15 Days Silk Road Adventure Muslim Tour

Our professional Muslim expert tour guide will pick you up at Beijing capital international airport and transfer you to the hotel. Relax during the remainder of the afternoon and evening to recover from the jet lag.

We will start to explore Beijing from the largest city square in the world; the impressive Tiananmen Square. From there we will enter the "Imperial Palace" known as the Forbidden City to explore its many fascinating halls and pavilions. After lunch and prayer at Niujie Mosque we will visit the Temple of Heaven, the place where the Emperors worshipped the Heaven for good harvests. Today’s shopping stops are the Muslim Supermarket and Traditional Chinese herbal medicine of Tongrentang.

Today is the highlight of our China tour, the climbing of the Great Wall of China. In 220 B.C., under Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, sections of earlier fortifications were joined together to form a united defense system against invasions from the north. Construction of the great wall continued up to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when the Great Wall became the worlds largest military structure. Its historic and strategic importance is matched only by its architectural significance. In the afternoon we will visit the Ming Tomb Sacred Way where we will learn the ancient Chinese Fengshui Theory. On the way to the Great Wall, we will make a stop at Bona jade carving factory where we will learn the ancient art of jade carving skills.

In the morning we will visit the largest garden in the world, the Summer Palace. The Summer Palace first built in 1750, largely destroyed in the war of 1860 and restored on its original foundations in 1886, is a masterpiece of Chinese landscape garden design. The natural landscape of hills and open water is combined with artificial features such as pavilions, halls, palaces, temples and bridges to form a harmonious ensemble of outstanding aesthetic value. After prayers at Madian Mosque, we will fly to Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang Uyghur (Muslim) Autonomous Region in the afternoon.

Urumqi is the capital city of Northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Today’s ascension to Tianshan Mountain reveals the beautiful Heavenly Lake. We’ll stop at Red Hill on the Urumqi River for a panoramic view of the city and the 9-story hillside Zhenlong Pagoda. Fly to Kashgar, the Urgur capital of Xinjiang after dinner in Urumqi.

In the morning we will visit the largest mosque in Kashgar, the Idkah Mosque and Abakh Hoja Mausoleum. After lunch we will join hundreds of thousands of local Uyghurs for one of the worlds greatest bazaars, the Sunday Great Bazaar of Kashgar. This is a meeting place for all of Xinjiangs Muslim minorities and their neighbors from Pakistan. Sunday is no day of rest but Karshgars busiest, and the town empties as residents and visitors join rivers of arrivals from neighboring areas flowing to the Sunday Great Bazaar.

Fly to Urumqi in the morning. Upon arrival we will visit the Xinjiang Regional Museum which is famous for its rich collections of silk artifacts, brocades from Eastern Han Dynasty, as well as all kinds of specialized silk-woven items from the Tang Dynasty. After prayers at Tartar Mosque, we will visit the Urumqi International Bazaar.

After breakfast we will drive to Turpan which survives with the assistance of karez, covered water channels that bring melt-water from the Tianshan Mountains to the north and west into the Turpan basin. After lunch, we will visit Emin Minaret. This 40 meter-high brick minaret is part of a large mosque, built in 1778. The minaret has an elegant conical shape; its brick laid in patterns that make it looked knitted. Then visit the Ancient City of Gaochang which was built of mud and adobe bricks thousands of years ago. The city was abandoned somewhat in history and what is left now is just ruins of the ancient temples, houses, palaces and the old city wall.

We will visit another ruins of ancient city, Jiaohe and the underground irrigation system of Karez after breakfast. We will also visit a Uygur family to know Muslim Uygur people’s daily life. After dinner in Turpan we will board soft sleeper train to Dunhuang. Throughout Dunhuangs history of over two thousand years, it has always served as a critical gateway leading to the west due to its unique geographical location at the juncture of Gansu, Qinghai and Xinjiang. Therefore Dunhuang is one of the most important crossroads on the Silk Road.

Arrive in Dunhuang early in the morning and transfer to hotel for breakfast. After lunch and prayer at Dunhuang Mosque, we will visit the scenic Singing Sand Dunes, called by Marco Polo the “rumbling sands,” and the Crescent Moon Lake.

We will spend the whole morning at the World Heritage Site of Mogao Caves. The Mogao Caves (also known as the Dunhuang Grottoes) boast the largest collection of Buddhist grottoes in existence in China. Many of the 492 grottoes here date back as early as one thousand years ago (covering a period of ten dynasties). The most famous aspect of Dunhuangs grottoes is the murals that feature Buddhist stories, folk culture, farming, hunting as their main themes. Fly to Xian in the afternoon. Xian is the starting point of world famous Silk Road. From 11th century BC to 907 AD there were 13 Chinese dynasties which built their capital in Xian. The glorious Tang Dynasty (AD618-AD907) witnessed the highlight of Chinese civilization here in Xian.

After breakfast at hotel we will drive for about 45 minutes to the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terra Cotta Warriors of Emperor Qin Shihuang. This is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries in the world with three exhibition halls, the largest of which is 180 meters by 60 meters, housing the continuing excavation of an army of 8,000 terra-cotta soldiers and horses that guard the tomb of Qin Shihuang, the first emperor of the unified China. It is a stunning exhibition of ancient artifacts that is well laid out and easy to view. Back to the city in the afternoon, we will visit the most famous mosque in Xian, the Tang Dynasty constructed Great Mosque of Xian (built in 742) and its nearby Muslim community and Bazaar. After dinner we will enjoy a superb Tang Dynasty Stage Show at Shaanxi Grand Opera Theater.

Fly to Shanghai in the morning. Upon arrival in Shanghai, we will visit the third tallest TV tower in the world; the Oriental Pearl Tower. We will also stroll along the Bund and Nanjing Road to appreciate early 19th century European Style architectures.

After breakfast at hotel we will visit the Yuyuan Garden, which is characteristic of the architectural style of the Ming dynasty. The highlight of the day is shopping at the Chenghuangmiao Market, a great place to test your bargaining skills. Being the center of silk production of China, a visit to local silk factory can not be missed. We will also visit the Site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China and the Xintiandi, which is a newly developed recreation area in Shanghai with old styled buildings. We will be free at leisure in the afternoon.

After breakfast, we will be transferred to the airport for our homeward flight.