Compare Journey on the Silk Road by Himalayan Glacier Adventure vs China’s Capital Cities: Beijing, Xi’an & Shanghai by Road Scholar

Day 1: Arrival and sightseeing in Beijing

After your arrival at the Beijing airport you will be greeted by our guide who will drop you off at your hotel. After checkingin, you will have the rest of the day to tour Beijing. With more than 3000 years of history, Beijing has rich assortment of well-preserved cultural and imperial relics. Today we tour Tian’anmen Square, which is an extensive open area in central Beijing. Then walk north into the Forbidden City. For five hundred years, it served as home for the emperors of China. Later we visit the Summer Palace which was constructedfrom 1749 to 1764 and is the grandest imperial playground in China with elaborate Qing-style pavilions, bridges, walkways, and gardens scattered around the immense Kunming Lake.Overnight in Beijing.

Day 2: Fly to Xian and tour Xi'an Ancient City Wall and Shaanxi History Museum

After flying to Xian in the morning, you will spend the rest of the day visiting the city’s beautiful landmarks. The City Wall of Xian represents one of the oldest and best preserved Chinese city walls and also is one of the largest ancient military defensive systems in the world. Next, visit the Shaanxi History Museum, regarded as “the pearl of ancient dynasties and house of Chinese treasures”. It gives a miniature overview of the thousands of years of Chinese history and the splendid ancient cultures of olden times. Overnight in Xi’an.

Day 3: Sightseeing in Xi’an

Believed to be the most significant archaeological excavations of the 20th century, the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horse Museum includes Pit 1, Pit 2 and Pit 3 as well the exhibition hall of the chariots and horses. After completing the tour at the museum, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, which is a well-preserved ancient building and a holy place for Buddhists. Later visit another archaeological site, Banpo, discovered in 1953, which contains the remains of several well organized Neolithic settlements carbon dated to 5600–6700 years ago. In the evening, enjoy the Tang Dynasty Song and Dance Show at Tang Yuegong Theatre. Overnight in Xi’an.

Day 4: Fly from Xi'an to Zhangye

Today we fly to Zhangye and tour its famous landmark, the giant Buddha temple which is a complex consisting of the Giant Buddha Hall, the Buddhist Classics Hall, and a Clay Pagoda. The Giant Buddha statue of 34.5m lying in the middle of the hall is the temple’s main attraction. It is also believed that the famous Italian traveller Marco Polo was very impressed by the magnificent architecture of the Giant Buddha Temple and by the prosperity of Zhangye city and lived here for more than a year. Overnight in Zhangye.

Day 5: Morning sightseeing then take a train to Duhuang

Today we visit the famous Matisi grottos or caves. The Thousand Buddha Caves are just inside the entrance gateway to the Matisi Scenic Area, and walking up the road is a pleasant experience, with the river rushing past on one side, and the decaying niches studding the cliff face on the other. Later we visit the temple of the legendary King Gesar. In the evening, you get to witness the excellent sunset over the picturesque landscape of Danxia. Later, take a train to Duhuang to spend the night.

Day 6: Sightseeing in Duhuang: Hechang Military Depot: 95km, 3-4 hours

Today we visit Hechang Military Depot, which is located in the northwest part of Dunhuang, about 20km away from Yumen Pass. The military depot was used to store food and clothing when fighting with the nomadic Xiongnu people during the Han dynasty. Overnight in Duhuang.

Day 7: Sightseeing in Duhuang: Crescent Lakeand Mogao Grottoes

We begin the day by visiting the beautiful Crescent Lake, which is a small pool of spring water between two large sand dunes. We even enjoy the beauty of the area with a camel safari. Next, you will tour Dunhuang’s famous Mogao Grottoes also known as the Dunhuang Grottoes. The site showcases China’s largest collection of Buddhist grottoes, the oldest ones dating back to as early as a thousand years ago. While touring the site you will also get to marvel at the murals that have Buddhist stories, folk culture, farming, and hunting as their main themes. Take a train to Yumen and finally to Turpan to spend the night.

Day 8: Sightseeing in Turpan

Begin sightseeing in Turpan with a visit to the Suleiman’s Minaret also known as the Sugong Pagoda. Built in Uighur architectural style, the Pagoda is an old brick tower dating back to 1778, almost as old as the United States! Next, visit the grape valley, a small paradise with a thick maze of grape trellises. Today you will also tour the Karez channels, which is a unique underground water system, invented and built by ancient farmers from various ethnic minorities of Turpan. Another highlight of today would be visiting the Astana Tombs from where thousands of priceless historical relics have been unearthed. End the tour by passing through the legendary Flaming Mountain, believed as the hottest place on earth.

Day 9: Drive to Urumqi

Drive to Urumqi after breakfast and visit the Terai Camp followed by Nanshan Grassland, both beautiful natural sites. Nanshan Grassland, also known as Mount Nan Pasture, is a large pasture region with many beautiful streams and a waterfall. While in Urumqi you can also enjoy a traditional meal of ethnic Kazakhs, who were traditionally nomadic, tribal shepherds and ranchers of cattle, sheep, goats, and horses.

Day 10: Fly to Kashgar

After checking in at your hotel in Kashgar, you will visit the Etigar Mosque, a famous mosque, which is well known among muslims in central and west Asia with the name of “Little Mecca”. Also visit the Tomb of Abakh Khoja, a much revered muslim leader and prophet of the 17th century. Next, enjoy strolling in the world’s livelest market in Kashgar, an oasis in the centuries-old Silk Road before calling it a day.

Day 11: Sightseeing in Kashgar: Karakuli Lake

You will spend the whole day enjoying the beauty of Karakuli Lake which is popular among travellers for its beautiful scenery and the clarity of its reflection in the water, whose color ranges from a dark green to azure and light blue. The lake lies at an altitude of 3,600m, and is the highest lake of the Pamir plateau, near the junction of the Pamir, Tian Shan and Kunlun mountain ranges. Surrounded by mountains which remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest peaks visible from the lake are the Muztagh Ata (7,546m), Kongur Tagh (7,649m) and Kongur Tiube (7,530m). Overnight in Kashgar.

Day 12: Final departure

Your journey on the Silk Road ends today. You will fly to Beijing and board an international airplane to fly home. On the way, you can reminisce on your incredible journey on the Silk Road.

Day 1 In Transit to Program In Flight

Day 2 Arrive Beijing, Check In, Orientation Beijing

Hotel check in from 2:00 p.m.

After hotel arrival and check in, take some time to freshen up and relax before our Orientation session. Orientation: The Group Leader will greet everyone with a warm welcome and lead introductions. We will review the up-to-date program schedule and any changes, discuss roles and responsibilities, logistics, safety guidelines, emergency procedures, and answer any questions you may have. Most lunches and dinners will be “family style” with various dishes placed on a “Lazy Susan” turntable in the center of the table where everyone helps themselves. Chopsticks and forks will be available as well as Chinese spoons used for serving and for soup at the end of a meal. Tea and water are served with all meals; other beverages available for purchase. Free time is reserved for your personal independent exploration. Please note that program activities, schedules, and personnel may need to change due to local circumstances. In the event of changes, we will alert you as quickly as possible. Thank you for your understanding.

Continue getting to know your fellow Road Scholars, settle in, and get a good night’s rest for the day ahead.

In the hotel dining room, we’ll enjoy a “family style” meal with typical Chinese dishes and ingredients including rice, meats, vegetables, and non-meat dishes for vegetarians.

Day 3 Summer Palace, Old Beijing Family Lunch, Forbidden City Beijing

Walking up to approximately 3 miles throughout the day; 1 mile in the Summer Palace on flat, paved terrain; approximately 1.8 miles in and around the Forbidden City.

We will depart the hotel via motorcoach and ride to the Summer Palace. Here lily ponds and arched bridges border its serene lake, and painted pavillions depict stories that reflect the rich history of Chinese life and art.

Next, we will explore parts of the 250-acre Forbidden City imperial compound. It was called the Forbidden City because it was “forbidden” to enter without the Emperor’s permission. The world's largest palace complex, it is surrounded by a moat 170 feet (52 meters) wide, a wall more than 32 feet (10 meters) high, and contains 8,700 rooms! Construction began in 1407, and, thanks to the labor of a million workers including 100,000 artisans, it was completed in 1420. The Forbidden City was not only the personal residence of emperors and their royal families, but China’s political center for more than five centuries.

At leisure. After returning to our hotel, feel free to take a neighborhood walk or just relax.

In the hotel dining room, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as warm meats, eggs, cereals, fruit, and Chinese dishes such as rice porridge and cooked vegetables; beverages include juice, tea, coffee, water.

In an “Old Beijing” hutong, we’ll gather for a family-hosted lunch including jaozi (Chinese style dumplings). Hutongs are old residential neighborhoods with courtyard homes situated in small lanes and alleys that are rapidly disappearing due to urban development.

At a local restaurant, we’ll have our official welcome dinner and savor Beijing’s famous culinary delight, Beijing Roast Duck, a.k.a. Peking Duck. The ducks are specially raised and the elaborate preparation involves a series of steps to produce the crispy skin and savory meat with traditional accompaniments such as scallion and sweet bean sauce, all rolled inside a thin pancake.

Day 4 Great Wall, Tiananmen Square, Beijing Opera Beijing

The motorcoach trip to the Great Wall is about 50 miles, approximately 2 hours. Walking up to about 1.5 miles. We will take a cable car to a higher point on the wall (weather and wind permitting). Some parts of the wall are steep as it is in a mountainous area; walking sticks or trekking poles are helpful.

This morning, travel outside of Beijing city to a green mountain range where you can walk the Great Wall and experience spectacular views as it winds up and down the distant mountains.

En route back to the hotel, we’ll stop at Tian'anmen Square, considered the heart of Beijing. Here are located the Chairman Mao Zedong Memorial Hall, the China National Museum, Great Hall of the People, Monument to the People's Heroes, and the Tiananmen Tower. The square was the site in 1989 of pro-democracy protests seen around the world.

We will walk to a theater adjacent the hotel and experience the distinctive art form known as Beijing Opera. Completely unlike opera in the West, this unique theatrical performance is expressed through four artistic methods: singing, dialogue, dancing, and martial arts. There are classic characters and stories, brilliant costumes, stylized make-up, acrobatics, exuberant percussionists, and various types of falsetto singing that may be startling to Western ears at first. The performance is presented with modern Chinese and English supertitles above the stage. After returning to the hotel, prepare for check out and transfer in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

At a spot of your choosing, we’ll have box lunches.

Dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 5 Temple of Heaven, High-Speed Bullet Train to Xi'an Xi'an

Walk approximately .6 miles from the entrance to the exit of the Temple of Heaven park; about 70 steps if you climb up the Temple of Heaven. The train journey from Beijing to Xi’an is about 755 miles (1,215km), approximately 4.5 hours.

After checking out of the hotel, we will board our motorcoach for a field trip to a 15th century architectural masterpiece, the Temple of Heaven, that symbolizes the relationship between heaven and earth. With our Group Leader, we will walk the extensive grounds to the Temple while observing the activities of local people practicing calligraphy, tai ji, musical instruments, dancing, or flying kites on the park-like grounds. We’ll then depart for the Beijing train station and board the high speed “bullet” train.

Xi'an is one of China’s oldest cities and was the capital during the golden age of the Tang Dynasty. Our train journey takes us through northeast urban areas and surrounding countryside on China's yellow soil plateau. These high-speed trains reach speeds of 155-185 miles per hour (250-300 km/h) yet it’s a smooth and comfortable ride. Upon arrival at the train station, we will be met by our local Group Leader and escorted to the hotel aboard a motorcoach. After checking in and getting our rooms, there will be some time to freshen up and relax before dinner.

We’ll gather with our Group Leader and practice informal Chinese conversation.

Hotel buffet. Plan to eat early as we depart no later than 8:30 a.m.

In the train's dining car.

Dinner at a nearby restaurant.

Day 6 Xian University, Chinese Life Views, Hui Muslim Section Xi'an

You are welcome to join the Group Leader for a tai ji session before breakfast. Walking up to 0.6 mile, or 1.5 miles total if choosing to walk back to the hotel from the Muslim section.

We will take a motorcoach to Xi'an International Studies University, one of China's key institutions of higher learning, and meet with a faculty expert who will teach us about Daoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism as a way of understanding Chinese character and customs. We’ll then visit the campus with students from the university's renowned English Department and hear about student life in China.

With our Group Leader, we will board a motorcoach and ride from the university to Xian’s Hui Muslim section for a walk about. Among the highlights are its beautiful Great Mosque, one of China's best preserved. Xi'an was a hub of the Silk Road in ancient times. Merchants, traders, and students from Islamic lands were drawn there and settled down. Over generations, they became known as the Hui people, officially recognized as one of China’s ethnic minorities. There were thousands of mosques in China at one time, but most are now gone. You are welcome to stay on in the Hui Muslim area, explore on your own, and walk back to the hotel. The motorcoach will return to the hotel with those who would like to get back sooner.

At leisure. Spend time with your fellow Road Scholars or just relax.

In the hotel dining, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as warm meats, eggs, cereals, fruit, and Chinese dishes such as rice porridge and cooked vegetables; beverages include juice, tea, coffee, water.

In the university dining room, we’ll have a family style meal with typical Chinese dishes including meats such as chicken or pork with vegetables as well as non-meat platters such as tomatoes, potatoes, bakchoi, mushrooms, served with rice.

This meal has been excluded from the program cost and is on your own to enjoy what you like. The Group Leader will be happy to offer suggestions. You are welcome to stay in the Hui Muslim area and dine on local fare of your own choosing or return to your hotel with our coach where you can have dinner out at a restaurant nearby or at the hotel.

Day 7 A Qin Emperor's Terra Cotta Warriors, Traditional Music Xi'an

You are welcome to join the Group Leader for a tai ji session before breakfast. Walking up to approximately 2 miles.

The huge tomb site of the Qin Emperor, containing an army of life size terra cotta figures, was one of the most astounding archaeological discoveries of the 20th century. With our Group Leader and experienced local staff — all Xi’an college graduates who have much experience with the terra cotta warriors site — we will explore sections of this vast site where three huge pits are filled with the terra-cotta soldiers, cavalry, archers, their weapons, horses and chariots. It has been estimated that there are as many as 8,000 individual figures, but the total number is still unknown. Traces of paint suggest they were once brilliantly colored. Experimental digs in nearby areas have revealed other kinds of figures such as acrobats, dancers, and musicians, but further excavations are “on hold” due to the complex conditions at the site.

Returning to our hotel, we’ll be joined by artists from the Xian Music Institute who will introduce their traditional Chinese instruments and perform a private concert for our group.

We’ll get together again with our Group Leader to practice Chinese conversation. Then prepare for hotel check out and our flight in the morning.

Hotel buffet.

We will ride to a nearby restaurant for a buffet lunch with local Chinese food and some Western additions.

At a restaurant that is a local favorite a short walk from the hotel, we’ll dine family style.

Day 8 Fly to Shanghai, Yu Garden, Shanghai Acrobatics Shanghai

You are welcome to join the Group Leader for a tai ji session before breakfast.

We will check out of the hotel and transfer via motorcoach to the Xi’an airport for our flight to Shanghai, China's most cosmopolitan city and the world's busiest port.

From the airport, we’ll board a motorcoach and ride to Shanghai's historic old section. With our Group Leader, we’ll explore the nearby Yu Garden whose classical pavilions, fountains, and arching bridges exemplify traditional Chinese garden landscaping. Depending on time, we will either check in to the hotel after visiting the Yu Garden or go directly to dinner in order to be on time for the acrobatics performance this evening.

We’ll walk to the Shanghai Acrobatics theater to attend an evening of amazing skill and prowess in a performance by the world-famous Shanghai Acrobatics Troupe. For thousands of years, acrobatics have been considered as one of the treasures of Chinese performing arts, also figuring in other genres such as Beijing Opera.

Hotel buffet.

In flight

We’ll take the motorcoach to a restaurant near the Shanghai Acrobatics theater and enjoy dishes belonging to Huaiyang cuisine, one of the Four Great Cuisines of China.

Day 9 Shanghai Museum, Bund Riverfront Promenade, Farewell Dinner Shanghai

Walking up to 1 mile within the Museum; up to 1.5 miles outdoors at Bund Riverfront Promenade.

We’ll board a motorcoach for a field trip to the magnificent Shanghai Museum that houses China’s finest collection of ceramics, painting, sculpture, and bronzes. Audio cassettes are provided so that you can explore the museum according to your own interests and pace.

Next, we’ll ride to the Bund and walk along the pedestrian promenade. This renowned riverfront area characterized by iconic Art Deco and Neoclassical buildings is from Shanghai's history as a foreign “concession.” Across the river we see “new Shanghai” that was only recently undeveloped farmland and is now a forest of glittering skyscrapers. The motorcoach will then return to the hotel.

At leisure. After returning to the hotel, prepare for check out and departure in the morning.

In the hotel dining, the breakfast buffet offers choices such as warm meats, eggs, cereals, fruit, and Chinese dishes such as rice porridge and cooked vegetables; beverages include juice, tea, coffee, water.

On your own to enjoy what you like. The museum has a small café and there are restaurants nearby.

Farewell dinner at a nearby restaurant. Share your favorite experiences with new Road Scholar friends.

Day 10 Program Concludes Shanghai

Hotel check out by 12:00 Noon. See the “Travel Information” section regarding transfers. If you are an independent traveler (POP status), see “Ground Transportation from Last Location.” The Group Leader will advise as to departure times from the hotel.

Hotel buffet. This concludes our program. If you are returning home, safe travels. If you are staying on independently, have a wonderful time. If you are transferring to another Road Scholar program, detailed instructions are included in your Information Packet for that program. We hope you enjoy Road Scholar learning adventures and look forward to having you on rewarding programs in the future. Please join our Facebook page and share photos of your program. Visit us at www.facebook.com/rsadventures. Best wishes for all your journeys!