8-Day Private Silk Road Tour: Xi'an,Zhangye,Jiayuguan,Dunhuang,Turpan,Urumqi

8 days (approximately)
Pickup offered
Offered in: English

From Xi’an to Urumqi, the eastern end to the western end of the Silk Road in China, this Silk Road tour offers you the chance to see the highlights along the Silk Road. Visit the most significant archeological excavations of the 20th century-Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses;explore one of the most popular trade center betwwen ancient China and West; You will see marvelous landscapes, the extraordinary culture, and have authentic interaction with the locals. With an English-speaking guide leading the way, learn the history of China’s ancient capital and explore its celebrated food culture.4 to 5 star hotel accommodation (optional)

What's Included

Entry/Admission - Flaming Mountains (Huoyan Shan)/Emin Minaret (Su Gong Ta)
Lunch (Optional[8])
Lunch
Entry/Admission - Jiayuguan Fortress/Great Wall at Jiayuguan Pass
Breakfast (Optional[7])
Breakfast
Entry/Admission - Mingsha Shan - Echoing-Sand Mountain/Ride Camels
Private English Speaking Tour Guide
Entry/Admission - Ancient City of Jiaohe (Yarkhoto)/Tianshan Tianchi Lake
Entry/Admission - Yadan National Geological Park/ Yumen Pass/Great Wall of Han Dynasty
Air Ticket from Xi'an to Zhangye(Economy Class)
Hotel pickup and drop-off.
Entry/Admission - Emperor Qinshihuang's Mausoleum Site Museum
Optional Accommodation 7 nights (only if related tour option is chosen)
Transport by private vehicle.
Bullet train tickets from Liuyuan to Turpan(Second-class seats)
Entry/Admission - Mogao Caves/Grape Valley/Karez System
Entry/Admission - Dafo Temple of Zhangye/Zhangye Danxia Geopark
Gratuities
Dinner

Meeting and pickup

Pickup points
You can choose a pickup location at checkout (multiple pickup locations are available).

Itinerary

Duration: 8 days (approximately)
    Day 1

    Xi'an-Zhangye

    2 stops
  • 1
    The Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses

    Meet your private guide at your hotel and set out for the drive to the Terracotta Warriors Museum. Descend into 3 excavated pits to see the massive earthenware army buried with Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the late third century BCE. Marvel at the collection of thousands of sculpted warriors, chariots, and horses, which is regarded as one of the Eighth Wonders of the World. After your morning tour, your guide will take you to a nice local restaurant where you can enjoy some well-known local food, such as Biang Biang noodles and Rou Jia Mo.it is a characteristic of Xi'an cuisine, with over hundred years of history.

    3 hours Admission ticket included
  • 2

    After lunch, be driven to the airport for the morning flight to Zhangye. Upon your arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in Zhangye.

    3 hours Admission ticket free
  • Day 2

    Zhangye-Jiayuguan

    3 stops
  • 3
    Zhangye Danxia Geopark

    After breakfast, you will visit the 'Color Palette Overturned by God’ — the Zhangye Danxia Geopark, which is home to the Rainbow Mountains. It is praised as God's palette with its interlaced lines, colorful tones and magnificent paintings.

    3 hours Admission ticket included
  • 4
    Dafo Temple of Zhangye

    After enjoy a local lunch and continue to visit the Dafo Temple of Zhangye, which is the biggest Nivana Buddha in Asia. Admire the largest reclining Buddha in China at the Giant Buddha Temple.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 5

    Then driven to the Jiayuguan, Upon your arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel in Jiayuguan.

    3 hours Admission ticket free
  • Day 3

    Jiayuguan-Dunhuang

    3 stops
  • 6
    Jiayuguan Fortress

    Meet up your friendly private guide and driver at your hotel in the early morning, you will visit Jiayuguan Fortress. Standing among vast desert and surrounded by rolling mountains, Jiayuguan Fortress looks like a dignified general guarding the grand land. It was constructed with the most integrated defensive system: an inner city, an outer city, and a moat. Besides functioning as a frontier military fortress, it was also an important traffic hub along the Silk Road, the oldest worldwide trading route.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 7
    Great Wall at Jiayuguan Pass

    Then drive to the Great Wall at Jiayuguan Pass, is which the most western pass of the Ming Great Wall, is known as one of the Chinese traffic fortress, the three wonders of the Great Wall (East Shanhaiguan, Zhenbeitai, Jiayuguan).

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 8

    This is the biggest night market in the area. You will see a lot of local small commodities and it is a great place to experience the local food culture. After to your comfortable hotel.

    1 hour Admission ticket free
  • Day 4

    Dunhuang

    4 stops
  • 9
    Yadan National Geological Park

    After breakfast, you will visit the the geological phenomena of Yadan Park have been created over time by erosion of the soft earth by rain and wind, leaving unusual rock formations.In the park, you can get a view of uniquely-shaped rocks like Mongolian tent, Stone Bird, Peacock and others. Make full use of your imagination, you may find some rocks with some miniatures similar to famed architectures, like the Potala Palace in Tibet, Heaven Temple in Beijing or something else.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 10
    Yumen Pass

    Then, you will visit the Yumen Pass and Great Wall of Han Dynasty, In history, the Han Dynasty built many walls to consolidate the safety of the frontier region as well as exploring ways to do business with western region. During the Han dynasty, this was a pass-through which the Silk Road passed and was the one road connecting Central Asia and China.You will feel the history of the Yumen Pass as a trading post.

    1 hour Admission ticket included
  • 11
    Mingsha Shan - Echoing-Sand Mountain

    After Lunch, be driven to the Mingsha Shan - Echoing-Sand Mountain. Ride on the backs of camels and climb to get to the top of the dune. Along the way, there are splendid sights: golden sand, the rolling desert, a tranquil lake and the beautiful sunset.

    1 hour Admission ticket included
  • 12

    Also, you’ll never miss out on the Crescent Moon Pool, Just like its name indicates, the Crescent Pool is in a natural shape of half-moon.According to historical record, the lake has been in existence for hundreds of years without ever being buried by the sand. Your wonderful tour will ends here, your tour guide and driver will take you back to your hotel in Dunhuang.

    1 hour Admission ticket included
  • Day 5

    Dunhuang-Turpan

    2 stops
  • 13
    Mogao Caves

    Meet your guide and driver in your hotel lobby and transfer you to Visitors' Center of Mogao Grottoes, an UNESCO listed World Heritage Site, start your exciting sightseeing tour from to Mogao Caves and Digital Film Center, Located in the Gobi desert, the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas feature beautiful wall fresco paintings and more than 3,000 sculptures dating from the forth to the fourteenth century.Then, a professional cave guide will lead you to explore about 7 to 9 caves closely.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 14
    Turpan

    After lunch, you will to Liuyuan train station take the bullet train to Turpan. Then you will be drop-off at Turpan hotel.

    3 hours Admission ticket free
  • Day 6

    Turpan

    4 stops
  • 15

    After breakfast , your first stop of Turpan day tour is to Flaming Mountain is now a famous tourist attraction, with its harsh yet unique natural conditions. Afterwards, go to see the Astana Tombs, which is the site where the ancient people of the Gaochang city are buried. It is famous for its terracotta figurines and tomb paintings.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 16

    After lunch, you’ll head to visit the Grape Valley, on the west of Flaming Mountains, east of Turpan is the Grape Valley, a green area of 988 acres covered with layer upon layer of grapes.Turpan is famous for its grapes so visit a local vineyard and relax as you sit under the grapevines.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 17
    Emin Minaret (Su Gong Ta)

    Later, go to visit Emin Minaret (Su Gong Ta),The Emin Minaret is particularly beautiful in the morning, with the shadow of the minaret falling across the mosque. Go into the mosque and try to tell the time by checking the position of the sunlight on the wall.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 18
    Karez System

    Thne,visit the Karez Wells. This irrigation system of wells connected by underground channels is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects in China. Finally, visit the Turpan Night Market,the end return to the hotel.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • Day 7

    Turpan-Urumqi

    2 stops
  • 19
    Ancient City of Jiaohe (Yarkhoto)

    After breakfast , your will visit Jiaohe Ancient City, the site of an ancient oasis city built on the northern rim of the Taklamakan Desert in Xinjiang. Instead of building from the ground up, the ancient city of Jiaohe was constructed by digging down into the ground. Explore the ruins of this unique ancient city and learn about the different government structures and residential areas.

    2 hours Admission ticket included
  • 20

    After having a Uygur style lunch, you’ll head to the Erdaoqiao Market, the largest in Urumqi, where you’ll find a bustling market filled with fruit, clothing, crafts, knives, carpets and almost anything that you can imagine. After you will be drop-off at your Dunhuang hotel.

    1 hour Admission ticket free
  • Day 8

    Urumqi Departure

    1 stop
  • 21

    Today after breakfast, you’ll drive to Urumqi and go to have a boat cruise on the Tianshan Tianchi Lake, a beautiful blue mountain lake. The blue lake water is finely contrasted with steep forest hills, high meadows and snowy Heavenly Mountain peaks behind. There you can also walk. After lunch, your guide and driver will take you to Urumqi Airport and wave goodbye to you. You can connect to the main cities in China from this airport.

    3 hours Admission ticket included

Additional info

  • Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels
  • Confirmation will be received at time of booking.
  • Children must be accompanied by an adult.
  • Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required.
  • A current valid passport is required on the day of travel.
Supplied by Jeff Ning China Tour

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Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

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