visit to the ancient city of Idikut (Gaochang). The city was first built in the first Century BC and later became capital of the Idikut (Gaochang) Uighur Kingdom in the 8th Century. We’ll spend one hour in this ancient city and then drive to Karakhoja Astana tombs, a Tang-dynasty burial ground which is also known as the “Underground Museum”. Astana means “capital” in the Uighur language and Karakhoja is a name of a legendary hero of an ancient Uighur Kingdom who saved his people by killing a vicious dragon.
Move on to Toyuq village, an old, beautiful and timeless village with a friendly Uighur community. Here we visit several local families and have lunch with a local family at their home. This could be the highlight of your tour of the day.
After lunch visit Bizeklik Thousand Buddha caves which used to be an important center for Buddhist worshipers under the Xizhou Huigu government of the Idikut (Gaochang) Kingdom.
On the way back to the hotel we will stop at the Flaming Mountains which people claimed to be the hottest and driest along the silk road that “flying birds even a thousand miles away dare not to come” (stop on the side of the road for photos)

Day 6, Turpan to Urumqi, Fly Kashgar

Activities: Visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city, Karez underground Irrigation system and Emin Minaret. After lunch Drive to Urumqi airport and take evening flight to Kashgar
Details:Following breakfast at the Hotel we start our another wonderful day in Turpan. Our special itinerary today includes sightseeing in Turpan and drive back to Urumqi airport after Lunch.
First we visit Yargul (Jiaohe) Ancient city which is one of the best preserved ancient cities in China. The ruins of the buildings are divided into temples, civilian dwellings and government offices. Workshops, residential houses and the streets are still visible and time there is a time spent in a long lost world.
After an hour of seeing around the ancient city, we’ll head on to see the world famous Karez irrigation system, unique to this part of the world. The system is considered as one of the three great projects in China with the other two being the Great Wall and the Grand Canal.
Finally visit Emin Sulaiman Minaret which is a magnificent combination of ancient Uighur and Islamic architecture. It is the tallest ancient tower in Xinjiang and the only Islamic ancient minaret in the country. Locals call it “pure tower”.
After lunch we’ll leave from Turpan to Urumqi airport and take evening flight to Kashgar

Day 7, Explore Kashgar City

Activities: Visit Grand mosque, Apak Hoja tomb (which is also called Fragrant Concubine Tomb), Old city walking tours, livestock market, Sunday market and dinner at a local Uighur family
Details:Explore the rich, endless culture of the Uighurs in Kashgar. First visit livestock market which happens on every Sunday and people bring their horses, sheep, goats, camels,cows,bulls,yaks and donkeys to the market for sale. It provides a great opportunity to take photos of the faces of local people, study traditional local market culture, test-drive a donkey or horse or even make its shoes. Like opening a window, today is a real glimpse into a time lost in the annals of the Silk Road’s past and an opportunity not to be missed.
Later move on to Sunday market main Bazaar which is considered one of the largest market in Central Asia. From fluffy sheepskin hats to rugged camel-hide boots, not to mention beads, buttons and buckets of locals. Everything – including plenty of kitchen sinks – is for sale at this fairytale bazaar. It is the best chance to practice your bargaining skills.
After lunch spend some time by the Id Kah mosque, the largest mosque in China and marvel at the intricate architecture of Kashgar’s historic Apak Hoja Tomb which is also known as Fragrant concubine tomb).
We’ll also spend time in the Kashgar Old Town and have some walking tours through some ancient historical parts; Stop at a century-old tea house for a short break and taste local medicinal teas such as those containing rose, saffron, honey and many other ingredients.
Finally conclude our city tour with a dinner at a local family in old city area

Day 8, Kashgar To Your Next Destination

Activities: See you off at Kashgar airport
Details:Today is the last day of your tour with us, so we hope this shouldn’t be the last. We strive to make every day of your time with us the one that you’ll always remember and if you’d like to book some other tours please Contact us for more information

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