16 Days Silk Road Adventure & Shanghai Xi'an Beijing Signature Tour

Day by Day Itinerary

Day 1 »  Shanghai - Xi'an

• Take the flight to Xi'an from Shanghai. Our guide meets you at the airport in Xi'an.
• Xi'an, as one of the oldest cities, was the capital for over 1,000 years and was the starting point of ancient Silk Road. Enjoy a tour to the symbol of Xi'an - the Bell Tower.
• Later visit the Great Mosque, one of the most important islamic mosques in China, which is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and islamic art.
• When in Xi'an, try the famous local snack - Pancake in Mutton Soup (Yangrou Paomo).

Attractions

• Bell Tower Known as the symbol of Xi'an, the Bell Tower is a classical building with carved beams and painted rafters. It houses a bell which was originally used to strike time every morning ...
• Great Mosque Considered to be one of the oldest, largest and best-preserved Islamic mosques in China, the Great Mosque is a combination of traditional Chinese architecture and Islamic art. ...

Day 2 »  Xi'an

• Today's attractions feature Terracotta Warriors and Horses, one of World Cultural Heritages. The lifelike warriors of First Emperor Qin Shihuang will sure lead you back to the ancient warring times.
• The second stop is Big Wild Goose Pagoda, one of the most famous buddhist pagodas in China, which was built in the Tang Dynasty to collect Buddhist scriptures.
• Then visit Xian City Wall, an extension of the old Tang Dynasty structure. It's the best preserved ruins of city walls in China.
• Enjoy the imperial dumpling banquet while appreciating the Tang Dancing Show.

Attractions

• Big Wild Goose Pagoda As the symbol of the old-line Xian, Big Wild Goose Pagoda is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. Originally built in 652 during the reign of Emperor G ...
• Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show take roots from the historical records and folk legends about the Tang Dynasty and shows to the audience the court life and social costumes of mor ...
• Terracotta Warriors and Horses A terracotta army guarding , the tomb of Qin Shihuang, which lures travelers from all over the world. In a quest for immortality and eternal power, China's first emperor chose to h ...
• Xi'an City Wall As a symbol of great significance of the famous historic cultural city of Xi'an, the Xi'an City Wall is the best-preserved, oldest and largest ancient city defense system in China. ...

Day 3 »  Xi'an - Lanzhou

• Begin with a visit to the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum before going to the airport for departure to Lanzhou. The Museum is the epitome of Shaanxi's glamorous imperial past.
• Fly to Lanzhou and be met by the guide at the airport.
• After your arrival in Lanzhou, have a look around the Ancient Water Mill in Waterwheel Park. The Water Mill is a kind of ancient irrigating system.
• Last, go to the Gansu Provincial Museum for a visit, also named as Galloping Horse. It is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum.

Attractions

• Gansu Provincial Museum The Galloping Horse of Wuwei, is a treasure of Gansu Provincial Museum. The collection in the museum includes all kinds of painted pottery, wooden paints, the silk hemp fabric, the ...
• Shaanxi Provincial History Museum Be considered as an obligation to be a showcase of ancient civilizations. Shaanxi Provincial History Museum is situated in the southern suburb of Xian City, northwest of the Big Wi ...
• Waterwheel Park With two huge waterwheels with striking appearances stand uprightly on the south bank of the Yellow River, the Waterwheel Park provides an insight into the irrigation tools of anci ...
• White Pagoda Mountain Park It is a nice place for strolling, with green forests, scattered pavilions, teahouses and, from its heights, some good views of both the churning river and the city beyond. ...

Day 4 »  Lanzhou

• Spend all day at the Binglingsi Grottoes. Binglingsi Grottoes is one of the six famous Buddhist Caves started by some Buddhist monks from as early as the year of 265 - 316, second to Mogao Caves in respect of artistic value.

Attractions

• Binglingsi Grottoes Being one of the six famous Buddhist Grottoes, Binglingsi Grottoes is the second to Mogao Grottoes in respect of artistic value. Altogether there are 183 grotto niches displaying 6 ...

Day 5 »  Lanzhou - Xiahe

• It takes about four hours to drive to Sangke Grassland in the southwest of Xiahe. Sangke Grassland is famous for its superb grassland scenery and shows its stunning beauty especially in summer. To ride a bicycle or a horse can be comfortable and enjoyable. Also visit a Tibetan family and experience their laid-back nomadic life.

Attractions

• Sangke Grassland Open sky, rolling green hills, little flocks of sheep on the hillside, the horse drinking from a small stream.... Sangke Grassland enjoys a good reputation in the northwest Tibetan ...

Day 6 »  Xiahe - Lanzhou - Jiayuguan

• Visit the Labrang Temple and join the morning devotion. Labrang Temple is the largest Tibetan monastery outside of Tibet province. The architectural layout follows the Tibetan style, while the construction patterns are mostly Tibetan, Han, or a mixture of the two.
• Drive back to Lanzhou and take an overnight soft sleeper train to Jiayuguan.

Attractions

• Labrang Temple With Tibetan architectural layout, Labrang Temple's construction patterns are mostly a combination of both Tibetan and Han styles. It boasts tens of thousands of Buddha statues mad ...

Day 7 »  Jiayuguan

• In the morning, go visit Jiayuguan Pass, it is the western starting point of the existing Great Wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) in Gansu Province.
• Then visit the Great Wall Museum. The Overhanging Great Wall is an extended part of the Jiayu Pass, and was once an important component in the medieval military defense system.
• Lastly, head for the Weijin Art Gallery. Weijin Art Gallery is known as the largest underground art gallery in the world, housing numerous, colorful murals on its cold, stone walls.

Attractions

• Great Wall Museum As one of the first museums to give a comprehensive and systematic understanding of the history of the great wall, the Great Wall Museum in Jiayuguan City is a special museum cente ...
• Jiayu Pass Built in the Ming Dynasty, the Jiayu Pass is one of the best-preserved passes in China as well as the largest pass on the ancient Great Wall. It is the western starting point of th ...
• Overhanging Great Wall As an extending part of the Jiayu Pass, Gansu Province, the Overhanging Great Wall was once an important component in the medieval defense system, where the "Silk Road" starts from ...
• Weijin Art Gallery Known as the largest subterranean art gallery in the world, Weijin Art Gallery houses a great deal of colorful murals which attract tourists both home and abroad since it was excav ...

Day 8 »  Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

• Enjoy a four-hour drive to Dunhuang and visit the Yulin Grottoes on the way. Yulin Grottoes got its name from the elms in the valley. There are 41 caves, numerous murals, and hundreds of colored sculptures, all well preserved. The murals depict the Buddha, Buddhist idols and Buddhist stories.

Attractions

• Yulin Grottoes Known as Ten-thousand Buddha valley, Yulin Grottoes consist of huge scripture drawings, portraits of Buddha, rare animals and plants, and scenes of plowing, harvesting, weddings, b ...

Day 9 »  Dunhuang - Turpan

• Begin today's tour with the Mogao Grottoes, the "World Art Treasure House." It is one of the world's most important sites of ancient buddhist culture.
• Visit the Echoing-Sand Mountain, where you can experience a short camel-ride along the Echoing-Sand Mountain to reach the Crescent Spring. The Crescent Spring is named for its shape.
• Take an overnight soft sleeper train to Turpan.

Attractions

• Crescent Spring Looking like a blue crescent moon enchasing in the desert, it gets the beautiful name "Crescent Spring." Having been lying among these sand dunes for thousands of years, although g ...
• Echoing-Sand Mountain The sand of the mountain has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white. When a strong wind blows, the fast shifting sand roars. When a light breeze comes, the ...
• Mogao Grottoes As the largest, best preserved and richest treasure house of Buddhist art in the world, Mogao Grottoes houses 492 grottoes, containing some 2,100 colored statues and 45,000 square ...

Day 10 »  Turpan

• Go for Grape Valley. With its shady vineyards and trees, it provides a welcome place of relaxation amidst the hundreds of square miles of sand. You may take a seat under the vintage frames, savor various grapes, enjoy the beautiful Uyghur girls in their ornate costumes, and be fully intoxicated by this refreshing palace of grapes.
• Visit Jiaohe Ruins, the best preserved town ruins in China. Road lead clearly through the town and a monastery with statues of the Buddha still stand.
• Then to the Karez system, the pride of Turpan, which along with the Great Wall and Grand Beijing-Hangzhou Canal is regarded as the three most important achievements of ancient times.
• Today's tour finishes at Sugong Pagoda, the largest Muslim tower in Xinjiang region. Made of brick blocks, the cylindrical body contains carvings of 15 kinds of patterns of Uygur traditional design. The pagoda displays the typical features of Uygur architecture. You have a chance to understand the culture of Islam.

Attractions

• Grape Valley Dug into the Gobi desert with the Flaming Mountain on either side, the valley is a lush stripe of green in the barren desert surroundings. Ramble around the valley, taste the fresh ...
• Jiaohe Ruins As the best preserved town ruin in China, Jiaohe Ruins was uniquely arranged, containing an above part and an underground part. The ruins, very rare in the world, are extremely val ...
• Karez System Referred to as 'the underground Great Wall' Karez system is the crystallization of ancient people's diligence and intelligence. Karez systems are the life source of Turpan. In a se ...
• Sugong Pagoda With a history of over 200 years, the Sugong Pagoda is a novel modeling of Islamism ancient pagoda and the only Islamic tower among the hundred famous towers in China. ...

Day 11 »  Turpan - Urumqi

• Today, our first destination is Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, whose chiseling work began during the Gaochang Kingdom Period from 499 AD to 640 AD while large constructions were conducted from the 6th century to the 14th century for around 800 years.
• You can have a chance to see the Flaming Mountain en route to Urumqi. The whole mountain contains nothing more than reddish slopes and gullies. Later, enjoy a 3-hour drive to Urumqi.

Attractions

• Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves Situated at the foot of Flaming Mountains lying east of Turpan City, Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves are considered most valuable caves in Xinjiang and houses 83 caves in good condi ...
• Flaming Mountain At midday during summer time, the mountain looks like a huge flying red dragon setting off fires in the fiery sun and temperature can top 55 degree centigrade - hence its name, Fla ...

Day 12 »  Urumqi

• Today, experience one full day at Heavenly Lake, a natural paradise with breathtaking scenery. We can take a cruise on Heavenly Lake, which lies 1980 meters above sea level and is hemmed in by the towering snow-capped Bagda Peak.
• The rest of the day or evening is free to stroll around the Erdaoqiao Bazaar or International Bazaar, big markets in Urumqi.

Attractions

• Grand Bazaar As a must to get a feel for the local life, the Grand Bazaar is a magnificent commercial complex with a strong Islamic architectural influence that includes a banquet hall, a food ...
• Heavenly Lake Lying at the mountainside of the snow-crowned Bogda Peak, the Heavenly Lake is surrounded by numerous towering verdant dragon spruces, tall and straight. The lake also has various ...

Day 13 »  Urumqi - Beijing

• Flight to Beijing.
• Start with an trip back to the Hutong area by rickshaw to ride through the narrow alleys and passages. A visit to a local family is included then a walk over the Silver Ingot Bridge (Yinding Bridge) to hear the explanation about the different thresholds that mark the entry to the courtyard houses.

Attractions

• Courtyard Houses of Beijing Courtyard houses of Beijing, at the highest level and most typical specimen of its kind, boast a long history of more than 2,000 years. They are cordial and quiet, with a strong fl ...
• Hutong in Beijing People say that the real culture of Beijing is the 'culture of the Hutong' and the 'culture of the courtyard'. How true that is. Often, it is Beijing's winding Hutongs that attract ...

Day 14 »  Beijing

• After breakfast, visit Tian'anmen Square, the largest square of its kind in the world.
• Then visit the Forbidden City, also known as Palace Museum, to awe an emperor's life.
• The Temple of Heaven is the place for imperial rituals and worship.
• In the evening, enjoy the famous Roast Duck feast which looks brilliantly dark red, shining with oil and with crisp skin and tender meat.

Attractions

• Forbidden City Nowadays, the Forbidden City, or the Palace Museum is open to tourists from home and abroad. Splendid painted decoration on these royal architectural wonders, the grand and deluxe ...
• Temple of Heaven On leaving the Forbidden City, follow in the footsteps of emperors, court ministers and eunuchs and head south to the magnificent and colorful Temple of Heaven. Although the bi-ann ...
• Tian'anmen Square At the very heart of Beijing, sits Tian'anmen Square, the largest urban square in the world. This vast space, measuring 40 hectares, has a historical significance to rival its size ...

Day 15 »  Beijing

• Have an excursion of Great Wall at Mutianyu section by cable car. With vegetation, green pines and cypresses covering 90 percent of the area, the sceneries here are beautiful all the year round.
• Proceed to the Summer Palace, the largest and best-preserved Chinese imperial garden. Enjoy a leisurely walk along the enchanting Lake Kunminghu.

Attractions

• Great Wall at Mutianyu Besides its strategically important location and compact layout, Great Wall at Mutianyu is also famous for the breath-takingly beautiful scenery. Woods cover over ninety-six percen ...
• Summer Palace With its handsome buildings, pretty scenery and tumultuous history, the Summer Palace is a wonderful place to explore. The most leisurely way to escape the crowd is to take a strol ...

Day 16 »  Beijing

• Transfer you to Beijing airport in prepare for departure.
• End of service.