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Tour

Marco Polo's Silk Road - China (7 days)

Tour Operator
WildChina

Turpan, China to Dunhuang, China

Valid for Departures Now Through: 01 Jun 2026
  • Adventure
  • Culture, History & Arts
  • Sightseeing
  • Walking & Biking
  • Wildlife & Nature
For availability and pricing:

The Silk Road remains one of the world's most legendary journeys, full of dusty desert roads and ancient towns immortalized in the accounts of Marco Polo. Desert landscapes stretch out seemingly endlessly along this ancient crossroads of civilization, broken up only by occasional oasis settlements. The legacy of this trade route has shaped the region's multiculturalism, home as it is to several ethnicities, religions, and languages. Retrace the footsteps of traders long gone by exploring bustling bazaars, gazing upon the desolateness of the Taklamakan Desert, and wandering through cities that seem more Central Asian than Chinese.

Itinerary

Day 1
Turpan, China

Hotel: Tuha Petroleum Hotel
Meals: Dinner

Upon arrival in Urumqi, your WildChina guide and chauffeur will take you to Turpan in your private vehicle, where you will spend the evening

Day 2
Turpan, China

Hotel: Tuha Petroleum Hotel
Meals: Dinner

In the morning, wander through the ruins in the old city of Jiaohe, once a flourishing, multiethnic city that wars were fought over

- Explore Turpan’s ingenious ancient karez water system, one of the oldest irrigation systems in the world

- In the afternoon, pass by the surreal sight of the Flaming Mountains, a scorching set of red sandstone ridges

Day 3
Turpan, China

kashgar, China

Hotel: Radisson Blu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Visit Xinjiang Provincial Museum, home to terracotta figures, porcelain, weapons, and 4,000 year old mummies

- In the late afternoon, travel to the airport for your flight to Kashgar

- Your WildChina Kashgar guide will meet you in the arrival hall of the airport upon your arrival in Kashgar with your chauffeur and private vehicle ready to take you to your hotel

- Savor the flavors of Xinjiang at a local restaurant for dinner

Day 4
kashgar, China

Hotel: Radisson Blu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Spend the day by the clear blue waters of Karakul Lake, surrounded by pristine scenery(located 3 hours outside of Kashgar Old Town) (note: The visitor center is under construction and the local guide suggests not visit until June 2016. The road to the lake is also under construction and the journey may take longer than 3 hrs)

Day 5
kashgar, China

Hotel: Radisson Blu
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

- Admire the distinctive Islamic architecture of Abakh Khoja Mausoleum and the Id Kah Mosque

- Enjoy the vibrant bursts of color and sound at the famous Kashgar Sunday Bazaar (30 min outside of town)

- Relax with a dinner of traditional Uighur cuisine with a local family

Day 6
Dunhuang, China

kashgar, China

Hotel: Silk Road Hotel
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

- If time permits, be sure to drop by the Monday Market!- In the morning, fly back to Urumqi and catch your connecting flight to Dunhuang - Upon arriving, you will be picked up by your WildChina Dunhuang guide and driver and

taken to your hotel

- Explore the Mogao Grottoes, also known as the Caves of the Thousand Buddhas, an ancient treasure trove filled with numerous manuscripts, frescoes, paintings, and sculptures

- Enjoy the rest of evening at your leisure

Day 7
Dunhuang, China

Hotel: None
Meals: Breakfast

- Set out for the Mingsha Sand Dunes, which Marco Polo dubbed “the rumbling sands” for the sound they make when the wind blows

- Return to your hotel

- In the late afternoon, your WildChina guide will escort you to the airport and see you offon your departing flight

Product Terms & Conditions

A deposit of USD 500/person is required to secure your client's customized reservation. Full trip payments should be made 60 days prior to departure. In the event that the departure date is within this 60-day window, full payment will be due at booking. Once full payment has been received, your client's trip tour guides will be confirmed and guide biographic information will be forwarded. Payments can be made by USD Denominated Check, Wire Transfer, or Credit Card.

In the case of trip cancellation, please refer to the schedule below:

  1. 60 days or more prior to trip departure - Loss of deposit
  2. Between 45 - 60 days prior to trip departure - 30% of total tour price will be forfeited
  3. Between 20 - 45 days prior to trip departure - 50% of total tour price will be forfeited
  4. Less than 20 days prior to trip departure - no refund

No refund will be made if clients voluntarily leave a trip for any reason after the trip has begun. Refunds will be at the discretion of WildChina if clients are involuntarily forced to leave a trip for any reason. WildChina reserves the right to cancel any trip departure before it is guaranteed to run. A trip is guaranteed to run once it has one fully paid traveler, unless minimum numbers state otherwise. WildChina reserves the right to cancel any trip, including a guaranteed trip, prior to departure due to reasons outside its control (i.e. natural disasters or political instability). In such a case, WildChina will refund the trip price. Under extraordinary circumstances caused by civil unrest, terrorism, natural disaster or other force majeure, either party may cancel the trip. If such cases occur 45 days or more before trip departure, WildChina will refund clients fully less the deposit. If such cases occur within 45 days of departure, WildChina will refund clients fully less the deposit and any expenses incurred to date that are directly related to preparation of such trip. Such expenses may include preview trips conducted specifically for the above-mentioned trip.

To cancel a trip please, contact your WildChina travel designer.



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