Silk Road adventure holiday
China’s far western corner is as remote from Beijing as one can get, both geographically and culturally. Situated on the famed Silk Road of old, this area saw traders from numerous civilisations traversing its arid lands, leaving their footprints in the shape of cultural legacies that one would not necessarily expect to find in China.
We follow in their footsteps on this exciting journey to lost cities and awe inspiring deserts and mountains. The city of Kashgar is an ethnographer’s dream, with people from all over Central Asia converging on its Sunday market to buy and sell their produce. We spend nights camped in the Taklamakan Desert and at the foot of the Pamir Mountains, two of the most breathtaking sights that China has to offer. And we explore ancient ruins rising from the sands, with Buddhist caves, forgotten cities and the remote final outpost of China’s Great Wall. Explore a side of China you never knew existed.
Day-by-day itinerary
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Day 1: | Beijing. Arrive in Beijing and transfer to the hotel. Depending on your time of arrival, you may have time to explore the city. Overnight at Xiaoxiang Hotel or similar. |
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Day 2: | Urumqi - Kashgar. Fly west across northern China to Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang province. We have time to visit the Erdaoqiao bazaar before taking another flight over the Taklamakan Desert to Kashgar, an important trading centre for merchants from all over Central Asia. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BD) |
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Day 3: | Kashgar. Kashgar’s Sunday Market is famed as the largest and most important trading centre in the region, with traders coming from surrounding countries such as Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan to sell their wares. We have a full day to take in the sights and sounds of this amazing spectacle. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BD) |
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Day 4: | Lake Karakul. We drive on the famed Karakoram Highway to Lake Karakol, an icy blue lake at the foot of the Pamir Mountains. We can take hikes around the lake to meet local Kyrgyz families, and spend the night in a typical Kyrgyz yurt. (BLD) |
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Day 5: | Kashgar. Drive back to Kashgar. We visit the 15th century Idkah Mosque as well as the Abakh Hoja Mausoleum. The streets around the mosque offer a great snapshot of Uighur life, and we spend some time walking through them. Overnight at Qiniwak Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 6: | Khotan. Drive to Khotan, on the southern fringe of the Taklamakan Desert. We visit its bazaar and see how jade is carved by local craftsmen. Overnight at Khotan Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 7: | Melikawat – Desert Camp. Drive to the ruined city of Melikawat, once an important Buddhist centre on the Silk Road. After exploring the site we drive into the forbidding Taklamakan Desert where we set up camp. (BLD) |
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Day 8: | Kuqa. After watching the sun rise in the desert we continue our drive across the Taklamakan to Kuqa. On arrival we visit the ruined city of Pilang. Overnight at Kuqa Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 9: | Kuqa. Continue our discovery of the lost cultures of the Silk Road by visiting the Subashi Ancient Buddhist Complex, and the Kizil Thousand Buddha Caves. Overnight at Kuqa Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 10: | Turpan. A long drive to Turpan, through the spectacular scenery of the Tian Shan Mountains. Overnight at Turpan Hotel or similar. (BLD) |
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Day 11: | Turpan. Excursion to some of the many intriguing sites surrounding Turpan. We visit the oasis of Grape Valley, the Flaming Mountains, the ruins of the ancient city of Gaocheng, and the Kerez irrigation system. Overnight at Turpan Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 12: | Turpan. Visit the ruined city of Jiaohe and the 18th century Emin minaret before heading off to Heavenly Lake. We take a cruise on the lake, and spend the night in traditional yurts. (BLD) |
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Day 13: | Urumqi - Dunhuang. Spend the morning hiking around Heavenly Lake to meet semi-nomadic Kazakh families. We then drive to Urumqi, to board the train for the journey to Dunhuang. Overnight Dunhuang Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 14: | Dunhuang. Visit the museum at Dunhuang and then the Mogao Caves, site of the first Buddhist temples in China which contain fantastic examples of ancient artwork. We then take a short camel ride into the sand dunes to visit the Singing Sand Dune, reputed to make a humming noise at times, and Crescent Moon Lake. Overnight Dunhuang Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 15: | Jiayuguan. Drive to Jiayuguan, known as the end of the Great Wall. We visit the 14th century fortress which signified the end of China’s empire, built by the Ming dynasty. Overnight Oriental Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 16: | Jiayuguan - Beijing. Visit the Hanging Wall, an overhanging section of the Great Wall and the Wei-Jin tombs, with excellent frescoes depicting everyday life from the 3rd century. Later we fly back to Beijing for our final night. Overnight Xiaoxiang Hotel or similar. (BL) |
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Day 17: | Beijing. Tour ends. (B) |
Typically you will be sharing your experiences with between 4-20 like minded travellers (depending on the trip, operator and how many others are booked on the trip) and you'll have a group leader with you. Whether you are travelling alone or with friends its good value, and a great way to meet new people! While itineraries are pre-planned there is some flexibility and you'll have plenty of privacy. This trip will appeal to travellers of all ages who enjoy meeting new people as well as seeing new places.
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
On this tour we spend a night camping in the Taklamakan Desert, and make a point of ensuring that we do not leave any permanent traces of our stay behind, making sure that we take all litter with us.
We work with our local suppliers to highlight best practice in terms of environmental issues, an important effort in a country where the environment is often taken for granted and green thinking is only just emerging.
Community
On this tour through China’s remote western regions, we visit Lake Karakul, a stunningly beautiful region inhabited by Kyrgyz families. We stay overnight in a typical Kyrgyz yurt and have the opportunity to meet local people. Our visit to this region provides vital income to a community that usually sees little benefit from tourism.
At Heavenly Lake we also stay in the yurt of a local family – the money that we pay for this goes directly to the family themselves.
We visit a number of ruined Buddhist cities that formed part of the ancient Silk Road. The entrance fees that we pay at these sites helps fund their preservation and ensure that this aspect of China’s cultural heritage remains for others to enjoy in years to come. In addition to this we visit sites that contain ancient and fragile Buddhist frescoes that are very susceptible to damage. We make a point of advising our travellers not to touch these valuable paintings to ensure that they remain as they are.
On this tour we only use local guides from the regions that we are travelling through, rather than taking one guide for the whole tour. Not only does this cut down on carbon footprints (as the trip includes flights to and from Beijing) but ensures that revenue is channelled into local communities. It also means that travellers are able to gain unique insights from local guides who really know the areas they are travelling through.
Our philosophy is to only use small and locally owned suppliers, meaning that the income remains within the country and creates a real economic contribution. We also feel that the passion inherent within such suppliers means that your experience will be enhanced. We also try to engage with our suppliers on an equal basis – getting the lowest possible price usually isn’t the best outcome for local communities and is ultimately unsustainable. We aim to always treat our suppliers fairly and with respect; they are after all part of the key to our success and to us working together is much more than just a business arrangement, but an ongoing relationship that we aim to ensure truly benefits everyone involved.
We believe that tourism is a double edged sword that needs to be wielded very carefully. Our philosophy is to have a limited amount of departures – usually between one and three a year - for each of our itineraries. By limiting our presence in areas where local culture can be quite fragile, we hope to avoid as much as possible the phenomenon whereby an area changes in character due to repeated and prolonged exposure to tourism. We want to visit an area as friends, not intruders and to ensure that what we see will also be there for others to enjoy for many years to come.
We only employ local staff and unlike many operators we believe that to send a foreign Tour Leader along to accompany your trip is an unnecessary burden on your wallet and our carbon footprint. We believe that locals know best. Our local operators only use locally owned accommodation. This means your money stays in the area to benefit the local community. When possible we use local transport, (i.e. rail or bus) and we always use local restaurants, markets and shops and encourage our clients to interact both financially and socially with the communities that they are passing through. In doing this your travels are supporting and encouraging the development of local services.
We only work with operators who are as committed as we are to putting something back into the communities we visit. This may include giving a percentage of the profits from each tour to a foundation to help street children or local conservation projects. Furthermore, in order to allow our clients to make an informed decision on where a greater proportion of their money should be spent, we avoid including pre-paid full board meals where possible. Local restaurants and cafes then benefit.
Our groups average only six clients, and many tours operate on a private basis with just two travellers. This has much less impact when travelling through rural areas, reducing our environmental and social affects. Finally to emphasise our commitment to Responsible Tourism all clients will receive a copy of our Travellers Code of Conduct with their travel documents.
