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Xi'an to Kashgar tour

Xi'an to Kashgar

Intrepid Travel Premier
Has very high quality customer experiences and demonstrated commitment to responsible travel practices. read more
4.6 . Excellent
94%
Travel Style: Array Full on
Physical Level: All or most of day hiking or biking, hills included. Moderate
Lodging Level: 3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards. Basic (2*)
22 days
From: $ 2,496 $ 113 / day
Checking price

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.

Style Small group tour
See all the highlights and popular spots on a classic tour.
Itinerary Focus Classic Highlights
3 to 4 star western hotel equivalents. While not all lodging will be 'luxury' they will be quite comfortable by western standards.
Lodging Level Basic (2*)
Flight & Transport Inclusions Roundtrip air to/from trip start & all internal transport
Start City Xi'an
End City Kashgar

Destinations

China

Attractions & Cities Visited

N/A

Activities & Interests

N/A

No Single Supplement
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Itinerary

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

Checking price
Price From $ 2,496
Price Per Day: $ 113 per day
Checking price

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4,327 Intrepid Travel Travel Reviews & Ratings

94%
4.6 out of 5 (100+ reviews)
Excellent 3,267
Great 678
Average 136
Disappointing 71
Terrible 175
Value
4.6
Guide
4.6
Activities
4.6
Lodging
4.6
Transportation
4.6
Meals
4.6

Xi'an to Kashgar

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Company Reviews

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5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
INTREPID is a company I use regularly as a vehicle for exploring the world and my most recent edifying experience was a 12 day visit to Egypt. The itinerary covered Cairo, Luxor and Aswan by road, rail and a boat on the Nile. Egypt is a country rich in history and unique landscapes and this trip provided an opportunity to feel immersed in a way that wilĺ leave an indelible memory of the vistas and unique artefacts. In addition interaction with local people and an excellent Egyptian guide made the experience interactive so that I gained an intimate experience of the country that more circumscribed trips cannot provide.
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Guide5.0
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Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
I recently travelled on a Premium Intrepid trip to Uzbekistan. I was pleasantly surprised by the comfort level of the accommodation. It was a wonderful trip with like minded travellers from different parts of the world. Our guide Lorba was passionate about sharing the history of her country and religion. She was also skilled at reading the mood of the group and adjusting our itinerary as necessary.
I was excited to visit a country on the Silk Road and it exceeded my expectations.
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Terrific tour & an exceptional guide in Egypt

5.0
Details
Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
I chose to use Intrepid due to a highly positive recommendation by a friend's wife who used them years ago.
My destination was Egypt, but they also handled my flights to Botswana prior to the tour as well.
All flights went like clockwork and the tour was terrific.
The sites were amazing, but our guide's affable demeanor and extensive knowledge ensured that every step of the way was both educational and enjoyable. Moreover, he extended his support beyond the tour, tracking our well-being until we safely returned to our respective countries which added an extra layer of depth to the journey.
I will be most definitely be using Intrepid again and can highly recommend.
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My review would be five stars plus except for the poison apples

4.0
Details
Value4.0
Guide4.0
Activities4.0
Lodging4.0
Transportation4.0
Meals4.0
My review would be five stars plus, except for the failure to warn travelers in a timely manner about the poison apple trees, which I stood under barefooted for ten minutes and which cause a quick and painful death in the consumption of even a single tiny apple...
The certified guide in the Galapagos on day two of our trip told me that recently a tourist couple without permits ate the apples and quickly died a painful death..so Intrepid needs to warn its customers that even touching the apple or the tree itself triggers a painful rash or worse...
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5.0
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Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
First Intrepid Madagascar tour of 2023--and it was fantastic! Wonderful guide (Bruno), lots of lemurs and hiking and incredible landscapes. Started on the beach with sailing in a pirogue (and starfish diving), baobab arboretums, plus a hike through rice fields, lunches hosted by local villagers, visit to silk weavers and paper-making workshop and aluminum casters and marquetry crafters.... what didn't we do in 2 weeks?! Eye-opening experiences, in one of the last pristinely natural places on earth.
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5.0
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Value5.0
Guide5.0
Activities5.0
Lodging5.0
Transportation5.0
Meals5.0
This trip was amazing. I had been looking forward to it for almost 3 years, and it exceeded my expectations! Vietnam is an incredible country, and this trip gave me a hunger to come back for more. Our guide, Thán, was wonderful. He couldn't do enough for us and was always 'on the clock'. Very knowledgeable and passionate about his job. This was an amazing, unforgettable experience.
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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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"A journey is best measured in friends, rather than miles."
Tim Cahill
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