China’s Silk Road Cities - The Northern Route through Shaanxi, Gansu & Xinjiang
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Overview
Highlights
- Explore Xian there is a walk through the winding streets of the city Muslim Quarter.
- See the Shaanxi History Museum which explains the history and culture of the province
- Visit Beilin Museum, which houses a collection of stone stelae
- Explore Dunhuang ,see Mogao Caves which are highlight of the Silk Road in China and one of the most important sites of early Chinese Buddhist cave paintings
What's this trip about?
Details
Travel Themes
Destinations
Attractions
Activities
Trip includes
- Air travel (World Traveller class) with British Airways: London to Beijing return (Boeing 777)
- Air China: Beijing to Xi’an and Dunhuang to Beijing (Boeing 737-800)
- China Southern: Xi’an to Kashgar and Kashgar to Urumqi (Boeing 737-800)
- Rail travel from Turpan to Dunhuang (First Class)
- Transport by air-conditioned coach
- Accommodation as described below
- Breakfasts, 10 lunches and 7 dinners with wine, beer or soft drinks, water, coffee, tea
- All admission charges to museums
- All tips for waiters, drivers and guides
- The services of the lecturer, tour manager and local guides.
Itinerary
Fly at 4.30pm from London Heathrow to Beijing (British Airways, c. 10 hours).
Arrive at Beijing Airport at c. 9.30am and drive to the hotel for lunch. The imposing National Museum in Tianamen Square has superb collections of early Chinese artefacts, Zhou bronzes and the whole range of porcelain from Song to Qing. Overnight Beijing.
Fly at c. 10.30am from Beijing to Xi’an, arriving at 12.30pm. After a late lunch, there is a walk through the winding streets of the city’s Muslim Quarter. The Great Mosque, one of the largest in China, was originally built in AD 742 although the present fabric dates from the Qing Dynasty. First of three nights in Xi’an.
The Shaanxi History Museum explains the history and culture of the province, the heartland of ancient Chinese civilisation. There is a special visit to the museum’s collection of Tang-dynasty tomb murals. After lunch, visit the Beilin Museum, which houses a collection of stone stelae, engraved with classic texts and masterpieces of calligraphy, as well as a fine collection of Buddhist statues.
Full-day excursion east and north of the city. The tomb of the first emperor, Qin Shihuangdi, is yet to be excavated but his legacy was secured in 1974 when farmers digging a well discovered his terracotta army of infantry, cavalry and civil servants. There may be 20,...
Fly to Dunhuang at c. 1.30pm, arriving at c. 3.45pm and transfer to the hotel. Dunhuang is a small oasis town with low-rise buildings along wide avenues, flanked to one side by colossal sand dunes. First of two nights in Dunhuang.
The Dunhuang Museum houses important artefacts unearthed at the Mogao Caves, including rare Tibetan sutras. Travel by train at to Turpan (luggage is sent separately). First of two nights in Turpan.
At Gaochang see the extensive ruins of an ancient walled trading city. On the north-east rim of the Taklamakan Desert in a gorge in the Flaming Mountains, lies the Bezeklik Thousand Buddha Caves. The caves once formed part of a Buddhist monastery between 6th and 14th ...
The former British Consulate was the home for 26 years of the most famous of British India’s representatives in Kashgar; Sir George Macartney and his wife hosted some of the most prominent Silk Road travellers, including Sir Aurel Stein and Albert von Le Coq. Nikolai ...
Goods and livestock have been traded at Kashgar’s Sunday market for more than 2000 years. The scene today is still a riot of colour sounds and smells as animals, carts and vehicles traverse this vast site. Though the old city is gradually being razed by local authorities to make way for modern development, it retains much of its ancient charm.
Fly at 10.15am from Kashgar to Beijing, via Urumqi, arriving at c. 4.30pm. Spend the night in a hotel near Beijing airport.
Fly at 11.15am from Beijing to London, arriving at c. 3.15pm (c. 11 hours).
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Dates & Availability
Check Current Availability, prices, specials with Martin Randall Travel.
The total tour cost includes the tour price (regular or promotional) and the compulsory local payment. The promotional price is subject to change. Check directly with the operator for the latest price offer. The tour operator requires you to pay only the tour price to purchase your travel. The compulsory local payment will be paid when you join the trip. All prices are based on double, twin or triple share occupancy. Solo passengers will be accommodated in a double, twin or triple room according to availability with a passenger(s) of the same gender. Single supplement only needs to be paid if the passenger does not want to share and requests their own room. Discounts can only be applied at the time of booking and cannot be added at a later date, regardless of any changes made to the original booking.
Prices may vary due to local taxes and trip seasonality. Click "Request Info" to inquire directly with the tour operator for the final trip price.
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Tour Operator
Martin Randall Travel is one of the most respected travel companies in the world, among both travellers and within the tourism community. We are committed to providing the best planned, the best led and altogether the most fulfilling and enjoyable cultural tours currently available.
We offer an unequalled range of tours and events focusing on art, architecture, music, archaeology, history, gardens and gastronomy. Our mission is to deepen your understanding and enhance your appreciation of the many civilizations around the world.
For over two decades we have been the most influential organisation in the field of intellectual travel. Pioneering and innovative, we have led the way with ideas and itineraries and by setting the benchmarks for customer service and administration.
Small groups, and congenial company
Most of our tours run with between ten and twenty participants. We strictly limit numbers, specifying the applicable maximum in each tour description. The higher costs of smaller numbers are outweighed by the benefits of manoeuvrability, social cohesion and access to the lecturer.
The small-group principle is diluted when there are private concerts or several speakers exclusively for our clients.
Not the least attractive aspect of travelling with MRT is that you are highly likely to find yourself in congenial company, self-selected by common interests and endorsement of the company’s ethos.
Health & safety
Martin Randall Travel and its management team attach the upmost importance to the health and safety of clients, tour leaders and employees travelling on our tours and events. It is our duty to comply with relevant health and safety legislation, and we take seriously our 'duty of care' to all who travel with us. Employees and tour leaders cooperate with the company in fulfilling our duty of care by following company rules on safety and codes of practice – which together form our Health and Safety Policy.
We allocate clear responsibilities and accountabilities to implement our Health and Safety Policy.
We set clear direction for the business to follow our Policy, supported by the Board and senior management.
We adopt and review health and safety management systems.
We make available suitable resources to meet our commitments.
We maintain consultation and dialogue with employees.
We assess travel-related risks faced by clients and staff.
We provide clients and staff with information to the risks they may face and the preventative and protective measures there are to control these risks.
Value for money, and no surcharges
The price includes nearly everything, not only the major ingredients such as hotel, transport and the costs of the lecturer and manager but also tips, drinks with meals and airport taxes.
We do not levy surcharges for fuel price increases, exchange rate changes, additional taxes or for any other reason. The price published here is the price you pay.
Travelling solo
We welcome people travelling on their own, for whom our tours are ideal, as many of our clients testify. There are usually several solo travellers on tour. On evenings when dinner is not included there is always the option of dining with the tour manager.
Hotels usually charge a supplement for single occupancy of a room, but we never add anything to this – indeed, most of the supplements we charge are subsidised by ourselves, sometimes by hundreds of pounds.
Where we are able to, we assign those travelling on their own to rooms which are normally sold as doubles.
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Logistics
Accommodation
If you have to cancel your participation on a tour, there would be a charge which varies according to the period of notice you give. Up to 57 days before the tour the deposit only is forfeited. Thereafter a percentage of the total cost of the tour will be due:
between 56 and 29 days: 40%
between 28 and 15 days: 60%
between 14 days and 3 days: 80%
within 48 hours: 100%
If you cancel your booking in a double or twin room or cabin but are travelling with a companion who chooses to continue to participate on the tour, the companion will be liable to pay the stipulated single supplement.
We take as the day of cancellation that on which we receive written confirmation of cancellation.
Breakfasts, 10 Lunches and 7 Dinners
Strenuous
A good level of fitness is essential. Unless you enjoy entirely unimpaired mobility, cope with everyday walking and stair-climbing without difficulty and are reliably sure-footed, this tour is not for you. Uneven ground and irregular paving are standard. There are some long coach journeys during which facilities are limited and may be of poor quality. Average distance by coach per day: 50 miles.
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