THE SILK ROAD EXPEDITION
Visit Beijing, Xian, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi, Shanghai & Suzhou （15 Days）

Day 1 Arrival in Beijing Capital Hotel or Similar
Upon arrival at the Beijing Capital Airport, passengers on this tour will be met and greeted by our attentive local guide, and then transfer to the centrally located hotel. The rest of the day will be at your own disposal for either relax or taking a walk.

Day 2 Beijing
Full day sightseeing to visit the famous Tiananmen Square, the largest one in the world, then visit the splendid Imperial Palace, well known as the "Forbidden City" where the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties lived and conducted the state affairs for over 500 years. After lunch, visit the enchanting Summer Palace, the best-preserved imperial garden served as summer resort in Qing dynasty. In the evening, a delicious Peking Duck banquet is arranged for you as a welcome party. (BLD)

Day 3 Beijing
The highlight today is to visit the awesome Great Wall, the symbol of China's ancient civilization with a history of over 2000 years. Afterwards, we stop by the Sacred Road to see 24 marvelous stone sculptures of animals and guards, that leads to the Ming dynasty's tomb area, then visit the third Ming emperor's Tomb - Changling with its commemorating palace. In the evening, a fascinating Peking Opera show is available after dinner. (BLD)

Day 4 Beijing
This morning, we take an interesting tour of Hutong with a ride on pedicab to visit the old Beijing"s courtyards and call on the local homes. Later on, take a visit to the well-preserved Lamasery - Yonghegong, about 70 monks live and maintain the daily service there. After lunch, visit The Temple of Heaven, the most famous ancient architecture in China, uniquely built in 1420 for the emperors to worship heaven and pray for good harvest. (BLD)

Day 5 Beijing / Xian Purple Mountain Hotel or Similar
Fly to the ancient city Xian in the morning. Take a visit to the famed Bell Tower at the city center and tour the well-known Provincial Museum that lots of unique historical relics are on display. A special Dinner Show is arranged at the Tang Dynasty Palace in the evening. (BLD)

Day 6 Xian
The highlight today is to visit the extraordinary archeological discovery - the 6000 life-sized Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses buried over 2000 years for the first emperor of the Qin dynasty, and then stop at the Banpo Museum - the original place where the ancient people lived in the matrilineal society over 6000 years ago. Later on, visit the newly restored City Wall and the famous historical site - The Big Wild Goose Pagoda. (BLD)

Day 7 Xian / Dunhuang The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel
Today, we take the early morning flight to Dunhuang, a small city with a population of 100,000 and surrounded by sand mountains and Gobi desert with an average altitude of 1100 meters. This afternoon, we take a tour to the famous scenic spot, Echoing-sand Dunes where you can ride on camels or just climb up to the sand mountains and enjoy the unique desert scene before sliding down. The Crescent Lake surrounded by willow trees, is located right in the center valley of the Echoing-Sand Dunes, where the oasis meets the desert. (BLD)

Day 8 Dunhuang / Turpan On board of Soft Berth Train
This morning, we take a visit to another world famous wonder - Mogao Grottoes, which is set into the cliff wall of Echoing-sand Mountain about 25km southeast of Dunhuang in the Gobi desert. The honeycombed caves were built between 4th and 14th centuries with a total of 492 grottoes that represent the world's richest treasure of Buddhist sutras, murals and sculptures. In the afternoon, we drive to Liuyuan for the overnight train 21:02/6:36am to Turpan. (BLD)

Day 9 Turpan Oasis Hotel
Upon arrival, we check in the hotel for breakfast, and then take a full day excursion to visit the impressive ruins of the ancient city of Gaochang, built in the first century B.C. and used to be a garrison town along the Silk Road. Afterwards, visit the nearby Astana Ancient Tombs, known as the Underground Museum and Karez Well, the famous ancient irrigation system. We also make a stop at the Grape Valley, where you may have a taste of all kinds of grapes.

Day 10 Turpan / Urumqi World Plaza Hotel
This morning, we take a visit to the unique Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves, located about 56 km northeast of Turpan, that contains 67 caves dating from the Southern dynasties (317 - 589 AD) to the Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368). There are 83 grottoes in total with 40 displayed of colorful murals. After lunch, we take a ride for over 3 hours to the capital city Urumqi. (BLD)

Day 11 Urumqi World Plaza Hotel
Today, we take a full day tour to visit the nice and unique highland scenery - Heavenly Lake, which is over 2000 meters above sea level and around 60 miles southeast of Urumqi. We'll take a boat ride on the vast natural lake filled with snow-mountain thawing water. After being back, we may go to visit the city museum and a carpet factory. (BLD)

Day 12 Urumqi / Shanghai Broadway Mansion Hotel
We fly to Shanghai in the morning and will take visit of the marvelous Shanghai Museum, rich-stored and newly built on the People's Square, which is considered as one of the best arts and historical museums in China. Later on visit the Children's Palace to find how the pupils are trained with all kinds of arts. (BLD)

Day 13 Shanghai
Today's sightseeing includes the famous Jade Buddha Temple, the exquisite Yu Garden, built in Qing dynasty and The Bund, a lovely waterfront regarded as the symbol of Shanghai. In the afternoon, you can take a walk along the well-known shopping street - Nanjing Road. A fantastic Acrobatics Show is arranged in the evening. (BLD)

Day 14 Shanghai / Suzhou / Shanghai
A full day excursion to Suzhou by coach is another delighted experience for your visit in China. The city on the Grand Canal is well known for its many uniquely built gardens of Ming and Qing dynasties. We'll visit the Humble Administrator's Garden and the National Embroidery Institute. Boating on the canal and a visit at the silk factory is arranged before we ride back to Shanghai. A farewell dinner will be arranged in the evening to highlight our China trip. (BLD)

Day 15 Shanghai / Return home flight
This morning is at leisure and check out before noon. Our guide will come to meet you at the hotel lobby and help arrange transfers to the airport for your return home flight. (B)

TOUR PRICE: All in US Dollars
Seasons	2 - 5 persons	6 - 9 persons	10 persons & up	Remarks
Low SeasonDec. / Jan. / Feb. / Mar.	2050	1860	1580
Shoulder SeasonApr. / Jun. / Jul. / Aug.	2140	1940	1660
Peak SeasonMay. / Sep. / Oct. / Nov.	2170	1980	1720

TOUR PRICE INCLUDES:

* 3 or 4 star rated hotel accommodation based on twin sharing with western breakfast
* All domestic air & land transportation
* Cruise fare on the Yangtze Angel with twin sharing cabin.
* Private car / mini-bus or coach transfers with English speaking guide
* All sightseeing entrance fee mentioned in the itinerary
* All meals specified in the itinerary ( B = Breakfast / L = Lunch / D = Dinner )
* Evening entertainment arranged in the itinerary

PRICE EXCLUDES:

* The airport tax of US$ 6 for each domestic flight & US$11 for int'l flight.
* Anything does not mentioned in the above itinerary.

Please note that the tour payment must be made by Bank Wire Transfer 15 days before the group arrival or paid by cash / credit cards before the tour commencing.

For payment made by credit card, 4% surcharge required by the Bank of China will be added upon the total tour price.