The Silk Road

Arrival in Beijing. Meeting with your guide and installation at the hotel. Free time for a short discovery of the city. You will come back during your stay.

Flight to Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, a former caravan stop on the Silk Road. Visit, among others, the Zhongshan Bridge built in 1907 and the first bridge over the Yellow River. We are in a region where the Muslim and Tibetan worlds live side by side. You will see mosques and stupas. Installation at your hotel for 2 nights.

Excursion to the Binglinsi caves, a vast collection of statues, engravings and paintings made on the cliff and in the caves. Boat crossing and ascent of the Yellow River through a scenery of wild cliffs. The site of Binglinsi, located on the rock face, includes about 400 caves with each of the murals and statues of Buddha, dug into the side of a cliff 60 m high. Return to your hotel at the end of the day.

Departure by fast train to Zhangye, a historic city on the Silk Road that has been named the Golden City. It is classified as one of the famous cities of China’s national historic culture. Visit the Temple of the Giant Buddha. Afternoon excursion to the famous Danxia Geopark, a low rainfall area of 300 square kilometers. Enjoy the beautiful landscape at sunset. Check-in at the hotel.

In the morning, visit the Matisi Temple, dedicated to Buddha worship. You will see more than 500 Buddha statues and 1,200 square meters of frescoes. In the afternoon, departure for Jiayuguan, a city located at the entrance of the Gobi desert and which was a strategic passage on the Silk Road. Visit the thousands of tombs of the Wei and Jin periods dating from the 3rd century. The excavated tombs are decorated with paintings that evoke many aspects of daily life. Check-in at the hotel.

Visit the famous Jiayuguan fortress and the Xuanbi wall. In the afternoon, departure for Dunhuang, the starting point of the various routes of the Silk Road. Being a caravan centre at the Gobi Gate, Dunhuang took advantage of the wealth of the merchants who built caves to provide protection in the Gobi. Accommodation at your hotel for 3 nights. As an optional activity, it is possible to snowboard down the dunes.

We take the whole morning to visit the Mogao Caves, one of the most beautiful jewels of Buddhist art in China and the world. Nearly 400 caves are carved out of the cliff, sheltering frescoes and representative sculptures. In the afternoon, visit the old town and the White Horse Pagoda. Cultural evening to end this memorable day.

Excursion to the famous Yadan National Park. This astonishing open-air museum presents natural sculptures with very specific and nicely ordered forms. Drive to Yumen Pass (Jade Gate). At the Yumen Gate stood a fort of high strategic importance for the control of the Silk Road.

Camel ride on the sand dunes. Stroll along the Moon Crescent Lake where the oasis meets the desert. Then visit the Dunhuang museum. We will leave the Dunhuang area in the afternoon by fast train to Turpan, an important city on the Silk Road. Installation at the hotel for 2 nights and rest.

Departure for the Mountain of the Flame, and visit the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, the tomb of Astana and the fortified city of Jiaohe, one of the largest and oldest in the region. Stroll in the Tuyu village and visit the Uyghur families. Visit the Kanjing irrigation system consisting of wells connected by underground canals. Local show in the evening.

Visit the ruins of the fortified city of Gaochang and the minaret of Sultan Imin. Departure in the afternoon to Urumqi and flight to Kashgar, ancient crossroads of the Silk Road and meeting point of the routes that bypass the Taklamakan Desert, the largest desert in China and the tenth largest desert in the world. Installation at the hotel for 2 nights.

Transfer to Lake Karakuli (3 800m). On the way, meeting with the nomads of Kyrgyz and Tajik and visit of their yurts. Enjoy the landscape with the view of the two famous peaks of more than 8000 meters, Gongar and Mushitagta. Visit the local market and stroll along the street of the craftsmen. Dinner of local specialties in the evening.

Visit the mosque of Id Kah and the tomb of Abakh Hoja. It is the most beautiful monument of Kashgar. Visit of the great colorful bazaar, the most famous in Central Asia. Late afternoon flight to Urumqi. Installation at the hotel for the night.

Visit the Urumqi Provincial Museum and then fly to Beijing. Meeting with the guide and transfer to the hotel for the night.

Flight to Datong. Visit of the Hanging Temple, built on a cliff face, and the Yun Gang caves housing 252 caves and 51,000 statues, an exceptional achievement in rock art. Visit the Huayan Monastery and the Wall of the Nine Dragons. Installation at the hotel for the night.

Departure for Taiyuan. On the way, visit the famous Wooden Pagoda in Yingxian district, one of the oldest wooden pagodas in the world. Arrival in Taiyuan. Visit the Provincial Museum and Jinci Temple. Check into hotel for the night.

Visit the Qiao family home and the vinegar production museum. Arrival in Pingyao at the end of the day. Pingyao, a small town listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This small town on a human scale has a very well preserved historic center where traditional Chinese architecture reigns. Installation at the hotel for 3 nights.

Visit the city walls, the first bank of China and the former seat of Governor Yamen. Stroll in the ancient Ming and Qing streets. Visit a lacquerware workshop.

Free day at Pingyao. Free visit in the old quarter or bike ride.

Fast train to Beijing. Welcome by the guide, transfer to the hotel for the night.

Free time until transfer to the airport for your return flight.