8 Days Silk Road Small Group Tour

Day-by-day Itinerary

1. Day 1: Dunhuang Arrival

   Our guide will pick you up when you arrive at Dunhuang train station. You will find the guide is waiting for you at the exit. When you meet, the guide and driver will drive you to the hotel and help you to check in. the rest of the day，take your time to relax yourself.

   Accommodation: Tianrun Hotel

2. Day 2: Dunhuang-Turpan by Overnight Train
   Mogao Grottoes, Echoing Sand Hill, Crescent Lake (Breakfast)

   AM: Today we will firstly go to visit the Mogao Grottoes, one of the four most famous caves in China and a rare pearl on the Silk Road.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   

   PM: Afterwards we will continue to visit Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake. When you slide down the slope, you can hear the roaring echo of sands, hence the name. A short camel ride will leave you a unforgettable memory. Riding along the mountain to reach the Crescent Lake, your eyes will be feasted on the crescent-shaped spring surrounded by the endless Gobi desert. It has not dried up over the past one thousand years and still gushes with fresh current.

   At last the local driver and guide will escort you to train station to take the train K69 or similar train to Turpan.

   Accommodation: On the train

   

3. Day 3: Turpan
   Astana Tombs, Bizaklik Thousand Cave, Flaming Mountain, Uyger Family

   AM: Our local guide and driver will meet you at train station and after a short rest in hotel we will transfer to visit Astana Tomb, the public tome area shared by all ethnics and of different social class living in Gaochang Kingdom. Next you will go to the Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Cave, a series of caves with thousands of Buddhism murals. The vivid murals show many Buddhism figures, stories, and the social life about 1,000 years ago in Ancient Gaochang Kingdom.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: The third stop will be the hottest place in China– the Flaming Hill, situated at the north of ancient Silk Road. At last pay a visit to local Uyger family to see the current life of local people.

   Accommodation: Karez Hotel

   

4. Day 4: Turpan - Urumqi by Car
   Karez Well, Sugong Pagoda, Jiaohe Ruins, Erdaoqiao Market (Breakfast)

   AM: Today we are going to visit three famous places. In the morning, you will have an exploration of the well-known Karez Well, the gigantic underground irrigation system created by ancient Xinjiang people. There are over 1,100 Karez Wells in Turpan, providing precious water source to this dry and hot area during the past 400 years. The next stop of today will be the existed largest ancient pagoda in Xinjiang, Sugong Pagoda. The pagoda is a 44-meter-high (144 feet) Islamic pagoda, which bears a history of over 200 years.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   

   PM: Then you will visit Jiaohe Ruins, which is one of the most important towns along the ancient Silk Road. It is also the largest, oldest and best-preserved earth construction in the world. Although 2,000 years have passed, the former brilliants of Jiaohe can still be found from the ruins. Then the local driver and guide will escort you to Urumqi, arriving there we will pay a visit to Erdaoqiao Market International Bazaar.

   Accommodation: Jinggu Hotel

   

5. Day 5: Urumqi - Kashgar by Flight
   Xinjiang Museum, Heavenly Lake (Breakfast)

   AM: In the morning our local guide will pick you up from hotel and then go to visit Xinjiang Museum to see the unearthed cultural relics full of Uygures ethnic taste. The large numbers of cultural relics collected in the museum will introduce Xinjiang’s past to visitors. And the mummies are the highlight and the must see things in the museum.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: Then we will pay a visit the Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) in the rest of the day.

   Then the driver and the guide will escort you to airport to take the afternoon flight to Kashgar (Flight tickets cost will be left on your own). Our local guide and driver in Kashgar will pick you up from airport and escort you to hotel.

   Accommodation: Tianyuan International Hotel

   

6. Day 6: Kashgar
   Karakuri Lake (Breakfast)

   AM: In the morning, you will meet the guide in the lobby to start your journey. The first full day tour covers only one scenic spot: Karakuri Lake. The lake is 3 hours riding from downtown Kashgar. Together with the snow-capped Muztag Ata Mountain, they make up a fresh picturesque world.In the morning, you will meet the guide in the lobby to start your journey. The first full day tour covers only one scenic spot: Karakuri Lake. The lake is 3 hours riding from downtown Kashgar. Together with the snow-capped Muztag Ata Mountain, they make up a fresh picturesque world.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: Return to your hotel.

   Accommodation: Tianyuan International Hotel

   

7. Day 7: Kashgar
   Sunday Market, Id kah Mosque, Old Town of Kashgar, Abakh Khoja Tomb, Handicraft Street (Breakfast)

   AM: In the morning our local guide will pick you up from hotel lobby and escort you to Sunday Market, namely Sunday Bazaar, which used to be the largest international trade market in northwest China. Traders at home and abroad come to exchange all kinds of goods, such as Silk, salt, fur, perfume, ivory. Next we will visit the Id Kah Mosque, a typical Islamic architecture like domes, minarets and arches, as well as pious prayers. It has a 500 years history.

   Noon: Lunch on your own.

   PM: The last stop in Kashgar will be the Abakh Khoja Tomb, which is an ancient Islamic building complex and a cemetery. Five generations of a famous Islamic master were buried here. It is considered as the largest dome architecture in the east of the cemetery. The last stop will be the local Handicraft Street.

   Accommodation: Tianyuan International Hotel

   

8. Day 8: Kashgar Departure

   After breakfast at the hotel, you may have all your belongings and luggage packed, check out of the hotel by yourself. Our guide and driver will drive you to the airport to take the homeward flight.