In the early middle ages, "Silk Roads" connected all the great civilizations of Europe and Asia. Silk roads traveled not only merchants but also artists, philosophers, religious thinkers and followers of Buddha, Christ and Mohamed, hence "Silk Roads" were not only important commercial routes but also lifelines of human culture, ideas and values. This tour takes you along the northern route - from Xi´an to Urumchi, a trail that skirted Gobi and  Taklamakhan deserts along the southern side of the western end of the Great Wall. We'll visit Buddhist cave temples, Tibetan monasteries, ruins of ancient desert cities, early Christian sites as well as Muslim mosques. In Uighur town of Turfan, whose narrow lanes and markets pulse in rhythm of bygone era, we'll get an insight into traditional lifestyle of Chinese Turkestan,  allowing us to catch a glimpse of what life might have been like along the ancient Silk Road.

1. Arrive in Beijing: transfer to hotel; visit Temple of Heaven , a place where the "sons of heavens" used to come to pray for bountiful harvest; sightseeing of the vanishing small streets and lanes of Old Beijing; dinner - Beijing Duck, local specialty (optional).
2. Peking: sightseeing of Forbidden City , one of the largest temple complexes in the world; stroll through the Tiananmen Square (Gate of Heavenly Peace), and narrow lanes of the Old Beijing; night sleeper train to Xi´an.
3. Xi'an: the goal of the Silk Road; visit the legendary Terracotta Army of Emperor Qin's tomb (the First Chinese Emperor of the Qin (Chin) Dynasty) - 8,000+ life-sized terracotta figures, warriors and horses, speculated that many contained treasures and sacrificial objects that were to accompany the emperor in his after life; monumental fortification; Grand Minaret, evening stroll through the Muslim quarter. 
4. Xi´an: Taoist monastery of Eight Immortals, Pagoda of Little Wild Goose (7th century); the heaviest library in the world - so called Les stél; night sleeper train to Tianshui.
5. Tianshui (Thien-shuej): sightseeing Cliff Temple of Maijishan (Maj-ťi-shan), high on a cliff; transfer to Lanzhou.
6. Xiahe (Sia-he): half day transfer by bus to small town of Xiahe containing the monumental monastery of Labrang.
7. Xiahe: immersion into the atmosphere of a major pilgrimage site; pilgrim's circuit "kora" roundabout the monastery, Muslim quarter; afternoon transfer to Lanzhou; evening night sleeper train to Jiayuguan.
8. Jiayuguan: full day trip to small town of Jiuquan (Giou-chüan) and Mt. Wenshu (Wen-shu) with a complex of cliff Buddhist temples 5.–9. century.
9. Jiayuguan: visiting the Western-most end of the Great Wall dating to the era of Ming Dynasty; walk on the Wall, see 14th century fortification.
10. Dunhuang (Tun-huang): morning transfer to Dunhuang; afternoon visit to picturesque "Moon-Sickle" Lake under the Mount of Singing Sands; visit the museum, optional bike ride into the desert.

11. Dunhuang: entry gate into the Chinese Empire during the Han Dynasty; visit legendary Mogao Buddhist Caves (Mo-kao), wall paintings from 4. century, polychrome statues, more than 1000 paintings on silk and wood; night sleeper train to Turfan.
12. Turfan: important Silk Road crossroad and traditional transit station of various cultures; full day trip to Bezeklyk Caves, known as the Caves of Thousand Buddhas, decorated by frescoes from the Tang (Thang) Dynasty; ruins of the desert town of Jiaohe (Giao-he); Fire Mountains, exceptional natural phenomenon - in Chinese "huoyan shan"...situated in the middle of the Turfan Depression and running from east to west, one of the branch ranges of the Tian Shan Mountains, formed in the organic movements of Himalayas fifty million years ago; under the desert sun, the red rock glows and hot air curls up like smoke as though it were on fire, hence it's name; stroll in the lanes of the vanishing Old Turfan.

13. Turfan: bus trip to the surrounding Uighur villages, village of Tuyok, Emin's Minaret, local gardens, buy excellent local raisins; transfer to Heavens Lake; overnight by the lake in a traditional Kazakh yurt.

14. Heavens Lake, also called Jade Lake or Tian Chi in Chinese, 1980 m/6,336 feet above sea level under Mount Bogda (5445 m), a region populated by Kazakh ethnic minority; the lake covers an area of 1.9 sq. miles with a depth of 288 feet. It is a lake in the midst of high mountains fed by melting glaciers and snows, of pure, jade-blue water. Scattered around are the yurts of the Kazakh people who inhabit the Tian Shan Range;
continue to Urumchi; city sightseeing; visit traditional Uighur bazaar.

15. Fly Urumchi– Beijing; connect to your international flight.