Itinerary
- Day 1
Kashgar
You'll arrive in Kashgar and get transferred to your hotel. Spend the day walking through the old city centre, checking out the narrow alleyways where you'll find traditional Uighur craftsmen and busy bazaars with donkey carts. This place has been a major trading hub for over two thousand years. Grab dinner at a local restaurant in the evening.
- Meals
- Dinner (Dinner at a local restaurant)
Included Activities
- Explore the old city centre of Kashgar
- Dinner at a local restaurant
Landmarks Kashgar Old City Centre - Day 2
Kashgar to Karakuli Lake
Head out on a scenic 200km drive to Karakuli Lake (4-5 hours), which sits at 3,600m on the Pamir Plateau and is the highest lake in the region. You'll stop at Baisha Lake along the way to take in the quiet shores. At Karakuli, three snow-capped peaks rise above the dark waters: Muztagh Ata, Kongur Tagh, and Kongur Tiube. Drive back to Kashgar later in the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Drive to Karakuli Lake
- Stop at Baisha Lake (White Sand Lake)
- Visit Karakuli Lake
Landmarks Karakuli Lake Baisha Lake Muztagh Ata Kongur Tagh - Day 3
Kashgar
After breakfast, walk through Kashgar's bustling bazaar where nomadic traders buy and sell produce, animals, and daily necessities. Visit the Id Kah Mosque (built 1442), the largest in China at nearly 17,000 square metres, and check out the handicraft streets nearby. Then head to the Abakh Hoji Tomb from 1640, where Xiangfei, an Uygur woman from the Qing Dynasty, was buried after her remains were returned to Kashgar.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Explore the local Bazaar
- Visit Id Kah Mosque
- Visit Abakh Hoja Tomb of Xiangfei
Landmarks Kashgar Bazaar Id Kah Mosque Abakh Hoja Tomb - Day 4
Kashgar to Kuche
You have the morning and early afternoon to yourself to explore Kashgar at your own pace. Later you'll meet your guide and head to the train station for an overnight train to Kuche (K9720 departing 23:26, arriving 07:46 the next day). You'll be in a soft sleeper shared cabin.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Free time to explore Kashgar
- Day 5
Kuche
You'll arrive in Kuche in the morning and transfer to your hotel to rest and have breakfast. Then explore Kuche's cultural sites, including the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves with 236 coded caves containing over 10,000 square metres of murals from the late 3rd century onward. See the Grand Kuqa Mosque (built 16th century, reconstructed 1931) and the sacred Molanaershiding Tomb.
- Meals
- Breakfast (Breakfast at hotel), Lunch
Included Activities
- Transfer to hotel and breakfast
- Visit Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves Complex
- Visit Grand Kuqa Mosque
- Visit Molanaershiding Tomb
Landmarks Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves Grand Kuqa Mosque Molanaershiding Tomb - Day 6
Kuche to Korla
Start early and visit the Subashi Ruins, 23km northwest of Kucha. The Kuqa River divides the ruins into eastern and western sections, spanning 530 and 680 metres respectively. These show the temple's former importance. After lunch, drive to Korla (7-8 hours, 300km) where you'll stay overnight due to southern Xinjiang's strict speed limits.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Subashi Ruins
Landmarks Subashi Ruins - Day 7
Korla to Turpan
Drive to Turpan, a 400km journey taking around 6 hours (depending on any checkpoints, though there are currently none). Check into your hotel upon arrival and settle in for the evening.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Day 8
Turpan
Visit Gaochang ruins, an ancient oasis city and Silk Road trading centre destroyed during 14th-century wars where many buildings and streets are still visible. Walk through Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves with brightly painted murals showing centuries of Buddhist devotional work carved into cliffsides. Then check out the Astana Graves, the ancient public cemetery where both aristocrats and commoners were placed on beds in burial chambers.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Gaochang ruins
- Visit Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves
- Visit Astana Graves
Landmarks Gaochang ruins Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves Astana Graves - Day 9
Turpan
Explore more of Turpan's heritage sites. See the Karez System, a remarkable irrigation network of vertical wells, underground canals, and water-logging ponds that brings water from mountain snows to farmlands. Continue to Jiaohe Ancient City, the well-preserved capital of the former Cheshi State known for its earth buildings that have survived nearly two thousand years. End the day at Turpan Museum, which has over 5,000 collections displayed with modern exhibits from prehistoric times through the Silk Road period.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Karez System
- Visit Jiaohe Ancient City
- Visit Turpan Museum
Landmarks Karez System Jiaohe Ancient City Turpan Museum - Day 10
Turpan to Dunhuang
After breakfast, take an express train to Dunhuang (D2708 departing 09:15, arriving 12:43) in second-class seating. Once you arrive, the rest of the day is free for you to relax and explore at your own pace.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Day 11
Dunhuang
Visit the Mogao Grottoes, one of the tour's highlights, containing Buddhist paintings, sculptures, approximately 50,000 Buddhist scriptures, historical documents, and textiles spanning 1,000 years. Later head to Crescent Lake, a crescent-shaped oasis surrounded by sand dunes. Despite millennia of harsh sandstorms, the spring's waters stay clear, earning it the nickname 'the first spring in the desert.'
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Mogao Grottoes
- Visit Crescent Lake
Landmarks Mogao Grottoes Crescent Lake - Day 12
Dunhuang to Jiayuguan
Drive 460km to Jiayuguan (approximately 5 hours). The rest of the day is yours to explore the town at your leisure.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
- Day 13
Jiayuguan
Visit Jiayuguan Pass, located 6km from downtown in the southwest. This was the first pass at the Great Wall's western end and one of the main passes, representing the most intact surviving ancient military building on the Wall. Built using local gravel and yellow earth in layers with main paths, battlements, and three observation posts, it compares to the Badaling Great Wall in Beijing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Jiayuguan Pass
Landmarks Jiayuguan Pass - Day 14
Jiayuguan to Zhangye
Head to Jiuquan, named after a Han general who shared wine with troops to celebrate victory. The city was an active military garrison during the Han Dynasty and later served as a passage to Central Asia. Visit the Dafo Temple, associated with Kublai Khan's birthplace, and see the Tombs with Murals from the Wei and Jin dynasties. Then drive to Zhangye (approximately 4 hours) where you'll see Danxia's dramatically coloured rock formations sculpted over 24 million years into towers, pillars, and ravines.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Jiuquan
- Visit Dafo Temple
- Visit Tombs with Murals of Wei and Jin dynasties
- View Linze Danxia Colourful Hills
- Visit Zhangye Danxia
Landmarks Jiuquan Dafo Temple Zhangye Danxia 
- Day 15
Zhangye to Wuwei
Visit the Giant Buddha Temple (Dafo Temple), which houses the largest reclining wooden Buddha in China and is the reputed birthplace of Kublai Khan. In the afternoon, drive to Wuwei (approximately 3.5 hours), which was historically the only route connecting central China to western China and Central Asia.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Giant Buddha Temple (Dafo Temple)
Landmarks Giant Buddha Temple - Day 16
Wuwei to Lanzhou
Start in Wuwei with a visit to Leitai Han Tomb, named after a temple honouring Leishen on a ten-metre-high earth platform from the Ming Dynasty. See the famous Bronze Galloping Horse, the symbol of China Tourism. Visit Wenmiao, the local Confucius Temple, then drive to Lanzhou in the afternoon (approximately 5 hours). Lanzhou sits where the Yellow River emerges from the mountains on its upper reaches.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Leitai Han Tomb
- Visit Wenmiao (Confucius Temple)
Landmarks Leitai Han Tomb Wenmiao - Day 17
Lanzhou
Visit the Gansu Provincial Museum in the morning, which has excellent exhibits about Gansu and the Silk Road. In the afternoon, have a sheepskin raft experience on the Yellow River with stops at Zhongshan Bridge and Waterwheel Exhibition Park.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Gansu Provincial Museum
- Sheepskin raft on the Yellow River
- Stop at Zhongshan Bridge
- Visit Waterwheel Exhibition Park
Landmarks Gansu Provincial Museum Zhongshan Bridge Waterwheel Exhibition Park - Day 18
Lanzhou to Xiahe
Drive 150km to Linxia (approximately 5 hours), home to the Hui ethnic group. Linxia has been a main religious, cultural, and commercial centre of China's Muslim community for centuries, earning the nickname 'the little Mecca of China.' Visit Linxia Dagongbei, an Islamic shrine complex centred on a Sufi master's grave, and Nanguan Mosque. Later continue to Xiahe to see Labrang Tibetan Buddhist Monastery, one of the largest outside the Tibet Autonomous Region, in a pastoral landscape with yaks grazing.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Linxia Dagongbei
- Visit Nanguan Mosque
Landmarks Linxia Dagongbei Nanguan Mosque Labrang Tibetan Buddhist Monastery - Day 19
Xiahe
Spend a full day at Labrang Monastery and Sangke Grassland. Labrang, one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, houses tens of thousands of Buddha statues made from gold, silver, copper, aluminium, ivory, sandalwood, jade, and crystal. The monastery holds countless Buddhist treasures adorned with pearls, jadeite, agate, and diamonds.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Full day excursion to Labrang Monastery
- Visit Sangke Grassland
Landmarks Labrang Monastery Sangke Grassland - Day 20
Xiahe to Xi'an
Drive back to Lanzhou (approximately 5 hours) and stop en-route at Bingling Temple Grottoes by boat. Bingling Temple features Buddhist sculptures carved into natural caves along the Yellow River canyon, just north of where it empties into the Liujiaxia Reservoir. See Jishi Hill where the caves are located. Once in Lanzhou, transfer to the train station for a high-speed train to Xi'an (D2667 departing 20:00, arriving 23:08, first-class seating).
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Bingling Temple Grottoes by boat
Landmarks Bingling Temple Grottoes Jishi Hill 
- Day 21
Xi'an
Arrive in Xi'an and transfer to your hotel for breakfast. Walk along the ancient city walls, the most complete surviving walls in China and one of the world's largest ancient military defence systems. You can optionally rent a bicycle (not included) to ride around them. Walk through the lively Muslim Quarter to visit the Grand Mosque, surrounded by 13 dynasties of Muslim history from Arab and Persian Silk Road merchants. Watch a puppet show and enjoy a dumpling banquet dinner with dumplings of various shapes, sizes, and flavours.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner (Dumpling banquet with dumplings of many different shapes, sizes and flavours)
Included Activities
- Walk along ancient city walls
- Visit Grand Mosque
- Watch puppet show in Muslim Quarter
- Dumpling banquet dinner
Optional Activities
- Bicycle rental around city walls
Landmarks Xi'an Ancient City Walls Grand Mosque Muslim Quarter - Day 22
Xi'an to Beijing
Experience Xi'an's highlight: the Terracotta Warriors and Horses, the life-sized defending army of Qinshihuang, the first emperor of China. A local farmer discovered this funerary art from 210-209 BCE, buried to protect the emperor in his afterlife. In the evening, board an overnight train to Beijing in a soft sleeper shared cabin.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Visit Terracotta Warriors & Horses
Landmarks Terracotta Warriors & Horses 
- Day 23
Beijing
Arrive in Beijing and transfer to your hotel for breakfast. Start from Tian'anmen Square and walk to the Forbidden City, the former Chinese Imperial Palace with nearly five hundred years of history and 999.5 rooms, the world's largest existing palace complex. Trace Chinese history from the Ming Dynasty through the end of the Qing Dynasty. Walk through Hutongs (narrow old Beijing alleyways) on a 'Hutong foodie walk' tasting traditional local dishes starting at the Bell Tower, walking through the market, then having lunch at an authentic Uighur restaurant. Finish at Houhai Lake with free time.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch (Lunch at an authentic Uighur restaurant)
Included Activities
- Walk to Forbidden City from Tian'anmen Square
- Hutong foodie walk
- Traditional Beijing dishes at Bell Tower
- Lunch at authentic Uighur restaurant
- Free time at Houhai Lake
Landmarks Tian'anmen Square Forbidden City Hutongs Bell Tower Houhai Lake - Day 24
Beijing
Travel 5-6 hours by road from Beijing into the countryside to explore an unrestored section of the Great Wall known as the 'Wild Wall.' Hike the crumbling remains for approximately 3-4 hours, navigating uneven stonework and passing through weather-worn watchtowers with minimal modern intervention. This raw section shows the Wall's scale and military purpose far removed from restored tourist zones, with nature reclaiming the structure as a striking reminder of both dynastic ingenuity and impermanence.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Lunch
Included Activities
- Hike the 'Wild Wall' section of the Great Wall
Landmarks Great Wall - Wild Wall Section - Day 25
Beijing
This morning is yours at leisure until your transfer to the airport for your onward flight. Those wishing to extend your journey can opt to add the extension to Xanadu to continue along Marco Polo's historic route.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Extension to Xanadu
