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Summary of tour arrangements |
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| 12th October
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2004 Depart London LHR with Air China CA938
20:25, arrive 13:10 next day. Overnight on aircraft. |
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13th October
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Arrive Capital Airport, meet national guide. Transfer to
hotel. Rest of day free, or afternoon walking in Tiananmen square or locally.
Stay at Beijing Hotel. |
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14th October
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Morning at leisure or visit to the Temple of Heaven.
Traditional roast duck lunch, visit to Forbidden City . Board train for Xi¡¯an
T41 17:12, arrive 06:45 next day. Overnight on train (soft sleeper). |
| 15th October |
Arrive Xi¡¯an 06:45. Transfer to hotel. Rooms will not be
ready until later in the day, but facilities will be available for showering
and freshening up. Breakfast in hotel. Activities will include visits to the
city walls, forest of steles, the Grand Mosque and the Big Goose Pagoda.
Overnight at the Le Garden Hotel, Xi¡¯an |
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16th October
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Day of activities around Xi¡¯an, about based on the Terracotta
Army, Banpo site (if re-opened) and Hot Springs. At the time of writing the
Banpo Neolithic site was closed for renovation, but should be reopened by the
time of the tour. Overnight at the Le Garden Hotel, Xi¡¯an. |
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17th October
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Morning visit the Shaanxi Provincial History Museum. After
lunch, fly to Jia Yu Guan Pass HU219 15:30 arrive 18:40. Stay at Jia Yu Guan
Pass Hotel. |
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18th October
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Visit the Jiayuguan fort (last on later Great Wall),
Overhanging Wall and Wei dynasty graves with painted bricks. Take the coach to
Dunhuang, via Anxi, and ruined city of Qin dynasty. This part of the day will
be spent mainly sitting watching the Gobi Desert go past. Stay at Dunhuang Silk
Road Hotel |
| 19th October |
Get up early and walk to Minsha Dunes (about 1 km). Climb the
dunes, probably in bare feet, to catch the sunrise. Walk down and along (15 to
20 minutes) to the Crescent Moon Lake, and back to a lateish breakfast. The
balance of the day is a rest day, and this hotel is a first-class place to have
one, or individuals or small groups can take taxis into Dunhuang for pretty
good arts and crafts, oasis foods etc, or possibly the Western Thousand Buddha
caves for a small group who want to do that. Stay at Dunhuang Silk Road Hotel. |
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20th October
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Visit to the Mogao grottoes (the Institute¡¯s specialist guide
will be available). In the evening take the train to Turpan K889 20:26, arrive
06:16 next day. Overnight on train (soft sleeper). |
| 21st October |
Arrive in Turpan and transfer to hotel. As in Xi¡¯an rooms
will only be available later, but facilities for showers, freshening up and
changing will be available. Breakfast in hotel. The days activities will
include Visit to the Astana graves (cemetery for Gaochang), Karez system of
irrigation, Emin minaret and mosque. Stay at Oasis Hotel. |
| 22nd October |
Visit to the Gaochang ruined city, the Flaming Hills, and
other sites of interest as time permits. Stay at Oasis Hotel. |
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23rd October
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Coach to Urumqi, afternoon in the City, visiting the regional museum for an
insight into the history and prehistory of the Tarim Basin, late evening flight
to Kashgar. Stay at Qiniwaka Friendship Hotel.
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| 24th October |
City sights ¨C Id Kah mosque, Fragrant Concubine mosque,
bazaar, street of craftsmen etc. Stay at Qiniwaka Friendship Hotel. |
| 25th October |
All-day trip to Lake Karakul. Back in
time for showers etc at hotel and a late flight to Urumqi. Stay at Holiday Inn
Urumqi. |
| 26th October |
Sights in and around Urumqi, depending on time of flight to
Beijing, but probably White Poplar Gully. Flight back to Beijing. Stay at
Beijing Hotel. |
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27th October
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Relax for the day in Beijing. Stay at Beijing Hotel. |
| 28th October |
Morning at leisure until departure for Capital Airport.
Flight back to London with Air China CA938 14:05, arrive London Heathrow 17:50
same day. |
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| The tour is available at a special price of ¡ê1,995, with a single supplement of
¡ê350. The party will be fairly small, but there will need to be at least 20
travellers. The trip is expected to be in some demand so early booking is
recommended. Places may be reserved through Christina Zhang at CTSIC,
accompanied by a deposit of ¡ê400, which is non-refundable, but which you may
cover through your travel insurance. For this and other reasons you are
strongly recommended to obtain adequate travel insurance at the time of
booking.
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1. Flight London¡ªBeijing¡ªLondon return economy class ticket
2. Excellent quality hotel accommodation with buffet breakfast as specified in
the itinerary. This will usually be at least 4-star, although in the more
out-of-the-way places it may be a little simpler. Wherever possible we select
comfortable hotels of character in the places concerned.
3. Lunches and dinners on a set menu basis.
4. All domestic flight tickets and train tickets as specified in the itinerary
5. All sightseeing and entrance fees as specified in the itinerary
6. All transfers in an air-conditioned luxury coach
7. Professional and excellent English Speaking tour guide with solid knowledge
of each destination
8. All airport taxes, except the RMB 90 payable on the homeward flight. This is
payable at the Capital Airport in local currency. (please make sure you keep 90
RMB, as only cash is taken).
9. Chinese visa**
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1. Private expenses
2. Tips for the guides and the drivers*
3. Travel Insurance (essential)
* Tipping is not (yet) as common in China as in most parts of the West. However
it is normal and natural in the tourism industry, and would certainly be
anticipated on a tour like this. As an indication of what might be reasonable
the guides and drivers on the prototype tour on which this is based were
universally excellent and were rewarded accordingly. That party spent around
¡ê45 each during the tour as tips to the national and local guides and drivers.
** CTSIC will make all visa arrangements, but issue of the visa is at the
discretion of the Embassy of the People¡¯s Republic of China. It is most unusual
for a tourist visa application not to be granted, but CTSIC cannot be held
responsible for any consequence of a visa application not being successful.
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