Classic Silk Road

Today you will have a city tour and you will get a general idea of this ancient capital city. First you will visit the Tiananmen Square, then the Forbidden City and after an a la carte lunch, continue to visit the Temple of Heaven. Tonight you will enjoy the famous Chinese Kung Fu Show at the Red Theatre. (B+L)

In the morning, drive about one hour to visit the world famous Great Wall at Badaling section. As there are only shopping site restaurants nearby, you will be driven to have Sichuan flavored food at a local popular restaurant. Then visit the Sacred Way and the Ming Tomb in the afternoon. You will pass by the Bird's Nest (Olympic National Stadium) on the way back to downtown and you will have a chance to see its appearance at a distance. The night is free for you. You may ask your local guide for some suggestions of where to have dinner and entertainment. (B+L)

Visit the royal Summer Palace of Qing Dynasty in the morning. After an a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant, take a flight to Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and transfer to the hotel. The rest of the day is for you to arrange. (B+L)

You will take an early morning flight to Kashgar, which is known as "the pearl of the Ancient Silk Road". You will be accommodated at the local best hotel and visit the famous Sunday Market. The market is available everyday, but the one on Sunday is the biggest and busiest. You will see local Uighur people trade daily used articles and livestock here, and feel the vivid life scenes. (B+L)

Full day tour to the Id Kah Mosque which was built more than five hundred years ago and one of the biggest mosques in China, the Old Street which is full of traditional handcraft stores and the Abakh Khoja Tomb which is a beautifully constructed cemetery for the family. Then take a flight back to Urumqi and another 2 hours driving to Turpan. Check in at the hotel. (B+L)

Visit the Jiaohe Ruins, the Karez Well and the Sugong Pagoda. Turpan is one of the hottest cities in the world and the historical sites here have been well preserved because of this basin climate. If you will travel in summer, please always carry drinking water, high strength sun-block facilities for your protection from the heat and the solarization. (B+L)

Continue to visit the Gaochang Ruins, the Baizikeli Thousand Buddha Cave and the Flaming Hill. After dinner, you will take an overnight soft sleeper train to Dunhuang. The soft sleeper train wagons in China are divided into private compartments with four berths, two upper and two lower. If you have less than 4 people in the group but still want to keep your privacy instead of sharing the compartment with other strangers, you may pay extra and charter it. (B+L)

Upon arrival at Liuyuan Railway Station, you will be picked up at the platform and transferred to the hotel. Two hours are needed for this transportation and the breakfast is on your side. You can bring some fast food before boarding the train in Turpan or have some local food after checking in the hotel. Visit the Mogao Grottoes, the treasure of the Chinese mural and stone carving art, and the Dunhuang Museum. (L)

Today you will experience a short camel-ride along the Echoing-Sand Dune to reach the Crescent Lake, appreciate the imposing desert and oasis view on the leisurely strolling camel. Take a flight to Xian and transfer to the hotel. (B+L)

Drive about one hour to visit the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum which is only a small part of the cemetery of Emperor Qin. Then to avoid having poor food at tourist restaurants, you will take the highway back to town to have a delicious a la carte lunch at a well known hotel. In the afternoon, visit the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, the landmark of Xi’an and the City Wall, the best-preserved ancient city wall in China. Still, the evening activities are differently arranged for the two series. The marvelous Tang Dynasty Dinner Show at Tang Dynasty Palace (Address: No.75 Chang'an Road, Xian) will be prepared for clients of luxury series and the local speciality Dumpling Dinner and Tang Dynasty Dance and Music Show at Shaanxi Opera Theater will be served for clients of standard series. (Address: No. 165, Wenyi Road, Xian) (B+L+D)

Visit the Great Mosque and a local family in the morning. Then after enjoying an a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant, you will take a flight to Shanghai, check in the hotel and the rest of the day is free on you own. You may have a good rest in the hotel, or go out and explore the city. The night views in Shanghai are beautiful and the nightlife is colorful. You surely can find your interested things to do. (B+L)

Visit the Shanghai Museum and the Yuyuan Garden in the morning. After an a la carte lunch at a famous local restaurant serving authentic Shanghai and Cantonese cuisine, a short cruise tour from the Bund area to Yangpu Bridge along the Huangpu River is arranged for you in the afternoon. You will also have time to stroll around the Bund and visit an old street in Shanghai  (B+L)

Today private transfer will take you to the airport for your homeward flight and you need to get there at least two hours in advance. The check out time of the hotel is 12:00 and if your flight departs late, you may consign your luggage at the hotel reception for free after you check out. Your pleasant trip with CT360 ends here and hopefully we will have another chance to offer our service. (B)