Chinese Silk Route

Xi'an - Kashgar

22 days through China

FROM: $2560 USD + 670 USD Kitty

Transport:

Overland Expedition Vehicle, Local Bus, Boat

Crew:

Two Dragoman Crew Members, Local Guides where necessary, One Local Crew Member

Accom:

Comfortable Hotel 1 night
Basic Hotel 14 nights
Guesthouse 3 nights
Camping without facilities 2 nights

Meals:

Breakfasts x 5, Lunches x 2, Dinners x 2

Physical:

Lifestyle:

Code:

ZKX

Deposit:

$260 USD per person

Foreign Travel Advice

TRIP OVERVIEW

The Silk Route was created by the traders and armies that used to travel through Central Asia to China. They were followed by the Mongul armies of Genghis and Kublai Khan, and it is this route that we follow across western China. The gateway to China is the infamous Torugart pass, near the city of Kashgar, a wonderful place to see the diverse peoples of the region. You must be there for the Sunday Market. On this journey we cross the Taklamakan Desert, 'the desert you enter and never come out of' to the western end of the Great Wall of China and climb onto the lower slopes of the Tibetan plateau to the holy city of Xiahe, with it's remarkable Tibetan Buddhist temples and architecture. There are numerous remarkable monuments, such as the giant Buddha of Bingling Si, the Jiaohe ruins at Turpan and, of course, the wonders of Xi'an and the terracotta army.

HIGHLIGHTS

Explore Kashgar's traditional Sunday market and Animal market

Cross the Taklamakan Desert

Exploration of the oasis and the Jiaohe ruins at Turpan

Guided tour of the Mogao caves, Dunhuang

Camp near an adobe section of the Great Wall near Jiayuguan

Explore the colourful natural phenomenon of the Rainbow Mountains

Cross the northern end of the Tibetan Plateau

Explore Xiahe - one of Tibets most historic cities

See Bingling Si's vast Buddha statue and outstanding cave sculptures

Explore the stunningly beautiful Mt. Kongtong and its temples

WHAT TO EXPECT

A real journey along China's Silk Road and it's variety of cultures. Some long day drives are really worthwhile to travel through these more remote regions of China; small hotels and excellent local food are mixed with some camping.

ITINERARY

EXPAND ALL CLOSE ALL

Day 1 - Xi'an (3rd June 2020)

Border Information: if joining in Xi'an, you will most likely enter China at Xi'an Xianyang International Airport (IATA code: XIY).

Welcome to the amazing city of Xi'an, the ancient capital of Shaanxi province and the end of the 'Silk Road'! We will have a free day to explore the city, it's famous walls, bell and drum towers, pagodas and Muslim Quarter.

There will be a group meeting today at 6:00pm - please look out for a note from your tour leader at the hotel reception with more information about this important meeting.

Please note that many of the optional activities listed will only be possible for those with extra time in Xi'an before the start of your trip with us - please contact the Sales team if you would like to book pre-tour accommodation with us to have extra time exploring Xi'an.

Accommodation: Comfortable Hotel

Day 2 - Xi'an (4th June 2020)

This morning we head out of Xi'an on the truck to the site of the world-famous Terracotta Warriors, where we have an included visit and a guided tour.

We will return to Xi'an for the afternoon, where we'll have a free afternoon to further explore this incredible city.

Meals: Breakfast

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 3

Day 3 - Pingliang (5th June 2020)

Today we will drive to the town of Pingliang at the base of the Mount Kongtong, one of the holiest mountains in Chinese Taoism.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 8

Day 4 - Pingliang (6th June 2020)

Today we will have an included visit to Mount Kongtong, and will have the full day to explore the temples and walk and explore the pilgrimage routes on the mountain.

Please note that if the group and leader prefer to split the drive between Turpan and Dunhuang over 2 days, there will only be 1 night in Pingliang and a half-day exploration of Mount Kongtong.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Day 5 - Xiahe (7th June 2020)

Today we set off to the enchanting Tibetan town of Xiahe where we spend the next 3 nights.

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 11

Day 6 - Xiahe (8th June 2020)

The next few days are free to explore this beautiful town and surrounding grasslands. We can take a guided visit to the Labrang Monastery where Tibetan monks can be seen doing their daily rituals and chants.

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 7 - Xiahe (9th June 2020)

On your second free day there may also be a chance to go trekking, horse riding or exploring the surrounding grasslands, visiting Tibetan families and perhaps trying the local Yak butter tea.

Accommodation: Guesthouse

Day 8 - Liujiaxia (10th June 2020)

Today we will leave Xiahe behind us to reach the small city of Liujiaxia. We will have an included visit to the incredible Bingling Si Buddha Caves en route.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 5

Day 9 - Zhangye (11th June 2020)

Today we will have a full day's drive towards Zhangye. This evening we will find a place to camp in the hills surrounding Zhangye.

Meals: Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Camping without facilities

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 9

Day 10 - Jiayuguan (12th June 2020)

Today we will have a short drive to the incredible Zhangye Danxia Rainbow Mountains - we will spend some time exploring the beautiful scenery, before continuing our drive on to Jiayuguan where, tomorrow, we will have an included visit to the Jiayuguan Fort - the most western point of the Great Wall of China. Please note that the Great Wall here is adobe, unlike the more famous stone sections further easy.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Accommodation: Camping without facilities

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 7

Day 11 - Dunhuang (13th June 2020)

Today we will continue our journey westwards to reach the city of Dunhuang.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 7

Day 12 - Dunhuang (14th June 2020)

Today we will have an included visit to the awe-inspiring Mogao Buddha Caves in the morning. We will then have a free afternoon to explore this amazing town and it’s surroundings - there are possibilities for camel rides along the sand dunes and bicycle rides out to the nearby White Goose Pagoda!

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 1

Day 13 - Turpan (15th June 2020)

Today we will have an early start and a big drive to the oasis town of Turpan.

Please note that due to the political tension in Western China there are many police checkpoints that we must go through to show our passports in the Xinjiang province. Sometimes it may be preferred by the group and the leader to split this drive over 2 days, finding a local hotel in between to break up the travel day.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 13

Day 14 - Turpan (16th June 2020)

Today we will have a free day to explore the surrounding sites including the famous Jiaohe ruins.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 1

Day 15 - Urumqi (17th June 2020)

Today we will continue on to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang province.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 5

Day 16 - Urumqi (18th June 2020)

On the second day we will have an included visit to Heavenly Lake to enjoy the incredible scenery in the Tian Shan Mountains and walk around the lake.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Day 17 - Korle (19th June 2020)

Today our journey continues westwards through the Taklamakan Desert. Our crossing of the desert usually takes 3 days/2 nights, and we plan to stay in local hotels near Korla or Bayanbulak on our first night and Aksu on our second.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 10

Day 18 - Aksu (20th June 2020)

On our second day travelling through the Taklamakan Desert, we plan to stay the night near Aksu.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 10

Day 19 - Kashgar (21st June 2020)

Today we complete our journey to the far west of China, arriving in Kashgar, once one of the ancient trading posts on the Silk Route!

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 8

Day 20 - Kashgar (22nd June 2020)

We will spend 3 nights in Kashgar, during which time there will be lots of opportunity to explore the city and its central Id Kah Mosque. We will also have an included visit to the animal market just outside of town, and then the famous Kashgar Sunday Bazaar.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Today's approximate drive time (hrs): 1

Day 21 - Kashgar (23rd June 2020)

We have a free day in Kashgar for optional activities.

Accommodation: Basic Hotel

Day 22 - Kashgar - End Date (24th June 2020)

Border Information: if leaving in Kashgar, you will most likely exit China at Kashgar Airport (IATA code: KHG).

If leaving the trip in Kashgar, today is a free day to further explore the city before leaving. If you are continuing on our trip into Kyrgyzstan, we will be exploring Shiptons Arch this afternoon - the largest natural arch in the world.

Today is the end day for passengers finishing their trip in Kashgar. Please note there is no accommodation included on the trip tonight - please contact the Sales Team if you are interested in booking extra nights of accommodation in order to fully explore and take part in some of the optional activities listed.

DATES, PRICES & TRIP NOTES

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Departing

Finishing

Total Price (USD)

03 Jun 20 Xi'an

24 Jun 20 Kashgar

$2,560 USD + 700 USD Kitty

Status: Closed

Trip Notes:

Trip Itinerary

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Duration: 22 days Booking Closed

04 Jul 20 Kashgar

25 Jul 20 Xi'an

$2,560 USD + 670 USD Kitty

Status: Closed

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Duration: 22 days Booking Closed

29 Jul 20 Xi'an

19 Aug 20 Kashgar

$2,560 USD + 700 USD Kitty

Status: Closed

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Trip Itinerary

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Duration: 22 days Booking Closed

19 Aug 20 Xi'an

09 Sep 20 Kashgar

$2,560 USD + 700 USD Kitty

Status: Closed

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Trip Itinerary

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Duration: 22 days Booking Closed

29 Aug 20 Kashgar

19 Sep 20 Xi'an

$2,560 USD + 670 USD Kitty

Status: Open

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Duration: 22 days Add to basket

02 Jun 21 Xi'an

23 Jun 21 Kashgar

$2,635 USD + 700 USD Kitty

Status: Open

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Duration: 22 days Add to basket

03 Jul 21 Kashgar

24 Jul 21 Xi'an

$2,635 USD + 670 USD Kitty

Status: Open

Trip Notes:

Trip Itinerary

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Duration: 22 days Add to basket

28 Jul 21 Xi'an

18 Aug 21 Kashgar

$2,635 USD + 700 USD Kitty

Status: Open

Trip Notes:

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Duration: 22 days Add to basket

18 Aug 21 Xi'an

08 Sep 21 Kashgar

$2,635 USD + 700 USD Kitty

Status: Open

Trip Notes:

Trip Itinerary

Essential Info:

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Duration: 22 days Add to basket

28 Aug 21 Kashgar

18 Sep 21 Xi'an

$2,635 USD + 670 USD Kitty

Status: Open

Trip Notes:

Trip Itinerary

Essential Info:

Essential Info.

Duration: 22 days Add to basket

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Chinese Silk Route

Xi'an - Kashgar

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