14-Day Class Silk Road Tours

Afternoon — Arrival in Beijing
Welcome to Beijing, the capital of China! To make your arrival as smooth as possible, your private guide greets you in the arrivals hall and escorts you to your hotel by private vehicle. Your guide also handles your luggage and assists with the hotel check-in process.

Evening — At Your Leisure
Lunch or dinner will be arranged according to the voucher provided for you; otherwise, you can find some local restaurants nearby or dine at the hotel. The rest of the day is yours to rest and recover from your journey.

Morning — Arrival & Xinjiang Regional Museum
Arrive in Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang and a crossroads of Uyghur, Kazakh, and Han cultures. At the Xinjiang Regional Museum, view the 4,000-year-old “Loulan Beauty” mummy and fine Buddhist artifacts that trace Silk Road history. The museum's Islamic-inspired architecture adds to the cultural immersion.

Afternoon — International Grand Bazaar
Explore the International Grand Bazaar, a bustling complex of Uyghur-style towers and markets. Browse handwoven carpets, embroidered hats, and traditional dutar instruments, then sample Uyghur street food such as cumin-and-chili lamb kebabs and tandoor-baked naan.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Urumqi.

Morning — Heavenly Lake (Tianchi)
Nestled in the Tianshan Mountains, this glacial lake dazzles with turquoise waters framed by evergreen forests and snow-capped peaks. Take a boat ride to absorb the serene landscape or hike the trails for panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, and keep an eye out for the camps of local Kazakh herders, who still follow their traditional nomadic way of life nearby.

Afternoon — Kazakh Dining Experience
Dine at Tianshan Yakexi Restaurant, renowned for authentic Kazakh cuisine. Relish beshbarmak — tender lamb served over hand-ripped noodles with onion broth, a dish whose name means five fingers because it is traditionally eaten by hand — and sip kumiss, the fermented mare's milk that symbolizes hospitality. The cozy yurt-style decor enhances the cultural ambiance.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Urumqi.

Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.

Morning — Jiaohe Ancient City
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Jiaohe is a 2,000-year-old city carved directly from a loess plateau between two rivers. Once a major Silk Road garrison of the ancient Jushi Kingdom, its eroded temples, dwellings, and Buddhist stupas survive as a remarkable earthen ruin. Your guide explains its defensive geography and slow decay.

Afternoon — Karez Water System & Grape Valley
The Karez is an ancient underground irrigation network of wells and channels built over 2,000 years ago to bring meltwater to Turpan's desert farms. Nearby, Grape Valley's shaded vineyards are famous for sweet seedless grapes. Visit a local family orchard to taste sun-dried raisins and learn traditional grape-winemaking.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Turpan.

Morning — Flame Mountains
The Flaming Mountains are barren red sandstone ridges east of Turpan, named for their shimmering heat that can exceed 50°C in summer. Immortalized in the classic novel Journey to the West, the range features a giant golden thermometer monument marking recorded highs. It is a dramatic, otherworldly stop on the Silk Road.

Afternoon — Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
Carved into the cliffs of the Mutou Valley, Bezeklik's roughly 77 grottoes hold murals from the 5th to 14th centuries. The paintings depict scenes from the Buddha's life, Silk Road merchants, and Uyghur donors in a fusion of Indian, Persian, and Chinese styles. Though partly damaged, the art remains a vivid record of Turpan's Buddhist past.

Evening — Transfer to Dunhuang
In the evening, depart Turpan for Dunhuang by overnight train or private vehicle, crossing the starlit Gobi Desert. The evening is spent in transit to your next destination.

Morning — Mogao Caves
A treasure trove of Buddhist art, the Mogao Caves comprise 492 decorated cave temples holding 45,000 square meters of murals and 2,400 painted statues, with carving at the site beginning in the 4th century and continuing for many centuries afterwards. Guided tours highlight masterpieces such as the Flying Apsaras and explain Dunhuang's role as a spiritual hub on the Silk Road, where travelers and monks passed between China and Central Asia. Because daily access is limited, tickets should be booked well in advance.

Afternoon — Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Lake
Experience the magic of the Mingsha Shan dunes, where shifting sands are said to create a mysterious singing sound. Ride a camel to the summit for sunset views over the desert, then descend to the crescent-shaped oasis, its spring and pavilions sheltered by towering dunes that have surrounded it for centuries. The changing light at dusk makes this one of the most memorable scenes in Gansu.

Evening — Flexible Evening
After returning from the dunes, the evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Dunhuang.

Meals — Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
All three meals are included on this day.

Morning — Yangguan Pass
Yangguan was a Han Dynasty frontier pass where Silk Road traders once presented travel documents to exit toward Central Asia. Reconstructed watchtowers offer sweeping desert vistas over the ancient corridor. The onsite museum displays coins and weapons that evoke the pass's strategic past.

Afternoon — Flexible Afternoon
The afternoon is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Dunhuang, with time to rest or explore the town at your own pace.

Evening — Dunhuang Night Market
As night falls, the Dunhuang Night Market comes alive with local flavors and crafts. Try liangpi (chewy cold noodles with chili sauce) or yangrou paomo (lamb stew with crumbled bread). Stalls sell camel-leather journals, replicas of Mogao murals, and jade trinkets.

Morning — Jiayuguan Fort
Known as the “First Pass Under Heaven,” Jiayuguan Fort guarded the western terminus of the Ming Great Wall. Built in the early 15th century, its imposing gates and archery towers controlled the last chokepoint of the Hexi Corridor. Your guide will share the legend of the “Last Brick,” said to mark the builders' perfect calculation of materials.

Afternoon — Overhanging Great Wall
This rugged, largely unrestored section of the Great Wall clings to the slopes of the Black Mountains outside Jiayuguan. The steep climb rewards you with dramatic views over the desert and the Heishan Valley. It offers a raw contrast to the restored fort and a sense of the wall's original frontier hardship.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Jiayuguan.

Morning — Gansu Provincial Museum (Lanzhou)
Lanzhou's provincial museum showcases Gansu's role as a Silk Road crossroads through Silk Road relics and Tibetan Buddhist art. Its most famous treasure is the Eastern Han Dynasty “Bronze Galloping Horse,” a national-icon statue with a bird under one hoof. Your guide explains the province's ethnic and trade history.

Afternoon — High-Speed Train to Tianshui
Take a high-speed train on the roughly 1.5-hour journey southeast to Tianshui. After checking into your hotel, the evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure—perhaps a stroll through local markets.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Tianshui.

Morning — Maijishan Grottoes
A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Maijishan is renowned for over 7,200 Buddhist statues and some 1,000 square meters of murals carved into a 142-meter reddish cliff. Created from the 4th to 12th centuries, the caves fuse Indian Gandharan and Chinese aesthetics. Walk the cliffside walkways to admire serene bodhisattva figures and vivid Silk Road caravan scenes.

Afternoon — High-Speed Train to Xi'an
In the afternoon, board a high-speed train for the roughly four-hour ride to Xi'an, watching the Loess Plateau roll past your window. Your guide will assist with hotel check-in upon arrival, leaving the evening free.

Evening — Flexible Evening
The evening is yours to enjoy at your leisure in Xi'an.

Morning — Warrior Replica Making & Terracotta Army
Begin at a local warrior replica-making center near the museum, where you craft a miniature terracotta warrior by hand and learn about the traditional techniques. Then visit the world-famous Terracotta Army, the burial complex of Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site ranked among the greatest archaeological discoveries of the 20th century.

Cultural Insight
The army was discovered in 1974 by farmers digging a well, and the thousands of life-sized soldiers, each with a distinct face, were buried to guard the emperor in the afterlife.

Afternoon — Big Wild Goose Pagoda
Drive back to the city and visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda in the Da Ci'en Temple. This is where the famous Tang Dynasty monk Xuanzang translated the Buddhist scriptures he brought back from ancient India.

Evening — Tang Dynasty Dinner & Show
Enjoy a Tang Dynasty-styled dinner and music show, a cultural landmark that blends dining with performance. The evening features the renowned Great Tang Empress dance show.

Morning — The Ancient City Wall
The ancient city wall in Xi'an is one of the few fortresses of its kind to survive in China, dating to the Ming Dynasty and encircling the old city. Walking along the top or riding a bicycle on it is a unique way to take in the city from above.

Afternoon — Departure to Shanghai
Your guide assists with checkout and transfer to the airport or railway station for your onward journey to the next destination.

Morning — Shanghai Museum
Visit the Shanghai Museum to admire its celebrated collections of ancient Chinese calligraphy, painting, bronzes, and jade. The galleries offer a rich overview of China's artistic traditions across several millennia.

Afternoon — Yu Garden
Wander Yu Garden, a Ming Dynasty classical garden with rockeries, koi ponds, and zigzag bridges. Together with its surrounding bazaar, it offers a tranquil counterpoint to the modern city.

Evening — Shanghai Tower
Ascend the Shanghai Tower, one of the world's tallest buildings at 632 meters, for a 360° view of the Huangpu River and the Lujiazui financial district. As daylight fades, the skyline below lights up for a memorable panorama.

Morning — Departure from Shanghai
Your guide assists with hotel checkout, and a private vehicle transfers you to Shanghai Pudong International Airport for your onward journey. Your guide helps with your luggage and sees you to the departure hall, ensuring a smooth end to your time in China.