Ten days along the Silk Road, from the Xinjiang desert to the Qinghai plateau.
You pass oasis towns below sea level, the fort at the western end of the Great Wall, the striped hills of Zhangye and a salt lake up on the plateau. We only run this route in spring and early autumn.
Arrival in Urumqi.
Up to Heavenly Lake, below the peaks of the Tianshan.
Turpan, the oasis below sea level.
Train east across the desert to Dunhuang.
A day in Dunhuang, on the edge of the Gobi.
The fort at the western end of the Great Wall.
The painted hills of Zhangye, best in the late afternoon light.
Up onto the Qinghai plateau to Xining.
Qinghai Lake, the largest lake in China.
The Chaka salt flats. The trip ends in Xining.
Seven days in southern China: Zhijin Cave, Huangguoshu Falls, the Miao village of Xijiang and the Dong villages of Liping.
Dec 12–18, 2026 · 7 days · from 4 travelers · Guiyang in, Xingyi out
Furong, the town on a waterfall, a Miao village, the Grand Canyon glass bridge, the pillars of Wulingyuan and Tianmen Mountain.
Jan 2–6, 2027 · 5 days · from 4 travelers · Zhangjiajie in, Zhangjiajie out
Dali, Shangri-La and Lijiang, with two days of trekking above the Yangtze.
Mar 6–12, 2027 · 7 days · from 4 travelers · Dali in, Lijiang out