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Day 1: Arrival in Beijing

Accommodation: The Great Wall Hotel Beijing  - the former Sheraton

Upon your arrival, our guide will be expecting you outside the customs of the airport and transfer you to the already reserved hotel in a comfortable and clean car. For the remainder of the day, you can have a good rest to release the jet lag.

Day 2: Beijing

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Your escorted China tour starts form the center of the city - Tiananmen Square. Walking northward across the square, you will reach the Forbidden City. As the world's largest and best preserved ancient architectural complex of wooden structure, it has over 8,000 pavilions and houses thousands of time-honored treasures.

For today's lunch, you will enjoy our special offer - the a la carte Chinese food with Peking Roast Duck at one of the best local restaurants (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price)

In the afternoon, you will continue to visit the Temple of Heaven, the royal altar of the Ming and Qing dynasties. A fantastic Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre will be tonight's highlight and you will be impressed by the excellent performance.

Day 3: Beijing

Meals: Breakfast

Your guide will pick you up in the early morning for the trip to Mutianyu Great Wall. It is one of the most splendid and the most representative parts of China Great Wall. The round-trip cable car will take you up and down, which allows you more sightseeing time on the wall. The restaurants nearby the site are in low quality, so we do not arrange the lunch today. It may be the best that you have a big breakfast at the hotel and have some fast food for lunch by yourself.

After lunch, you will be driven back to the urban area. When passing by the Olympic National Stadium, you will have a chance to take photos of this large Bird's Nest. The whole day's sightseeing will come to an end after spending some leisure time at a traditional local market.

Day 4: Beijing - Xi'an

Meals: Breakfast and lunch

Accommodation: Sheraton Hotel

This morning you will visit the Summer Palace, a summer resort for the imperial royalty in Qing dynasty. Then, following your guide to trace the old Beijing by walking along the narrow but original Hutong alleys. You will feel excited to learn to make Chinese Paper Cutting with a folk artist in Hutong.

We will serve you an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY150.00 per person and included in our price) at a fancy restaurant with delicious food and great atmosphere. Then fly to the ancient capital city Xi'an. A local guide will pick you up and help you check in at the hotel.

Day 5: Xi'an

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner

Today you will go to one of the highlights of your 9 days China tour package, the Terracotta Army. The museum not only displays the world-known delicate figures of Qin Terracotta Warriors and Horses, but also shows visitors an array of precious ancient weapons.

At lunch time, you will visit a local family and have an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price) in the family, where you can enjoy authentic home made Chinese dishes. A short cooking class is also prepared so that you can enjoy not only the gourmet food but also the fun of cooking them.

After that, visit Xi'an Museum and the Small Wild Goose Pagoda. The pagoda was built in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) to store the Buddhist scriptures and statues. At night, after enjoying Dumpling Dinner you will be entertained at the Tang Dynasty Music and Dance Show.

Day 6: Xi'an

Meals: Breakfast and Lunch

Today you will begin your visit to the City Wall Park. Encircling the old City Wall, the park is the most popular place for local people to relax, especially in the morning time. You will see people are attending different kinds of activities for fun. It is true that the park has brought the old wall live. Also in this park, you will learn to practice Tai Chi with the master. From the park, we head to the best-preserved Ming Dynasty City Wall. It will be a memorable experience to ride a bicycle on the wall. If feel interested, you can rent the bike at your own expense.

After an a la carte lunch (valued at CNY120.00 per person and included in our price), you will first visit Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. The large storage of precious cultural relics from the Shang Dynasty (17th - 11th Century BC) to the Qing Dynasty unfold the glorious Chinese history and culture in front of you. Then visit the Great Mosque. You can also have a taste of the local snacks on the Muslim Street when finishing the visit to the mosque.

Day 7: Xi'an – Chengdu

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Holiday Inn Chengdu Oriental Plaza

This morning you will take a high-speed train for about 4 hours to Chengdu. Upon your arrival, our guide will pick you up and transfer you to the hotel, and then help you check in for a 2-night stay. The rest of the day is free for you to have a rest at the hotel or look around the city on your own.

Day 8 Chengdu

Meals: Breakfast

Today you will pay a visit to the lovely giant pandas in Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. Giant Panda only inhabits in China, so it is regarded as the national treasure. Then our guide will escort you to explore the Broad and Narrow Alleys of Chengdu. Lunch is arranged on your own, so you might try some local snacks in the alley or choose a courtyard restaurant to enjoy your lunch.

In the afternoon, you will proceed to visit Jinsha Site Museum. Covering an area of 5 square kilometers, it is the historical remains of the Shang and Zhou dynasties (1700BC-221BC) focusing on the cultural relics' exhibit and the sacrificial site. Then come to the last stop of your tour, Renmin Park, to experience the casual lifestyle of Chengdu people. Have a pot of tea and enjoy a relaxing time.

Day 9: Departure from Chengdu

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast, please check out the hotel before 12:00 and find your own way to the airport for your flight. You can take a taxi to Chengdu airport directly, at costing about CNY100. Wish you a pleasant journey!

For your reference, we also offer extension private tours after this 9 days China itinerary. There are many highlights and famous sites in Sichuan worth your visiting, such as Leshan Giant Buddha and Mt. Emei, Jiuzhaigou Valley and Huanglong. Please drop us an email freely to let us know your preference, and we will be glad to be helpful with your vacation to China.

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.