18 Days Grand Silk Road Standard Adventure

After you arrive in Beijing, our local guide will pick you up and then drive to hotel for a good rest.

In the morning, you will be picked up in your hotel.

First visit the Tiananmen Square including Tiananmen Rostrum, the symbolic landmark of Beijing and China and other main buildings such as National Museum of China, Great Hall of the People, parliament building of China, etc. (30 minutes)

Afterwards, visit the Forbidden City, the largest imperial palace complex in the world. (2 hours)

After lunch, you will visit Summer Palace, the largest, most beautiful and exquisite imperial garden in the world. (1.5 hours)

You will have the well-known Peking Roast Duck as the dinner.

Appreciate the grand Chinese Kung Fu Show.

When tour is over, you will be transferred back to your hotel by tour guide and driver, free on your own at the rest of the day.

Pick up service by your tour guide and driver in the morning.

First visit Badaling Great Wall, which is the best preserved section of the Great Wall. Climb up the Great Wall, well-known for the longest defense wall in the world. What a great experience! You will become “a true man, heroes and heroines on the Great Wall” as the old Chinese saying goes. (Cable Car is included). (2 hours)

After lunch, visit Ming Tombs – Changling, the mausoleum of Emperor Yongle who was the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty.  He was the most famous historical figure among the Ming Emperors. (1 hour)

Then you will be driven back to your hotel. On the way, visit the Bird’s Nest from the exterior.

Pick up service by your tour guide and driver in the morning.

Early travel to Temple of Heaven,the largest building complex for worshiping the God of Heaven in the world.  You may see the Taichi exercises(1.5 hours).

Then experience the Hutong by rickshaw. Sitting in a rickshaw, the means of transport in the Qing Dynasty, you can see the ancient Beijing lanes and quadrangle houses that have been preserved for 700 years. (1.5 hours)

After these activities, you will be driven to the airport to take a flight to Xining. Arrive in Xining, you will be picked up from the airport and transfered to the hotel.

Begin travelling the silk road. In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel.

Firstly visit the Taer Monastery. In order to commemorate Tsong Khapa (1357-1419), founder of the Yellow Hat Sect, the Taer Monastery was built in 1577 more than 150 years after his death. Now the Ta'er Monastery is considered a sacred place in China.

Then you will be transfered to the train station to take a soft seat train to Lanzhou.

After your arrival in Lanzhou,our guide will pick you up in the train station and help you check in the hotel.

Next you will proceed to visit the Gansu Provincial Museum, the biggest comprehensive museum in the Gnasu.  It is one of the best sights in the city and a worthwhile visit.

When today's tour ends, you will be transfered to your hotel to have a good rest.

After breakfast, your guide will escort you to visit the Binglingsi Grottoes. The Bingling Grottoes (Bingling shiku), also known as the Bingling Temple (Bingling si), are a series of Buddhist caves that are located on a not easily accessible cliff face, some 80km from Lanzhou. At some point the caves were named the Thousand Buddha Caves (Qian fodong), despite the fact that there have never been more than 200 grottoes.  You will have a day's sightseeing there.

When today's tour ends, you will be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Xiahe.

After arrival, you will visit the Sangke Grassland, and a local Tibetan family.

The grassland is named for the summer-blooming Sangke flowers that form a natural carpet extending to the far horizons. Reflecting sky and mountains, the Daxia River twists through grass and earth like an undulating silk belt. Countless sheep, yaks and tents are visible over the prairie.

When today's tour ends, you will be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will  firstly be picked up from your hotel and then visit the Labrang Monastery, and watch the solemn morning devotion there.

The architectural layout of the Labrang Monastery belongs to the Tibetan style and the construction patterns are mainly Tibetan, Han's mode and a compound style of both Han's and Tibetan. The symbols of the whole construction are the White Towers both in the northeast and in the northwest. The grand sutra and Buddha halls are situated in the northwestern part centered around the Grand Sutra Hall. Other halls spread in a shape similar to a crescent moon.

Afterwards, you will be driven back to Lanzhou.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Wuwei.

Visit the Han Tombs, which tells us a lot of the daily life of the people who lived during the Han Dynasty.

Then you will have a sightseeing of the Bronze Galloping Horse. Among China's various craft masterpieces, the Bronze Galloping Horse is unique with its splendid designs. It is a classical work of Chinese ancient aesthetics.

Next you will visit the Confucius Temple.

After today's tour, you will be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Zhangye.

After your arrival, you will check in the hotel firstly.

Then you will visit the Giant Buddha Temple, China's largest reclining Buddha is well preserved in this temple.

Next proceed to the Wooden Tower of Sui Dynasty, the Bell Tower and the Drum Tower.  The 31-metre-tall Mu Ta , also named Wooden Tower  built as long ago as the sixth century, before being burnt down and then restored in 1925.

When today's tour ends, you will be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Jiayuguan.

After your arrival, you will check in the hotel firstly.

Visit the Jiayuguan Pass, which represents the western starting point of a section of the Great Wall constructed during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). The pass covers an area of 33,500 square meters (eight acres) and lies at the base of a narrow valley, and takes its name from one of the surrounding hills, the Jiayu. 

Then you will visit the First Fire Tower of Great Wall .  It is the first frustum of the Ming Great Wall from west to east and also the western beginning of the Ming Great Wall.

Next you will pay a visit to the Wei-Jin Art Gallery.  The gallery is actually two tombs that, although known about for quite a while, were not excavated until 1972. Within this area, there are over 1,400 tombs built between 220 AD and 419 AD, during the Wei and Jin Dynasties.

After today's activities, you will be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel and driven to Dunhuang.

Visit the Echoing-Sand Dune. Seen from afar, the dune is just like a golden dragon winding its way over the horizon. As you approach you become aware that the sand has many colors ranging from red to yellow, green, black and white.

Then you will visit Crescent Lake. Having been lying among these sand dunes for thousands of years, although given many surprise attacks by sandstorms, Crescent Spring still gurgles clear, and still remains worthy as the first spring in the desert.

You may have a short camel riding.

After today's activities, you wll be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will be pciked up from your hotel by our guide and driver.

Firstly you will visit the Mogao Grottoes, a shrine of Buddhist art treasures, 25 km (15.5miles) from downtown Dunhuang on the eastern slope of Mingsha Shan (Mount Echoing Sand).

Then you will visit the Dunhuang Museum. In front of the museum stand a group of carved figures depicting people leading their camels as they travel along the Silk Road.

 Afterwards, take an overnight soft sleeper train to Turpan.

In the morning, your guide will pick you up from the train station, and help you check in the hotel.

You will visit Karez Well, a kind of underground water works invented and built by laboring people of various ethnic groups in our country to adapt to the natural environment in dry region. 

Then you will visit Jiaohe Ruin, the best preserved town ruin in China.

Next you will visit the Sugong Pagoda. Sugong Pagoda's height is 44 meters and the base diameter is 10 meters. The pagoda body assumes the shape of a cylinder. The pagoda displays the typical features of Uygur architecture.

After today's activities, you will be transfered to your hotel.

In the morning, you will be picked up from your hotel.

Fiestly you will visit the Bizaklik Thousand Buddha Caves, which were carved over a 900 year-long period of time between about 400 and 1,300 AD. In these grottoes, people created artwork depicting daily life and their religion.

Then you will visit the Gaochang Ruins and the Flaming Hill.

Drive to Urumqi, check in the hotel.

Take a morning flight to Shanghai. Have half day’s free time in Shanghai.

In the morning you will be picked up from your hotel.

Firstle explore the Jade Buddha Temple. It is a must-see because it provides a great sanctuary from the active city of Shanghai(40 minutes).

Then have a discovery in the Yuyuan Garden, a famous classical garden with unique pavilions, halls, rock gardens and ponds(1 hour).

Next relax yourself in the Bund, a famous waterfront and regarded as the symbol of Shanghai(40 minutes).

At last, enjoy the Acrobatic Show.

After today's tour, you will be transfered back to your hotel.

Today you will be transfered to the airport for your departure flight, tour ends.