Middle Kingdom Journeys

A Trip Along the Silk Road - From Xi'an to Kashgar

2010 Departures: All year round

Trip Length: 8 days

Activity Type: Touring

Trip Prsice: From $ 2,180 per person

It is a Customized Journey.

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Trip Highlights:

The Silk Road evokes exotic images of long caravan lines stretching across vast sand and dunes and dusty travelers relaxing in the shade of a desert oasis. Skirting the deadly Taklamakan Desert to the north and south, the Silk Road took tradesmen and monks, across mountains, deserts and seas from Europe to Aisa. The commercial system of oasis settlements across the desert enabled the spread of goods, religious beliefs, and science and technology. The Silk Road and its many towns and cities were forever immortalized in Marco Polo’s accounts of his travels.

- Xi’an, capital of ancient China for over a thousand years, was the eastern terminus of the Silk Road. A visit to the Terracotta Army and a scroll at the ancient City Wall is definitely a highlight of the trip.

- Dunhuang, a small oasis town served as vital links in the Silk Road. The magnificent Mogao Grottos hint at the importance of religion along the road.

- Turpan, the ruins and caves shows the ancient charm of this lost city. We have lunch with a Uygur family and enjoy a dance performance.

- The colorful Sunday market at Kashgar, the final settlement in China before the Silk Road across into Central Asia

Day-by-day Itinerary

Day 1:

Xi’an, Trip starts from meeting your guide at hotel lobby. Visit Terracotta Army, Muslim Quarter and Great Mosque. Dumpling dinner

Day 2:

Xi’an to Dunhuang, visit Shanxi History Museum and stroll at the ancient Ming Dynasty City Walls. Take flight to Dunhuang. We explore the local night market after dinner.

Day 3:

Dunhuang to Turpan, We head to the magnificent Mogao Grottos; and then spend the afternoon at Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring. Visit Dunhuang Museum if time permits. Take the overnight train to Turpan tonight.

Day 4:

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). Lunch at a Uygur family’s house and learn Uygur dance after lunch.

Day 5:

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 Ancient City Ruins that near Bezeklik Caves. We drive to Urumqi (2.5-hour’s drive) in the afternoon.

Day 6:

Urumqi to Kashgar, 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 7:

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 8:

Kashgar to Urumqi, Fly to Urumqi, free time for last-minute shopping or packing. Alternatively, we visit the newly opened Xinjiang Museum to learn about the different customs and costumes of the ethnic minority groups.

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