11 Days Essential Silk Road Tour from Xian to Urumqi

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Xian Arrival

   Welcome to Xian, the starting point of China's ancient Silk Road! Upon your arrival at Xian airport/train station, the local driver will pick you up from the exit gate by holding a welcome board with your name and transfer to the downtown hotel for check-in. Free and easy on your arrangement for the rest of the day. Have a good rest for tomorrow's Xian tour.

   Meal: N/A

   Accommodation: Overnight in Xian

2. Day 2: Xian Terracotta Army Tour
   Marvel at the World-famous Life-size Clay Warriors

   After breakfast, drive about 1 hour to Lintong to visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, known as one of the world's top ten rare treasures of ancient tombs. As the golden name card of China's ancient glorious civilization, the Terracotta Army has three pits, in which about 8,000 life-size terracotta warriors and more than 100 chariots have been unearthed. These clay soldiers are finely crafted and have different appearances. You will explore here for 2-2.5 hours.

   

   Enjoy lunch at a local restaurant and then head back to the Xian downtown area to the Ancient City Wall. It is one of the best-preserved ancient city walls in China, with a total circumference of 13.74 kilometers, a height of 12 meters, and four main gates. Visitors can climb the city for a scenic view of Xi'an and ride bicycles on the wall (optional).

   Later, move on to the Bell and Drum Tower Square, the symbol of this old capital. Walk forward to the Muslim Quarter where you will find many special local products and authentic local snacks. After all visits, you will be escorted back to your hotel.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Xian

   

3. Day 3: Xian to Lanzhou Tour by High Speed Train
   Learn about Xian's History through Cultural Relics & Pagodas

   Today morning, you will continue your Xian tour at the Xi'an Museum, a blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. It holds 130,000 pieces of cultural relics, showcasing Xi'an's glorious history as an ancient capital. In this scenic spot, you can also see the Small Wild Goose Pagoda, an important legacy of Buddhist architecture from the Tang Dynasty.

   After that, go to Big Wild Goose Pagoda. On the way to the attraction, your guide will introduce the history and culture of this ancient city. Big Wild Goose Pagoda was originally built to hold Buddhist sutra and figurines of the Buddha that Xuanzang brought back from India in the Tang Dynasty. Now there is a big square divided into North Square and South Square, surrounding the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.

   

   In the afternoon, you will be dropped off at Xian North Train Station to catch the high-speed train to Lanzhou. After a 3.5-hour train ride, you will arrive at Lanzhou Station, and the local driver will pick you up.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Lanzhou

4. Day 4: Lanzhou to Xiahe Tour
   Stroll along the Yellow River Line and Admire Grotto Art

   After hotel breakfast, your Silk Road tour in Lanzhou begins! First, have a glimpse of Lanzhou City by visiting the Huanghe River Custom Tourist Line, known as "Lanzhou Bund". You can enjoy the vastness and magnificence of the Yellow River by strolling along the line. Along the way, you can also enjoy famous attractions such as the Yellow River Mother Sculpture.

   Later, drive around 1.5 hours to visit Bingling Temple, a national 5A-level tourist attraction integrating grotto art and natural scenery. It has preserved murals and sculptures since the Western Qin Dynasty and is known as the "encyclopedia of China's grottoes", with 183 niches, 694 statues, and a large number of murals in existence.

   After the visit, continue to drive to Xiahe for an overnight stay.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Xiahe

   

5. Day 5: Xiahe to Lanzhou Tour
   Experience Tibetan Culture, Appreciate Grassland Scenery

   You will start today's Silk Road trip in Xiahe with Labrang Monastery, one of the six major monasteries of the Gelug School of Tibetan Buddhism, known as the "world's Tibetan academy". Built in 1709, it has more than 90 main halls and houses a large number of precious relics and works of art. This is an excellent place to experience Tibetan Buddhist culture and art.

   

   In the afternoon, pay a visit to Sangke Grasslands. With an average altitude of over 3,000 meters and an area of 70 square kilometers, the grassland is rich in water and grass and is the main animal husbandry base of Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The blue sky and green land are intertwined here, wildflowers are in full bloom, and the Daxia River meanders through, making the scenery absolutely beautiful. It is an ideal place to experience the Tibetan flavor and natural scenery.

   Friendly tip: The best visit time to Sangka Grasslands is from June to September.

   After the relaxing sightseeing, drive back to your hotel in Lanzhou.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Lanzhou

   

6. Day 6: Lanzhou to Jiayuguan Tour by High-speed Train
   Climb up the Majestic Fortress to Glimpse Its Importance

   In the morning, the driver will pick you up from the hotel lobby and transfer you to the train station for your morning high-speed train to Jiayuguan. The train rides for around 5.5 hours, you can enjoy the scenery on the way.

   When you arrive at Jiayuguan South Train Station, your Jiayuguan tour guide and driver will pick you up at the exit gate, and your exploration starts!

   Jiayuguan Pass, the starting point of the western end of the Ming Great Wall, has a history of more than 600 years. It is a majestic fortress, composed of outer city, inner city, urn city, and other parts, constituting a strict military defense system. Climbing the fort, you can see the Gobi Desert and Qilian Snow Mountain. It is not only the transportation hub of the ancient Silk Road, but also a witness of cultural exchanges between the East and the West.

   

   Next, continue your visit to the Great Wall Museum, the first Great Wall-themed museum with 7 major exhibition halls to show you more detailed knowledge about this great constructional engineering in Chinese history.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Jiayuguan

7. Day 7: Jiayuguan to Dunhuang Tour
   Experience Various Desert Activities at Mingsha Mountain

   After breakfast, drive around 4 hours to Dunhuang. You are suggested to wear comfortable shoes and take some snacks considering this will be a long journey.

   Dunhuang in ancient times was the transportation hub of the Silk Road connecting East and West and was also the place where the export of Chinese civilization and the import of Western civilization met.

   Upon arrival, your Dunhuang tour guide will take you to Crescent Spring and Echo Sand Mountain, famous for their desert wonders of sand and water symbiosis. The Mingsha Mountain is made of five-colored fine sand and stretches for dozens of kilometers, making it a spectacular sight. The Crescent Spring is in the embrace of the Mingsha Mountain, named for its shape resembling a crescent moon, with crystal clear water.

   Visitors can hike or ride a camel up the sandy mountain to overlook the beauty of the spring. In addition, there are many amusement programs in the scenic area, such as desert off-road vehicles, sand slides, and so on. (additional fee required, optional)

   

   Last, come to Shazhou Night Market for further exploration. You can sample authentic Northwest-style snacks such as lamb kebabs and roasted lamb legs, as well as enjoy exquisite handicrafts and local specialty artworks.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Dunhuang

8. Day 8: Dunhuang to Turpan Tour by High-speed Train
   Appreciate Murals and Colored Sculptures at Mogao Caves

   Today you will head to the amazing Mogao Grottoes, commonly known as Thousand Buddha Caves, a world cultural heritage. Founded in 366 A.D., the Mogao Caves have been expanded through many dynasties, and today there are 735 caves, 45,000 square meters of murals, and 2,415 colored sculptures. It is not only a holy place of Buddhist art, but also an important witness to the cultural exchange between the East and the West.

   After the Silk Road tour in Dunhuang, we will take a high-speed train to Turpan. Upon arrival, the local driver will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel for check-in.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Turpan

   

9. Day 9: Turpan Highlights Tour
   Discover Ancient Ruins and City Highlights

   The first site on your Turpan tour will be Karez Well, an underground irrigation system created by ancient Xinjiang people. This project can be called the source of life for the arid northwestern region. Later, move on to Sugong Pagoda. You will witness this typical Islamic architecture with the largest scale among all pagodas in Xinjiang.

   Afterward, continue your visit to Jiaohe Ruins, the largest, oldest, and best-preserved raw-soil building in the world with a history of more than 2,000 years. You will wander around this ancient city stepping back in time to trace past civilizations. If time permits, we will lead you to visit Tuyu Valley, the oldest Uyghur village in Xinjiang and a nice place to soak up Buddhist and Islamic culture.

   Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

   Accommodation: Overnight in Turpan

   

10. Day 10: Turpan to Urumqi Tour
    Explore a Scenic Alpine Lake with Optional Boat Ride

    After hotel breakfast, drive around 3 hours to Urumqi. Upon arrival, continue driving for 1.5 hours to the amazing Heavenly Lake of Tianshan Mountain, a 5A-level scenic spot known for its high mountains, lakes, and magnificent natural scenery.

    Your expert tour guide will explain the myths related to the area, such as the bathing of the Queen Mother of the West. Optional boat activities (self funded) are available here. It will make you totally relaxed no matter if you are sitting in a boat, walking in the mountains, or just standing by the lake.

    Then drive back to Urumqi. You can stroll around the International Grand Bazaar on your own. The bazaar is built in the Islamic style and is the best place for sightseeing and shopping.

    Meal: Breakfast + Lunch

    Accommodation: Overnight in Urumqi

    

11. Day 11: Urumqi Departure

    In the morning, you can visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum on your own if you're interested. As the only autonomous region-class museum in Xinjiang, the museum houses over 40,000 collections including all kinds of relics and specimens, exhibited in five separate halls. You can find many treasures ever glittering on the famous Silk Road. The No.1 star exhibition in the museum is the unprecedented ancient corpse with even tiny fingernails well preserved.

    The 11-day amazing private Silk Road trip will end here. We will arrange an airport transfer for you and wish you a pleasant journey home!

    Meal: Breakfast

    Accommodation : N/A