Itinerary Overview
Follow in the footsteps of ancient Silk Road travelers on an extraordinary 7-day journey from Xining to Kashgar aboard the Silk Road Express. Discover the spiritual heritage of Tibetan Buddhism, cross the otherworldly landscapes of the Gobi Desert, and wander through the magnificent Tarim Populus Euphratica Forest. Venture into the vast Taklamakan Desert by camel and off-road vehicle, dine beneath a star-filled sky, and experience the vibrant traditions of Kashgar Old Town. Blending luxury rail travel, dramatic landscapes, rich cultural heritage and exclusive private experiences, this is a remarkable journey into the heart of China's legendary Silk Road.
Daily Itinerary
Xining (Altitude approx. 2,200m)
Today: Upon your flight's arrival at Xining Caojiabao International Airport, the Silk Road Express butler team will greet you with a grand welcome ceremony. A private chauffeured car and driver will then take you and your family to your hotel.
Evening: Enjoy a special welcome dinner.
Xining – Hami
Morning: Drive to visit ★Tibetan Culture Museum (Private guided tour) (10 km / approx. 30 min). As China’s first national-level comprehensive museum dedicated to Tibetan culture, it integrates collection, research and exhibition, offering an authoritative insight into Tibetan history, religion, art and traditions. Its most remarkable highlight is the 618-meter Painted Panorama (a monumental Thangka artwork), a unique masterpiece and the museum’s treasured centerpiece, showcasing the richness and grandeur of Tibetan artistic heritage.
Afternoon: Drive to visit ★Kumbum Monastery (VIP shuttle service within the monastery area + private guided tour) (38 km / approx. 45 min). One of the six great monasteries of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism and the birthplace of the renowned master Tsongkhapa, Kumbum Monastery is celebrated by the saying, “First came the pagoda, then came the monastery.” Built against the mountains, its golden roofs and red walls create a magnificent architectural landscape. The monastery’s three artistic treasures—butter sculptures, murals and Thangka embroidery—represent the pinnacle of Tibetan craftsmanship, while the prayer wheels and chanting halls reveal the profound spiritual traditions of the Tibetan plateau.
Hami (Altitude approx. 500m) – Luntai
Today: Escorted by a professional outdoor vehicle team, ★cross the Dahaidao (lightly uninhabited zone) (72km / 1.5 hours).
Your wheels trace marks left by a hundred million years of wind erosion, threading through the wild folds of Hami’s Dahaidao. Ochre-red and dark-blue yardang peaks stand in solemn ranks like the ruins of another planet, the off-road convoy the only pulse of life among them.
The vehicles rise and fall across a dried ancient seabed, stirring up the same dust once breathed by Silk Road caravans. As the setting sun gilds the mushroom rocks, we switch on our headlights beneath a sky that has been alone for ten thousand years — as though driving a time capsule toward the earth’s most primeval dream.
Luntai (Altitude 1,200m) – Kashgar
Drive to the Tarim desert poplar forest (approx. 100km / 100-minute journey) and explore ★the Tarim Populus Euphratica Forest Scenic Area (private mini-train and bespoke tea service). Here stands the world’s largest, densest, and best-preserved expanse of the “living fossil of the Tertiary period” — over 400,000 mu of natural desert poplar. In autumn the leaves blaze like flame while gnarled trunks twist like dancing dragons, striking in their fusion of ruggedness and splendour. Plateau autumn colour set against perennial snow, austerity and brilliance coexisting beneath the vault of sky, conveys the vast and solitary beauty of this land.
Kashgar – Maigaiti or Tashkurgan
Midday: Drive to ★Maigaiti N39 Camp (camel riding and UTV dune bashing) (200km / 3 hours), retracing the old Silk Road trading route. The camel train moves slowly along unbroken golden ridges, bells chiming softly as you drift across the Taklamakan sand sea — an immersive encounter with the desert’s vastness and the ancient character of the Silk Road.
Then a hard-edged modern desert adventure: drifting, plunging, and climbing among towering dunes for the jolt and thrill of off-road racing. Guided by professional instructors or driving yourself through complex sand terrain, you take on the same desert course used by the Taklamakan Rally, meeting shifting dune formations head-on. Full of speed and raw energy, it makes for an exhilarating desert off-road experience that shows the Taklamakan at its wildest.
Nightfall: We invite you into the heart of the desert, where all artificial light is left behind — dusk-lit sand as the backdrop, the wild starry sky as your seat — for an immersive musical feast that is quiet, weighty, and restorative, belonging to the southern Xinjiang desert alone.
Maigaiti – Kashgar Old Town
Morning: Dawn light drifts into your desert room; wake naturally, with no alarm to hurry you. Beyond the window lie rolling dunes and soft sunlight. Take breakfast slowly, listening to the faint sound of wind and sand. There is no need to rush — sit awhile and watch the light shift across the sand sea, let your mind empty, and keep this slow, quiet ease found deep in the desert for yourself.
Afternoon: A private vehicle brings you back to Kashgar (200km / 3 hours). Wander through ★Kashgar Old Town, where camel bells scatter the bright sun and chanting from the Id Kah Mosque weaves together with the strings of the rawap. Among labyrinths of earthen walls, bright skirts spin and children’s laughter rings against the clatter of the coppersmiths’ shops. The scent of baking naan drifts through century-old lanes and hand-drum beats keep time with the pulse of the Western Regions — this is Kashgar: half living city, half ancient spirit, every brick inscribed with the song of the Silk Road.
Deep within the bustling old town, a quiet courtyard has been found for you. Sit awhile over refined Western Regions tea pastries and enjoy a moment of calm. Try your hand at millennium-old intangible-heritage pottery shaping or traditional ethnic block-printing, or make one of the much-loved little lamb crafts — feeling the folk character of southern Xinjiang at your fingertips and taking away a memory of the old town that is yours alone.
Kashgar
Today: Sleep in and wake naturally at the hotel. Your private driver will then transfer you to the airport or railway station according to your flight or train schedule
What's Included
1. [Accommodation] Cost of listed hotel stays, based on 2 guests sharing 1 room.
2. [Vehicles]
(1) Airport transfers: Suite – Mercedes S-Class / Mercedes V-Class / Toyota Land Cruiser; Family / King / Twin – private car
(2) Xining segment: Suite – Mercedes S-Class / Mercedes V-Class; Family / King / Twin – private car
(3) Hami segment: Suite / Family / King / Twin – dedicated Tank off-road vehicle
(4) Luntai segment: Suite – Toyota Land Cruiser; Family / King / Twin – tour coach
(6) Kashgar segment: Suite – Toyota Land Cruiser; Family / King / Twin – private car
3. [Accompanying Service] Destination Ambassador service throughout, plus full photography service.
4. [Meals] 6 breakfasts, 11 main meals.
5. [Admission] First-entry tickets for itinerary attractions, experience activities, and local shuttle transport within scenic areas.
6. [Train Fare] Full Silk Road Express train passage fee.
What's Excluded
1. [Long-Distance Transport] Guests' round-trip long-distance transportation.
2. [Single Room Supplement] An additional charge applies for guests requesting a single room.
3. [Self-Arranged Activities] Costs for extended stays, or for additional optional or self-paid excursions.
4. [Other Expenses] Additional costs arising from force majeure (natural disasters, war, strikes, etc.), as well as transport delays, flight cancellations or schedule changes, or other circumstances not caused by our company, such as extended accommodation, meals, or transport.
5. [Not Otherwise Specified] Any costs not mentioned above are the guest's own responsibility.
★Important Notice
A border area permit is required to travel to the Pamir Plateau.
I. Requirements for children under 16 travelling with a guardian:
1. Children under 16 cannot obtain a border management zone permit independently; the application must be made jointly under a guardian’s name. At the time of application, a medical birth certificate or household register must be presented (a copy is acceptable if the original is not carried); a child’s ID card alone is not sufficient.
2. If the primary guardian (parent) is not travelling and a secondary guardian (grandparent) accompanies the child instead, the primary guardian (parent) must issue a letter of authorisation (signed and fingerprinted by both primary guardians, and submitted together with the original letter, a copy of the authorising party’s ID card, and the original ID card of the authorised party).
3. Where a guardian who is not an immediate relative accompanies the child, the letter of authorisation issued by the primary guardian (parent) must also be notarised; otherwise it has no legal effect.
4. Permit-processing staff must follow the accompaniment requirements strictly and may not simplify the procedure. Children under 16 who have not completed accompaniment formalities may not enter the border management zone.
II. Requirements for guests from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and for foreign nationals:
1. Foreign nationals and guests from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan must apply for the border area permit in person at the permit office.
2. A one-inch white-background photograph must be brought
★Notice
1. Altitude preparation: as some destinations on this trip are at high altitude, please prepare in advance with effective altitude-sickness medication and related supplies.
2. Climate and sun protection: the plateau climate is dry with strong sun radiation and UV exposure. Please bring sunglasses, a sun hat, sunscreen, and lip balm to protect your skin and eyes.
3. Temperature variation and clothing: plateau regions have large day–night temperature swings. We recommend packing long sleeves and trousers, plus a warm outer layer, for comfort and safety.
4. Common medications and health: to prepare for possible emergencies, we recommend bringing basic medications such as cold remedies, digestive aids, and aspirin.
5. During the trip, and without reducing the number of sites or venues visited or without your consent, your ambassador and driver may make reasonable adjustments to the itinerary based on weather, traffic, and other conditions (such as changing the order of visits or meeting times). While enjoying the plateau’s scenery, please prioritize your health and safety, and notify our staff immediately if you experience any discomfort.
★Friendly Reminders
1. As children may be travelling onboard, we kindly ask parents to watch over their safety: train space is limited, so please prevent children from running or playing boisterously inside carriages, lingering at carriage connections, or playing unsupervised, and watch for slippery surfaces to avoid falls.
2. Rest well upon first arriving at altitude. If experiencing altitude sickness, avoid washing your hair or showering for the first 3 days, drink plenty of water (bottled or boiled only, never untreated tap water) to prevent stomach upset, and eat in moderation to avoid overburdening your digestive system.
3. Please respect the culture and religious customs of ethnic regions, observe local etiquette, and travel considerately.
4. Due to limited electrical load in train compartments, please do not connect power strips or use highwattage appliances such as electric kettles.
5. Itinerary and transport: the northwest region is vast, with long drives between sites — please follow your Destination Ambassador’s guidance and avoid disembarking without instruction.
6. Time difference and connectivity: daily rhythms in the northwest run roughly 2 hours behind inland China
— please adjust accordingly. Signal may be weak in remote areas, so consider sharing your itinerary with family before departure.