China - Forgotten Cities of the Silk Road

Itinerary

Day 1 – Urumqi
Arrive in Urumqi and transfer to the hotel. Depending on your time of arrival, you may have time to explore the city. Overnight at City Hotel or similar.

Day 2 – Urumqi - Kashgar
Visit nearby Heavenly Lake and take a boat cruise before taking a flight over the Taklamakan Desert to Kashgar, an important trading centre for merchants from all over Central Asia. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BL)

Day 3 – Kashgar
Kashgar's Sunday Market is famed as the largest and most important trading centre in the region, with traders coming from surrounding countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan to sell their wares. We have a full day to take in the sights and sounds of this amazing spectacle. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BD)

Day 4 – Kashgar
Visit some of the sights in and around Kashgar, including the Mor Buddhist pagoda, the old city of Artush, the tomb of Sultan Sutuk Bughra Khan and also a local Uighur family. Return to Kashgar for the evening. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BLD)

Day 5 – Lake Karakul
We drive on the famed Karakoram Highway to Lake Karakol, an icy blue lake at the foot of the Pamir Mountains. Later continue to Tashkurgan for the night. Overnight Jiaotong Hotel or similar. (BLD)

Day 6 – Kashgar
Drive back to Kashgar. We visit the 15th century Idkah Mosque as well as the Abakh Hoja Mausoleum. The streets around the mosque offer a great snapshot of Uighur life, and we spend some time walking through them. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BL)

Day 7 – Turpan
After a free morning transfer to the station to take the sleeper train to Turpan, through the spectacular scenery of the Tian Shan Mountains. Overnight at Turpan Hotel or similar. (BL)

Day 8 – Turpan
Excursion to some of the many intriguing sites surrounding Turpan. We visit the oasis of Grape Valley, the Flaming Mountains, the ruins of the ancient city of Gaocheng, and the Kerez irrigation system. Overnight at Turpan Hotel or similar. (BL)

Day 9 – Turpan - Jiayuguan
Visit the ruined city of Jiaohe and the 18th century Emin minaret before taking the sleeper train to Jiayuguan. (BLD)

Day 10 – Jiayuguan
Arrive in Jiayuguan, known as the end of the Great Wall. Visit the Hanging Wall, an overhanging section of the Great Wall and the Wei-Jin tombs, with excellent frescoes depicting everyday life from the 3rd century. Overnight Oriental Hotel or similar. (LD)

Day 11 – Dunhuang
Drive to Dunhuang. Visit the Mogao Caves, site of the first Buddhist temples in China which contain fantastic examples of ancient artwork. Overnight Dunhuang Hotel or similar. (BLD)

Day 12 – Dunhuang - Urumqi
Visit the museum at Dunhuang. We then take a short camel ride into the sand dunes to visit the Singing Sand Dune, reputed to make a humming noise at times, and Crescent Moon Lake. Later take the sleeper train back to Urumqi. (BLD)

Day 13 – Urumqi
Arrive back in Urumqi. The rest of the day is free to explore the museums and bazaars. Overnight at City Hotel or similar.

Day 14 – Urumqi
Tour ends. (B)