Dunhuang Mogao Grottoes

Travelers along the ancient Silk Road will definitely want to stop at Dunhuang for a visit to the Mogao Caves, which are representative of early Buddhist cave art. Unlike the Yungang Caves, which featured Buddhas carved into hillsides, the Mogao Grottoes mostly feature murals painted on cave walls. Some of the paintings date back to the fourth century. At one time, there were more than 1,000 cave temples.

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Day 1 Dunhuang
On arriving at Dunhuang, met and transferred to the hotel. Enjoy the rest of the day to explore the city on your own.
Day 2 Dunhuang
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning is primarily devoted to tour the Mogao Grottoes (UNESCO). It is the world's most important site of ancient Buddhist Culture. The treasure house contains hundreds of sandstone caves holding more than 2,000 statues and 45,000 brilliantly bright paintings of Buddha and Chinese mythological figures.
In the afternoon there will be an excursion to the Gobi Desert, the largest desert in Asia and the fourth largest in the world.
Then you can have the opportinuty to take a camel ride through towering yellow sand dunes. The picture-look desert scenery is unique over the entire length of the Silk Road.
After that visit the small and mysterious Crescent Lake.
Day 3 Dunhuang - Urumqi (by air)
Meals: Breakfast
After a morning at leisure in Dunhuang, you will fly to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and transfer to the hotel. There you will experience the Islamic culture of Uygur people and many other ethnic groups.
Day 4 Urumqi - Turpan (by automobile, 200km)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
After breakfast visit Xinjiang Autonomous Region Museum. The museum is worth a visit as the place holds interesting and rare visual exhibits highlighting the lifestyle of the minority groups of Xinjiang.
Before leaving for Turpan, there will be a lunch at the typical Uygur Korgan Restaurant, where authentic and tasty Uygur food is served. After lunch you will take a scenic drive across the Heavenly Mount to Turpan, known as Oasis in the Gobi Desert. On the way you could see a village located at the valley of Heavenly Mount, which was a very prosperous caravan city called “Daban Cheng” in the history of Silk Road.
Upon arrival at Turpan, met and transferred to the hotel.
Day 5 Turpan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
The entire day will be dedicated to exploring the marvelous city of Turpan, where Eastern and Western culture blend perfectly.
First take a visit to the Gaochang Ancient Ruins. This area is the capital of ancient kingdom Gaochang and its ruins is the biggest one in Xinjiang.
Then approach the Astana Tombs which are known as “The Underground Museum” and highly regarded by Chinese and foreign archaeologists and historians. More than 400 tombs have been excavated from there since 1950.
Afterwards pass by the Flaming Mountain, made famous in the Chinese classic literature of “Journey to the West”.
And then visit the Bazelik Thousand Buddha Caves. There are 77 caves and inside each cave is a rural of the Buddha painted on the ceiling along with hundreds of Buddhist sculptures and figures.
The afternoon program begins with the visit to the mysterious ruins of Jiaohe city (UNESCO), which reveals traces of a prosperous ancient trading center and military base 600 years ago.
Day 6 Trupan - Urumqi (by automobile) - Kashgar (by air)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Today take a visit to the Karez System (UNESCO) — an underground irrigation system and is considered to be one of the three great ancient projects of China. Its main function is to deliver water from nearby snow-capped mountains to Turpan and its agricultural fields.
After that visit Sugong Pagoda — an exquisite Islamic tower. It's the biggest pagoda in Xinjiang and boosts a history of 200 years.
And then you drive back to Urumqi and after lunch take a flight to Kashgar. Upon arrival, met and transferred to the hotel. The rest of the day is free to explore on your own.
Day 7 Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Today you take excursion to Karakol Lake. Drive through the Karakurum Highway to have a good sight of the beautiful snow-capped mountain and the lake. Many Kirgiz People reside here — yurts, cattle and friendly people are waiting for you.
A Kirghiz family will host a picnic lunch for the group.
Day 8 Kashgar
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Take a visit to the Tomb of the Fragrant Concubine. The concubine, who was born with fragrance, was the concubine of Chinese Emperor Qianlong and the granddaughter of the famous Abakh Hoja. The buildings there demonstrate the grandness of the royal family of ancient Uygur.
Then visit the Old Town of Kashgar in the afternoon. The 2000-year-old city is full of historical buildings of ethnical characters and its every street can tell the story of the past.
After lunch there will be a visit of the Idkah Mosque, the largest mosque in China and the religious center of Kashgar. The large prayer hall of the mosque is supported by 140 carved wooden pillars. The call to prayer booming from the mosque can be heard throughout the city center.
At the end of the day you will explore the Handicraft Street of the city.
Day 9 Kashgar - Khotan (by automobile, about 520 km)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Today you take a senic drive from Kashgar to Khotan which has long been an important strategic and trading center between China and Central Asia. On the way, the main stop wil be Yarkant, an important trade center that Marco Polo visited twice. The stop in Yarkant will include a lunch, as well as a visit to the Yarkant King Mausoleum. You will arrive in Khotan at approximately 7pm.
Day 10 Khotan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
In the morning, visit jade, silk and carpets factories. Khotan is presently one of very few places where one can find black and white jade, as well as the green nephritic quality jade.
In the afternoon, we'll visit the Khotan Sunday Bazaar. Thousands of people of many ethnicities converge on this market every Sunday to sell produce, spices, nuts, Kashgari (nan) bread, rock sugar, melons, tea, dried fruits, colorful rugs, silk and cotton textiles, jade and precious stones, Uygur-style hats, knitted sweaters, hand made embroideries etc. The market is photographers' paradise. Most locals do not mind having their pictures taken.
Day 11 Khotan
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Take a half-day tour of Khotan and some of the tourist attractions nearby. The rest of the day will be at leisure or dedicated to shopping souvenirs.
Day 12 Khotan - Aksu (by automobile)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
On this day you will cross, south to north, the entire Taklamakan Desert, the “Desert of No Return” in the Uygur language. Fortunately there is a brand new, excellent road between Khotan and Aksu, which was completed in July 2007. Thus, the long ride in the desert is smooth and quite comfortable. This stretch of road offers the amazing views of the desert and cotton fields, worthing several stops for taking great pictures. Alongside the road the Chinese have fastened strong reed stalks into the dunes, in checkerboard fashion, to prevent the road from being buried by sand during the sand-storms.
Upon arrival at Aksu, met and transferred to the hotel.
Day 13 Aksu - Kuche (by automobile)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
During the bus drive from Aksu to Kuche, you will stop to visit the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves, the earliest major Buddhist cave complex in China, dating from the 3rd to the 8th century AD.
Upon arrival at Kuche, met and transferred to the hotel.
Day 14 Kuche
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning begins with the visit to the extensive ruin of the Ancient City of Subashi where you can indentify the street layout many years ago and see some of the 20-feet hight walls standing still.
Next visit the Kezikalahan War-Signaling Station, the best preserved signaling station dating back to the Han Dynasty. A short stroll in the market will follow.
In the afternoon visit the imposing Kucha Mosque, a grand buiding with a green-titled dome, presenting a clear ethnical character.
At last you will pay a visit to the home of a local Uygur woman.
Day 15 Kuche
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
This morning will be spent on the Kuche Friday Bazaar, where over 30,000 people crowd on the alleys and streets of both old and new towns to do business. All kinds of goods, from wares to herbal medicines, dried fish, embroidered caps, jewelry, wool carpets, silk garments and sheep are available. The afternoon will be at leisure.
Day 16 Kuche - Urumqi (by air)
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
On this day you will fly directly to Urumqi. Upon arriving, go for a visit to a local Kazak family and the Erdaoqiao Bazaar, which is believed to be the largest outdoor market in Xinjiang.
Day 17 Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch
Drive to Heavenly Lake. You will start by visiting the surreal Heavenly Lake, which is surrounded by the vastness of mountain peaks and alpine meadows with an elevation of 2000 meters above sea level.
In this mountainous area Kazakh families pitch their yurts and graze their herds of horses, sheep and cattle. Among these surroundings you will enjoy a picnic lunch with a Kazak family.
Day 18 Urumqi
Meals: Breakfast
You will be transferred to the airport for homeward flight.
Service ends.

Day1: Arrive Beijing
Pick up and transfer to hotel. Rest of day free at leisure.
Meals: No meal
Accommodation: Oriental Bay Hotel or similar 5*

Day2: Beijing - Urumqi  (By air) (B,D)
Arrive in Urumqi, the provincial capital of Xinjiang located on the foothills of the Heavenly Mountains. You will be greeted at the airport and transferred to the hotel. 
Accommodation: Hoi Tak Hotel 5*or similar

Day3：Urumqi   (B,L,D)
After breakfast, we drive to Heavenly Lake (Tianchi in Chinese). Heavenly Lake is situated to the east of the Tianshan Mountain range, north of the magnificent Bogda Peak. Surrounding Heavenly Lake are snowcapped mountains, glacial forests and grasslands. Then we return to Urumqi to tour the International Bazaar.

Day4：Urumqi - Turpan – Liuyuan  (Train) (B,L,D)
Today, travel on the New Orient Express to Turpan. Visit Jiaohe Ruins, the largest and best-preserved earth construction in the world. Although 2,000 years have passed, the former glory of Jiaohe can still be found in these ruins. Enjoy roast whole lamb at lunch. We will visit the ancient Karez irrigation system. Water flowing from the melting snows of the northern mountains, is supplied to Turpan by man-made underground channels or "karez". Proceed to the hottest place in China - the Mountain of Flames, were the summer temperature reaches 47 degrees Celsius. Then visit the famous Grape Valley. After dinner, depart for Dunhuang on the New Orient Express. 
Accommodation: New Orient Express

Day5：Linyuan – Dunhuang  (Train) (B,L,D)
After our morning arrival in Liuyuan， we drive to Dunhuang. Visit the Mogao Caves, the famous Chinese Buddhist grotto that is a World Heritage Site. Known as the “Oriental Louvre”, the Mogao Caves not only boasts a large number of vivid Buddhism murals, statues and architecture it is also renowned as a treasure house of Buddhism culture. After lunch, visit the spectacle of Echoing-Sand Mountain and Crescent Lake, an oasis in the Gobi Desert.
Accommodation: Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel 4* or similar

Day6：Dunhuang - Jiayuguan – Lanzhou  (Train)(B,L,D)
After breakfast, back to Liuyuan for the train to Jiayuguan. Visit Jiayuguan Fort, the western most end of the Great Wall and the Great Wall Museum. Then see the 6th century Wei Dynasty tombs, and Jiuquan (wine spring) with its imposing Bell and Drum Tower. After dinner we leave for Lanzhou by train.
Accommodation: New Orient Express
Day7：Lanzhou - Xi’an  (Train) (B,L,D)
Arrive in Lanzhou, situated on the upper course of the Yellow River. With mountains surrounding it on the north and south, and the Yellow River flowing through it from east to west, the city is scenic and attractive. We will visit Waterwheel Garden, Sculpture of the Mother Yellow River, cruising on the Yellow River. After dinner, we will board the New Orient Express train again for the journey to Xian, the eastern terminus of the Silk Road.
Accommodation: New Orient Express

Day8：Xi’an  (B,L,D)
Arrive in Xi’an in the morning. Visit Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses. Back to town to visit Wild Goose Pagoda Square, Bell Tower. Dumpling banquet at night.
Accommodation: Titan Hotel or similar 5*

Day9: Xian departure (B)
After breakfast, transfer to the airport.

DAY1 Lanzhou - Dunhuang ( L / D)

Visit  Zhongshan Bridge(The First Bridge over Yellow River), White Pagoda Hill, The Sculpture of Yellow River Mother, Water wheel Park, and Provincial Museum. Take the train K9667(17:50/7:46) to Dunhuang in the evening.

Live in train.

DAY2 Dunhuang (B / L / D)

Sightseeing in Mogao Caves, Mingsha Sand Dunes and Crescent Moon Spring, enjoying Dunhuang Folk Dancing (optional).
Hotel: 4 ****

DAY3 Dunhuang (L)

After breakfast, visit Yumenguan Pass, Yadan Landforms. After the tour, transfer to the train station or airport.

Inclusions

1-night hotel accommodation.
Complimentary round trip airport transfer for each order.
Free transfer to the train station and airport on the last day of the tour.
Entrance admission for the scenic spots as listed in the itinerary.
Meals as specified in the itinerary (B: Breakfast; L: Lunch; D: Dinner) .
Train tickets
Traffic expenses between hotels and scenic spots.
Private English-speaking guide service.
Service charge & government taxes.

Exclusions

Air tickets
Laundry, valet, telephone calls, wine and liquor other than that specified.
All other private expenses, gratitude to tour guide.