25-day Silk Road & Tibet (2008)
Beijing - Dunhuang - Turpan - Kashgar - Urumqi - Xi'an - Lhasa - Xigaze - Gyantse - Shanghai

The physically challenging trip goes deep into the hinterlands of China's ethnic regions, offering tour members a rare opportunity to closely examine the life of Tibetans, Uighurs and Kazaks.

This soft adventure tour requires participants to be in perfect health. It is not suitable for those with mobility difficulty or any medical condition that may be complicated due to high altitudes. In addition, participants must understand that accommodations in certain locales may be basic.

Scroll down for departure dates and prices.

Day 1/Wed: Departing Home City
The journey begins with our transpacific flight (Air Canada or United Airlines) departing the west coast in early afternoon. Cross the International Date Line.

Day 2/Thu: Arrival in Beijing
Meet the local guide and transfer to hotel. Balance of the day at leisure.

Day 3/Fri: Beijing
Beijing, capital of China and host of 2008 Summer Olympics, is not only the country's second largest city in terms of population but also its cultural and educational centre. Today's schedule features Tian'anmen Square and the Forbidden City. Enjoy a delicious Peking roast duck dinner. (B/L/D)

Day 4/Sat: Beijing
After breakfast we embark on a full-day excursion to the Great Wall, 85km outside the city. The evening Peking Opera show is optional if available. (B/L)

Day 5/Sun: Beijing
Morning sightseeing at Summer Palace, followed by a hutong tour - traditional alleyway flanked with courtyard residences. Free afternoon to explore on your own. We suggest Temple of Heaven and shopping at Silk Alley or Panjiayuan Flea Market. (B/L)

Day 6/Mon: Beijing - Dunhuang
Morning flight to Dunhuang. Afternoon visit to the local museum. (B/L)

Day 7/Tue: Dunhuang - Turpan
Morning sightseeing introduces us to the brilliant murals and sculptures inside Mogao Grottos, one of the most celebrated legacies of the Silk Road era. Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences, the 492 cells and cave sanctuaries in Mogao are famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art.

In the afternoon, we visit the Crescent Moon Lake and Singing Sand Dunes. Board overnight soft-sleeper train for Turpan after dinner. Each private compartment consists of 4 bunk beds (2 upper, 2 lower) and can be locked from inside. (B/L/D)

Day 8/Wed: Turpan
Transfer to hotel for breakfast upon arrival early in the morning. Today we visit Jiaohe (Yarkhoto) Ruins, an ancient garrison town, and the Bezeklik Caves (Buddhist temples) in the Flaming Mountains. (B/L/D)

Day 9/Thu: Turpan - Urumqi - Kashgar
Free morning to explore the exotic oasis town, where Muslim Uighurs account for 71% of the population. Travel to Urumqi (180km) in the afternoon by air-conditioned deluxe motor coach to fly to Kashgar. (B/L/D)

Day 10/Fri: Kashgar
Located at the westernmost tip of China, Kashgar, also known as Shufu in the old days, is a vibrant kaleidoscope of Central Asian cultures. An oasis 1200 metres above sea level, Kashgar is a remarkably prosperous and pleasant place, despite remaining, in part, an essentially medieval city.

Enjoy a full-day excursion to Karakul Lake, 198 kilometres southwest of Kashgar. Accessed via legendary Karakoram Highway leading to Pakistan, the lake, 3,600 metres above sea level, sits on the laps of Muztagh Ata and Kongur, two towering peaks of the Pamir Mountains. The scenery along the way is simply stunning: high mountain pastures nibbled by camels and yaks tended by yurt-dwelling Tajiks. (B/L)

Day 11/Sat: Kashgar
This morning we visit a Muslim family and kindergarten. Afternoon sightseeing takes in Id Kah Mosque and Abakh Hoja Tomb (also known as Fragrant Concubine's Tomb). (B/L)

Day 12/Sun: Kashgar - Urumqi
Kashgar’s extraordinary Sunday market, when half of Central Asia seems to converge on the city, is as exotic to the average Han Chinese as to the foreign tourist. We spend the whole morning exploring the Sunday market. Late afternoon flight to Urumqi. (B/D)

Day 13/Mon: Urumqi
Urumqi, meaning vast pastureland in local Uighur language, is the capital of Xinjiang (New Frontier) Uighur Autonomous Region, which is equivalent to a Chinese province. We visit the History Museum, Red Hill Park and a carpet factory before having a couple of hours to explore on our own. (B/L)

Day 14/Tue: Urumqi - Xi'an
Morning flight to Xi'an. Eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road and one of the ancient capitals of China, Xi'an is home to the famous Terracotta Army designed to follow the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) into eternity. (B/L)

Day 15/Wed: Xi’an
Eastern terminus of the fabled Silk Road and one of the ancient capitals of China, Xi'an is home to the Terracotta Army designed to follow the first emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) into eternity. Visit the excavation site of the Terracotta Army located 30km east of the city and the emperor's mausoleum nearby. Tonight we enjoy a music and dance show of Tang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.) style after dinner. (B/L/D)

Day 16/Thu: Xi'an
Today's schedule takes in the ancient City Wall, Wild Goose Pagoda and the provincial History Museum. (B/L)

Day 17/Fri: Xi'an - Lhasa
Morning flight to Lhasa. We spend the rest of the day relaxing in the hotel to get acclimatized to the high altitudes. (B/L)

Day 18/Sat: Lhasa
Situated in a wide, mountain-fringed valley on the north bank of the Kyichu River, Lhasa (elevation 3700m) is a rapidly expanding city with a population of over 540,000. An important settlement for well over a thousand years, Lhasa was originally called Rasa, but was renamed by King Songtsen Gampo in the seventh century when he moved his capital here from the Yarlung Valley. Following the collapse of the Yarlung dynasty two centuries later, power dispersed among local chieftains and the city lost its pre-eminence. It was not until the seventeenth century, with the installation of the Fifth Dalai Lama as ruler by the Mongolian emperor, Gushri Khan, that Lhasa once again became the seat of government.

This morning we visit the Dalai Lama’s Potala Palace. Afternoon sightseeing at Jokhang Temple, one of the oldest Buddhist buildings in Tibet and a remarkable combination of Tibetan, Indian, Nepalese and Han Chinese architectural styles. No visit to Jokhang Temple is complete without checking out the Barkor Street bazaar outside the temple. (B/L)

Day 19/Sun: Lhasa
The visit to the Dalai Lama's summer residence Norbulinka is followed by grand Sera Monastery, where lively debates held Monday to Saturday from 3 to 5 pm between resident monks often draw a large audience. (B/L)

Day 20/Mon: Lhasa - Xigaze
Following breakfast, travel overland to Xigaze (280km), the second largest in city in Tibet, whose name is also spelled as Shigatse or Shigatze. After a picnic lunch, we arrive in mid-afternoon. Visit Tashilunpo Monastery,  the religious and administrative headquarters of the Panchen Lama, paramount leader of the Yellow Sect of Tibetan Buddhism. (B/L/D)

Day 21/Tue: Xigaze - Gyantse - Lhasa
We drive to Gyantse (2 hours) in the morning and tour the fortress of Gyantse Dzong and Pelkhor Choede before continuing on to Lhasa. Vast pastureland, barren mountain slopes, snow-capped peaks, blue skies, white clouds, scanty population, and ubiquitous prayer flags - these images combine to conjure a sense of solitude and mystery. We stop by villages near the shores of Yamdrok Yumtso. One of the three holiest lakes in Tibet, Yamdrok Yumtso lies about 100 kilometres to the southwest of Lhasa. Every summer, throngs of Tibetan pilgrims trek to the lake to pray for blessings by the lake fairy. Dozens of islets in the lake provide sanctuary for varied species of birds. (B/L/D)

Day 22/Wed: Lhasa - Shanghai
Spend the morning relaxing or exploring on your own. Afternoon flight to Shanghai. (B)

Day 23/Thu: Shanghai
Shanghai is not only China's largest city in terms of population but also leads the country in economic growth, having experienced 19% GDP growth per year for the past 16 years. Visit the Bund, Yu Garden and Shanghai Museum. (B/L)

Day 24/Friday: Shanghai
Today is a free day. Exploring China's most dynamic city on your own is easy and fun. Our recommended to-do list includes a visit to glitzy Pudong New District, a ride aboard the world's only commercially run Maglev train, and the popular evening cruise on Huangpu River to enjoy the city's spectacular neon-lit skyline. (B)

Day 25/Sat: Shanghai - Home City
Free morning. Transfer to airport on your own to board return flight. Arrive home the same day. (B)

Hotel List
City	Nights	Hotel	Star Rating
Beijing	4	Sheraton Beijing
Dunhuang	1	Dunhuang Hotel	- best available
Turpan	1	Oasis	- best available
Kashgar	3	Qiniwake	- best available
Urumqi	2	Hongfu Hotel
Xi'an	3	Sheraton Xi'an
Lhasa	4	Four Points by Sheraton	- best available
Xigaze (Shigatse)	1	Shandong Hotel	- best available
Shanghai	3	Sheraton Shanghai Pudong
Overnight train	1	first class sleeping car

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