12-Day China Silk Road Tour from Xi'an to Kashgar

DAY 01 Xi'an Arrival in Xi'an

Your private guide will meet you in the arrival area of Xi'an airport or railway station. A comfortable, non-smoking private vehicle with an experienced driver will take you directly to your hotel. Your guide will also assist you with hotel check-in, ensuring a smooth and comfortable start to your Silk Road journey.

ARRIVAL

Xi'an

TRANSFER

Private Vehicle & Driver

SERVICE Hotel Check-in Assistance

EXPLORE Xi'an →

DAY 02 Xi'an Terracotta Warriors & Silk Road Origins

Xi'an was the eastern starting point of the ancient Silk Road, and your journey begins with the mysterious Terracotta Warriors. See the life-sized soldiers and discover why the horses were surprisingly small, a detail connected to Emperor Wu of Han's efforts to obtain superior horses from the western regions. This search helped strengthen China's connections with Central Asia and contributed to the development of the Silk Road. Then visit a local craftsman's home, a traditional cave dwelling, and learn how to create your own miniature Terracotta Warrior.

HIGHLIGHT

Terracotta Warriors

HISTORY

Silk Road Origins

EXPERIENCE Mini Terracotta Warrior Workshop

EXPLORE Xi'an →

DAY 03 Xi'an → Zhangye Xi'an Highlights & Flight to Zhangye

Start the morning with a walk along Xi'an's ancient City Wall, one of the best-preserved city fortifications in China. Continue to the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an important landmark of the Silk Road. Afterward, transfer to the airport for your flight to Zhangye. Following lunch, return to the Muslim Quarter to explore its distinctive stalls and visit the Great Mosque, a remarkable blend of traditional Chinese and Islamic architectural styles, including a pagoda-style minaret.

HIGHLIGHT

Giant Wild Goose Pagoda

CULTURE

Xi'an Muslim Quarter

TRANSPORT Flight to Zhangye

DAY 04 Zhangye Zhangye Danxia National Geopark

After breakfast, explore Zhangye Danxia National Geopark, often described as nature's own "painted palette." Discover the spectacular Rainbow Mountains, where layers of red, orange, yellow and other colors create one of China's most extraordinary landscapes. After a local lunch, continue to Wooden Pagoda Temple, home to one of Zhangye's oldest pagodas. Then visit the Giant Buddha Temple and admire its magnificent reclining Buddha, one of the largest of its kind in China.

HIGHLIGHT

Zhangye Danxia National Geopark

LANDMARK

Wooden Pagoda Temple

CULTURE Giant Buddha Temple

DAY 05 Zhangye → Dunhuang Jiayuguan & Journey to Dunhuang

Travel from Zhangye toward Dunhuang and visit magnificent Jiayuguan along the way. Known as the western end of the Ming Great Wall, Jiayuguan is one of China's best-preserved ancient military fortresses. Climb the imposing watchtowers and look across the vast Gobi Desert toward distant mountains, imagining the grandeur of the Ming Dynasty. Walk along the Overhanging Great Wall, an important part of the ancient defensive system. Continue to Dunhuang, where two major trade routes of the ancient Silk Road once converged, making the city a vital strategic and commercial hub.

HIGHLIGHT

Jiayuguan Fortress

EXPERIENCE

Overhanging Great Wall

SILK ROAD Ancient Trade Routes

DAY 06 Dunhuang Mogao Caves & Camel Ride in the Desert

Begin your exploration of the Mogao Caves and marvel at their extraordinary murals and lifelike sculptures created over centuries. If you want to discover more about Dunhuang's artistic heritage, visit the Dunhuang Academy to study reproductions of masterpieces and learn how to copy a traditional mural onto a clay board under the guidance of an instructor. In the evening, visit Mingsha Mountain and Crescent Spring. Ride a camel across the desert and imagine the ancient Silk Road caravans crossing these same landscapes more than a thousand years ago.

HIGHLIGHT

Mogao Caves

EXPERIENCE

Traditional Mural Workshop

ADVENTURE Desert Camel Ride

DAY 07 Dunhuang → Turpan Han Dynasty Great Wall & High-Speed Train to Turpan

In the morning, visit the remains of the Han Dynasty Great Wall, dating from 206 BC to AD 220 and representing some of the oldest surviving Great Wall structures in China. Examine the ancient earthen remains closely and see how different they are from the later stone sections commonly seen in photographs. After lunch, board a high-speed train toward Turpan and continue your journey deeper into the ancient Silk Road.

HIGHLIGHT

Han Dynasty Great Wall

HISTORY

Ancient Silk Road Frontier

TRANSPORT High-Speed Train to Turpan

DAY 08 Turpan Turpan Highlights & Uyghur Culture

Begin early at the Emin Minaret, when its shadow falls beautifully across the mosque. Step inside and discover how the movement of sunlight can be used to understand the passage of time. Then explore the underground Karez irrigation system, an ingenious ancient water network that also provides relief from the intense desert heat. Continue to Jiaohe Ancient City, a remarkable settlement carved downward from the earth rather than built upward. Visit a local vineyard and relax beneath the grapevines before exploring Tuyoq Village, one of the oldest Uyghur villages in the region, with a history stretching back around 1,700 years. Along the way, see the dramatic Flaming Mountains.

HIGHLIGHT

Jiaohe Ancient City

EXPERIENCE

Karez Irrigation System

CULTURE Uyghur Village & Vineyard

DAY 09 Turpan → Urumqi Turpan Museum & Urumqi Market

Before leaving Turpan, visit the Turpan Museum, where artifacts bring the stories of the ancient Silk Road to life. Then drive to Urumqi and explore Erdaoqiao Market, the city's largest traditional market. Browse its colorful selection of spices, handicrafts, textiles, dried fruits and local products while experiencing the multicultural character of Xinjiang's regional capital.

HISTORY

Turpan Museum

EXPERIENCE

Erdaoqiao Market

CULTURE Xinjiang Local Life

DAY 10 Urumqi → Kashgar Flight to Kashgar & Kashgar Old City

Fly from Urumqi to Kashgar in the morning and begin exploring one of China's westernmost cities. Located along the ancient Silk Road, Kashgar has served as a major center of regional trade and cultural exchange for more than two thousand years. Visit the Id Kah Mosque, one of China's most important historic mosques, then explore the lively handicraft streets filled with copperware, metalwork, ceramics, woodwork and other traditional crafts. Take a break at a century-old teahouse and experience the conversations, music and rhythms of everyday Kashgar life.

HIGHLIGHT

Kashgar Old City

CULTURE

Id Kah Mosque

EXPERIENCE Traditional Teahouse

DAY 11 Kashgar Karakul Lake & Karakoram Highway

Travel along the Karakoram Highway and discover some of China's most remote and spectacular landscapes. Journey toward Karakul Lake, a shimmering glacial lake surrounded by towering snow-capped mountains. The approximately three-hour drive offers countless opportunities to stop for photographs as the scenery changes dramatically along the route. Dominating the landscape, the snow-covered Muztagh Ata and surrounding peaks rise like giant guardians over the lake and surrounding valleys.

HIGHLIGHT

Karakul Lake

SCENERY

Muztagh Ata & Snow-Capped Peaks

EXPERIENCE Karakoram Highway

DAY 12 Kashgar Departure from Kashgar

Your guide and driver will transfer you to Kashgar Airport and say goodbye as your Silk Road adventure comes to an end. From Kashgar, you can connect to major cities across China for your onward journey home.

TRANSFER

Private Airport Transfer

DEPARTURE

Kashgar

CONNECTION Flights to Major Chinese Cities