18 Days Along the Silk Road: From Buddhist Grottoes to Xinjiang's Cultural Heartland

Welcome to Beijing! Upon arrival, your professional guide will greet you at the airport, holding a “Your Way Holiday” sign, and introduce you to your private driver. Travel comfortably to your hotel in a well-maintained private vehicle while your guide shares insights into Beijing's history, culture and local character, answers your initial questions and offers practical tips for your stay. Upon arrival, your guide will assist with hotel check-in and help you settle in. The rest of the day is yours to relax after your journey or take a leisurely stroll nearby and enjoy your first impressions of China's capital.

Start the morning the local way at a traditional Beijing market, surrounded by busy stalls, local shoppers and the aroma of freshly prepared breakfast. With your guide's help, get a taste of everyday life in the capital, see what locals buy for their daily meals and perhaps try a popular breakfast snack. Continue to the Temple of Heaven, where your guide introduces the imperial ceremonies once held here and the traditional beliefs behind them. At Tiananmen Square, hear the stories behind this important national landmark before entering the Forbidden City. Wander through its grand halls, gates and courtyards at a comfortable pace, taking in the scale and details of this remarkable imperial complex.

Optional Excursions

Marvel at the Art of Chinese Acrobatics

Enjoy a spectacular evening of Chinese acrobatics featuring incredible displays of strength, balance, and agility. Watch skilled performers present thrilling stunts, aerial acts, and graceful movements, showcasing the beauty, precision, and magic of this traditional art form.

+$75.00

Advisor quoted

Tai Chi at Temple of Heaven

Experience the ancient art of Tai Chi at Beijing’s iconic Temple of Heaven. Practice gentle movements with a professional instructor while enjoying the peaceful gardens and historic surroundings. Discover balance, relaxation, and traditional Chinese wellness in a unique cultural setting.

+$90.00

Advisor quoted

Jingshan Sunset Over the Imperial City

Enjoy panoramic views of Beijing at sunset from Jingshan Park, watching the Forbidden City glow in the evening light while taking in the city’s historic rooftops and skyline from one of the best elevated viewpoints in central Beijing.

+$20.00

Advisor quoted

Spend the day enjoying two of Beijing's most famous imperial landmarks, with time for both outdoor adventure and relaxed sightseeing. At Mutianyu, take the cable car up to the Great Wall and walk along its ancient ramparts, stopping at the watchtowers for panoramic mountain views and memorable photos. Your guide will share a few fascinating stories along the way. Later, head to the Summer Palace for a change of pace. Stroll along the lakeside paths, admire the elegant bridges and pavilions, or take a boat ride across Kunming Lake. Enjoy the scenery from the water and see the palace gardens from a different perspective.

Optional Excursions

Morning Moves with Beijing’s Neighborhood Locals

As the old city wakes up, Gulou Cultural Square becomes a neighborhood gathering spot for morning dancers, tai chi enthusiasts, and longtime residents. Step into their daily routine, try a few dance steps, or join a gentle group exercise session. No experience needed—just a little curiosity and a willingness to start your Beijing morning like a local.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

Authentic Beijing Hutong Breakfast Experience (paid on-site)

Explore Beijing's hutongs over a local breakfast. Try traditional favorites such as dumplings, buns, douzhi and jiaoquan, and see how the old alleyways start their day. Breakfast is paid on-site.

+$0.00

Advisor quoted

Mutianyu VIP Experience

A premium way to see the Mutianyu Great Wall: priority access, a private shuttle, and a round-trip cable car over the mountains, followed by a complimentary tea break after you've walked the Wall.

+$150.00

Advisor quoted

Mutianyu Cable Car & Toboggan Upgrade

Upgrade your Mutianyu Great Wall experience with a cable car ride up and a toboggan slide descent. Reach the Great Wall comfortably, enjoy panoramic mountain views along the way, and end your visit with an exciting ride down the hillside.

+$20.00

Advisor quoted

Hanfu Portraits: Step Into China’s Imperial Elegance

Dress in traditional Hanfu and have your portrait taken against Beijing's historic settings. Professional styling and photography are included, so you come away with a set of Hanfu photos rather than a quick snapshot.

+$135.00

Advisor quoted

Travel by high-speed train to Xi'an, enjoying the changing scenery along the way. Upon arrival, your private driver will take you to the hotel to check in and settle down before heading out to explore the city. Visit the Giant Wild Goose Pagoda, one of Xi'an's best-known landmarks, and enjoy a walk around its historic grounds. As evening approaches, continue to Grand Tang Dynasty Ever Bright City, where illuminated Tang-style streets, lively performances and themed displays create a festive atmosphere. Take your time wandering through the pedestrian area, sample local snacks, browse the lively stalls or catch a street performance as the city lights come on.

Optional Excursions

Hanfu Photography

Dress in traditional Hanfu, add classic accessories, and have your photo taken in a historic setting - a hands-on way into old Chinese style. (Cost is calculated by the actual number of participants.)

+$62.00

Advisor quoted

The Longest Day in Chang'an Theme Block

Walk a full-scale recreation of Tang Dynasty Chang'an, based on The Longest Day in Chang'an. Lantern-lit streets, Tang performances, costumed characters you can talk to and traditional snacks; you can rent Hanfu to move through it.

+$11.00

Advisor quoted

Step into the world of the Qin Dynasty at the Terracotta Warriors Museum, where thousands of life-sized figures stand in battle formation. Walk among the excavation pits as your guide shares the stories behind the discovery of this extraordinary army and the emperor who ordered its creation. Continue to Huaqing Palace, a scenic imperial retreat associated with Emperor Xuanzong and his beloved consort Yang Guifei. Stroll through the historic grounds and hear the romance and intrigue that inspired one of China's best-known love stories. In the evening, watch the Song of Everlasting Sorrow performance, an impressive outdoor production that brings this tragic Tang Dynasty romance to life through music, dance, costumes and dramatic lighting.

Optional Excursions

“The Code of the Empire – Qin Shi Huang’s Mausoleum” XR Experience

Step into the Qin Dynasty with an XR experience recreating the Terracotta Warriors and Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. Interactive technology walks you through the ancient army and the story of China's first emperor.

+$30.00

Advisor quoted

Qin Terracotta Warriors Village Visit

Step beyond the museum to explore a local village near the Terracotta Warriors, where you can discover traditional village life, local craftsmanship, and the living culture surrounding this world-famous archaeological site.

+$5.00

Advisor quoted

Create Your Own Terracotta Warrior: DIY Workshop

Create your own Terracotta Warrior in this fun 30-minute hands-on workshop inspired by the Qin Dynasty’s ancient craftsmanship. Perfect for all ages, this activity offers a unique cultural experience and memorable souvenir.

+$15.00

Advisor quoted

Shaanxi Cave Dwelling Visit

Discover the traditional cave dwellings (Yaodong) of Shaanxi, a distinctive form of architecture built into the loess hills of northern China. Explore these unique homes, learn how they adapt to the local climate, and gain insight into the traditional lifestyle and rural heritage of the Loess Plateau.

+$9.00

Advisor quoted

Upgrade to VIP Zone C Seating for the Song of Everlasting Sorrow

VIP Zone C seating for the Song of Everlasting Sorrow, with clear views of the large stage, the performers and the Tang Dynasty love story, in a comfortable seat.

+$28.00

Advisor quoted

Upgrade to VIP Zone B Seating for the Song of Everlasting Sorrow

VIP Zone B seating for the Song of Everlasting Sorrow, a closer view of the stage effects and set design of this Tang Dynasty show, in a more comfortable seat.

+$74.00

Advisor quoted

Upgrade to VIP Zone A Seating for the Song of Everlasting Sorrow

The top seating tier for the Song of Everlasting Sorrow. VIP Zone A gives you the best viewing position for the stage effects, costumes and the Tang Dynasty love story, with the most room to sit comfortably.

+$90.00

Advisor quoted

Take a high-speed train to Zhangye and watch the scenery change as you travel west along the Silk Road. Upon arrival, your private driver will take you to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free to enjoy the city at your own pace. Perhaps wander through a local food street, browse small shops, or stop at a neighbourhood restaurant for a bowl of Zhangye's famous beef rice noodles. It's a relaxed chance to slow down after the train journey and get a feel for everyday life in this northwestern city. Your guide can recommend local favourites and share a few useful tips for your evening.

Begin at the Zhangye Giant Buddha Temple, home to a reclining Nirvana statue some 34 metres long, the largest clay Buddha of its kind in China, laid down inside a timber hall backed against the mountainside; your guide reads the carving and the Western Xia history behind it. Then drive out to the Zhangye National Geopark and its Colorful Danxia, where sandstone beds folded over millions of years lie banded in red, ochre, green and cream, the strata reading like a painted geological record. At the high viewing platforms the ridges look painted rather than geological, and late-afternoon light brings the strongest colour, so your driver times the visit toward the golden hour when the slopes deepen and glow.

Drive west along the corridor to Jiayuguan, the mud-brick fortress that marked the far western gate of the Ming realm and the last place a caravan could refill before the desert took over. Climb the ramparts of the First Pass Under Heaven, raised in 1372 at the narrow neck between mountains and desert, walk inside the drum towers, and pick out the line where soldiers once lit signal fires; your guide tells the stories of traders, envoys and monks who passed this gate on the way out of China. Nearby, at the Overhanging Great Wall, a section of the wall climbs the rugged black mountain above the valley, and you can take the stairs or cable car to a bastion and see how the fortification rode the ridgeline, the whole Hexi Corridor spread flat below.

Continue west into the oasis town of Dunhuang, where the Silk Road split to skirt the Taklamakan Desert. Settle in, then visit the Dunhuang Museum to place the caves and the caravan routes in context; the exhibits trace how this garrison town grew rich on trade, guarding the junction of the northern and southern routes while Buddhist art flowed east from India and Central Asia. In the evening, the Shazhou Night Market lights up along the river, rows of stalls grilling lamb skewers and selling chilled plum juice, apricot kernels and craft, with local performers busking between the crowds. Take your time browsing the stalls, sampling local treats and soaking up the lively atmosphere of this Silk Road town.

Rise early for the Mogao Caves, the Cliff of a Thousand Buddhas, where 492 decorated chambers were cut into a sandstone face over a thousand years of worship and stocked with murals, sculpture and manuscripts; a guide-led visit opens a set of numbered caves and shows you how pigment and story shifted from Indian-influenced figures to Tang-dynasty splendor. The famous library cave and the giant Maitreya Buddha anchor the tour. After a midday rest to beat the heat, head to the Mingsha Mountain dunes rising behind the town. Sand-slide down a dune face, walk to the Crescent Moon Spring, a clear desert pool that has outlasted the shifting sands for centuries, and stay for sunset when the dunes turn the colour of rust and honey.

Leave Dunhuang behind and continue east toward Turpan, travelling through the vast landscapes of the Gobi Desert and the eastern Hexi Corridor. Along the way, watch the scenery shift from desert plains to the distant outlines of the Tianshan Mountains as you approach another historic Silk Road oasis. Upon arrival in Turpan, your private driver will transfer you to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free to unwind after the journey or enjoy a relaxed stroll nearby. Your guide can offer suggestions for local food and places to visit during your stay.

Enter Jiaohe Ancient City (Yarkhoto), a 2,000-year-old Silk Road settlement built on a leaf-shaped plateau between two rivers. Follow its ancient streets with your guide, who brings the remains of temples, houses and defensive structures into context, helping you picture daily life in this once-thriving town. Next, visit the Karez Well System and see how its underground tunnels and vertical shafts channel Tianshan snowmelt across the dry Turpan Basin. Your guide will help you understand how this ingenious water network made oasis life possible. End the day in Grape Valley, strolling beneath shaded vine trellises, visiting traditional farmhouse courtyards and tasting locally produced raisins and fresh grape juice.

Visit the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, a cliff of painted chambers set in a red gorge, where Tang-era frescoes of donors, musicians and bodhisattvas survive on cave walls, some with Central Asian and Persian faces that show exactly who passed through on the trade road; many of the chambers were painted and repainted between the fifth and fourteenth centuries. Just beyond, the red stone ridges of the Flaming Mountains bake in the heat, the range the novel Journey to the West turned into legend; your guide links the ochre slopes to both the story and the real, blistering landscape that made Turpan famous. From there, transfer north over the desert edge to Urumqi, Xinjiang’s broad capital, and check in for the night.

Start at the Xinjiang Regional Museum, whose collection lays out the land’s layered past, from Tarim Basin mummies and Silk Road relics to the crafts and costumes of the region’s many peoples, with the famous Yingpan man and preserved desert burial goods as centrepieces. In the afternoon, visit the Wild Horse Ancient Ecological Park, a grass-and-hills reserve near the city where herds of Przewalski’s horse, the truly wild horse of the steppe, are bred and shown, alongside ancient rock carvings left by herders long ago. You may also enjoy a horse-riding show or have the chance to try riding one yourself. Finish at the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar, a sprawling domed market of silk, spice, nuts, carpets and instruments, where your guide helps you sample naan, dried fruit and tea in a proper Uyghur teahouse.

Fly west to Kashgar, the oldest continuously inhabited city in Xinjiang and the place where the northern and southern Silk Road routes met again. Check in, then visit Xiangfei Garden, the shaded home of the Khoja family and of Fragrant Concubine legend, its courtyards, shrines and fruit trees a quiet contrast to the busy streets. Walk to Id Kah Mosque, one of the largest mosques in China, its long adobe facade and prayer hall a focal point of Kashgar’s Muslim life, with visiting arranged respectfully around prayer times. Then let your guide lose you a little in the Old City’s mud-brick lanes, timber balconies and craft alleys, where coppersmiths, instrument makers and bakeries work as they have for generations.

Start the day at Kashgar Livestock Market, one of the region's most lively traditional gatherings. Watch local farmers and traders negotiate over sheep, cattle and other livestock, and see a side of rural Xinjiang life rarely found in the cities. Your guide can help you understand the customs and bargaining traditions behind the busy scene. Later, slow down at a century-old teahouse, where locals gather over steaming pots of tea, conversation and traditional music. Take a seat, enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and soak up the rhythms of everyday Kashgar. At the appropriate time, transfer to the airport for your flight to Shanghai, bringing your Silk Road journey to its final city.

Begin your day in Zhujiajiao, a charming water town known for its stone bridges, narrow canals and traditional riverside houses. Wander along the old lanes, browse small shops and enjoy the slower pace of life. You may also take a short boat ride through the canals (optional, at your own expense) for a closer look at the town from the water. Return to central Shanghai and visit Yuyuan Garden, a classical Chinese garden filled with rockeries, ponds, pavilions and winding paths. Your guide will point out the garden's distinctive details and share stories behind its traditional design. Step into the nearby Yuyuan Bazaar to browse local snacks and souvenirs before ending the day at the Bund. Stroll along the waterfront promenade, admire the historic buildings and enjoy the striking contrast with the modern skyline across the Huangpu River.

Optional Excursions

Private Hand-Rolled Boat Tour in Zhujiajiao

You get a private‑only boat without sharing with strangers. Cruise along Caogang and Guodong River past Fangsheng Bridge, Kezhi Garden and nine ancient Ming‑Qing bridges. The boat‑woman sings folk Jiangnan songs. Stop at nice spots to shoot water reflections. You can adjust the boat’s pace freely.

+$46.00

Advisor quoted

Zhujiajiao Traditional Plant Tie-Dyeing DIY Workshop

Join this workshop at Xijing Street Intangible‑Cultural‑Heritage zone. With plant‑based pigments from Dianshan Lake, you make dyed scarves, handkerchiefs or canvas bags. Experienced craftsmen give one‑on‑one guidance for binding, dyeing and color‑setting. Every unique handmade item can be taken home. This easy‑going activity suits guests of all ages.

+$53.00

Advisor quoted

One-way Ticket for Huangpu River Sightseeing Tunnel

Cross the Huangpu River through the underwater sightseeing tunnel to reach Lujiazui quickly, no subway needed. Shifting-light projections run the length of the tunnel, a fun and photo-friendly way to get across rather than the ferry or bridge.

+$37.00

Advisor quoted

Shanghai Evening River Cruise

After daytime sightseeing, join an optional evening Huangpu River cruise. Glide past the lit colonial buildings of the Bund and the towers of Lujiazui, and watch the city shift from day to night from the water.

+$64.00

Advisor quoted

Enjoy your final morning in Shanghai at your own pace, whether you prefer a leisurely breakfast, a last stroll nearby or some time to pack and relax. At the agreed time, your driver will meet you at the hotel and provide a private transfer to Shanghai Pudong or Hongqiao International Airport, or the railway station, according to your onward travel arrangements. Sit back and enjoy a comfortable ride as your Silk Road and China journey comes to an end. We hope you leave with wonderful memories of the landscapes, historic cities and local encounters along the way.