From $6,298 USD. Western China by Train: Xian to Kashgar. 25 Sep 18 to 11 Oct 18

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1 From $6,298 USD Single $6,298 USD Twin share $7,481 USD 17 days Duration Asia and the Orient Destination Level 2 - Moderate Activity 25 Sep 18 to 11 Oct 18 This tour is specially designed to spend time in less traveled areas of the Silk Road. We start from Xian, the traditional beginning of the Silk Road. We will visit the renowned Terra Cotta Warriors Shi Huangdi s army. As well as Xian Incident Museum, it is here that many believe the history of China was changed forever, as Chiang Kai-shek was taken under house arrest by General Xueliang Zhang and made to agree to cooperate with Chairman Mao to fight the invading Japanese, this gave chairman Mao the opportunity to regroup and later was able to 07-May /11

2 force Chiang to retreat to Taiwan. We will also pay a special visit to the tomb of the only female emperor of China Wu Ze Tian, who s famous inscriptionless steel is still a mystery to the world today. We then fly to Dunhuang to be immersed in the glory of ancient Buddhism. Dunhuang s Mogao Caves is on the edge of Gobi Desert is among the most valuable cultural discoveries of the 20th century, and is known as the Oriental Louvre. Here we will be able to marvel at the cave fresco from 366AD. Situated at a strategic point along the Silk Route, at the crossroads of trade as well as religious, cultural and intellectual influences, the 492 cells and cave sanctuaries in Mogao are famous for their statues and wall paintings, spanning 1,000 years of Buddhist art. We will also visit the 2000 year old Crescent Moon Lake. Ever since Chinese authorities began refilling the lake in 2006, the water has stopped receding and is slowly growing in depth again. If you are feeling adventurous, you can also take a camel ride on the desert dune. After 2 days in Dunhuang, we will then fly to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang. Xinjiang was previously known as Xiyu (西域), under the Han dynasty, which drove the Xiongnu empire out of the region in 60 BCE in an effort to secure the profitable Silk Road, but was renamed Xinjiang (新疆, meaning new frontier ) when the region was reconquered by the Manchu-led Qing dynasty in Today Xinjiang province is Uygur Autonomous Region. Here, we will sample and learn about its exotic food and culture, and 07-May /11

3 discover the history of this remote part of ancient Silk road. From Urumqi we will board our private train and enjoy the scenery from our windows. Here, we will travel this part of the ancient Silk Road in the comfort of a private train, without the hassle of packing and unpacking. We will stop at amazing townships all the way to Kashgar, which is located near the border with Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. With a population of over 500,000, Kashgar has a history of over 2,000 years and served as a trading post and strategically important city on the Silk Road between China, the Middle East, and Europe. Here we will be discovering more mystery and customs of these ancient out posits. From Urumqi, we will spend 4 nights on the train and 6 nights at local hotels. Top 5 1. Visit to the Terra Cotta Warriors, one of the wonders of the world. 2. Inspect The Qianling Mausoleum, which houses the remains of Emperor Wu Zetian, who was the only reigning female emperor (AD ) in Chinese history. 3. See Dunhuang s Mogao Grotto. Known as the most valuable cultural discovery of the 20th century, the Oriental Louvre. 4. Visit the Heavenly Lake, which is 1,900 meters above sea level. 5. See Karakul Lake, which sits at an altitude of 3,600 meters. It s the highest lake on the Pamir plateau. Itinerary 07-May /11

4 Day 1 Locations: Xian Overview: Arrive in Xian, go direct to hotel and meet in hotel lobby at 5pm for briefing & Welcome Dinner. (D) Accommodation: Grand Nobel Xi'an or similar Day 2 Locations: Xian Overview: Today we will visit another highlight of our trip - the Terra Cotta Warriors, we will visit the Terra-Cotta Tomb Warriors, which is another wonder of the world. They consist of a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Shi Huangdi, the First Emperor of China. We will also visit the Hua-Qing Hot Spring & Xi an Incident Museum where some believes had changed the course of history for China. After lunch we tour the majestic Wild Goose Pagoda. For Dinner we will enjoy Xian s famous cuisine Dumpling Banquet follow by a spectacular Tang Dynasty Show. (BLD) Accommodation: Grand Nobel Xi'an or similar Day 3 Locations: Xian Overview: After Breakfast, we will have the opportunity to ride a bike on top of the Ancient City Wall, this is one of the best preserved city walls in China. We will then travel to visit The Qianling Mausoleum, it was built as tombs to house the remains of various members of the imperial family of the Tang dynasty. This includes Emperor Gaozong (r ), as well as his wife, Wu Zetian, who usurped the Tang 07-May /11

5 throne and became China's only reigning female emperor from The mausoleum is renowned for its many Tang dynasty stone statues located above ground and the mural paintings adorning the subterranean walls of the tombs. (BD) Accommodation: Grand Nobel Xi'an or similar Day 4 Locations: Xian/Dunhuang Overview: This morning, we fly to Dunhuang. After checking in to the hotel, we visit Dunhuang Museum. We then go to Sha Chau Night Market, here with its distinctive local characteristics and rich folk customs we can enjoy the desert atmosphere. (BD) Accommodation: The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel or similar Day 5 Locations: Dunhuang Overview: After breakfast, we set out together to find Dunhuang s Mogao Grotto. Known as the most valuable cultural discovery of the 20th century, the "Oriental Louvre" is located at the western end of the Hexi corridor of Dunhuang, with exquisite murals and statues. We then go to Mingsha Crescent Moon Spring. (BD) Accommodation: The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel or similar class Day 6 Locations: Urumqi Overview: Today we fly to Urumqi, where we will be met and 07-May /11

6 transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is free at your leisure. (BD) Accommodation: 5 star hotel in Urumqi Day 7 Locations: Urumqi to Luntai Overview: Urumqi is the capital of Xinjiang. It looks like a part of Switzerland or Canada set in the midst of the Gobi Desert. It is the largest city and one of the most spellbinding in the western half of China. Today we will visit the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Museum, to see the mummies. It is the only provincial comprehensive museum in the region. Then we will visit the famous Heavenly Lake, the lake is 1,900 meters above sea level. We have lunch in this idyllic area before returning to Urumqi train station to board our private train. (BLD) Accommodation: We spend the night on the private train. Day 8 Locations: Luntai to Kuche Overview: We arrive in Luntai in the morning. Luntai County is situated at the southern foot of Tianshan Mountain, on the north border of Tarim Basin. Here lies the 26,000-hectare Forest of Diversiform-leaved Poplars, which is the largest in area and density as well as the best-preserved of its kind in the world. The name of this kind of poplar tree means "the most beautiful tree" in the Uygur language. It is also called "the hero in the desert" thanks to its vigor and ability to withstand drought, sand and wind. The poplars, along with many other desert plants, are a revelation about life and death. Afternoon tour is the Tahe Bridge (Tarim Basin scenery), to enjoy 07-May /11

7 the fantastic scenery there. Then we are heading to Kuche. (BLD) Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Kuche Day 9 Locations: Kuche to Kashgar Overview: This morning we will visit the mysterious Tianshan Grand Canyon. Also known as Keziliya Grand Canyon, it is a canyon near Keziliya Mountain (a branch of Tianshan Mountain) formed by wind and rain over billions of years. "Keziliya" in Uighur means red cliff. The canyon is as long as 5.5 kilometers from east to west with an average depth of 1,600 meters. The reddish-brown mountains of the grand and rugged canyon are in different shapes, and gullies and trenches can be found everywhere. Some places are too narrow to pass through. In the afternoon we tour the Kizilgaha Beacon Tower. This was a watch tower used for security, and perhaps dates back to the 8th century. Kizilgaha Beacon Tower is an imposing, deserted structure 50 feet high. We leave Kuche on the train to Kashgar in the evening. (BLD) Accommodation: We spend the night on the private train. Day 10 Locations: Kashgar Overview: We arrive in Kashgar in the morning, today is meant to be an amazing day because we ll visit the famous Jinhuyang National Forest Park. It is located in the west of Zepu County of Kashgar area, close to the Yarkant River, with a beautiful environment of the desert oasis, here has more than millions hectors of natural Populous euphoretic forest. Later today, we will escort you back to Kashgar. 07-May /11

8 Check in hotel upon arrival. (BLD) Accommodation: 5 star hotel in Kashgar Day 11 Locations: Kashgar to Taxkorgan Overview: After breakfast, we follow the China and Pakistan Highway to visit the Karakul Lake and enjoy the Pamir landscape. Karakul Lake sits at an altitude of 3,600 meters. It s the highest lake of the Pamir plateau, near the junction of the Pamir, Tianshan and Kunlun Mountain ranges. Surrounded by mountains, these mountains remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest peaks visible from the lake are the Muztag Ata (7,546m), Kongur Tagh (7,649m) and Kongur Tiube (7,530m). The lake 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. Late afternoon we ll arrive at Taxkorgan County and visit a Tajik family. (BLD) Accommodation: 3/4 star hotel in Taxkorgan County Day 12 Locations: Taxkorgan to Kashgar Overview: This morning we ll see the The Stone City, an ancient ruined city located in the center of the town of Tashkorgan is a significant castle ruins on the ancient Silk Road. The old fortress was built on a precipitous hillock. Outside the castle were broken city walls which were built with huge rocks. These walls stretch around 1300 meters along the city. The wall was 6 meters high and about 13 meters wide at the top. On the four corners of the wall there were originally watching towers but they all collapsed. The stone city has 07-May /11

9 bizarre-shaped stones littered everywhere. The ruin was the capital of the Puli Kingdom, one of the 36 kingdoms in the Western Region under the jurisdiction of the Han Dynasty. The Tang rulers set up their administration office here to rule over the region after it unified the area. The Yuan government had enlarged and reconstructed the Stone City for military purpose. It was in the Qing Dynasty that the government built a new city in the south. Afterwards, we drive by the beautiful scenery of Buren Bay Sand Lake and Hongshan Gorge on the way back to Kashgar. (BLD) Accommodation: 5 star hotel in Kashgar Day 13 Locations: Kashgar to Korla Overview: Today we will visit the famous Grand Bazzar in Kashgar City. It supports more than 5000 vendors with stalls and street food. Then we ll visit the Kashgar Old City. The Kashgar old castle town area in the Kashgar town center has a population of approximately 126,800. After that, we visit The Id Kah Mosque, located at the Kashgar town center. The porch of the Mosque is very spacious and beautifully decorated with woodcarvings. In the afternoon, we tour the Abakh Hoja Tomb. This is an Islamic mausoleum, built around In the evening, we board our our private train to the Pear City -Korla. (BLD) Accommodation: We spend the night on the private train Day 14 Locations: Korla Overview: Lopnur Village, or Luoburen Village, is located in XinJiang province. 35 kilometers south-west of Weili County and May /11

10 kilometers from Korla. This hamlet of more than 20 clans is considered one of China's most famous villages. The Lopnur Village is famous for producing fine jade-ware and is home to the Lopnur ethnic minority who possess their own unique individual culture. Although it is located in the Taklamakan Desert it backs onto the "green corridor providing the village with water and vegetation. Residents don't plant crops, or raise livestock, but just live on catching fish and hunting wild animals. (BLD) Accommodation: 4 star hotel in Korla Day 15 Locations: Korla to Urumqi Overview: Today we will visit the Bosten Lake, lying in Bohu County of Korla, southeast of the Yanqi Basin. Bosten Lake is the biggest inland freshwater lake in China. It is 55 kilometers long from east to west and 25 kilometers wide from north to south, consisting of big and small lake districts. The lake is rich in fish and reeds. The main scenic spots include Lotus Lake, A Hong Kou, and Bailuzhou. After lunch, we visit the Iron Gate Pass, also known as Tiemen Pass. It's located in the northeastern suburbs of Korla City about 8 kilometers from the city center. Tiemen Pass is one of the 26 famous passes in China and acquired the name 'Iron Gate' because it is solid and firm. In the evening, we drive back to the train station to board our private train. (BLD Accommodation: We spend the night on the private train Day 16 Locations: Urumqi Overview: We arrive in Urumqi around midday. The afternoon is free 07-May /11

11 at your leisure. In the evening, we have a farewell dinner. Accommodation: 5 star hotel in Urumqi Day 17 Locations: Urumqi Overview: After breakfast, our program concludes and we will be transferred to the airport for flights. (B) Accommodation: Inclusions / Exclusions What s included in our Tour Train and hotel accommodation as listed Meals as indicated Applicable entry fees and services of local guides. Service charges and gratuities. Touring by comfortable and modern coach and private train. Internal flights as indicated (economy class). Transport and field trips as indicated. Services of a Tour Leader. Detailed tour information booklet. What s not included in our Tour Return international airfares and departure taxes. Comprehensive travel insurance. Items of personal nature (laundry, phone calls, meals not included in the itinerary, etc) Please do not hesitate to contact us with any requests for further information about this tour or any others offered by Odyssey Travel. 07-May /11