Silk Road Adventures on the China Orient Express
10-Day Ultimate Cultural Experience via Rail
Itinerary Details
Let the world's unique train – China Orient Express (also known as the Shangri-La Express) – take you to the Silk Road, which dates back to over 1,000 years, to explore the best attractions of the ancient Silk Road in 2019!
With its fabulous design and the intimate services offered on China Orient Express, as well as the various haunting sights along the Silk Road, we promise that you'll be dazzled.
Below is the itinerary for Route B - if you want to do it in reverse, please choose Route A.
Upon your arrival in Xi'an, your guide will greet you at the airport and transfer you to your hotel. Xi'an is a city with over 3,000 years of history and it is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.
We offer our guests a first-class customer service, a romantic exploration of the most remarkable Chinese sites, and a constantly changing room with a view.
You can expect welcoming cabins, fine dining, and elegant surroundings no matter which remote corner of China you choose to explore.
Accommodation:
Grand Melia Xian or same class (5 stars)
Restaurant car on China Orient Express Twin share cabin on China Orient ExpressHave breakfast in your hotel and then you will be driven to the famous Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum, often referred to as the eighth wonder of the world.
Be excited to observe Emperor Qin Shi Huang's – China's first emperor – great army of 8,000 life-sized terracotta soldiers and horses in three burial pits.
Afterward, you will continue on to visit the Huaqing Hot Springs at Mount Li. In ancient times, emperors used to go there to bathe and enjoy the scenic beauty. It has become a favorite spa area since the Tang Dynasty.
Accommodation:
Grand Melia Xian or same class (5 stars)
Terracotta WarriorsHave breakfast in your hotel before visiting the ancient Xi'an City Wall. It is the most intact ancient Chinese wall in existence, encircling and protecting the old part of Xi'an.
Then proceed to visit the statue at the starting point of the Silk Road and Big Wild Goose Pagoda's North Square, which is the location of one of the most famous Buddhist pagodas in China.
After a drive of 120 kilometers west of Xi'an, you will arrive at Famen Temple, which was first constructed during the Eastern Han Dynasty and is renowned for storing a veritable finger bone of Sakyamuni Buddha.
Thereafter, you will return to Xi'an ready to watch the marvelous Tang Dynasty Dinner Show at Tang Dynasty Palace. The various savory dishes together with the exciting show are sure to satisfy your appetite, your eyes, and your mind.
At 10pm, you will board the China Orient Express to travel to Tianshui.
Accommodation:
China Orient Express
Xian Ancient City Wall Famen TempleArrive in Tianshui at 6:30am. After breakfast, you will be driven to Maiji Mountain. The natural scenery of Maiji Mountain is the most beautiful among the famous resorts of grottoes in China.
The Maijishan Grottoes were first constructed in 384 and gradually became one of the large-scale grotto groups in China as well as one of the famous artistic spots in the world due to continuous chiseling and reconstruction throughout more than 10 dynasties.
There are 194 extant grottoes, including more than 7,200 clay and stone statues and frescoes covering an area of 1,300 square meters, which date back between the 4th and 19th centuries.
You will take the China Orient Express train to Jiayuguan at 4:30pm. Have another nice night on the train with wonderful evening and morning views of the local countryside.
Accommodation:
China Orient Express
Maiji GrottoesAfter breakfast, visit Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass), which is the western end of the Great Wall that was built in the Ming Dynasty. It is known as 'the First and Greatest Pass Under Heaven', and is the best-preserved and most magnificent military fort in China.
Then you will be driven for 7 miles to visit the Overhanging Great Wall. It got its named due to hanging on a mountain ridge at an angle of 45 degrees and it resembles a huge dragon.
Accommodation:
Holiday Plaza Hotel Jiayuguan or same class (5 stars)
Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass)After a pleasant breakfast, take this deluxe train to Dunhuang at 10am. We have arranged for Dunhuang experts and professors to introduce this exotic city in detail to you.
After arriving in Dunhuang, you will visit the beautiful Crescent Lake and the Singing Sand Mountains. Crescent Lake is an oasis in the Gobi Desert, surrounded by numerous sand dunes that reach a relative height of 250 meters (820 feet).
The Singing Sand (Mingsha) Mountains were named because of the sound created by the wind whipping off the dunes.
Accommodation:
Dunhuang Hotel or same class (3 stars, the best local hotel)
Crescent Lake & Singing Sand MountainsAfter breakfast, visit the world-famous Mogao Caves, an area that was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for having 1,600 years of accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures. There are 492 cave temples and 45,000 square meters of frescoes remaining there.
According to Tang Dynasty records, a monk had witnessed onsite a vision of 1,000 Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus inspired, he started construction of the caves and this work spanned across 10 dynasties. The Mogao Caves are commonly known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas.
At 5pm, you will begin your journey on the China Orient Express charter luxury train to Turpan.
Accommodation:
China Orient Express
Statues in Mogao Grottoes Mogao GrottoesIt's a day for sightseeing in Turpan. Visit the Karez Well System at 7am to witness the wisdom of the Uyghur people. The irrigation system is especially designed for its desert location.
If all of these underground channels were connected, the total length would reach more than 5,000 kilometers, so it is regarded as one of the three engineering miracles of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Jing-Hang Grand Canal.
Afterward, you will move on to the Flaming Mountains, which is well-known to Chinese people because of the legendary story Journey to the West. It is regarded as the hottest place in China.
Then you will be driven to the ancient city of Jiaohe, an island-shaped plateau situated in Yarnaz Valley. It is the largest, oldest, and most well preserved earth-structured city in the world, with a history of 2,000–2,300 years.
Accommodation:
Grand Melia Xian or same class (5 stars)
Karez irrigation system Jiaohe Ancient CityAfter breakfast, visit Heavenly Lake of Tianshan by way of a boat tour. The mountain lake is 1,980 meters above sea level and features picturesque scenery of snowcapped peaks.
It is very pleasurable to take a boat trip across Heavenly Lake, which is covered with a layer of magical color, and to hear many beautiful myths and legends. Then head for Urumqi and visit the Xinjiang International Grand Bazaar.
Accommodation:
Grand Melia Xian or same class (5 stars)
Heavenly Lake Xinjiang International BazaarIt is time to say farewell to your memorable Silk Road trip and the unique China Orient Express. After a pleasant breakfast, enjoy some free time until it's time for your transfer to the airport for the flight back to your hometown or next destination. Bon voyage!
Trip Notes
1. This is a group tour, with about 25 travelers per group.
2. Prices are subject to change without any further notice.
3.Gratuities are not included. The current rate for all services is 150 USD per person.
4. Accommodation and tour itineraries are subject to change at any time due to circumstances beyond our control.
5. We reserve the right to distribute passengers who are sharing cabins.
6. Children under 11 years old will be credited the difference on hotel room costs.
Cancellation Policy
A non-refundable 10% deposit per person is required at the time of booking.
A cancelation received 45 days prior to the group departure will result in the forfeit of 25% of the land costs and the deposit.
A cancelation received from 44 to 30 days before the group departure will result in the forfeit of 90% of the land costs and the deposit.
A cancelation received within 30 days before the group departure (including "no shows") will result in the forfeit of 100% of the land costs and the deposit.
After the trip has commenced, we are unable to refund any amount for unused services due to your unwillingness/inability to participate, early departure, late arrival, or missed days on tours.
Tour Price
Price includes:
What Our Customers Said
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Xian 3 day tour
A real cultural&historical impressive 3 day trip to Xi'an, despite the shortening of the actual trip by some days to Covid!However, even with all the challenges, which laid ahead before and during the trip, the flexibility of everyone involved (especially my guide Jenny & my agent Zac) was the key to a memorable journey.This wasn't my first good experience with China Highlights and won't be definitely my last one as you can really take your mind off from the daily grind during those days and just enjoy the scenic spots! moreOct 2022, Karl Kirchheimer
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Hua Shan Hike
Mervyn took me from Xi'anbei Station to the top of Hua Shan east peak, where I stayed overnight to watch the sunrise.It's a magnificent place, best appreciated on days like this without too much crowd, and Mervyn was a fantastic guide.It's not easy being a foreigner travelling around China in these days of covid, but Mervyn made all of that seem easy. And she was a helpful and encouraging presence on the way up, pointing out places of interest and pulling out cans of red bull for when the going got tough!Highly recommended! moreSep 2022, Paul R
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Xian 2022 Trip
Went on a family vacation to Xian and thanks to #chinahighlights my kids and I had a truly enjoyable time. #Christy arranged our tour and #Helen was our tour guide. #Helen did a great job of leading us around the Muslim Quarter, the Terra-cotta Warriors, walking up the Big Wild Goose Pagoda, bell and drum towers, riding on the Xian city wall, visiting the Shaanxi History Museum and watching the Legend of the Silk Road show. She was especially knowledgeable of the areas history. The kids and I enjoyed the paper cutting and making terra-cotta warriors out of clay activities as well as watching the Shadow Puppet Show. Despite the COVID restrictions and excessive bureaucracy that now exists for foreigners traveling in China, #Helen did a great job meeting the unique needs of my family and I highly recommend her services. moreJul 2022, Bryan Stanfield
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Xi'an Bliss
We highly enjoyed our trip to Xi'an organised by China Highlights and with fantastic support from our guide Helen. Helen stitched together thousands of years of Chinese history throughout our visits to the terracotta warriors, the Xi'an museum and the ancient city walls. Helen gave us many superb food recommendations, in particular Xi'an's thick spinach noodles and the famous Muslim street. The trip was made very straightforward and we were supported at every step of the journey which gave us great peace of mind, even with COVID restrictions. The tour around the city walls by bike was a particular highlight. Helen also recommended the Nearwall bar which is a fantastic place for coffee and craft beer enthusiasts. China Highlights have been very flexible and responsive. We look forward to visiting again with family and friends in future. moreJul 2022, Michael H
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2.5 days in Xian
Helen helped with a quickly arranged Covid test at a local centre to smooth future travel. Next day was the Terracotta Warriors, Big Wild Goose Pagoda and Mosque. Amazing history and not too crowded with plenty of time to explore with excellent local restaurant for dumpling lunch . Helen went through loads of background info at each site adding to the experience and assisted with bartering at the markets. The final day required a late switch of museum and to the little wild goose pagoda which Helen organized efficiently and also played museum guide, I’m not sure what she doesn’t know about Chinese history. Helen was also helpful with our individual onward travel plan changes and our obsession with coffee. moreDec 2021, David P
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The best Xi’an experience I could only recommend
Susan (绒绒), my guide for 2 days, explained everything very pleasant in very good English. She has a huge historical know-how and could introduce me into all cultural and historical events connected to the visited places. To complete this journey, always accompanied with a delicious local food. Many thanks to Susan (绒绒), her driver and Chinahighlights for this fantastic experience moreOct 2021, luismK2514FG
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Our tour guides were Ann (Zhangjiajie), Ivy (Beijing), Lily (Xi'an) and Cecile (Chengdu). Each one of them was fantastic - attentive to our needs, organized, and made sure all of the details were taken care of. Each one of them adapted to our family's needs as things came up and also adapted to changing conditions -(weather, illness, unexpected closures, delays, etc) so we maximized our time and got the most out of every day. Every guide was knowledgeable and personable. moreJul 2021, christinajeanne
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Fabulous Xi’an.
The support from Christy before the trip was superb. The itinerary was perfectly designed to meet my wishes. I loved every single bit of it. Mervyn, my guide was knowledgeable, kind and friendly and brought an added something to the trip that you just don’t get when you do it all yourself. This was my third itinerary with China Highlights and it didn’t disappoint. moreMay 2021, CSA100
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