The Silk Road to Kashgar
Beijing · Xi'an · Xining · Zhangye · Jiayuguan · Dunhuang · Turpan · Korla · Kuqa · Aksu · Kashgar · 21 days
Twenty-one days from Beijing to the western edge of China.
Twenty-one days along the old trade routes. The trip opens in Beijing, then Xi'an with the Terracotta Army, on to the Tibetan Buddhist monasteries near Xining and the coloured Danxia landscape at Zhangye. Jiayuguan holds the western end of the Great Wall, Dunhuang the Mogao Caves. After that it turns Central Asian: ruined cities, desert stretches across the Taklamakan and finally the bazaar of Kashgar. Accommodation in hotels of local 4-star category, 20 nights. Minimum number of participants: 2. Group size maximum 15.
from 5.230 € per person in double room
Single supplement from 1.075 € · Dates on request
International flights are not included and must be booked separately.
Dates & Conditions for this trip
Departures in autumn 2026 follow a completely different routing over 13 days via the Pamir Highway and Karakul Lake. Please contact us and we will send you that programme.
This trip includes several long overland stretches, among them about five hours from Aksu to Kashgar and the crossing of the Taklamakan. Please allow for the time and stamina involved.
Guiding is in English in Xining and Gansu, and in German in Beijing, Xi'an and Xinjiang.
Price varies by departure date. Non-binding indication per person in a double room, as of 08/2026, subject to change. The binding tour price is confirmed in your individual offer.
International flights are not included. On request we will quote flights at the current fare.
Minimum number of participants: 2. If this number is not reached, we may withdraw from the contract up to 20 days before departure. Group size maximum 15.
The specific hotels are named in your individual offer. Changes within the stated local category remain reserved.
Day by Day.
Arrival in Beijing
Arrival at the airport of the capital. Your guide meets you and takes you to the hotel. Depending on arrival time there is room for your own exploring.
Summer Palace and Great Wall
The trip opens with the Summer Palace, its first UNESCO site, with the well-known Marble Boat on Kunming Lake and the long covered corridor. In the afternoon Mutianyu, a quieter section of the Great Wall north of the city, reached by cable car. Return to Beijing in the evening.
Forbidden City and Temple of Heaven
From Tian'anmen Square with its mausoleum and Monument to the People's Heroes through the Gate of Heavenly Peace into the Forbidden City, where you see the halls of the Outer Court and the smaller buildings of the private quarters. In the afternoon the Temple of Heaven in the south of the city.
By train to Xi'an
About five hours by high-speed train across northern China to Xi'an, for centuries the seat of the emperors. After a break at the hotel to the Ming dynasty city wall, at 14 kilometres the largest and best preserved in China. You can walk it or cycle around it.
Terracotta Army
The Terracotta Army was among the first Chinese sites on the UNESCO list. You see the three excavated pits and the hall with the bronze chariots. In the afternoon the Great Wild Goose Pagoda from the Tang dynasty and the Great Mosque. As the end of the Silk Road, Xi'an has had a large Muslim population since the Han dynasty.
On to Xining
After breakfast to the station and about four hours by high-speed train to Xining, capital of Qinghai province on the edge of the Tibetan plateau. The afternoon is free.
Qutan Temple and Kumbum Monastery
Two significant religious sites in one day. First the Qutan Temple, a Buddhist complex with almost 600 years of history. Then Kumbum Monastery, one of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school, known for its golden roofs, its butter sculptures and its murals.
Rainbow mountains of Zhangye
In the morning about two hours by high-speed train to Zhangye, then the Danxia National Geopark with its rock layers in red, yellow, orange, green and violet, plus the Binggou Danxia canyon.
Great Buddha and on to Jiayuguan
First the Great Buddha Temple in Zhangye with the largest indoor reclining wood and clay Buddha in Asia, from the Western Xia period. Then a good two hours across the wide Hexi Corridor to Jiayuguan.
Jiayuguan, the end of the Wall
The Jiayuguan Pass is the western end of the Ming dynasty Great Wall and is also called the First Gate Under Heaven. Then the Overhanging Wall, a section built steeply up the slope, and the Wei and Jin tombs with painted murals that describe life more than 1,500 years ago.
Yulin Caves, sand dunes and Crescent Lake
On the way to Dunhuang a detour to the Yulin Caves on the Yulin River, often called the little sisters of the Mogao Caves. In the afternoon the Singing Sand Dunes, which really do make a sound in the wind, and Crescent Lake, an oasis whose shape explains its name.
Mogao Caves and train to Turpan
In the morning the Mogao Caves, a UNESCO site and the highlight of any Silk Road trip, with murals and sculptures. Then transfer to Liuyuan station and about three and a half hours by high-speed train to Turpan.
Jiaohe, Karez and Bezeklik
Turpan is a largely Islamic oasis inhabited by many Uyghurs. You visit the ruined city of Jiaohe, a caravan fortress built of rammed earth in the Han dynasty. Then the Karez irrigation system, underground channels that have brought water from the mountains for over 2,000 years and still supply the fields today. Finally the Thousand Buddha Caves of Bezeklik.
Emin Minaret, Bosten Lake and Korla
First the Emin Minaret, a richly decorated brick tower from the Qing dynasty on the grounds of a mosque. Then Bosten Lake, the largest freshwater lake in Xinjiang, ringed by reeds and mountains and good for a short walk. On to Korla, gateway to the southern Silk Road, where you arrive in the evening.
Across the Taklamakan to Kuqa
On the way to Kuqa a stop at the Tarim poplar park near Luntai, where the often strangely shaped poplars are perfectly adapted to the dry climate. The route then leads through the expanse of the Taklamakan. In the late afternoon you reach Kuqa, once an important Buddhist centre on the northern Silk Road.
Subashi, Kizilgaha and the royal palace
A day devoted to the history of Kuqa. You see the widely scattered ruins of the ancient city of Subashi, the Kizilgaha beacon tower from a military early warning system and the remains of the former royal palace. Together they give a sense of what Kuqa once was as a trading hub.
Kizil Caves and on to Aksu
In the morning the Kyzylia Grand Canyon, a rust-red gorge whose formations recall the national parks of the American southwest. Then the Kizil Caves, the oldest Buddhist cave temples in China, with original murals from the 3rd to the 8th century. In the afternoon about three hours on to Aksu.
On to Kashgar
An early start for the roughly five-hour drive to Kashgar, the westernmost large city in China. The route runs along the northern edge of the Taklamakan and the landscape grows more Central Asian by the hour. The rest of the day is free, perhaps for a first walk through the old town.
Bazaar and old town of Kashgar
The bazaar of Kashgar is known throughout China; villagers and nomads from the whole region come regularly to buy and sell, and the livestock market is a category of its own. Afterwards through the winding lanes of the old town, which has kept the character of a Central Asian caravan city, plus the Id Kah Mosque and the tomb of Appak Hoja.
Flight back to Beijing
After breakfast transfer to Kashgar airport and flight to Beijing, about four to five hours. After landing your guide takes you to the hotel. The rest of the day is free.
Departure
After breakfast transfer to Beijing airport for your return or onward journey.
Sample program, subject to change. Minimum number of participants: 2.
What is included.
Included services
- Accommodation in a double room with bath or shower and WC, breakfast daily
- Local German-speaking guides in Beijing and Xi'an, regional German-speaking guide in Xinjiang from Turpan to Kashgar
- Local English-speaking guides in Xining and in Gansu from Zhangye to Dunhuang
- Transfers, admissions and sightseeing as per programme
- Domestic flights as per programme in economy class
- Rail journeys as per programme, high-speed train, 2nd class
- Air-conditioned vehicles of local standard
Not included
- International flights, arrival in and departure from Beijing
- Visa, where required for your nationality. We advise on current entry and visa requirements with the offer
- Personal expenses
- Meals and drinks not listed in the programme
- Tips for guides, drivers and porters
Send an inquiry
Tell us your wishes regarding date, route, and group size. We will get back to you personally with a suitable proposal.
Mon–Fri 9:00–18:00 · Response usually on the next working day