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Along The Silk Road
offered by supplier M17727 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 15
day(s)
Group Size: 1
- 26
people
Destination(s):
China
Specialty Categories:
Archeology/History
Cultural Journey
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 3180 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 4780 US Dollar (USD)
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The Silk Road conjures images of caravans carrying incredible wealth across the deserts and mountains - images of colorful bazaars, priceless jewels and richly woven carpets and fabrics; exotic perfumes and spices. The Silk Road is still a hugely important artery. As the new nations of Central Asia look to the outside world and begin their historic re-acquaintance with their cousins in Chinese Turkestan, the Road roding with commerce, ideas, and culture. This remarkable journey takes you along the Chinese part of this ancient route.
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrive in Beijing
Meet our local guide at the airport and transfer to the hotel. Free day for recovering for jet-leg or half-day city tour to the local markets and typical Peking duck for the welcome dinner.
Day 2: Beijing
Relive China’s political history with a tour through Tiananmen Square, a site of many of China’s key political events in modern history. Step into the daily life of Imperial China’s rulers, accompanied by a knowledgeable scholar. Forbidden City plus private section visit; Hutong Tours with special visit the local people’s house, cooking class, Chinese traditional handicrafts learning.
Day 3: Day excursion to the Great Wall
Bewilder at the monumental undertaking that led to the Great Wall of China, and follow its steep snaking path through the scenic country side. For hiking enthusiasts, a challenging 4 hour trek through Jinshanling (10.2km), the most battle-hardened part of the wall, will prove most rewarding, with its views of crumbling, original sections of the Wall snaking over precipitous mountain ridges in the far distance. For those preferring to sit back and enjoy the ride, a shorter, easier excursion through Mutianyu will be just as exciting.
Day 4: Temple of Heaven
Beijing, Morning visit Temple of Heaven which is the most holy of Beijing's Imperial temples. This is where the Emperor came every winter solstice to worship heaven and to solemnly pray for a good harvest. Optional programs like Taichi lesson or Chinese Martial Art learning can be taken here. In the afternoon, move to Summer Palace that is the best preserved and the largest imperial gardens in China where we take a boat tour in the Kunming Lake. Acrobatic show watching in the evening.
Day 5: Beijing to Xi’an
Fly to Xi’an in the morning. Witness the confluence of ancient Central Asia and China in the 1300 years old Muslim Quarter and its Great Mosque. Built in 742 A.D., the Great Mosque is China’s largest and best preserved early mosque, representing a synthesis of Chinese, Islamic and 15th century Buddhist architecture elements.
Day 6: Xi’an
Marvel at the grandiosity of the Terracotta Army, built by the first Qin Emperor to help him rule in his afterlife. Considered one of the 20th century’s most remarkable archaeological discoveries, the collection includes 8,099 life size terracotta figures of warriors and horses, constructed by an estimated 700,000 craftsmen over a period of 38 years. The craftsmen were sealed alive inside the tomb to prevent the divulging of any secrets about the tomb’s entrance and riches.Learn about Xi’an’s former status as ancient capital of China by studying bronze, underground murals and other artifacts (dating back to the millennium) at the Shaanxi History Museum.
Day 7: Xi’an to Dunhuang
Fly to Dunhuang in the morning. Visit the Western Thousand Buddha Caves. the Modern Art Caves nearby. An optional tour to the Dunhuang Gucheng will be provided depending on the seasonal flight schedule. On the way back we drop in the Baima Ta on the half way. At night, we explore the Shazhou Night Market and get a taste of local life in Dunhuang.
Day 8: Dunhuang
Morning we head to the Mogao Caves, which consist of 492 grottoes honeycombing a giant cliff face, each of them housing murals, Buddhist paintings and statues. Afternoon will be spent around Mingsha Shan and Yueya Quan. In windy weather, the sands always make a humming noise, for which it was named “ Mingsha” (Singing Sand Dune). The Yueya Quan, famous for its permanence in the desert, has been recorded in the history at least two thousand years. If time permits, we also visit the Dunhuang Museum, and see a few of the scrolls left behind after the depredations of the archeologist and adventurer Sir Aurel Stein.
Day 9: Dunhuang to Turpan
Overnight train to Turpan. Free day.
Day 10:Turpan
Morning program starts with the visit to Imin Ta Mosque and Karez Irrigation Site followed by a tour in the ancient city of Jiaohe (Yarkhoto) near Turpan. Jiaohe dates back to the Han dynasty (206BC - 220AD). Set on a plateau surrounded by deep, fertile valleys, the ancient ruins are a truly memorable sight to behold.
Day 11: Turpan to Urumqi
Morning visit the Bezeklik Caves, (a set of Buddhist cave temples that was an important center of Buddhism from the 6th to 13th centuries) followed by Flaming Mountain and Gaochang Gucheng that near Bezeklik Caves. Afternoon drive to Urumqi (2.5-hour’s drive).
Day 12: Urumqi to Kashagar
Morning we fly to Kashagar, the largest oasis city in Chinese Central Asia. We first drive to visit the Abakh Khoja Mausoleum, a peaceful memorial to one of Xinjiang’s early Muslim leaders. Afterwards, we visit the Id Kah Mosque, the largest in China. This beautifully decorated mosque more closely resembles a mosque in Pakistan or Afghanistan than China, and will attract up to 10,000 worshippers for Friday prayers. Outside the Mosque, we visit the handicraft street, where we can pick up all sorts of hand-made items, from copperware to musical instruments to traditional hats.
Day 13: Kashgar
Highlight for today will be the exploration to Sunday Brazza. Sundays are always the market days here, just like practically everything in Kashgar, Shopping is an ancient art form in which no transaction transpires quickly. Haggling is spirited and may consume an entire day. The colorful and lively bazaar provides a great opportunity to pick up some of the Silk Road’s most interesting souvenirs, from hand made hats of the different minorities in Xinjiang, to traditional musical instruments, to bags of fresh spices. The people, the sights, the smells, are all very different from what we are used to in the city.
Day 14: Kashgar to Urumqi
Fly to Urumqi, free time for last-minute shopping or packing. Alternatively, we visit the handicraft factory to see the local life.
Day 15: Fly back home
Fly to Beijing or Shanghai for your international flight home, trip ends.
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Also see tour packages in:
Asia
China
Archeology/History
Cultural Journey
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