The Silk Road

Arrival – Hotel – 798 Art District – National Museum

Arrival at Beijing Airport and transfer to your hotel with your guide.

Visit the 798 Art District, a vast contemporary art complex showcasing modern Chinese creativity.

Lunch, followed by a visit to the National Museum of China, near Tian’anmen Square – the second-largest museum in the world after the Louvre.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Flight to Xi’an – Terracotta Army

Breakfast, then transfer to the airport for your flight to Xi’an.

Meet your local guide and enjoy lunch.

Visit the famous Terracotta Army, burial site of Emperor Qin Shi Huang (200 BC).

Traditional dumpling dinner (jiaozi). Overnight at the hotel.

Small Wild Goose Pagoda – Great Mosque – Chinese Calligraphy – City Wall – Overnight Train

Morning visit to the Small Wild Goose Pagoda and a stroll through the old quarter.

Discover Xi’an’s Great Mosque.

Chinese calligraphy class, followed by lunch.

Bicycle ride along the city walls.

Transfer to the station and board the overnight train to Lanzhou. Night on board.

Labrang Monastery

Arrival in Lanzhou. Breakfast, then transfer to Xiahe, a charming town home to Labrang Monastery – one of the six great Gelugpa (Yellow Hat school) monasteries.

Lunch followed by a tour of the monastery, a true monastic city with over 200 buildings.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Bingling Caves – Zhongshan Bridge

Departure for the Liujiaxia Gorge and visit to the Bingling Caves, a collection of Buddhist sculptures carved into the cliffs of a 60-meter-deep canyon.

Boat access, with spectacular views. Lunch en route.

Return to Lanzhou and visit Zhongshan Bridge, the first bridge over the Yellow River.

Dinner in town. Overnight at the hotel.

Train to Jiayuguan – Jiayu Pass

Breakfast, then transfer to the station for the train to Jiayuguan.

Lunch on board.

Afternoon arrival and visit to Jiayu Pass, the westernmost fortified section of the Great Wall.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Yulin Caves

Breakfast, then departure for Dunhuang.

Stop to visit the Yulin Caves en route.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Mogao Caves – Crescent Lake – Minsha Sand Dunes – Overnight Train

Breakfast, followed by an excursion to the Mogao Caves, located 25 km southeast of Dunhuang.

Stretching over 1,600 meters along Mount Mingsha, the site includes 492 caves, over 2,400 statues, and 45,000 m² of murals.

Lunch during the visit.

Visit to Crescent Lake and the Minsha Sand Dunes, a natural border between the oasis and the desert.

Dinner in town, then board the overnight train to Turpan. Night on board.

Gaochang Ruins – Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves – Astana Tombs – Jiaohe Ruins

Arrival at the station and transfer to the hotel.

Breakfast, followed by an excursion to the Gaochang ruins, an ancient city founded in the 1st century BC at the foot of the Flaming Mountains.

Visit to the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, carved between the 6th and 14th centuries.

Tour of the Astana Tombs, some of which house mummies.

Visit the Jiaohe ruins, an ancient fortified city built on a rocky islet between two rivers.

Lunch en route, dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Emin Minaret – Tuyoq Village – Overnight Train

Breakfast, then visit the Emin Minaret, built in 1777 in honor of a local leader.

Depart for the ancient village of Tuyoq, a quiet oasis with Buddhist cave carvings in its cliffs.

Lunch in the village.

Overnight train to Aksu. Night on board in sleeper cabins.

Rawak Stupa – Taklamakan Desert – Camel Ride

Arrival in Aksu, breakfast, then journey to Hotan.

Stop at the Rawak Stupa, located 20 km into the desert.

Camel ride through the dunes of the Taklamakan – the world’s second-largest desert.

Dinner in Hotan. Overnight at the hotel.

Royal Cemetery of Yarkand – King of Walnuts – Silk and Paper Workshops

Return to Hotan and visit the royal tombs of Yarkand.

Explore the “King of Walnuts” park, home to a 500-year-old walnut tree.

Visit a silk factory and a traditional paper-making workshop.

Lunch, then drive to Kashgar.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Karakul Lake – Short Hike

Depart for Karakul Lake (3,800 m), located on the Pamir Plateau.

Enjoy stunning Himalayan landscapes and meet Kyrgyz nomads.

Optional short hike around the lake.

Lunch and dinner on site. Overnight in a small local hotel.

Oytagh Glacier

Drive to the Oytagh Glacier through lush forests and mountain landscapes.

Lunch en route.

Return to Kashgar. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Apak Hoja Mausoleum – Old City – Id Kah Mosque – Bazaar – Handicrafts – Uyghur Kindergarten

Breakfast, then full day to explore Kashgar.

Visit the Apak Hoja Mausoleum, decorated with green tiles.

Stroll through the old city and visit the Id Kah Mosque, which can hold up to 10,000 worshippers.

Experience the colorful and chaotic Kashgar Bazaar.

Tour a Uyghur handicraft workshop (carpets, knives, musical instruments).

Lunch, then visit a local Uyghur kindergarten.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Breakfast, then transfer to the airport for your flight to your next destination.

End of the tour.