This is a very exciting and very unusual
trip along the great southern arm of the Silk Road from
Xi'an in China to Hunza in Pakistan. The most extraordinary
part of the journey is the three days that we spend on camels
in the middle of the fearful Taklamakan Desert. The idea
behind this trip is to give one a very real sense of what
it actually felt like to be crossing the treacherous sands
for months on end. Most of our trip is accomplished by land
cruiser, so one would not call this trip a tough 'adventure',
although it does perhaps require a certain resilience. The
sun can be extremely hot and the camels bad tempered!
Along the way, this programme traces the
real history of the Silk Road, much as SRG1 and SRG2 do.
We'll visit the important sites of Xian and the magnificent
caves at Dunhuang, before heading due west through the barren
sandhills that mark the edge of the Kunlun Range. We skirt
the dry salt bed of Lop Nor and enter the Taklamakan with
its famed oases: Chira, Niya, Charkhlik, Loulan, Hotan,
Yarkand, and Melikawat. As some of the first foreigners
on this ancient trade route we can expect to see a lifestyle
which has changed little over the centuries. We'll camp
out under the stars for a total of five nights, and we'll
spend three nights in a Saray inn.
The Hunza option distinguishes the tour
from SRG2 and makes this one of the epic Silk Road journeys,
that gives one a lasting impression of the region, both
as it was, and as it stands today.
ITINERARY:
Day 1: Arrive Beijing
Day 2: Beijing to Xi'an
Day 3: Xi'an
Day 4: Xi'an to Dunhuang
Day 5: Dunhuang
Day 6: Dunhuang to Lapeiquan
Day 7: Lapeiquan to Sorkuli
Day 8: Sorkuli to Miran
Day 9: Miran to Charkhlik
Day 10: Charkhlik to Cherchen
Day 11: Cherchen to Niya
Day 12-14 Camel Safari
Day 15: Yutian to Hotan
Day 16: Hotan
Day 17: Hotan to Kashgar via Yarkand
Day 18-19: Kashgar
Day 20: Kashgar to Tashkorgan
Price in USD/pax (Land Cost )
Above 10 pax : 3493
6 to 9 pax : 3681
4 to 5 pax : 4301
Single Supplement : 640
Land Cost in Mainland China includes: All transfers, all
domestic flights/trains/cruises/local airport taxes, land
transport, 3 meals daily, service of guide and driver, sightseeing
& entrance fees, tourist class hotels on twin share
basis, tents in camping section, support camels/herders
during safari, a welcome and a farewell banquet.
Landcost excludes: International flights
and related airport taxes, supplementary trips and services
not mentioned, personal expenses, visa costs, tips to tour
guide and driver, supplement cost for those who wants to
accommodate on a single basis.
Booking Information
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