23-day Silk Road & Southwest China Tour (2010)

Beijing - Xi'an - Dunhuang - Turpan - Kashgar - Karakul Lake - Urumqi - Chengdu - Lijiang - Shangri-la (Zhongdian) - Kunming - Shanghai

Scroll down for departure dates, prices and hotel list.

Day 1/Wed: Departing Home City
The journey begins with our transpacific flight departing the west coast in early afternoon. Cross the International Date Line.

Day 2/Thu: Arrival in Beijing
Meet our guide upon arrival in late afternoon and transfer to the hotel. The balance of the day is at leisure.

Day 3/Fri: Beijing
Beijing, capital of China, is the country's second largest city in terms of population. Following a brief orientation we visit Tian'anmen Square, the Forbidden City and an old hutong - alleyway flanked with traditional residential courtyards. Welcome dinner features delicious Beijing roast duck, a local delicacy. (B/L/D)

Day 4/Sat: Beijing
Enjoy a full-day excursion to the legendary Great Wall, 90km northwest of the city. Zigzagging over 6,000 kilometres from east to west along the undulating mountains, the Great Wall, said to be visible from the moon, was built to hold off tribal invaders from the north. On the way back to the city in the afternoon we stop by at the Spirit Way at Ming Tombs. The Spirit Way, serving as the entrance to the Ming Tombs, is lined with statues of guardian animals and officials. (B/L)

Day 5/Sun: Beijing - Xi'an
Morning sightseeing at the Temple of Heaven. Built for emperors to worship Heaven, the Temple of Heaven is China's largest existing complex of ancient sacrificial buildings occupying an area of 273 hectares and three times the area of the Forbidden City. Late afternoon flight to Xi'an following a visit to majestic Summer Palace, a royal resort during the Qing Dynasty. (B/L)

Day 6/Mon: 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 7/Tue: Xi'an - Dunhuang
Today's schedule takes in the ancient City Wall and the Wild Goose Pagoda. Late afternoon flight to Dunhuang. We visit Dunhuang Museum if time allows. (B/L)

Day 8/Wed: 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 9/Thu: 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 10/Fri: 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 11/Sat: 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 12/Sun: Kashgar
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. Afternoon sightseeing takes in Id Kah Mosque and Abakh Hoja Tomb (also known as Fragrant Concubine's Tomb). (B/L)

Day 13/Mon: Kashgar - Urumqi
Morning flight to Urumqi, the largest city in Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region. Urumqi means vast pastureland in local Uighur language. This afternoon we visit the History Museum, Red Hill Park and a carpet factory if time allows. (B/L)

Day 14/Tue: Urumqi - Chengdu
Enjoy some free time in the morning. The noon flight to Chengdu (2258km) takes 3 hours. Chengdu is the capital of Sichuan Province with an urban population approaching 3.5 million. (B/L/D)

Day 15/Wed: Chengdu
Tour of the Giant Panda Breeding Centre is followed by a visit to the museum built on the archaeological site of Sanxingdui Culture (Bronze Age). First chanced upon by a farmer in 1929, Sanxingdui, 40km west of Chengdu, continued to surprise the archaeological community in the decades to come. In 1986, two major sacrificial pits were discovered and the breakthrough aroused widespread academic attention from around the world. The Sanxingdui finds are exciting, but they remain enigmatic. So far no written records of this 5,000-year-old civilization have been found. (B/L)

Day 16/Thu: Chengdu - Lijiang
Morning schedule includes Wangjianglou (river view) Park and a traditional tea house. Fly to Lijiang in late afternoon. Lijiang is home to the ethnic Naxi people whose intriguing Dongba religion and unique customs coupled with the region's enchanting scenery combine to make Lijiang and its vicinity a fascinating place to explore. The old town known as Dayan is protected as a UNESCO-designated World Cultural Heritage Site. (B/L)

Day 17/Fri: Lijiang
A walking tour of the old town is followed by an excursion to Yunshanping or Spruce Meadow, an alpine pasture surrounded by virgin forests at the foot of Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. En route we stop by an ancient village. The evening concert of classical Naxi music is optional if available. (B/L)

Day 18/Sat: Lijiang - Shangri-la (Zhongdian)
After breakfast we embark on an overland journey to Zhongdian. The day-long drive covers 200 kilometres of country road snaking through scenic river valleys and high mountains dotted by villages of various ethnic nationalities. En route we stop by at Tiger Leaping Gorge, the first bend of the Yangtze. (B/L/D)

Day 19/Sun: Zhongdian
We spend the morning visiting Bita Lake surrounded by virgin alpine forests and a Tibetan village along the way. Afternoon sightseeing takes in Songzanlin Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism, and a local market. (B/L/D)

Day 20/Mon: Zhongdian - Kunming
The morning flight to Kunming takes less than one hour. Capital of Yunnan Province, Kunming is widely known as the "city of eternal spring" due to its temperate climate year-round. Our sightseeing in Kunming includes the historic Western Hill Scenic Area. (B/L)

Day 21/Tue: Kunming - Shanghai
Enjoy an excursion to Stone Forest. Located 126km southeast of Kunming, the Stone Forest is a massive collection of gray limestone pillars created by water erosion. The tall rocks seem to emanate from the ground in the manner of stalagmites, with many looking like trees made of stone. Afternoon sightseeing at Bamboo Temple. Evening flight to Shanghai. (B/L)

Day 22/Wed: Shanghai
Our sightseeing in Shanghai begins with a stroll on the Bund - a waterfront promenade famous for its landmark neoclassical buildings of European style, followed by Shanghai Museum and Yu Garden. Evening entertainment is a dazzling acrobatic show. (B/L/D)

Day 23/Thu: Shanghai - Home City
Free morning to pack and relax. Transfer to airport to board return flight. Arrive home the same day. (B)

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Hotels
City	No. of Nights	Hotel	Star Rating
Beijing	3	Sunworld Dynasty Hotel
Xi'an	2	Sheraton Xi'an
Dunhuang	1	Dunhuang Hotel	- best available
Overnight Train	1	first class sleeper	not applicable
Turpan	1	Oasis Hotel	- best available
Kashgar	3	Kashi Tianyu International Hotel	- best available
Urumqi	1	Hongfu Hotel
Chengdu	2	Jinjiang Hotel
Lijiang	2	Guanfang Hotel
Shangri-la/Zhongdian	2	Paradise Hotel
Kunming	1	Bank Hotel
Shanghai	2	Sheraton Shanghai Pudong

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