12 Days Silk Road Travel from Urumqi to Beijing

Arrival in Urumqi, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. Urumqi is the capital of the Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region, the farthest city from the ocean. It is Mongolian for 'beautiful farm'. Our bilingual tour guide will meet you at the airport and transfer you to the hotel.

After breakfast, visit Heavenly Lake on Tianshan (boat tour). The Mountain Lake stands 1980 meters above sea level and features picturesque scenery of snowcapped peaks. It a great pleasure to boat travel Heavenly Lake, with a layer of magical color covering the lake, and hearing many beautiful myths and legends. Then head for Urumqi, and visit Xinjiang International Bazaar.

It’s a day for Turpan sightseeing! Visit Karez irrigation system to witness the wisdom of Uygur people. The irrigation system is especially designed for desert. If connecting all these underground channels, the total length will reach more than 5000 km, so it is regarded as one of the three engineering miracles of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Jinghang Grand Canal. Thereafter, we move to Flaming Mountain, well known by Chinese people because of the legendary story 'Journey to the West'. It is regarded as the hottest place in China. Then We drive to Jiaohe Ancient City, an island-shaped plateau situated at Yar Town. It is the largest, oldest and well preserved earth-structured city in the world, with a history of 2000-2300 years structure. After dinner,take this deluxe train to Dunhuang at 20:30pm.Have a nice night on the train with wonderful evening and morning views of local countryside.

After a pleasant breakfast, we specially arrange Dunhuang experts and professors who'll introduce this exotic city in detail to you.The Crescent Lake & Singing Sand Mountains is an oasis Gobi desert, surrounded by numerous sand dunes, reaching a relative height of 250 meters (820 feet). The Mingsha Shan is so named for the sound of the wind whipping off the dunes. After dinner, we move to Dunhuang Night market - bustling Shazhou Night Market. Never miss its tasty snacks, local specialties, and crafts etc.

After breakfast, let's visit the world famous Mogao Grottoes, which was designated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO for its 1600 years accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures. There remains 492 cave temple and 45000 square meters of frescos. According to Tang Dynasty records, a monk had witnessed onsite a vision of thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus inspired, he started the caves construction work that spanned ten dynasties. Mogao Caves are commonly known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. After lunch, we embark the 'China Orient Express' Charter Luxury Train to Jiayuguan at 15:00 and 20:00pm arrived.

After breakfast, have a visit to the Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass), the western end of the Great Wall built in Ming Dynasty. It is known as 'the First and Greatest Pass under Heaven', and best preserved and most magnificent military fort in China. Then we drive 7 miles away for the Overhanging Great Wall. It got the named for riding on a mountain ridge that is 45 degrees from vertical and resembling a huge dragon. At 20:30pm, we take the China Orient Express to Shapotou.

Visit Shapotou Scenic Spots, is the biggest natural sand slide field in China. it is also one of China's Four Resonant Sand Fields.When the weather is great, you are able to sliding down the sand hill can hear the sound of sand underneath them, like tolling bells. The experience there is quite adventurous and breathtaking.Thereafter, we take coach to Yichuan. Upon arrival check into hotel for a night stay.

After breakfast, let's visit the Helanshan Rock Carvings. Around the hillsides of the Helanshan, there are several tens of thousands of rock carvings by ancient nomadic tribes, which are known as Helanshan Rock Carvings. The carvings were drawn in various styles with profound connotation and scattered only in certain areas. Among the animal paintings, there are running deer, blue sheep, tigers and leopards, duckbills, and flying birds. The Helanshan was not only a place rich in old rock arts, but also the center for ancient nomads to hold sacrifices. Next, we continue to visit the Western XiXia Imperial Tombs, located on the eastern slopes of the Helan Mountains, about 30 kilometers west of the city of Yinchuan. It is unique among royal burials. The layout is patterned after the celestial bodies. After dinner,onboard the train to Capital of Inner Mongolia - Hohhot, which is in Mongolian for "Green City", dates from 306 B.C. and has been an important cultural center of the region.

In the morning, we arrive in Hohhot. Then we drive to Sheila MuRen Grassland. Spend the whole day on the vast plains and expansive grasslands, free walk and enjoy watching the traditional Mongolian style wrestling, horse-riding, camel riding, archery and etc.

After breakfast, Visit the 400 years old Dazhao Temple, 'Wuliang Si (Infinite Temple)' in Chinese, is the oldest building and the largest temple in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Locally, people usually refer to it as the Silver Buddha Temple (Yinfo Si) for it is here that there is a rare silver statue of Sakyamuni that measures 2.5-meter-high (8.2-foot-high),and the Zhaojun Tomb in memory of one of the four ancient belles; spend some time at the regional museum with over 44,000 objects relating to ethnic history in its collections. Take overnight train for Beijing.

In the morning, we arrived in Beijing. After breakfast, we proceed to the picturesque Summer Palace.Being the largest and most well-preserved royal park in China, it greatly influences Chinese horticulture and landscape with its famous natural views and cultural interests, which also has long been recognized as 'The Museum of Royal Gardens'.Summer Palace radiates fully the natural beauty and the grandeur of royal gardens. Composed mainly of Longevity Hill (Wanshou Shan) and Kunming Lake, it occupies an area of 300.59 hectares (742.8 acres). There are over 3,000 man-made ancient structures which count building space of more than 70,000 square meters, including pavilions, towers, bridges, corridors, etc.

Today is the day of farewell to your memorable Silk Road trip and the unique China Orient Express. After a pleasant breakfast, free at your own leisure till the assemble time for the transferring to airport for the flight back to your hometown or next destination. Bon voyage!