9 Days Silk Road Adventure by China Orient Express

Xian, Lanzhou, Jiayuguan, Dunhuang, Turpan, Urumqi

Traveler Reviews

9 Days Silk Road Adventure by China Orient Express

Tour Code: TCT-Silk-Road-04

Tour Type: Private Tour

Tour Highlights:

Authorized by China Ministry of Railway
Experience the luxury train China Orient Express with a superior 5 star service
Suitable for those who are interested in China history and culture
Adventure from Xian to Urumqi Silk Road tour

Best Travel Time: Annually fixed departure dates

Price from $ 2799

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Tour Itinerary Prices & Includes Reviews Expand All

Itinerary Prices Reviews Expand All

Day 1May 28 or Sep 09, 2020 Arrival Xian

Transfer service to hotel

Meals: No meal
Recommended Hotel: Grand Melia Hotel Xi'an or same class

Arrival in Xian, our guide will greet you at the airport and transfer to hotel. Xian is a city with over 3000 years history and it is also the starting point of the ancient Silk Road.

Xian City View

Day 2May 29 or Sep 10, 2020 Xian

Terracotta Warriors, Huaqing Hot Spring

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Tang Dynasty Dinner Show
Recommended Hotel: Grand Melia Hotel Xi'an or same class

Have breakfast in the hotel, then we drive to the famous Terracotta Warriors, one of the eight wonders of the world. Be excited to observe China's first emperor - Emperor Qin's great army of 8000 life-sized terracotta soldiers and horses in three burial pits. Afterwards,we continue to Huaqing Hot Spring in Mt Lishan. In ancient time, emperors used to come here to bathe and enjoy the scenic beauty. It has become a favorite spa since the Tang Dynasty.

Terracotta Warriors

Day 3May 30 or Sep 11, 2020 Xi’an - Lanzhou - Jiayuguan

Waterwheel Garden

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Recommended Hotel: China Orient Express Train

After breakfast, we will transfer to train station for high-speed train to Lanzhou. It takes only three hours to complete the 700-kilometer distance on China’s fastest and comfortable bullet train. Upon arrival, meet your Lanzhou guide and visit the Waterwheel Garden. Originated from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), the waterwheel is the oldest irrigation tool in Yellow River area of Lanzhou. The Waterwheel Garden is a theme garden exhibiting the waterwheel culture. Here, we could appreciate the waterwheel driven by the flowing water all year round to collect water from the river or cofferdam. At 22:00pm, we embark the 'China Orient Express' Charter Luxury Train to Jiayuguan. Have a nice night on the train with wonderful evening and morning views of local countryside.

Lanzhou City View

Day 4May 31 or Sep 12, 2020 Jiayuguan

Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass), Overhanging Great Wall

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Recommended Hotel: Holiday Plaza Hotel Jiayuguan or same class

After breakfast, have a visit to the Jiayuguan (Jiayu Pass), the western end of the Great Wall built in Ming Dynasty. It is known as 'the First and Greatest Pass under Heaven', and best preserved and most magnificent military fort in China. Then we drive 7 miles away for the Overhanging Great Wall. It got the named for riding on a mountain ridge that is 45 degrees from vertical and resembling a huge dragon.

Jiayuguan Pass

Day 5June 01 or Sep 13, 2020 Jiayuguan - Dunhuang

Crescent Lake & Singing Sand Mountains, Shazhou Night Market

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Recommended Hotel: : Dunhuang Hotel or same class

After a pleasant breakfast, 10:00 special train to Dunhuang, we specially arranged for you on the train institute of Dunhuang experts and professors explain in detail for you. Reaching Dunhuang, we proceed to Mingsha Sand Dunes (Crescent Spring and Sighing Sand Dune) - Singing Sand Dune (Mingsha Hill) helps people free from all worries and Crescent Spring purifies people's minds. After dinner, we will continue to visit Dunhuang Shazhou Night Market. It is one of the best night market in China and famous for its tasty snacks, local specialties, and crafts etc.

Mingsha Sand Dunes

Day 6June 02 or Sep 14, 2020 Dunhuang-Turpan

Mogao Grottoes

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Recommended Hotel: China Orient Express Train

After breakfast, let's visit the world famous Mogao Grottoes, which was designated as a world cultural heritage by UNESCO for its 1600 years accumulated cultural, architectural, and art treasures. There remains 492 cave temple and 45000 square meters of frescos. According to Tang Dynasty records, a monk had witnessed onsite a vision of thousand Buddhas under showers of golden rays. Thus inspired, he started the caves construction work that spanned ten dynasties. Mogao Caves are commonly known as the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. At 17:00hr, we embark the 'China Orient Express' Charter Luxury Train to Turpan.

Mogao Grottoes

Day 7 June 03 or Sep 15, 2020 Turpan-Urumqi

Karez irrigation system, Flaming Mountain, Jiaohe Ancient City

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Recommended Hotel: Universel Hotel Urumqi or same class

It’s a day for Turpan sightseeing! Visit Karez irrigation system to witness the wisdom of Uygur people. The irrigation system is especially designed for desert. If connecting all these underground channels, the total length will reach more than 5000 km, so it is regarded as one of the three engineering miracles of ancient China, along with the Great Wall and the Jinghang Grand Canal. Thereafter, we move to Flaming Mountain, well known by Chinese people because of the legendary story 'Journey to the West'. It is regarded as the hottest place in China. Then We drive to Jiaohe Ancient City, an island-shaped plateau situated at Yar Town. It is the largest, oldest and well preserved earth-structured city in the world, with a history of 2000-2300 years.

Jiaohe Ancient City

Day 8 June 04 or Sep 16, 2020 Urumqi

Heavenly Lake, Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Recommended Hotel: Universel Hotel Urumqi or same class

After breakfast, visit Heavenly Lake on Tianshan (boat tour). The mountain Lake stands 1980 meters above sea level and features picturesque scenery of snowcapped peaks. It a great pleasure to boat travel Heavenly Lake, with a layer of magical color covering the lake, and hearing many beautiful myths and legends. Then head for Urumqi, and visit Xinjiang Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar.

Erdaoqiao Grand Bazaar

Day 9June 05 or Sep 17, 2020 Departure Urumqi

Transfer service to airport

Meals: Breakfast

Today is the day of farewell to your memorable Silk Road trip and the unique China Orient Express. After a pleasant breakfast, free at your own leisure till the assemble time for the transferring to airport for the flight back to your hometown or next destination. Bon voyage!

Service Ends

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Tour Price (US$ per person)

1. For travelers who plan to take China Orient Express from Xian to Urumqi or Urumqi to Xian

9-Day Route in June: Xi'an-Lanzhou-Jiayuguan-Dunhuang-Turpan-Urumqi or vice versa
Tour Date: May 24-Jun 01 (Route A: Urumqi to Xi'an), May 28-Jun 05 (Route B: Xian to Urumqi)

Aug 28-Sep 05 (Route A: Urumqi to Xi'an), Sep 09-Sep 17 (Route B: Xian to Urumqi)

Route	Date	Type of Cabin	Quotation	Single Supplement (S.S.)
				S.S. in Hotel	S.S. in China Orient Express
(A) Urumqi—Xian (B) Xian—Urumqi	(A) 05.24-06.01 (B) 05.28-06.05	Quad	-	$450/p.p	—
		Triple	-		—
		Twin	$2799/p.p		$700/p.p
		Diamond En-Suite	$3199/p.p		$1500/p.p

Route	Date	Type of Cabin	Quotation	Single Supplement (S.S.)
				S.S. in Hotel	S.S. in China Orient Express
(A) Urumqi—Xian (B) Xian—Urumqi	(A) 08.28-09.05 (B) 09.09-09.17	Quad	-	$560/p.p	—
		Triple	-		—
		Twin	$2899/p.p		$700/p.p
		Diamond En-Suite	$3399/p.p		$1500/p.p

Note: Diamond En-Suite is luxury double room with personal wash room and shower room in each room. The above price is based on 2 persons sharing a room. If one person would like to stay a room, he or she need to pay single supplement.

Remarks:
1. All prices in US dollars;
2. Prices subject to change without any further notice;
3. Service charges are not included, Current rate for all services is total of USD150.00 per person (or USD160 p.p or USD170 p.p)
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 of sharing cabins; in case the cabin cannot be share, the cost applies on the passengers in the cabin
6. Children age under 11, will be credit only the difference on hotel room costs

Price includes:
1) EXPERIENCED TOUR MANAGERS
Our experienced tour managers and their assistants are selected for their travel knowledge and organizational abilities allowing you to relax and enjoy your voyage of a lifetime. We receive many exceptional passenger comments about our Tour Managers and their aim is to ensure you enjoy every minute of your holiday.

2) ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE TRANSFERS
Arrival and departure transfers are included.

3) HOTEL AND ONBOARD ACCOMMODATION
Although you will spend much of your time sightseeing or relaxing in the train’s public areas, you will find your hotel room or cabin a welcome retreat at the end of a rewarding day. Hotel and onboard accommodation as described in your individual tour itinerary are included in the tour price. All hotels are of 5 star standard or, in certain locations, the best available. Room upgrades are available on request and at extra cost.

4) ROUTE GUIDE, ITINERARY AND INFORMATION PACK
When you board the train there will be a brochure in your cabin detailing more about your journey and the places en-route. Our Tour Manager will organize a programed of briefings on the cities or places we visit and, each evening, will issue a programed for the next day’s touring schedule.

5) BREAKFAST, LUNCH AND DINNER DAILY
All departures feature one or two uniquely designed restaurant cars where you can enjoy the excellent waiter-served food and wine. Several times during the tour we will also sample authentic local cuisine off the train.

6) DRINKS WITH MEALS ONBOARD
A drinks allowance is included with lunch and dinner.

7) ON BOARD SERVICE
Throughout your tour you can expect service which is attentive, friendly and unobtrusive. The high ratio of staff to passenger’s means there is always someone available should you need assistance.

8) ON BOARD DOCTOR AND MEDICAL FACILITIES
To give you peace of mind our tours are accompanied by a doctor who travels with us for the entire journey; so you can rest assured that medical assistance is always available. On call 24 hours a day, the doctor is on hand to give primary care as required.

9) 24 HOUR SERVICE ATTENDANT
Your car attendants provide 24-hour housekeeping and bedding turndown services, with one attendant always on duty to assist you and to ensure you are comfortable in your cabin. Complimentary tea, coffee and bottled drinking water are available in your cabin 24 hours a day.

Price excludes:
1.International Airfare or Train Tickets to enter or leave China
2.China Entry Visa Fees
3.Excess Baggage Charges
4.Personal Expenses such as visa costs, insurance, drinks from the bar car, laundry, spa treatments, hairdressing.
5. Single Room Supplement.
6. Tip: Full Service Staff Tip in total USD150.00 per person (or USD160 p.p or USD170 p.p) (Train staff, Special train porter, the tour leader, local driver and local guide).

Useful Information

Traveler Reviews Feedbacks & Photos >>

5.0

tonirxxx

5.0

I would highly recommend TCT to anyone. We did a 2 week private (Beijing, Xian, Lhasa, Chengdu & Shanghai) tour with them and from the moment we arrived we felt like we were part of the family. Every guide was attentive, informative and an absolute pleasant to travel with. Special thanks to Rebecca for organising our itinerary and also a special mention to Tony, our guide in Beijing.

David U

5.0

Janet Chan of TCT organized a fantastic trip that started at the Dongxi border crossing with Vietnam into Nanning, the Chenyang Bridge with the Dong minority people. Then we went on to the Longji Rice Terraces with the Ping An Zhuang minority. Overall these first few days were fantastic from both a tour and educational perspective. Following these stops, we went to Yangshuo, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong. All the travel went flawlessly and the accommodations were great!

The best part of our time in Guangxi province was the excellent guide- Wendy! If you ever have a chance to request a guide- please ask for Wendy! Guides make a big difference in how you learn and appreciate the travel. I have a LOT of experience with different guides- I lead study abroad trips every year. Wendy is informative, energetic, great with the students, flexible, and a joy to work with. We were able to request Wendy as our guide, whom we had two years before on our previous study abroad trip.

Overall, our experience with TCT, Janet Chan, and Wendy Zhang was exemplary.

diacamand

5.0

With Bonnie in TCT we organized a 12 days private tour, and she was really amazing. She organized more than 5 times our trip!!! She helped us with all duties, questions, everything!! All our guides were really good, high professional behavior, knowledge and advice. All of them did their best to let us to see as much as possible and gave us the best suggestions!!! Thanks a lot to Kurt in Beijing, Lee in Xian Susan in Guilin, Ken in Chongqing, Amber in Yichang and Vicky in Shanghai!!! GREAT!!! If you can ask for them, do it!! They were very professional, flexible and helpful. Thanks a lot, all of you, to make our trip unforgettable!!!

Gaby P

5.0

My husband wasn't even interested in China, after researching all of the great things to discover, checking reviews, services and prices we decides to trust TripAdvisor reviews and we booked with Top China Travel, PRIVATE TOUR. OMG, it was amazing!, we booked with Rebecca, very professional, she answered all of my questions and we had manny, we went the to get our Visa at the China consulate in San Francisco it was ready in 3 days, we book our own flights. When we got to Beijing beautiful and safe city, there was our first PRIVATE tour Guide, Daniell, even our plain was delayed, when to a very nice car with our driver, very nice hotel Howard Johnson Beijing, all of the hotels very nice, like 4 to 5 stars. After that we went on high speed train to Xi'an, we wanted to experience 305 Km per hour speed, the same thing great city, private tour is the way to go! It was only getting better, then Chongqing, Yangtze river cruise so beautiful and peaceful, Shanghai, waw, Guilin a must see natural beauty, then Hong Kong, every thing was so well coordinated, the bilingual guides super nice, the breakfast and lunch included more than enough to skip dinner. My husband says now, "Money well Spent", we recommend TOP CHINA TRAVEL" to anybody, thank you Rebecca

MadonnaUpstate_ny

5.0

Tour developer Yocky and tour guide Leo did a great job introducing me to these 2 cities. I loved the Acrobatic Show and also the night boat ride on the Huangpu. The skyline of Shanghai is a riot of color and movement at night! And the gardens! Leo's English was very clear and easy to understand. I also appreciated his willingness to "open up" and tell me a little bit about his family, his life,his history, his routine. I would recommend a private tour with a guide and driver and if you're in Shanghai ask for Leo to be your guide!

rae m

5.0

Just returned home to the US after a 6 day China Tour. TCT, our guide Cathy, drivers and Janet our tour organizer all exceeded our expectations. We especially appreciated the ability to shorten or lengthen our days as our energy levels permitted - this was truly a private tour experience.

Rick U-C

5.0

I did this tour with my wife and our adult son in early February - in fact it was Chinese New Year's eve day. We enjoyed it. We did the three star version and were impressed with how easy the guide on the tour bus made it for us. She was attentive and her English was great. The three star boats are remarkably comfortable. We were expecting wooden benches, but the cabin was carpeted, well appointed, and very comfortable. We spent much of the trip on the deck looking at the scenery of the Karst Mountain Formations, which was pretty incredible. At the end of the trip, our guide offered another smaller river cruise that included a cave, but we chose to go off on our own. We rented scooters and had fund going out to see the huge Banyan tree outside of town. Our guide had given us clear instructions on how to find the hotel where the bus picked us up on time for a drive of a couple of hours back to Guilin.

Linda S

5.0

The scenes were amazing. The boat was air conditioned, food was mediocre. A four hour tour that didn't disappoint. A short walk to the hotel.

Cruiser794284

5.0

I took the one day cruise tour and it was fabulous. The view is very good and the service provided by the travel agency is also accepted. I highly recommend this tour for all of you.

Natasha J

5.0

I can't recommend this company enough!!I started talking to Yocky via the chat system on their website, as we wanted to do a 2.5 week trip around China. Our itinerary was:Shenzhen-Beijing-Xian-Kunming-Dongchuan-Chengdu-Guilin-SanyaHere's how things went:1) She was instant in her replies and responded to subsequent emails within the hour (and trust me, I sent A LOT of emails). She was always so thorough and efficient.2) She made us a tailor made trip that covered everything we wanted, including some slightly more off the beaten track attractions.3) She helped us keep to our budget and suggested reasonable things we could cut out when things were too expensive (not something many companies would do as they are trying to make a quick buck).4) She listened to all of our requests for things such as early morning flights, vegetarian food, and readjusting itineraries.5) All our drivers and guides were EXCELLENT; they were prompt, kind, spoke excellent English and had a wealth of knowledge about all the sites we saw. All the cars on our private tours were nice and comfortable and had water.6) Despite asking for 3* hotels, all 7 hotels we stayed in seemed like 4* to us and all included breakfast.7) With such a large and complicated trip there were bound to be a few hiccups (e.g. there was a marathon in Xian one day which meant a lot of roads were closed, so we couldn't access sites). Yocky was in touch with us the entire time and helped us rearrange our plans quickly and ordered complimentary tickets to a show to make up for the inconvenience.We were so nervous about our first trip to China as we speak no mandarin and are strict vegetarian but honestly this was one of the best trips of our life; this company made it so easy for us and I really can't imagine having been able to do it myself any better!

Fenilshah123

5.0

We selected TCT to help us with our China trip. They delivered what they promised. They were there at every step. We took their help in Beijing and then again in Guilin. In Guilin, they had a personal trip for us. They really provided value. We are vegetarians and the options they provided were great. Lauren, our guide in Guilin knew every aspect of information and was very honest and the kids enjoyed her candid remarks. We were a family of four with our sons 26 and 24. At times, the four days of trip with someone constantly with you got a little too much as we wanted to have private family time but they were always understanding and accommodated us.

hahnss

5.0

During the last week in April and the beginning of May 2017, my wife and I toured southwestern parts of China - Guilin, Yangshuo, Xian, Zhangjiajie and Shanghai- in 8 days, starting from Hong Kong. The online booking process with Top China Travel ("TCT") went smoothly with a very knowledgeable and responsive (via e-mails) TCT sales representative, named Janet ("Dan Dan") Chan. It was a private tour with English-speaking guides in private vehicles and via air travels between cities (thus, a bit pricey). The guides all spoke excellent English and drivers were very helpful and courteous. The hotels and China domestic flights, arranged by TCT, were generally very good to excellent. The scenery in Guilin/Yanshuo and Zhangjiajie were breathtaking, although these popular tour destinations were very crowded, as expected. The foods were not as impressive as we expected, sometimes hampered by the language barrier in local Chinese restaurants. All in all, we enjoyed our trip very much, and can recommend TCT to our friends. Steve H.

Jim S

5.0

Our family of my wife and I plus two children and their families worked with Top China Tours on an 11-day private tour. The result was a smoothly run tour with excellent guides, good buses and well handled air and rail journeys. The 5-start hotels were top notch. Our family of 8 had a fantastic learning experience going to Beijing, Xian, Gulin/Yangshou and Shanghai. We hit the usual tourist spots, but Janet, our tour director also included smaller sites and special events to enhance the private tour. She was excellent at adding flexibility to the tour so that one couple went on a pre-tour Yangtze cruise, and the family with two children got to Happy Valley park so the kids could experience a Chines theme park. Overall the whole family had a great travel experience thanks to Janet and the others at Top China Tours.

lagoplaya3000

5.0

Thanks Top China Travel, Vicky Lu, for coordinating and assisting us in the process of our trip to China and Hong Kong. We enjoyed and learned a lot. The guides, Serena in Beijing, Mason in Xi'an, Meli in Shanghai and Bill in Hong Kong, were very friendly and enthusiastic. Now we have a new vision of China and its people. Thank you again.

Dan C

5.0

Top china travel put together a great tour starting with boat crude down down li river beautiful scenery the whole trip very informative guidelines then trip to caves which again was good very well planned

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