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Day 1: Arrive Beijing
Check-in to The Ritz-Carlton 5-star. Spend the rest of the day exploring exciting Beijing at your leisure.
Day 2: Beijing (B/L/D)
Start the day with a visit to Tiananmen Square where Mao Tse Tung first raised the flag of the People’s Republic. Next, explore the Forbidden City and its magnificent gardens. Also visit a historic home in the Hutong by pedicab and exquisite Summer Palace. Tonight, enjoy the “Legend of Kung Fu” show.
Day 3: Beijing - Great Wall (B/L/SD)
This morning visit Ming Tombs, where the emperors of the Ming Dynasty were laid to rest. Next, experience the unforgettable – explore the 2,000 year-old Great Wall of China. Later, drive by the Olympic Site and see the National Aquatic Center (the Water Cube) and the National Stadium (the Bird’s Nest). Tonight, enjoy a delectable Peking Duck dinner.
Day 4: Beijing - Xian (B/L/D)
This morning visit the Temple of Heaven and the Hall of Prayer. After lunch, fly to the ancient city of Xian where you will stay at the Hyatt Regency Xian 5-star. Visit the Tang Paradise and enjoy a water show. Later drive by the Big Wild Goose Pagoda.
Day 5: Xian (B/SL/SD)
Spend the day exploring Xian’s ancient monuments including the site of the 2,000-year-old Terra Cotta Warriors. Next, enjoy a sumptuous Dumpling Banquet lunch. This is followed by a visit to Great Mosque and a walk through the Muslim Quarter. In the evening, step back in time as you experience special Tang Dynasty dinner and dance shows. Later, see the sparkling City Wall that’s lit up at night.
Day 6: Xian - Dunhuang (B/L/D)
Start the day visiting the brand-new underground Yangling Museum that houses relics dating back to the 2nd Century B.C. This afternoon, fly to Dunhuang, a town dating back 2,000 years and once an important caravan stop on the Silk Road. Tonight, stay at the Dunhuang Hotel 3-star.
Day 7: Dunhuang - Turpan (B/L/D)
Explore the magnificent Mogao Grottoes, where devout Buddhists have spent their time building the 492 grottoes since 366A.D. These caves contain some of the most important Buddhist art in the world. Next, visit Ming Sha Hill and take a camel ride. See Crescent Moon Spring, nestled among the mountain-high sand dunes of the Gobi Desert. Tonight, take an overnight train ride to Turpan.
Day 8: Turpan (B/L/D)
Arrive 1,600 meters below sea level in Turpan. This area is renowned for its wonderful crops of grapes and melons. Check into the Tuha Petroleum Hotel 5-star before visiting the ruins of the cities Jiahe and Gaochang.
Day 9: Turpan - Bizaklik (B/L/D)
Take a short ride to Bizaklik, home of the Thousand Buddha Caves, built during the Tang Dynasty. Also visit Sugong Ta (Suliman’s Minaret), an exquisite mosque built in 1776. In the evening, enjoy a performance by local folk dancers.
Day 10: Turpan - Kashgar via Urumqi (B/L/D)
Today travel to Urumqi where you will marvel at the astonishing snow-covered mountains and salt lake. From Urumqi, fly to Kashgar where you will stay at the Kashgar International Hotel 4-star.
Day 11: Kashgar - Urumqi (B/L/D)
You are now in the heart of Asia! Kashgar’s narrow streets are filled with carts and street vendors hawking at every corner. Visit the Tomb of Abakh Hoja (Fragrant Concubine), the largest Islamic mausoleum in China and built in 1640. Also visit the Big Bazaar (Sundays only) and a local minority family. In the evening, fly to Urumqi, where you will spend two nights at the Sheraton Urumqi Hotel 4-star.
Day 12: Urumqi (B/L/D)
Today’s tour of Urumqi takes you to the Heavenly Lake where you will feel refreshed and rejuvenated by the heavenly surroundings. Later, visit Urumqi’s city symbol, Red Hill Park, and the Provincial Museum.
Day 13: Urumqi - Beijing (B)
This morning fly back to Beijing. Tonight you will stay at the The Ritz-Carlton 5-star.
Day 14: Beijing - Home (B)
Head to the airport for your flight home.
- B = Breakfast
- L = Lunch
- SL = Special Lunch
- D = Dinner
- WD = Western Dinner
- SD = Special Dinner
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