Depart home - Most flights depart this morning cross the international date line while enroute. Crossing the date line you "loose" 24 hours and arrive in China late afternoon the next day. You will recover the 24 hours on your return flight where you'll arrive back home at about the same time you left China. Some non-stop flights may even arrive a few minutes "before you left"!!!

Arrive Beijing, China - We are met by our tour guide and transferred to the ORIENTAL BAY HOTEL. (D)

Beijing - After Breakfast, we visit the Tiananmen Square – the largest city square in the world – the Forbidden City, the Ming and Qing Dynasty Imperial palace with almost 10,000 rooms. After lunch we visit the Temple of Heaven, and this evening, enjoy dinner and a Kongfu Show. (BLD)

Beijing - Today we will have a chance to climb to the top of the Great wall, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. After lunch we enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Emperors’ original summer retreat – Summer Palace. This evening we are treated to famous Peking Duck welcome banquet. (BLD)

Beijing to Urumqi - Fly to Urumqi, a growing metropolis that today, as in days past, is an important crossroad for those traveling between China, Tibet, and Central Asia. On arrival we transfer to the MIRAGE HOTEL for 2 nights. This evening we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (BLD)

Depart home - Most flights depart in the morning cross the international date line while enroute. Crossing the date line you "loose" 24 hours and arrive in China late afternoon the next day. You will recover the 24 hours on your return flight where you'll arrive back home at about the same time you left China. Some non-stop flights may even arrive a few minutes "before you left"!!!

Urumqi - Arrive at Urumqi, a growing metropolis that today, as in days past, is an important crossroad for those traveling between China, Tibet, and Central Asia. On arrival we transfer to the MIRAGE HOTEL for 2 nights. This evening we enjoy dinner at a local restaurant. (BLD)

Urumqi - We begin the day with a visit to the Heavenly Lake. This pristine lake is situated at a refreshing height of 2,000m and is surrounded by jagged snow-covered peaks, forests of pine trees and green meadows. Option to take a boat ride on the lake and then hike up to the less visited sections. Afterwards, we return to Urumqi for dinner.. We dine in a local Uygur style restaurant featuring Xinjiang delicacies such as lamb. After dinner, stroll through a nearby night market and take in the sites and sounds of this former Silk Road city (BLD)

Urumqi to Turpan - We depart Urumqi for Turpan. Visit the Bezelik Caves – a set of Buddhist cave temples that was an important center of Buddhism from the 6th to 13th centuries. Today, it houses rare examples of Buddhist mural art. These 67 caverns are in a cliff face above the stunning Murtuk River gorge. For lunch, dine with a local Uygur family in the Grape Valley, where at least seven types of grapes are grown, along with fruit trees and fruit plants. The grapes are also used to produce local Xinjiang wine. Then we visit the Gaochang Ancient city. Lounging in the family courtyard under the shade of grape vines, we enjoy a dinner of local noodles. TURPAN GRAND HOTEL (BLD)

Turpan - We tour the ancient city of Jiaohe (Yarkhoto) near Turpan. Jiaohe dates back to the Han dynasty (206BC - 220AD). Set on a plateau surrounded by deep, fertile valleys, the ancient ruins are a truly memorable sight to behold. After lunch, we visit the Keraz Well, a fascinating ancient Han irrigation project, and then head to Sugong Tower, the largest ancient Islamic tower in Xinjiang. We return to Turpan and ride on donkeys before wandering the lively Turpan city bazaar. The Turpan city bazaar is famous for its handicrafts, which attract tourists from all over Xinjiang. We end the night with a spirited Uygur dance performance at the hotel (BLD)

Turpan to Hami - An early start on the drive to Hami, visiting the Mausoleums of the Hui Kings en route. From 1697 to 1930, Hami was controlled by Muslim (Hui) kings. After the death of these rulers, they were all buried in the tomb complex, which comprises a number of domed mausoleums in Islamic styles, as well as a mosque. (BLD)

Aug 1 (Fri)

Hami (Yiwu) Eclipse Day! - Drive from Hami to Yiwu, a county located in the foothills of north Tianshan. With only 20,000 people in an area of 19,821 square kilometers, there is ample of space in the Gobi Desert. Yiwu is ECLIPSE CITY, the only area in China offering more than 2 minutes of totality with the best weather prospects along the entire 2008 totality path.

Considering our location, we expect a spectacular and immaculate totality view over the Gobi Desert’s horizon, with its distant Eastern Tian Shan Mountains in the background.

This evening as we return to Hami for the night, enjoy the sunset, relax as you reflect on the day’s rich experience. (BLD)

Hami to Dunhuang - After breakfast , we drive to Dunhuang. Known as the City of the Sands, it is a former terminal of the ancient Silk Road, perched on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert. The Taklamakan Desert is one of the world's largest deserts with an area of 272,000 sq km. The city holds the richest treasure troves of ancient Buddhist murals. Overnight DUNHUANG HOTEL. (BLD)

Dunhuang - Visit the Mogao Grottos, which mark the height of Buddhist artistic development in China. The Grottos were created over nine dynasties, from the 4th to the 14th centuries, and contain 492 caves, each housing murals (45,000), Buddhist paintings and terra-cotta statues (2,000). At dusk we visit the Mingsha Sand Dunes, which Marco Polo referred to as the "rumbling sands". Riding on camels, we visit Crescent Moon Lake, where the oasis meets the desert. Climbing to the top of the dunes, we take in a spectacular view of a green oasis surrounded by an endless desert landscape. The sands don't smother the lake because of a certain earth movement that creates winds that blow the sand away from the spring. (BLD)

Dunhuang to Shanghai - Connect to Sanghai and overnight at the SHERATON HOTEL. (BLD)

Shanghai - Depart China for your return flight home.

Dunhuang to Xian - Those opting for the post tour optional package will fly to Xian. This afternoon visit Shanxi Provincial Museum before dinner and overnight at the SHERATON HOTEL. (BLD)

Xian - Often referred to as the Eighth Wonder of the World, the Terracotta Warriors excavation site houses one of the most important archeological finds of our times. The three pits contain more than 7300 warriors, horses, and chariots that were crafted more than 2000 year ago in honor of China’s first Emperor, Qin Shi Huang. After lunch we visit the Big Goose Pagoda and the Ming Dynasty-era City Wall. (BLD)

Xian to Shanghai - Fly to Shanghai. We begin our stay with a stroll through the Yu Yuan Garden and the surrounding Old Shanghai District, and view the city skyline and its 1930’s era European architecture from the famous Shanghai Bund and the Nanjing Road. SHANGHAI CROWNE PLAZA (BLD)

Shanghai - Today we say farewell to our new friends in China and board our homebound flight or extend your stay in Shanghai by one additional night, and take a full day excursion to Suzhou.