China
and The Far East:
Traders
and Travelers - 21 Day Tour
"Lets
get away, far away..."
"The
Silk Road." It's a phrase that conjures up images of narrow pathways
winding across vast tracts of desert and snow-crowned mountain peaks,
colorful steppe tribes and the rhythmic jangling of camel bells.
Across these ancient trade routes merged the rich and cosmopolitan
cultures of imperial China, Islamic Persia, and the Byzantine court
of Constantinople - and today they still wind their way through
some of the most remote and beautiful mountain scenery in the world.
Day
1: USA or Canada - Hong Kong, China
We
board a flight to Hong Kong today.
Day
2: Hong Kong
On
arrival in Hong Kong, we are met and transferred to our elegant
hotel.
Mandarin
Oriental
Day
3: Hong Kong
Our
comprehensive tour of this bustling hub of commerce and trade includes,
among other stops, visits to the Sam Tun Uk, a historical museum
in the New Territories; the fishing village of Lei Yue Mun, once
the haunt of pirates; and the colorful flower and bird markets.
After a delicious dim sum lunch, the afternoon is at leisure. Our
day ends with a welcome cocktail and a dinner party hosted by A&K
Hong Kong.
Mandarin
Oriental: B.L.D
Day
4: Hong Kong - Xian
An
informal and informative briefing on our upcoming itinerary begins
the day, followed by lunch and an afternoon flight to Xian, gateway
to Chinese Turkestan.
Shangri-La
Golden Flower Hotel: B.L.D
Day
5: Xian
Once
a splendid imperial capital, modern Xian is best known for the celebrated
tomb of the First Emperor of China, where an army of over 6,000
life-sized and uniquely detailed warrior figures have been excavated
to date. We also visit the Shaanxi Provincial Museum.
Shangri-La
Golden Flower Hotel: B.L.D
Day
6: Xian - Dunhuang
A morning
flight takes us to Dunhuang, arriving in time for lunch at our hotel.
The "City of the Sands" is home to some of the finest Buddhist art,
in caves cut into cliffs just outside the city. After lunch we begin
our explorations with a visit to the Dunhuang museum and a sunset
camel safari to the "singing sand dunes" at Mingshashan.
Silk
Road Dunhuang Hotel: B.L.D
Day
7: Dunhuang
After
breakfast, we head out for a full day of sightseeing to the Mogao
Caves, which honeycomb the cliff-face of the Mingsha Hills, 16 miles
southeast of Dunhuang. Their entrance is hidden in a tiny oasis
huddled in a steep valley; step inside and view some of the 45,000
murals and 2,000 pigmented stucco figures, preserved for over 15
centuries.
Silk
Road Dunhuang Hotel: B.L.D
Day
8: Dunhuang - Urümqi
Today
we board a flight bound for Urümqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uyger
Autonomous Region and center of ethnic Uyger culture.
Hoi
Tak Hotel: B.L.D
Day
9: Urümqi - Turfan - Urümqi
During
our full-day excursion to the ancient Silk Road oasis of Turfan,
we visit the Bezelik Caves, tour the ancient city of Gaochang and
its necropolis, Astana, and wander the city bazaar before returning
to Urümqi.
Hoi
Tak Hotel: B.L.D
Day
10: Urümqi - Kashgar
Today
we visit Redhill, the Uyger Bazaar and the Xinjiang Museum, known
for its vast collection of Han and Tang dynasty treasures and a
fascinating display of recently discovered mummies, some 6,000 years
old. This evening we board our flight to the oasis city of Kashgar,
China's westernmost city.
Seman
Hotel: B.L.D
Day
11: Kashgar
In
ancient days, the Silk Road split in two to skirt the Taklimakan
Desert, and Kashgar was the point at which the two routes joined
again en route to the west. Then, as now, it was an important trading
center in a remote region. Our sightseeing includes the Great Bazaar
at Kashgar, the Id Kah Mosque and the tomb of Abjak Hoja. Tonight,
we enjoy a special regional dinner with a number of local delicacies
to sample.
Seman
Hotel: B.L.D
Day
12: Kashgar - Tashkurgan
This
morning we drive south along the famed Karakorum Highway, into the
foothills of the mountain range from which it takes its name. This
alpine world of the Kirgiz and Tadjik peoples is one of the most
remote outposts of the Chinese Republic.
Pamir
Hotel: B.L.D
Day
13: Tashkurgan - Karimabad, Pakistan
After
clearing exit formalities at the border, we drive on over the mighty
Kunjerab Pass, the highest point of our mountain journey. This is
the fabled "Roof of the World" where the Karakorum, Pamir and Hindu
Kush mountains meet. Descending into Sust, we travel on to the beautiful
Hunza Valley.
Darbar
Hotel: B.L.D
Days
14-15: Karimabad
We
enjoy two full days in Karimabad, where the high alpine valleys
of Hunza cradle one of Asia's most beautiful regions. We explore
Karimabad village and its markets, and visit the Nagar Valley to
view a glacier field.
Darbar
Hotel: B.L.D
Day
16: Karimabad - Gilgit
We
drive south to the city of Gilgit, surrounded by the snow-crowned
peaks of the majestic Karakorum.
Serena
Lodge: B.L.D
Day
17: Gilgit - Besham
Our
journey continues on a scenic drive south to Besham, an important
market town in the upper reaches of the Indus Valley.
P.T.D.C.
Motel: B.L.D
Day
18: Besham - Islamabad
The
final leg of the Karakorum Highway takes us to Islamabad, with some
of the most breathtaking views of our journey.
Pearl
Continental Hotel: B.L.D
Day
19:
Depart
Islamabad on overnight flight to Bangkok, Bangkok hotel reserved
for early check-in.
Peninsula
Hotel
Day
20:
Morning
at leisure, with an option of afternoon sightseeing, Farewell dinner.
Peninsula
Hotel
Day
21: Bangkok - Tokyo, Japan - USA or Canada
Today
we board homebound flights to Tokyo, connecting onward to the USA
or Canada.
Peninsula
Hotel: B
ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION
**Departures
Limited to 20 Passengers**
Your
Traders and Travelers land arrangements include:
- Hotel
accommodations as indicated in the itinerary or similar
- Meals
as indicated in the itinerary; domestic bottled water with all
meals
- Arrival
and departure transfers
- All
sightseeing as shown, including entrance fees
- Services
of professional escorts (tour will be locally hosted for groups
of less than 6 persons)
- All
gratuities except to your escort
- All
baggage handling
Not
Included:
Personal
expenses such as laundry; travel insurance; excess baggage fees;
communication charges; cost of obtaining passport or visas; meals,
beverages or sightseeing not included in the itinerary; any airfares.
PRICING:
Please
contact Quality Travel Services for updated prices.
Or use our online Travel
Request Form.
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Quality Travel Serivices, Inc. 2007. All Rights Reserved.