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We had a wonderful time in Tibet. We have learned a lot about this unique destination because of the wonderful guide Degyi who is so knowledge and always available towards our tours. We stayed at the Shangri-La Hotel Lhasa, and we would never imagine a Tibet travel could be so nice and amazing without the help of Degyi.
Also, thanks a lot to our Tibetan driver Mr.Wongdun for his safe driving and a good sense of service along the way.
We shall return Tibet in the near future!
P.B. and A. A - Europe
Tibet Travel
June 2018 (Private Tibet Journey from Kathmandu)
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 Tour Name: Great Silk RoadTour Code: M17D217 Duration: 18 Days & 17 Nights Destination: Xian, Lanzhou, Xiahe, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi, Kashgar Features: Great Silk Road takes you from Xian, the starting point of the ancient trade route, traversing through the Hexi Corridor to visit desert oasis on the route, Lanzhou, Wuwei, Zhangye, Jiayuguan and Dunhuang before entry in Xinjiang. You will also walk on the far western end of the Great Wall of China and admire the grandeur of the Buddhist Labrang Monastery in Xiahe, part of Tibetan Amdo Culture Realm. Departure Date: You Choose! Tour Price: From $ P.P |
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Trip Summary
Detailed Itinerary
Dates & Prices
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Tour Dates |
Destinations |
Tours & Services |
Meals |
Accommodation |
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Day01 |
Xian |
Arrive in Xian, be met and transferred to hotel. | N/A |
Grand New World Hotel |
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Day02 |
Xian |
Full day visit The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses, Big Wild Goose Pagoda. | B, L |
Grand New World Hotel |
| Day03 |
Xian |
Visit the Ancient City Wall, Grand Mosque, walking at the Muslim Street, Bell Tower and Shaanxi Historical Museum. | B, L | Grand New World Hotel |
| Day04 |
Xian / Lanzhou |
In the morning visit Stele Museum, then transferred to airport for flight to Lanzhou, met with and drive to visit White Pagoda Park and Water Wheel by the Yellow River in Lanzhou. | B, L | Lanzhou Legend Hotel |
| Day05 |
Lanzhou - Xiahe |
Transferred to visit Bingling Thousand Buddha Caves (with boat ride), drive to Xiahe. | B, L | Wangfu Hotel |
| Day06 |
Xiahe - Lanzhou |
Morning visit to the mighty Labrang Monastery, visit a local Tibetan family, then transferred back Lanzhou. | B, L | Lanzhou Legend Hotel |
| Day07 |
Lanzhou - Wuwei |
Transferred to Wuwei, on arrival visit Han Tomb of Leitai, Confucius Temple (Wen Miao). | B, L | Xiliang Hotel |
| Day08 |
Wuwei - Zhangye |
Guide and driver will escort you to Zhangye, visit the Giant Buddha Temple, Wooden Tower, The Bell Tower and the Drum Tower. | B, L | Tianyu Int'l Hotel |
| Day09 |
Zhengye - Jiayuguan |
Transferred to Jiayuguan, visit Jiayuguan Pass, Overhanging Great Wall, Tombs of Wei and Jin Dynasty in Jiayuguan. | B, L | Hua Yuan Hotel |
| Day10 |
Jiayuguan - Dunhuang |
Morning travel on a scenic ride to the Dunhuang, on the way you will visit Yulin Grottoes. | B, L | Silk Road Hotel |
| Day11 |
Dunhuang |
Full day tour in Dunhuang to visit Mogao Grottoes, Riding on a Camel, explore Echoing Sand Mountains and Crescent Spring. | B, L | Silk Road Hotel |
| Day12 |
Dunhuang - Turpan |
Morning visit to Yumenguan Pass, Desert Discovery at Yadan Landform Park, The Great Wall of the Han Dynasty, at night transferred to railway station for overnight train to Turpan. | B, L | Soft sleeper train |
| Day13 |
Turpan |
Arrival Tufpan, be met and transferred to hotel. Visit Jiaohe Ruins, Karez Well, Grape Valley, and Emin Minaret. | B, L | Jiaohe Manor Hotel |
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Day14 |
Turpan - Urumqi |
Full day tour in Turpan to visit Bezkelik Thousand Buddha Caves, Flaming Mountain, and Astana Tomb. Later in the afternoon transferred to hotel in Urumqi. | B, L |
Orient Dynasty Hotel |
| Day15 |
Urumqi - Kashgar |
Transferred to visit Heavenly Lake (including a boat ride) and local bazaar at Erdaoqiao, later of the day transferred to airport for flight to Kashgar. Transfer to hotel in Kashgar. | B, L | Bayinhe Hotel |
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Day16 |
Kashgar |
Full day guided tour to visit Idkah Mosque, the Abakh Khoja Tomb, Sunday Bazaar, the old town and Kashgar Silk Road Museum. | B, L |
Barony Hotel Kashgar |
| Day17 |
Kashgar |
A day excursion to Karakul Lake and local Tajik Village. Transferred back Kashgar. | B, L | Barony Hotel Kashgar |
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Day18 |
Kashgar |
Transfer to airport for departure flight (to Urumqi to catch connecting flight). Trip ends. | B |
N/A |
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Day01 Day01 Arrival Xian | ||
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Day02 Xian (B, L)
Your Xian tour begins with the mighty Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses. Discovered in 1974, Xian Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses Site is one of the most important archaeological finds in the 20th century. In a vault of approximately 12,000m2 and 5m underground lay some 8,000 terracotta infantry soldiers, archers, cavalrymen and chariots arranged in battle formation, ready to defend their emperor's immortal soul. After the visit you will have a very good local lunch at a graceful restaurant. Then you will head back town and visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated inside Ci'en Temple (4 kilometers south of Xian City), it is one of the famous Buddhist pagodas in China. Sponsored by Tang Emperor Gaozong (628-683, reigned 650-683), the temple was first built in 652 during the Tang Dynasty as a symbol of thanksgiving to his mother for her kindness who had suffered an early death. Later of the day your guide will take you to the city center to see the Bell Tower of Xian. The Bell Tower was built in 1384 during the reign of Emperor Zhu Yuanzhang of Ming Dynasty as a way to dominate the surrounding countryside and provide early warning of attack by rival rulers.
Day03 Xian (B, L)
This morning you will pay a visit to the Ancient City Wall of Xian. Built 600 years ago (1374 - 1378) in the Ming Dynasty, the Wall was added on the Tang Dynasty walls. Being the most prominent walls built after medieval time, it is also the best-kept and biggest city walls in Xian. Then you will visit the Grand Mosque and walk on the famous Muslin food market. Afterwards you will visit Shaanxi Historical Museum. It is a magnificent architectural complex in the Tang Dynasty style. The museum is an architecture of Tang style, "Hall in center, storied buildings in corners", elegant and dignified, magnificent scale, combination of traditional architecture and modern science, which completely embodied folk tradition, local feature, and epoch spirit.
Day04 Xian / Lanzhou (B, L)
In the morning you will visit the Stone Stele Museum, an art treasure-house with the oldest and richest collection of steles in China. It is not only one of the centers of ancient Chinese stone-engraving classics, but also the focus of the works of art of celebrated calligraphers of past dynasties. The numerous standing steles resemble a forest, hence the name; Steles. With a history of almost 900 years, it is an art gem renowned at home and abroad. After the visit you will be transferred to airport and fly to Lanzhou, and upon arrival you will be met and transferred to visit White Pagoda Park and the Water Wheel in the city.
Day05 Lanzhou - Xiahe (B, L)
Today you will take a day excursion outside Lanzhou to Xiahe. On your way you will visit Bingling Grottoes. The excavation of the caves could be dated back to about 1,700 years ago during the Western Jin Dynasty. Expansion has been taken in the following dynasties. Now you can see well-preserved 183 niches, 694 vivid Buddha statues, 82 clay sculptures and about 900 square meters (about 1,076 square yards) of colorful murals. Later of the day you arrive in Xiahe.
Day06 Xiahe - Lanzhou (B, L)
There is a visit to the Labrang Monastery and watch the morning devotion there. Labrang Monastery was built in 1709 and is one of the Six Gelugpa Temples. Labrang Monastery was known as having 108 genera temples, and was considered as the center of the civil religion. It has preserved the best Buddhism teaching system at present. In 1982, Labrang Monastery was list as the key Cultural Relics Protection Site. Labrang Monastery has experience more than 280 years, and has built 6 Main Assembly Halls and 84 halls successively. According to its building form, Labrang Monastery owns Tibetan architecture, architecture compounding Han People and Tibetan. On the walls inside and outside draw many murals and pictures with Buddhism content. In addition you will also visit a local Tibetan family to observe what's their today's life is. Finally you will be transferred back Lanzhou.
Day07 Lanzhou - Wuwei (B, L)
Today we will drive you to Wuwei which is located about 300 kilometers from Lanzhou and help you register in the hotel. Here, you could tour around the Leitai Han Tomb about 1,800 years ago, which is famous for the bronze statue Galloping Horse Treading on a Flying Swallow. After that, go to the Confucius Temple which is the largest and best-preserved Confucius Temples in northwest China.
Day08 Wuwei - Zhangye (B, L)
Driving westwards for 3 hours, you could get to Zhangye today. For the rest of the day, you will first visit the Giant Buddha Temple. Built in 1098, the temple is said to be where Kublai Khan was born, collecting the largest indoor clay reclined Buddha in Asia, the rare hand-written classics of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) and thousands of cultural relics. Then continue to visit the Wooden Tower to see the famous Wooden Pagoda. Record has it that it was a 15-storey wooden pagoda when it was initially built about 1,500 years ago, but only a reconstructed 9-storey brick and wooden tower exists at present. Finally go to the city center and see the Bell and Drum Tower.
Day09 Zhangye - Jiayuguan (B, L)
Continuously going westward, you could arrive in Jiangyuguan City and visit the famous Jiayuanguan Pass. Reputed as 'the Greatest Pass under Heaven', Jaiyuguan Pass is one of the most important and majestic military fortresses along China Great Wall. Your next stop is the Overhanging Great Wall was built during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Work began on it in 1539, and was completed in the following year. It was built using layer upon layer of stone and yellow earth. In subsequent years, the wall has dwindled from its original length of 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) to its current 750 meters (2, 460 feet).The Overhanging Wall gets its name because there is a 231 meter long section, with an obliquity of 45 degrees, built onto a 150m high ridge. From a distance, it is said to resemble a dragon about to extend its body towards the ground. Then proceed to the Wei-Jin Art Gallery. Namely Wei-Jin Mural Brick Tomb, it is a huge tomb group of more than 1,400 tombs built between the 3rd and 5th century during the Wei and Jin dynasties. Regarded as the largest subterranean gallery in the world, it houses vast collection of murals which reflect the unique culture about 1,500 years ago.
Day10 Jiayuguan - Dunhuang (B, L)
Today you will travel to Dunhuang. On the way you will visit Yulin Grottoes. These caves, with their murals and sculptures, are in a valley among Qilin Mountain, about 180kms from the Mogao Caves. The name is derived from the elms in the valley, and as you travel along the valley road you can easily imagine how it must have been to be a poet or brave solder in the distant past. Check in your hotel upon arrival Dunhuang.
Day11 Dunhuang (B, L)
A full day guided tour in Dunhuang to visit Mogao Caves, also known as the "Dunhuang Grottoes" or the "Thousand Buddha Grottoes", is located on the western cliffs of the Echoing Sands Mountains. It is one of the most complete collections of Buddhist frescoes and sculpture from a period ranging over ten dynasties. Their construction started in 366 AD. The existing 492 grottoes contain 45,000 square meters of murals and more than 2415 painted sculptures, which spanned 10 consecutive dynasties in more than 1,000 years. Then you will visit Crescent Spring (Yueya Quan) is in the Echoing Sand Mountains (Mingsha Shan), 6 km (4 mi) south of Dunhuang. It is an oasis in the desert. The spring's name derives from the crescent-shaped lake formed by the spring water between two huge sand dunes. Although the area is very dry, the pool doesn't dry up as one might expect. Afterwards you will enjoy an experience of riding the camel. Riding a camel on the desert of the Echoing Sand Mountains is a great experience. You can enjoy the beautiful wavy shapes of the smooth yellow dunes against the deep blue sky, and imagine you are traveling the ancient Silk Road. Step off the camel and listen for the singing of the sand.
Day12 Dunhuang - Turpan (B, L )
You will have a half day tour in Dunhuang. Visit Yumenguan Pass and the desert at Yadan Landform Park. Yumenguan Pass is one of the west gates out of the country of the Han Dynasty (206 B. C. - 220 A. D.), it is quite ruined by the shifting sands but still shows the ever splendor. The Evil City in the Yadan Landform Park locates the south to the Wubao town in Hami and 20kms far from Wubao while 100kms far from Hami city. The Evil city is famous for its night sound and vivid rocks in various shapes those look like animals or other world famous attractions in the world. Later of the day you will be transferred to railway station and board your soft sleeper train to Turpan.
Day13 Turpan (B, L)
Upon your arrival at Turpan you will meet with your guide and driver who will escort you to your hotel for breakfast. Afterwards you will visit Turpan. The tour today includes Jiaohe Ruins, an important archaeological site 10km West of Turpan is the remains of an ancient walled capital of the Uighur with its large monastery and palace. Visit Emin Minaret, Karez Well, and tour the Grape Valley. The Emin Minaret is an elegant Muslim minaret built in 1778AD in honor of a great Turpan general, Emin Khoja. The Minaret is quite popular among local Muslims and visitors. Karez Well is a unique underground water system invented and built by the ancient farmers of various ethnic minorities of Turpan, aiming to adapt to the basin natural environment, solar radiation and the atmosphere in the dry region. This irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects in China. Your tour in Turpan will draw a close at one of the vineyard and fruit gardens in the Grape Valley.
Day14 Turpan - Urumqi (B, L)
The tour today covers the Bezkelik Thousand Buddha Caves, Flaming Mountain and Astana Tomb. The Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are complex of Buddhist cave grottos dating from the 5th to the 13th centuries. These caves were built on a cliff face fronting a river valley. In the Uigur language Bezeklik means "place where there are paintings". These caves are one of the largest Buddhist "grotto" sites in Xinjiang. It used to be an important center for Buddhist worship under the Xizhou Huigu government of Gaochang Kingdom, which built the royal temple of the King of Huigu at this site. Flaming Mountain is about 10 kilometers east of Turpan, stretching up to 100 km from east to west and about 10km from south to north. With an average temperature of 30 degrees, it is known as the hottest place on earth and the highest temperature can reach 47.8 Celsius degrees. Nicknamed "underground museum", the Astana Tomb Complex contains a total of over 500 tombs, the occupants of which include aristocrats, officials and ordinary people from the early Western Jin Dynasty to the mid-Tang Dynasty. Due to the high terrain and hot and dry weather in the area, the tomb chambers are naturally germ-free. As a result, mummies and burial objects inside are well preserved after thousands of years, and a large number of historical relics are kept intact, including silk fabrics, murals and pottery ware etc. Later of the day transferred to your hotel in Urumqi.
Day15 Urumqi - Kashgar (B, L)
In the morning you will be transferred to visit the Heavenly Lake. Heavenly Lake (Tian Chi) is a beautiful blue mountain lake. The crystal water, the pine trees covering the hillsides and the snow capped mountains in the background make is a spectacular sight. The tour to the Heavenly Lake includes a boat cruise trip. Then you will get back the town to visit Erdaoqiao Bazaar, a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine. On Sunday, there are more stalls and more goods to buy than any other day. The old streets around the bazaar are really worth seeing. In the afternoon transfer to Urumqi Airport and take a flight to Kashgar. Upon arrival Kashgar, be met and escorted to your hotel in town.
Day16 Kashgar (B, L)
A full day guided tour in Kashgar. You will visit Idkah Mosque, the Abakh Khoja Tomb, Sunday Bazaar, the old town and Kashgar Silk Road Museum. Idkah Mosque is known for being the largest and oldest mosque in China that invites about 10,000 worshipers on every Friday. Abakh Khoja Tomb that is better known by the Chinese as Tomb of Fragrant Lady is an ancient Islamic building, where five generations of a famous Islamic master were buried. The Sunday Bazaar in Kashgar is perhaps the largest road market in Central Asia, the trip to the Bazaar offers you a good chance to experience the very good touch to the vibrant city with its local residence. After that you will explore the Old Town of Kashgar to observe these time-aged houses and people's daily life. You will also visit the Kashgar Silk Road Museum.
Day17 Kashgar (B, L)
Today's tour brings you to the beautiful Karakul Lake and local Tajik Village. Adjacent to the Karakorum Highway, 192km from Kashgar, 3600 m above sea level lay the Karakul Lake, a stunning combination of turquoise water and grandiose mountains that turn even the most novice photographers into instant professionals. At an altitude of 3,600m, it is the highest lake of the Pamir Plateau, near the junction of the Pamir Mountains, Tianshan and Kunlunshan mountain ranges. You will visit a local Tajik Village close to the lake. Later of the day you will drive back Kashgar after seeing the Karakul in the snowy backdrop of the 7546 meter high Muztagh Ata.
Day18 Depart Kashgar (B)
Free until transferred to airport for departure flight (to Urumqi to catch connecting flight). End of your tour.
Price inclusions: Price excluded:
Tour costing varies upon group size, travel season and hotel accommodation levels etc. For price details please email us at info@splendidchinatours.com.
01). All accommodations based on two persons sharing one room (single occupancy is subject to supplement);
02). China internal flights with airport tax or train as stated in the program;
03). Round-trip transfers between airports or railway stations, hotels, and scenic spots in each city by private air-conditioned vehicles with experienced licensed drivers;
04). All admission fees and activity expenses as listed in the itinerary;
05). Daily meals as specified in the itinerary: B denotes breakfast, L denotes lunch, and D denotes dinner (SD signifies special dinner);
06). Services of a local English speaking guide in each city (other languages can be arranged upon request, supplement may apply);
07). Travel Agency Liability Insurance during the tour;
08). Governmental taxes and fees.
01). International airfare to/from China;
02). Chinese Visa fees;
03). Expenses of personal natural such as laundry, telephone, drinks, mini bar etc;
04). Personal shopping, optional activities and excess baggage charges;
05). Gratuities for local tour guides, drivers and hotel bellboy etc;
06). International travel insurance;
07). Services and activities that are not mentioned in the itinerary.
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