The Silk Road Odyssey
Dunhuang · Urumqi · 14 days · from $6980 USD
History · Desert · Adventure
Decode the thousand-year-old murals of the Mogao Caves with a scholar guide.
Itinerary
- Day 1: Arrival in Xi’an — Airport pickup and transfer to your hotel, then an evening walk through the Muslim Quarter.
- Day 2: Xi’an City Highlights — Cycle the Ming-era city wall and visit the Great Mosque and lantern-lit old lanes.
- Day 3: Terracotta Army — A full day among the thousands of life-size warriors with an expert on Qin history.
- Day 4: Train to Lanzhou — Journey west by train along the Yellow River corridor, settling into Lanzhou by evening.
- Day 5: Lanzhou & the Yellow River — Walk the riverside park, cross the Zhongshan Iron Bridge and taste a bowl of Lanzhou noodles.
- Day 6: Train to Dunhuang — Continue west across the Gobi to the oasis city of Dunhuang.
- Day 7: Mogao Caves — Enter the thousand-year-old cave temples with a scholar guide to decode the murals.
- Day 8: Crescent Lake & Singing Sand Dunes — Ride camels across the dunes to the oasis at sunset, then climb the ridge for the view.
- Day 9: Yadan National Geopark — Explore the wind-carved Yardang formations of the Gobi at the far edge of the oasis.
- Day 10: Train to Turpan — Travel on to the grape-growing oasis of Turpan in the Turpan Depression.
- Day 11: Turpan — Grape Valley & Jiaohe Ruins — Wander the shaded Grape Valley and the ancient mud-brick city of Jiaohe.
- Day 12: Drive to Urumqi — Cross the foothills to the regional capital of Xinjiang, Urumqi.
- Day 13: Tianchi Heavenly Lake — Visit the alpine lake beneath Bogda Peak, with fir forests and snow-dusted ridges.
- Day 14: Departure from Urumqi — Private transfer to the airport for your onward journey.
What's included
- Signature hotels
- Private chauffeur & transfers
- Curated experiences
- Local bilingual guide
- Travel insurance