LEGENDARY SILK ROAD
September 15 - October 03 2007
19-DAYS
Beijing - Urumqi - Kashgar - Turfan - Dunhuang - Xian - Gulin - Shanghai
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Traveled by Marco Polo, the Silk Road carried the riches of the Orient to Europe. The prosperity
of the road belongs to history, but its ancient promotion of east west cultural exchange and the many historical relics it left behind are still
very vivid. The gleaming Natures of Lake Tianchi, the dry sands of the Gobi desert and ancient cities unaffected, by modern life, keep present
travelers spellbound.
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ITINERARY
| Day 1 : |
USA - BEIJING |
| We leave LAX for Beijing today (in flight meals) |
| Day 2 : |
BEIJING |
| We arrive in Beijing in the late evening. Our local guides will meet us and take us to our hotel.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 3 : |
BEIJING |
| This morning we will walk along the Great Wall, begun in
the 3rd century BC and continued until the 18th century as a protection
from foreign invaders. Close by we visit the magnificent grounds which
contain tombs of thirteen emperors of the Ming Dynasty (1348 to 1644).
Tonight we enjoy our welcome dinner and a spectacular performance of the
Beijing Opera.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 4 : |
BEIJING |
| We enter the Forbidden City through the Meridian Gate of
1420, where we see a world of incredible extravagance. Later we visit the
vast Tiananman Square and the beautiful Temple of Heaven. For dinner we
enjoy the world-renowned specialty of Peking duck.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 5 : |
BEIJING - URUMQI |
| Today we visit History Museum & Museum of the Revolution,
the largest museum in Beijing, and the Summer Palace, begun in the 12th
century and restored in the late 19th century. This afternoon we fly west
to Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and a center
of Uygur culture.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 6 : |
URUMQI - KASGAR |
| A ride through the local mountains, noted for their Swiss
flavor, takes us to Tianchi, the beautiful Lake of Heavens. The clear blue
water captures the reflection of the surrounding mountains as we enjoy
cruising the serene waters. This evening we will fly to the oasis city
of Kashgar, the most remote city in China.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 7 : |
KASGAR |
| Kashgar, primarily Moslem, is located only 100 miles from
the former USSR border. As the local populace prepares for their weekly
Great Bazaar, tradesmen, farmers, and herdsman trundle their carts to the
marketplace to buy and sell rugs, leather goods, cloth, camels and horses---a
scene from the pages of A Thousand and One Nights.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 8 : |
KASGAR - URUMQI |
| Today we visit the Id Kah Mosque, and the tomb of Abjak
Hoja, a local kindergarten and old section of the city. We also visit the
Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum with the Taklamakan Desert Mummies. Late
evening we fly back to Urumqi.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 9 : |
URUMQI - TURFAN |
| The mountain pastures outside Urumqi are home to the nomadic
Khazak people who travel with their flocks and live in felt yurts as their
forefathers did. This morning we visit their mountain pastures for a chance
to meet these friendly people. We'll enjoy watching an exciting Khazak
People horse race. This afternoon, we drive to Turfan, a charming oasis
town, watered by underground channels which carry melted snow down from
the mountains. We travel through the desert and onto the plateau grasslands
where herds of sheep and cattle are grazed, before arriving at our destination.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 10 : |
TURFAN |
| Our sightseeing here includes visits to Jiaohe and Gaochang,
2,000 year old frontier cities now standing a silent vigil in the encroaching
sea of desert sand. This evening we savor the well-known local cuisine
--Roast lamb and enjoy music and dance performances by the local Uygur.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 11 : |
TURFAN - DUNHUANG |
| An excursion to Grape Valley, located on the west side
of the Flaming Mountains, permits us to examine impressive Kurez Well.
This narrow valley, only eight kilometers long and half kilometer wide
is famous for its production of peaches, apricots, apples, pomegranates,
watermelons and musk melons. The Karez is the underground irrigation system
that was installed over 2,000 years ago and is one of the great architectural
projects of ancient China after the Great Wall and the Grand Canal. This
evening we leave Turfan for Dunhuang by taking an overnight train. Founded
in 111 B.C., the oasis city of Dunhuang became an important stop along
the Silk route. Our train will cross the heart of the Gobi Desert, framed
by the peaks of the snow crowned Qilian Mountains.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 12 : |
DUNHUANG |
| Today we view the Mogao cave temple complex where we see
stunning frescoes that vividly recount the legends of Buddhism. These 4th
century paintings are the earliest Chinese Buddhist paintings to survive.
Later this afternoon we will get a feeling what travel was like centuries
ago, when we mount our "desert ships" for an exciting camel ride into the
Gobi desert. (B,L,D) |
| Day 13 : |
DUNHUANG - XIAN |
| A morning flight brings us to Xian, the capital of ancient
China for eleven dynasties and the beginning/end of Marco Polo's Silk Road.
We arrive in Xian in time for lunch; in the afternoon we visit the Shaanxi
Provincial Museum, one of the best museums in China, and the thousand year
old Wild Goose Pagoda. We will also visit the 14th century Bell Tower and
Drum Tower to view the city and gain an understanding of the city's historic
past.
(B,L,D) |
| Day l4 : |
XIAN |
| A highlight of any visit to China is the tomb of Qin Shi
Huang, the first emperor of united China. Here was discovered in the 1970s
an extraordinary army of over 6000 unique terra-cofta warriors, with horses
and chariots from the Qin dynasty of the 3rd century BC. We will also stop
at Huaqing Hot Springs, an attraction since 1100 BC and briefly stop at
the Neolithic village of Banpo to see the museum.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 15 : |
XIAN - GUILIN |
| Today we fly to the mist wrapped mountains of Guilin, Chinas
most scenic region. We visit the Reed Flute Cave and Fubo Hill.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 16 : |
GUILIN - SHANGHAI |
| Artists throughout the centuries have celebrated the almost
unearthly beauty of Guilin's landscape, with the Li River winding around
mist covered limestone peaks rising out of the flat, green plain. We enjoy
a full day cruise of the Li River, noting the vistas of green valleys,
bamboo groves, and such land formations as Elephant Trunk Hill, Old Man
Mountain, and Nine Horse Hill. This evening, we fly to Shanghai, the biggest
industrial city in China. We visit the Bund, the waterfront boulevard which
shows the history of western trading interests and the Shanghai Museum
with its great collection of Chinese bronzes and historic survey of Chinese
painting. After dinner, we attend a show of Chinese acrobats.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 17 : |
SHANGHAI |
| Today we visit spots famous in the 1 940s and the birthplace
of the Communist party. We take time to enjoy the tranquillity of Yu Garden,
the model for Blue Willow China, and newly built Shanghai Museum, which
is considered the best in China.
(B,L,D) |
| Day 18 : |
SHANGHAI |
| Free day.
(B) |
| Day 19 : |
SHANGHAI - USA |
| Today we return to the United States.
(B, in flight meals) |
RECOMMENDED READING: China:
The Silk Routes
For
more Info click here
The Silk Road, 1994:
From Xi'an to Kashgar
For
more Info click here
INCLUDED IN THE TOUR
- Round trip Air Fare from Los Angeles (add on fares from all US cities available)
- Fully escorted throughout entire program
- Comprehensive sightseeing with qualified local guides
- First class hotel accommodation
- Daily American Breakfast, Chinese lunch and dinner
NOT INCLUDED
- Tips for driver and tour manager
- US departure tax and customs fee
- Airport construction Fee and Departure Tax in China
- Items of personal nature
- Optional travel insurance
- Chinese visa application fee
TOUR PRICE
| Per Person in Double: |
$3,995 |
| Single Supplement: |
$737 |
SPECIAL HIGHLIGHTS
INCLUDED IN THE TOUR
- Peking Roast Duck Welcome Banquet
- Great Wall Ming Tombs
- Forbidden City
- Tian-an-men Square
- Temple of Heaven
- Imperial Summer Palace
- Performance of Peking Opera
- Xian Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Performance
- Spectacular Terra Cotta Army of Emperor Qin Shi Huang
- Xian Provincial Museum
- Cloisonné factory visit
- Neolithic Banpo village museum
- Huaqing Hot Spring Park
- Camel Ride in Gobi Desert
- World famous Mogao Grottoes visit
- Mysterious Sound Dunes and Moon Lake
- Magnificent Reed Flute Cave
- Full day Li River Cruise
- Special Uygur Folklore Show
- Spectacular Kashgar Sunday Bazaar
- Turfan Roast Lamb Feast, a famous delicacy
- Khazak horse racing
- Gobi Dessert crossing
- Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum with the Taklamakan Desert Mummies
- Turfan Grape Valley visit
- Cruise beautiful Tianchi - The Lake of Heaven
- Shanghai Acrobatic Show
- Yu Gardens in Shanghai
- Jade Buddha Temple
- Many more special highlights as listed in itinerary
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