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 |
Above
10 pax |
6 to 9
pax |
4 to 5
pax |
Single
Supplement |
Land Cost |
3493 |
3681 |
4301 |
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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