13-Day Silk Road Profound Tour

Detailed Itinerary

• Day 1: Arrive at Xi'an (No meals)

  Take your flight from home to Xi’an airport. Start your wonderful adventure to China from the starting of ancient Silk Road on land. Be transferred to hotel and have a good rest in our well selective hotel.

  Recommended Hotel: Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an****

• Day 2: Xi'an (Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Terracotta Warriors, Bell Tower, Gao's Courtyard and Muslim Quarter

  Visit Terracotta Warriors, a real underground world of Chinese royal family. Have a lunch of Chinese local rest restaurant nearby. Drive back to Xi'an to see Bell Tower, the biggest one remains in China now. Gao’s Courtyard is a good choice for you to see Chinese paper cutting and shadow puppetry. Moreover you will have a chance to taste delicious China northern snacks in Muslim Quarter.

  Recommended Hotel:  Somerset Xindicheng Xi'an****

  
  

• Day 3: Xi'an to Tianshui (Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Maijishan Grottoes

  Take a bullet train from Xian to Tianshui(1.5 hours) where was an important stop along the ancient Silk Road for centuries with less visitors. Ranked as one of the Top 4 Grottoes in China, Maijishan Grottoes are stunning examples of rock-hewn galleries. You will enjoy thousands of sculptures and murals those are incredibly detailed and expressive.

  Recommended Hotel: Tianshui Holiday Inn Express ****

  
  

• Day 4: Tianshui - Lanzhou(Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Fuxi Temple

  Visit Fuxi Temple which is a sprawling complex with numerous courtyards and four compounds in the morning before you go to Lanzhou. Have your lunch at Tianshui and drive to Lanzhou(3.5 hours).

  Recommended Hotel: Kyriad Lanzhou Hotel****

  
  

• Day 5: Lanzhou- Linxia(Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Bingling Temple Grottoes

  With a 2.5 hours driving distance from Lanzhou, Bingling Temple Grottoes offers a more off-the-beaten-path grotto experience. You need take a boat riding on the Yellow River to see.  All grottoes are nestled along a dramatic canyon carved by the Yellow River.

  Recommended Hotel: In Linxia area

  

• Day 6 Linxia - Xiahe(Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Muslim Culture and Tibetan Buddhism

  Have an exclusive exploration to Linxia, the home of Hui Minority who are a Chinese Muslim ethnic group with Chinese influences. Lead your way to the commercial pedestrian streets and Linxia’s Islamic mosques. It is your best chance to discover China's Muslim community.
  Be transferred to Xiahe by car(1.5 hours). Religion and culture are the highlight of Xiahe. You will visit a nunnery and a Nyingma sect monk's home today.

  Recommended Hotel: In Xiahe

  
  

• Day 7: Xiahe(Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Labrang Monastery

  As a functioning monastery but not only an attraction, Labrang Monastery is home to the largest number of Tibetan Buddhist monks . You will seem the daily life of each monk, such as praying, debating and learning. Then relax yourself at Sangke Grasslands where you can see sheep and yaks dot the distant slopes.

  Recommended Hotel: in Xiahe

  
  

• Day 8: Xiahe - Lanzhou -Dunhuang(Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight:

  Be transferred from Xiahe to Lanzhou airport by car(3.5 hours).  Then take a flight to Dunhuang (2 hours). Be met by your guide at Dunhuang and transferred to hotel.

  Recommended Hotel: Dunhuang Guofu Hotel ****

• Day 9: Dunhuang (Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Mogao Caves and Echoing-Sand Mountain

  A visit to the Mogao Caves is definitely your highlight of whole tour. Over 2000 sculptures spanning over a thousand years and vibrant artworks are lively displayed in front of you. Memorize them by your own eyes and feelings. Then you will go to another landmark in Dunhuang, Echoing-Sand Mountain. The vast golden dunes rise dramatically next to crescent-shaped Crescent Lake, creating a stunning desert landscape.

  Recommended Hotel: Dunhuang Guofu Hotel ****

  
  

• Day 10: Dunhuang - Turpan (Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Yumen Pass and the Great Wall of the Han

  On the way from Dunhuang to Liuyuan railway station, you will visit Yumen Pass and the Great Wall of the Han Dynasty. Different from famous Ming Dynasty Great Wall in Beijing, the Han Great Wall is much older and mostly ruined by thousands of years wars. Then take a bullet from Liuyuan railway station to Turpan(3.5 hours). Be met by your guide at the Turpan railway station and transferred to hotel. Turpan is a good choice of the silk road tour for your exploration to trading journeying between ancient China and the West.

  Recommended Hotel: Ji Hotel ****

  
  

• Day 11: Turpan (Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Jiaohe Ruins, Tuyugou Village and Flaming Mountains

  You will have a full day tour to Jiaohe Ruins, Tuyugou Village and Flaming Mountains. Delve into the past at the Jiaohe Ruins, immerse yourself in Tuyougou Village and feel the scorching sun on  the Flaming Mountains. Every moment is unique and cherish.

  Recommended Hotel: Ji Hotel ****

  
  

• Day 12: Turpan to Urumqi (Breakfast/Lunch)

  Highlight: Heavenly Lake, Tianshan Mountains and International Bazaar

  Today you’ll be transferred back to Urumqi, the last stop of the Silk Road. You will visit Heavenly Lake and Tianshan Mountains for its alpine scenery and majestic Bogda Peak in the background. Go to find something local at the International Bazaar in Urumqi. You can see architectural beauty, diverse products, culinary delights, and live performances.

  Recommended Hotel: Excemon Xinjiang Yilite Hotel ****

  

• Day 13: Depart from Urumqi(Breakfast)

  Be transferred to Urumqi airport to take a flight home. Your China tour will end soon but your memory of China will last for days.