Please note the tour price reflected on the brochure is subject to change. Due to seasonality, and taxes prices of the tour are subject to change without due notice. Please consult with the operator directly for the recent price.
Xi'an to Kashgar
Premier
Overview
Highlights (Bullets)
- Visit the Great Wall’s western-most pass
- See ancient carvings at the Binglingsi Caves
- Discover the quaint Tibetan town of Xiahe
- Relax by Heavenly Lake
- Explore the oasis town of Dunhuang
- Be entranced by Mount Kongtong
Short Description
Discover China away from the tourist trail. From the home of the famed Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an we make our way up to the Tibetan Plateau and the pilgrimage site of Xiahe. From here we journey to Jiayuguan and the end of the Great Wall, some 3,000 miles from Beijing. After a visit to the ancient silk route oasis of Turpan, it is time for an alpine respite at Heavenly Lake before again heading towards the desert, skirting its edges across to the famous market city of Kashgar. This adventure will leave you with amazing memories of a part of the world very few get to see.
Theme
Overland JourneysDestinations
ChinaAttractions & Cities Visited
N/AActivities & Interests
N/AItinerary
Day 1 Xian
Day 2 Xian
Day 3-4 Pingliang
Head out to Pingliang to visit the impressive Mount Kongtong, one of the sacred mountains of Taoism. Be mesmerised by the scenic surrounds as you explore the mountain.
Day 5 Gansu Corridor
Day 6-7 Xiahe
Reach Xiahe in time to watch the sun set over this enchanting Tibetan town. Take a guided tour of Labrang Monastery where you can see Tibetan monks performing their daily rituals and chants, or go horse riding in the nearby grasslands. This is also the place to try some delicious (really!) yak butter tea.
Day 8 Liujiaxia
Visit the Binglingsi Caves en route to Liujiaxia. Also known as the Bingling Temple, this series of Buddhist caves are filled with stunning sculptures. Feel the presence of departed souls as you follow winding walkways and narrow stairs around this ancient site.
Day 9 Zhangye
Journey towards Jiayuguan in Ganzu’s northwest. Experience true wilderness en route, pitching tent at a bush camp.
Day 10 Jiayuguan
Nestled on the western edge of the Gobi desert, the Great Wall’s western-most pass (or fort) is most commonly referred to as Jiayu Pass. Standing eleven metres high, the pass and surrounding wall protected Ming Dynasty China from the ‘barbarians’ of the north.
Day 11-12 Dunhuang
Begin the day with a visit to the magnificent Mogao Caves. Not far from the oasis town of Dunhuang, these caves exhibit 1000 years of Buddhist art. In the afternoon, explore Dunhuang or venture out on a camel ride through picturesque sand dunes.
Day 13-14 Turpan
Explore Turpan and the surrounding area. Don’t miss the famous Jiaohe ruins in the nearby Yarnaz Valley.
Day 15-16 Heavenly Lake
Located on the border between China and North Korea, Heavenly Lake is situated atop Baekdu Mountain. According to local legend, it is also home to the Lake Tianchi Monster. Keep your eyes peeled as you relax by the lake and take in the magnificent surrounds.
Day 17-18 Bayanbulak Wildcamp
Skirt the edge of the Taklamakan Desert on the overland journey from Heavenly Lake out towards historic Kashgar. Camp in the desert en route.
Day 19-21 Kashgar
The western-most city in China, Kashgar sits just north of the Kirzlesu River. Perhaps wander round the famous Sunday market or meander through the Old City – it’s considered one of the best-preserved Islamic cities in Central Asia – before this grand China tour comes to an end.
Day 22 Kashgar
Availability
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4,331 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings
Xi'an to Kashgar
Company Reviews
Sardines in a can
If any of us had been physically inflexible or overweight we could not have coped with the sleeping arrangements . It is impossible to sit on the top bunk and even turning over in bed requires considerable planning .
An adventure does not mean cutting back on basic essentials …
In our view there were too many people in too small a space .
Two complete strangers were also asked to sleep together in an extremely small double bed , which meant that one of them decided to sleep on deck or in the living space .
The only redeeming factor was our Skipper who is professional, friendly , informative and skilled .
I would recommend this trip if the numbers were reduced .
I feel totally cheated
Have not even started and not impressed
No help when things go wrong (seriously ill on trip)
Trip 1- I was taken very ill while in Vietnam and had to drop out of the tour. I had no help from the guide- no help with getting to a doctor (I don't speak Vietnamese and was too ill to get out of bed anyway), he didn't even assist with arranging a hotel room.
Trip 2- I've had to cancel an upcoming (2024) trip, but haven't received the refund despite phoning the customer service line several times. The people I talk to are nice, but don't seem to be able to actually get anything done. They just suggest waiting a bit longer- not sure how long they think is acceptable to hang on to someone's money really.
Check for other companies offtering the same trip
Once I had paid for my trips, it was very difficult to get in touch with Intrepid to ask a question.
During the trips, several times I was told something one day only to have the info change without any good reason. The guides need proper training about dealing with the heat. Some of use suffered from dehydration and heat stroke and the guides were quite flippant about it. I was told that the guides would not leave anyone behind, but it happened several times.
There was one guide (a trainee) who really took some of the pleasure out of my cycle tour. She spoke to me with a tone used for a child. This tone and her attitude to me almost bordered on harassment.
I went on a third cycling tour with a different company after my 2 with Intrepid and it was much better than my experience with Intrepid.
As the demand for ebikes rises, tour companies such as Intrepid need to increase their fleet of ebikes. They also don’t need to charge the huge amount to rent these ebikes. We only want to rent them, not buy them. As the cost of ebikes comes down, if should reflect in the rental price.
Ecuador guide Eitel made the tour…
Details
Flight & Transport Inclusions
Roundtrip air to/from trip start & all internal transport Overland vehicle
Group Size
Intimate Group - 12 max
Maximum Number of People in Group: 22
Maximum of 22 travellers per group.
Solo Notes
Our group trips are designed for shared accommodation and don't involve a compulsory single supplement. Single travellers share with people of the same gender in accommodation ranging from twin to multishare. Some of our itineraries have accommodation booked on a mixed gender share basis and where applicable this will be specified in our Trip Notes. On a selection of our trips, you have the option to pay a single supplement to ensure that you have your own accommodation (where available). Please note that this only applies to accommodation during the tour - pre-trip and post-trip accommodation will be booked on a single room basis.
Accommodations
Hotel (12 nts), Bush camp (no facilities) (5 nts), Guesthouse (2 nts), Yurt (2 nts)
Guides
On all of our Dragoman-operated Overlanding trips you will be accompanied by two Western crew members who are responsible for the group and the overall organisation of the trip. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad knowledge of the places visited and to offer suggestions of things to do and see. Dragoman trips use local guides who may stay with us for just a few hours or will actually travel with us for some or all of the journey. In these cases they become a third crew member and are able to offer their local knowledge as well as a real insight into the lives of the local people. Our crew are chosen for their leadership skills, and most importantly have a passion for the region and its people. We endeavour to provide the services of an experienced leader and crew; however, situations may arise where your leader is new to a particular region or training other group leaders On any Overland trip, there are a number of tasks that need to be done. Our overland trip leaders will organise the group into smaller groups of two or three who will take turns in the daily shopping and cooking, vehicle cleaning, disposing of rubbish, etc. There are also a number of other jobs that need doing e.g. collecting water and firewood, luggage loading, supervising the kitty and food stores, which may be assigned to particular people or on a rota system according to group size, make-up, and so on. You must come prepared to 'pull your weight' and share in these duties; you will become very unpopular with other group members if they have to do your share. The more you put into a trip, the more you'll benefit.
Additional Information
Style descriptions
Our Basix style trips are designed for travellers who want exceptional value, plenty of free time and having the flexibility to choose where and how their time and money is spent. By working plenty of free time into the itineraries and keeping many of the activities optional, we aim to make travel possible for those on even the most slender of budgets. After all, why pay for an activity or excursion you wouldn’t otherwise be interested in? Or a level of comfort you don’t require? As a wise person probably once said, a bed's just a bed when there's exploring to be done.
Finish point
- Seman Hotel 色满宾馆
- 337 Seman Road 新疆维吾尔自治区喀什市色满路337号
- Kashgar
- CHINA
- Phone: +86 09982552129
Physical Requirements
This trip will raise your heartbeat. Moderate physical activities are included and a good level of fitness is required.
Trip ID#:
intrepid-CDOL
Meals Included
Meals introduction
While travelling with us you'll experience the vast array of wonderful food available in the world. Your group leader will be able to suggest restaurants to try during your trip. On our camping trips we often cook the region's specialities so you don't miss out. To give you the maximum flexibility in deciding where, what and with whom to eat, generally not all meals are included in the trip price. This also gives you more budgeting flexibility. As a rule our groups tend to eat together to enable you to taste a larger variety of dishes and enjoy each other's company. There's no obligation to do this though.
Meals
All meals when camping
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