China | Pilgrims on the Silk Road
 Past meets present on the Silk Road |
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17 days / 16 nights
| Location | Nights |
| Beijing | 2 |
| Dunhuang | 1 |
| Urumqi | 1 |
| Turfan | 2 |
| Kashgar | 3 |
| Aksu | 1 |
| Kuqa | 2 |
| Shanghai | 2 |
Day 01 Arrive Beijing
Arrive into dynamic Beijing, China’s capital since the 13th century. Your A&K Escort awaits your arrival and accompanies you to the hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.
The Peninsula Beijing (Grand Deluxe Club Floor Room)
Day 02 Beijing
A briefing this morning before setting off to visit the Millennium Museum, a highlight with a remarkable exhibition on the Silk Road to inspire you for the coming journey. Visit also the Beijing Planning Exhibition Hall with an I-Max film presentation. After an exquisite Peking Duck lunch it’s off to Tiananmen Square, the largest in the world, and continue on foot into the Forbidden City, home to the Imperial family during the Ming era. A special welcome dinner is arranged this evening with an introduction to China’s Silk Road history by a resident historian (B,L,D).
The Peninsula Beijing (Grand Deluxe Club Floor Room)
Day 03 Beijing – Xian
Fly to historic Xian, once the start of the famous Silk Road. A tour of the Yangling Museum reveals remarkable archaeological discoveries from Han dynasty tombs. Meet the site director and pay a special visit to the restoration lab. An evening slide presentation on the treasures of the Silk Road by a resident archaeologist (B,L).
The Shangri-La Hotel (Horizon Floor Room)
Day 04 Xian
A morning at the world famous Terracotta Warriors and an afternoon focus on Xian and its role as a Silk Road centre with visits to the Great Mosque and old quarter and a special visit to the Shaanxi Provincial Archaeological Institute, normally closed to the public, to view recently excavated artifacts (B,L).
The Shangri-La Hotel (Horizon Floor Room)
Day 05 Xian – Dunhuang
This morning visit the old city wall and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda before a flight west to historic Dunhuang, a charming desert outpost (B,L,D).
The Dunhuang Hotel (New 8th Wing)
Day 06 Dunhuang - Urumqi
Today visit the greatest attraction of the region, the Mogao Caves, which hold the world’s largest concentration of Buddhist art crafted over a period of more than 1000 years and was the birthplace of Chinese Buddhism. You are joined by an eminent Chinese specialist. An optional afternoon camel ride to the towering Mingshashan Sand Dunes is on offer. Early this evening, fly to Urumqi, vibrant capital city of the Xinjiang-Uighur Autonomous Region (B,L,D).
Sheraton Hotel Urumqi (Executive Deluxe Room)
Day 07 Urumqi – Turfan
Venture into an area of alpine meadows to see Heavenly Lake. Travel overland to Turfan, the oasis town that is a rich repository of Silk Road history and culture. Cross the northern rim of the great Taklamakan Desert and descend into the Turfan basin, the agricultural jewel of Xinjiang, home to the Uighur people from central Asia (B,L,D).
Tuha Petroleum Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 08 Turfan
Today’s adventures chronicle the history of the Silk Road with visits to the ancient city of Gaochang (Karakhoja), the Astana Tombs, the bustling Turfan bazaar and the elegant Suliman’s minaret. Round the day off with sunset cocktails and dinner (B,L,D).
Tuha Petroleum Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 09 Turfan – Kashgar
Visit a local Uighur farm and see the Kariz underground irrigation system before flying to Urumqi. Dinner is included before the onward flight to Kashgar, fabled gateway to the Karakorum Highway and the last major city along China’s rugged western frontier (B,L,D).
The International Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 10 – Day 11 Kashgar
Two days spent in this exotic frontier town. Sunday is the day of Kashgar’s legendary bazaar, one of the great market experiences of Asia, when this ancient site of trade and commerce is inundated by thousands of people from near and far. It is a kaleidoscope of colour, sound and smell. Other highlights include the Mausoleum of Abjak Hoja and Lake Karakuli, accessed from the Karakorum Highway. The area is famous for its breathtaking panoramic vistas of snowcapped mountains, high alpine desert and fertile, rolling meadows. Unique dining experiences are also included with lunch in a traditional Uighur compound and dinner in an orchard with a performance by local Kashgarian musicians (B,L,D).
The International Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 12 Kashgar – Aksu
Bid farewell to Kashgar and drive along the western rim of the Taklamakan Desert to Aksu, an oasis outpost (B,L,D).
Hong Fu Hotel (Deluxe Room)
Day 13 Aksu – Kuqa
The overland journey continues to Kuqa, formerly an important trading post and once the seat of the fabled Qiuci Kingdom, an ancient Buddhist realm known for its rich philosophical traditions. Visit the Kezil Caves, a vast network of Buddhist caves with astonishing murals dating to the 3rd Century (B,L,D).
Kuqa Hotel
Day 14 Kuqa
Today we visit the Kumtara Caves where images of Apollo aside that of Asian deities suggest a link between Hellenistic Greece and Central Asia, the ruins of the Subashi temple and the Grand Mosque (B,L,D).
Kuqa Hotel
Day 15 Kuqa – Urumqi – Shanghai
Fly to Urumqi. Visit the Xinjiang Museum, noted for its exceptional collection of ancient mummies and the Erdaoqiao Bazaar where products manufactured by the Xinjiang minorities are found including musical instruments, jade, colourful tapestries and embroidery. Continue on across the country to Shanghai, China’s great eastern metropolis (B,L).
Four Seasons Shanghai (Premier Room)
Day 16 Design Your Day Shanghai
Glittering Shanghai awaits. Choose two of the following activities: a specially guided tour to the Shanghai Museum to view some of the treasures linked to China’s ancient Silk Road history and the Urban Planning Exhibition Hall which houses a vast scale model of Shanghai in 2020; take a tour of the peaceful Ming era Yu gardens, the grand colonial waterfront strip, the Bund, and the Old Town; or a trip out of the city to the peaceful waterside town of Zhujiajiao where a boat ride on the canals is the best way to appreciate its well-preserved Ming architecture and ancient stone bridges. Farewell dinner at Shanghai’s fashionable T-8 in the popular Xintiandi district (B,D).
Four Seasons Shanghai (Premier Room)
Day 17 Depart Shanghai
The adventure in China comes to an end as the high speed Maglev train spirits you to the airport for the flight home (B).
Devin Gwie was born in Indonesia but raised in Hong Kong and is among A&K’s finest representatives. Devin’s university studies focused on travel and tourism and he has worked both in tour operating and hotel management. An interest in Asian languages, multi-lingual abilities and a strong understanding of Chinese culture have earned Devin an unparalleled reputation in his field.
