How to book a tour
Silk Road and Inner Mongolia Tour
Tour code: XJ014
Duration: 20 days
Route: Beijing, Hohhot, Xilamuren, Hohhot, Datong, Xian, Urumqi, Turpan, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang
Attractions: Tian An Men Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Summer Palace, Xilamuren Grassland, Zhaojun Tomb, 5-pagoda Temple, Grand Mosque,Yungang Grottoes, Big Wild Goose Pagoda, Terra Cotta Warriors Museum
Itinerary:
DAY 1
Arrive at Beijing
Arrive Beijing in the afternoon. Welcome to the capital of China. Your national guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to hotel.
DAY 2
Beijing
Visit Tian An Men Square, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Summer Palace. Dinner followed by Peking Opera performance.
Tian'anmen Square, the symbolical heart of China and gathering place for the masses. It is the biggest public square in the world, which can hold one million people. Having a free walk there, imagining the great historic events of the 20th century took place there. You will also see legendary landmarks including the Great Hall of the People and the towering 125 foot granite obelisk, Monument to the Peoples Heroes, honoring those who died in revolution.
Walking across the Golden River Bridge, enter Forbidden City, the inner sanctum and palace where for centuries Chinese emperors ruled their world. It has 9000-room maze of courtyards, places, and ceremonial halls, where 24 emperors used to live. Forbidden City was indeed a forbidden place, where commoners were kept out for nearly 500 years in the past. Tour the palace and imagine the mystery, intrigue and incredible power that reigned here.
Temple of Heaven was built in the 15th century, a sacred site for ancient Beijing, where the emperor and his 1000 member entourage would retreat twice a year for religious ritual. Surrounded by enormous grounds designed in accordance with fengshshui, the Temple complex consists of the Celebrated Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests, a unique wooden and blue-tiled structure built without a nail. It is considered the supreme achievement of traditional Chinese architecture.
Summer Palace is the largest and best-preserved royal garden in China with a history of over 800 years. With its cool features - water, gardens and hills, it was the palace of choice for vacationing emperors and Dowager Empresses. It was badly damaged by Anglo-French troops during the Second Opium War (1860) and its restoration became a pet project of Empress Dowager Cixi, the last of the Qing dynasty rulers.
Peking opera is a synthesis of stylized action, singing, dialogue and mime, acrobatic fighting and dancing to represent a story or depict different characters and their feelings of gladness, anger, sorrow, happiness, surprise, fear and sadness.
DAY 3
Beijing
Full day excursion to the mighty Great wall and Ming Tombs. A Peking Duck dinner is planned.
The Great Wallof China is the longest structure ever built. It is about 4,000 miles long, and it was built entirely by hand. About 1, 200 - 1, 500 miles of the Great Wall were built during the reign of Emperor Shi Huangdi (Qin Dynasty). The Great Wall crosses northern China from the east coast to the central part of China.
Visit The Ming Tombs , the resting places of thirteen emperors and their splendid treasures, passing down the Spirit Way, a road lined with statues of dignitaries, as well as huge elephants, lions, camels and horses, you will encounter the marble tombs of the Ming Dynasty emperors. Visit one of the spectacular tombs- Dingling featuring an underground palace.
DAY 4
Beijing/Hohhot
After breakfast transfer to airport for flight to Hohhot..
DAY 5
Hohhot/Xilamuren Grassland
Coach to Xilamuren Prairie. Stay at a traditional Mongolian Yurt. A local flavor dinner is planned.
DAY 6
Xilamuren/Hohhot
Visit a local Mongolian family and witness their hospitality. Start friendly conversation with the host through your local guide and learn the details of their life. Coach back to Hohhot and stay overnight at hotel.
DAY 7
Hohhot/Datong
Visit Zhaojun Tomb, 5-pagoda Temple and Grand Mosque. Depart via train to Datong, overnigt stay at hotel.
DAY 8
Datong/Xian
A visit to the impressive Yungang Grottoes is a tourist must in Datong. The cliff caves house some 50,000 statues and bas-reliefs carved out of stones. The earliest statues date back to 386A.D. Proceed to Xian via night train.Overnight stay at soft berth.
DAY 9
Xian
Arrive at Xian - the starting point of the ancient silk road and transfer to hotel to freshen up. Afternoon visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda and the ancient City Wall.
the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. Situated at south of the Xian city,as one of the main constructions in the famous Buddhist temple-Da-Ci-En Temple, the pagoda is one of the most distinctive and outstanding landmarks for Xian City.
DAY 10
Xian
Full day tour of the Terra Cotta Warriors Museum,Enjoy a Tang Dynasty Music Show after dinner.
Visit the Terra-Cotta Warriors. The Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses are the most significant archeological excavations of the20th century. It has been regarded as THE 8TH WONDER OF THE WORLD! Over 2,200 years ago, the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang in search of immortality, ordered the construction of a vast army of 8,000 life-sized Terra Cotta warriors and buried with him to protect his empire after his early death. They were discovered accidentally in 1974 by farmers digging a well. For history lovers, the sight is truly breathtaking.
DAY 11 Xian/Urumqi
Fly to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Afternoon arrival and check-in at the deluxe hotel.
DAY 12
Urumqi
Today, travel to the deep blue Lake of Heaven, surrounded by mountain peaks and alpine meadows. Enjoy a unique afternoon visit with the nomadic Khazak community.
DAY 13
Urumqi/Turpan
Morning city tour includes the Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum, with exhibits of local arts and crafts. Enjoy the excitement of a Middle Eastern-type bazaar. After lunch, take a motor coach to Turpan. Upon arrival, explore the Jiaohe Ruins, the remains of an ancient walled capital of the Uighur with its large monastery and palace. After dinner, enjoy Uighur Traditional Singing and Dancing Show. Overnight stay at hotel.
DAY 14
Turpan/Jiayuguan
Today's tour includes the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves (shown on right) in the Flaming Mountain and the Karez Underground Irrigation Channels, a 2000 year old system that delivers water from nearby snow capped moutains to Turpan and its agricultural fields. Taking overnight train with sleeping car to Jiayuguan.
DAY 15
Jiayuguan
Morning arrival in Jiayuguan and check into the first class Jiayuguan Hotel. Tour to Jiayuguan pass, which is at the western end of the Great Wall.
DAY 16
Jiayuguan/Dunhuang
Morning travel by deluxe motor coach on a scenic ride to the 2,000-year-old oasis town of Dunhuang. This oasis was a vital stopping-off post for caravans linking China and Central Asia. Overnight stay at hotel.
DAY 17
Dunhuang
Whole morning sightseeing features the Mogao Grottoes, which contain the most impressive and best preserved examples of Buddhist cave art on the Silk Road. Hundreds of sandstone caves hold more than 2000 statues and 45000 paintings of Buddha and Chinese mythological figures. Travel by deluxe motor coach to Crescent Moon Lake in the Singing Sand Dunes, where the oasis meets the desert. Take an optional camel ride. Evening entertainment includes a special cultural performance.
DAY 18
Dunhuang/Xi'an
Morning flight to Xi'an. P.M free at leisure. Overnight stay at hotel.
DAY 19 Xian/Beijing
After breakfast fly to Beijing. Rest of the day free at leisure.
DAY 20
Departure from Beijing
Transfer to airport for home bound flight to depart from Beijing.
Service ends.