Name: Grand Silk Explorer
Brand: Peregrine Adventures
SKU: PCGX
Availability: LimitedAvailability
Rating: 4.7 (113 reviews)

Overview

Highlights

Wander along the rammed-earth ramparts of Jiayu Pass, final outpost of the Han Empire's Great Wall.
Make like traders of old haggling for goods in Kashgar's Sunday bazaar.
Explore the stately mosques and madrassas of World Heritage-listed Bukhara.
We use a mix of transport on this itinerary, including Planes, Overnight sleeper trains, private vehicles and day trains.

What's this trip about?

Follow in the footsteps of Genghis Khan, Alexander the Great, nomads, pilgrims, caravans and traders on this, one the world’s most legendary overland journeys. See the Terracotta Warriors in Xi’an, encounter Uyghur culture and traditions in Turpan, marvel at the ornate Islamic architecture in Tashkent and Khiva and shop for goods in Samarkand’s famous bazaar. TRIP CHANGES FOR 2017: This trip will be dropped for 2017. For another great trip on the Silk Road please see PCXJ China's Silk Road or PCTU Uzbekistan & Turkmenistan (to be published in coming months).

Itinerary focusOperator does not provide

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Flights and transportN/A

Start City

End City

Travel Themes

Cultural

Activities

Culture

Itinerary

Day 1 Beijing

Ni hao! Welcome to China. A Beijing airport or train station arrival transfer is included, so please provide your flight/train details at the time of booking, or no later than 14 days prior to travel. Once you have provided your details a transfer representative will ...

Day 2 Beijing - Great Wall

No trip to China would be complete without a visit to the Great Wall. Today you’ll take an early morning visit to one of the best-preserved areas, the Mutianyu section (approximately 2 hours), featuring guard towers dating back to the Ming dynasty. An incredible piece...

Day 3 Beijing - Xi'an (Overnight Train)

Begin your day with a visit to the enormous Forbidden City. Built more than 500 years ago and off limits to commoners for almost all that time, it is a truly amazing place. Despite the transformation of the city around it, the Forbidden City thankfully looks much like...

Day 4 Xi'an

Arrive in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi Province and the largest city in northwest China. Once the imperial centre of China for 2,000 years, Xi'an is now a vibrant, modern city dotted with many interesting historical sites and is a great place to explore. Today you’ll...

Day 5 Xi'an

Today you will visit the lesser-known Han Yang Ling Museum. This is a Han dynasty tomb of Emperor Jingdi and is a similar burial place to that which you saw yesterday, in that it also features thousands of buried pottery figures. These figures are not life size, but d...

Day 6 Xi'an - Jiayuguan

After breakfast this morning a long day of travelling begins. Mid morning you’ll take a day and overnight train from Xi’an to Jianyuguan, deep in the heart of north central China. This small city is perhaps best known as the end of the Great Wall, where it guarded the...

Day 7 Jiayuguan

After a very early arrival into Jiayuguan this morning, most likely before dawn, you will have a chance to rest and freshen up in a day room before you start exploring for the day. Jiayuguan was the last outpost on the edge of the ancient Han Chinese Empire, the last ...

Day 8 Dunhuang

Travel by bus today across stark desert landscape to the oasis of Dunhuang, a journey that will take most of the day (approximately 7 hours). The city lies at the conference of what used to be two important Silk Road trading routes, and was founded by Emperor Wudi bac...

Day 9 Dunhuang

If you get up early this morning you can drive the few kilometres out of the city and watch the sun rise over the nearby dunes at Crescent Lake. The oasis, which take the shape of a crescent moon fallen to Earth, is believed to have existed for around 2,000 years and ...

Day 10 Dunhuang - Turpan (Overnight train)

Today you’ll have free time to relax or explore before taking your next overnight train, this time to Turpan. In your free time you could walk the majestic sand dunes some more, head a short distance out of town and see the ancient Huyang Forest of rare poplar trees, ...

Day 11 Turpan

This morning you’ll arrive in Daheyan, the closest train station to Turpan, and travel by road for 50 minutes to the delightful oasis city of Turpan. The Turpan Depression is second only to the Dead Sea in Jordan as the lowest point on earth. The temperature soars her...

Day 12 Turpan

Today you’ll discover more of the city with a local guide. Once upon a time, Gaocheng was the capital of the Uyghur people and the ruins here are very impressive, with the temples, pagodas and courtyards still distinguishable even though they were abandoned over 700 y...

Day 13 Urumqi

Today after breakfast you will leave Turpan and enjoy the scenery changes as you travel out of the Trupan Depression to a higher plateau. This is Urumqi, the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (approximately 3 hours). This is a multi-national province with m...

Day 14 Heavenly Lake - Urumqi

Leave the city behind today and drive out to the beauty of Heavenly Lake (Tianchi) (approximately 2 hours). The area resembles a little piece of Swiss alpine scenery with hills covered by fir trees and the area dotted with Kazakh settlements. The local people live in ...

Day 15 Urumqi - Kashgar

After breakfast at the hotel this morning you will begin the epic journey from Urumqi to Kashgar. It takes much of the day and night to travel the 1,486 kilometres, and can take from 19 to 26 hours. Be sure to stock up on any snacks and entertainment that you might wa...

Day 16 Kashgar

Much of the excitement of Kashgar lies in just reaching this remote city, which sits over 4,000 kilometres away from its nominal capital in Beijing. You’ll arrive at Kashgar station in the early morning and be transferred to your hotel. Enjoy breakfast at the hotel an...

Day 17 Kashgar

Today you’ll visit the famous Kashgar Sunday Market (which is actually open every day). It’s said to be the biggest market in Asia, and on its main day it can feel like everyone from hundreds of miles around has converged on the city. It’s alive with traders selling a...

Day 18 Torugart Pass - Naryn

There will be an early start today as you leave China and climb up into the mountains and cross the Torugart Pass at 3,752 metres. This ancient gateway takes you through some spectacular scenery – dramatic valleys and skies, painted cliffs and snow-lined mountains. Th...

Day 19 Son-Kul Lake - Balykchy

After breakfast you’ll drive to Son-Kul Lake, a beautiful spot where many nomadic herders choose to make their summer camp. The lake is hidden away between two mountain ranges in the Naryn region, surrounded by horse-filled pastures whose colours change from green to ...

Day 20 Karakol

After breakfast this morning you’ll have a more leisurely day, getting your first glimpse of the turquoise waters of Lake Issyk-Kul. First you’ll visit a yurt workshop and learn how these iconic constructions, vital to the lifestyle of the herders, are made. Continue ...

Day 21 Karakol

You’ll begin the day with a sightseeing tour of Karakol. Start with a visit to the Russian Orthodox Holy Trinity Cathedral, built in 1895 without a single nail. Continue on to the Dungan Mosque; built in 1910 by Chinese architect Chou Tzi, the tilted roof, wooden exte...

Day 22 Tamchy - Cholpan Ata - Chong-Kemin NP

Begin the day with a drive to Tamchy, where you’ll have the opportunity to observe the Kyrgyz art of felt (shyrdak) making. Enjoy a demonstration of the creation of this richly decorated Kyrgyz carpet. This method of carpet making requires the ramming and rolling of d...

Day 23 Bishkek

Today after breakfast you get the unique experience of helping the locals build a Yurt in the front of your guesthouse. Learn how to construct these traditional dwellings from scratch while the locals teach you about their history. You will then start the journey to B...

Day 24 Bishkek

On a guided walking tour, discover the lingering Soviet influence in the marble-faced buildings, stately wide streets, monuments and museums of Bishkek. On the tour you’ll take in the National Museum and Gallery, which used to be the National Lenin Museum; the upper f...

Day 25 Tashkent

Tashkent was once the fourth largest city in the Soviet Union. Whilst the historic cities of Samarkand, Bukhara and Khiva still retain much of the atmosphere of the ancient Khanates, Tashkent is very definitely a Soviet city, because old Tashkent was largely destroyed...

Day 26 Tashkent

Enjoy a leisurely buffet breakfast at the hotel, then spend a full day exploring Tashkent on a city tour. A highlight is the Chorsu Bazaar, one of the largest and oldest markets in Central Asia. Wandering through this giant marketplace is a fantastic way to see locals...

Day 27 Khiva

Rise early for your transfer to the airport, where you’ll catch a flight to Urgench (approximately 1.5 hours). Once you land, you will be picked up by a private vehicle and head to the fabled city of Khiva (approximately 40 minutes). The town's colourful procession ov...

Day 28 Ayaz Qala - Khiva

Khiva is enchanting at dawn, with its empty streets and the palpable weight of thousands of years of history. It's well worth getting up early to see the sunrise while you're here. Enjoy a free morning to explore Khiva before driving to Ayaz Qala (approximately 2 hour...

Day 29 Bukhara

Set off early today and drive 450 kilometres to Bukhara (approximately 10 hours including photo stops and lunch). Along the way you’ll travel through the Kyzyl-Kum (Red Sands Desert), the largest desert area in Central Asia. It's inhabited by various nomadic people. Y...

Day 30 Bukhara

A UNESCO World Heritage-listed site, Bukhara is widely regarded as Central Asia’s holiest city. With more than 100 officially preserved monuments, there is a lot to see. Your extensive sightseeing program here is spread over two days to make the most of your time. Wit...

Day 31 Bukhara

Start the second full day of sightseeing in Bukhara on a different note, visiting the Tim Abdulla Khan, one of the most elegant medressas. All manner of things can be found on sale in the covered bazaars. There are three of these trading domes left and you will wander...

Day 32 Nuratau Mountains

Say goodbye to beautiful Bukhara and continue east toward Samarkand. Your next destination is Nurata (approximately 4 hours), an ancient town once regarded as the frontier between the cultivated lands and the steppes. The ruins of Alexander’s hilltop citadel stand as ...

Day 33 Samarkand

This morning you will have more time to relax and explore the village. After lunch in the guesthouse you will embark on the drive to Samarkand (approximately 4 hours). Arrive in the evening and enjoy some free time. This is a city that evokes the romance of the Silk R...

Day 34 Samarkand

Enjoy a day of sightseeing and exploration in Samarkand. Today you will visit the Gur Amir Mausoleum – the final resting place of the mighty Timur and his sons and grandsons. For a man of his stature, it is quite a simple tomb. A highlight of the trip is standing on t...

Day 35 Samarkand - Tashkent

After breakfast you will embark on another half-day sightseeing tour. Close to the Registan is the Bibi-Khanym Mosque, built by Timur. It is often compared to the Taj Mahal as it was built as a grand and timeless symbol of a man's love for his wife. This mosque overlo...

Day 36 Tashkent

Your journey comes to an end today and you are able to depart the hotel at any time. Check out time is 12 noon. If you are departing later, you can arrange luggage storage at the hotel.

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Grand Silk Explorer Reviews & Ratings

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Details

Accommodation:

Hotel (29 nights),Overnight Train (4 nights),Homestay (1 night),Yurt Tent multi-share (1 night)

Flights & transport:

Plane,Private Bus,Overnight Sleeper Train,Taxi

Maximum number of people in group:

16

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Overview

Highlights

What's this trip about?

Travel Themes

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